Tour de France Tour de France 2025, Stage 18: Vif - Courchevel Col de La Loze(171.5k)

[Berniece]

I get the feeling a bunch of Visma riders are on the radio now asking what to do, with Wellens out front.

Personally I'd let him go, let him solo all he likes, then try to get clear themselves on the climb

I think they discussed this beforehand. WVA quickly decided not to do anything anymore once Wellens was there. Let him waste some energy on his own.

 

[Samamba]

Did the camera on the first moto break or what is happening?

EDIT: ah finally

 

[AmRacer]

VLABank letting Wellens ride away

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Lipowitz is in that front group

 

[Heston]

Break is bigger than the peloton

 

[Boehmand]

Giant group sailing away, neither UAE nor Visma wants to control - they are both waiting for the climb.

 

[Didinho]

Visma riding hard in peloton 2.

 

[Boehmand]

Visma blinked first and is now riding to close the split

 

[Tim Cahill]

Lipowitz winning the Tour here going for a Landis as the other two stare at each other.

 

[Savant12]

Tim Wellens is not in the peleton....he's up in front.

 

[Boehmand]

Looking for Milan, if he has not made his way back after the bike change, he could be in trouble today, the hammer has dropped.

 

[RedheadDane]

Milan behind after changing to his climbing bike.

Now he just has to hope Pogacar and Vingegaard don't go "completely rococco", to quote Ritter.
They should stick to being Baroque.

Also, very nice of Pogacar to remind Wellens that he shouldn't kill himself.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Visma realized they've let a waay too big of a group gone away and closed it down.
Don't really understand what is Wellens plan(?)

 

[Boehmand]

Visma closed the split, it was only a 3-4 minute effort, no biggie - but they lost that hand to UAE.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Tim Wellens completely destroying himself. Considering how useless he was on Mont Ventoux its a pretty dumb move.

 

[Boehmand]

Milan back in the peloton, the tempo slowed when the groups merged.

 

[Boehmand]

WvA goes again, trying to solo his way to Wellens - that would be an interesting 2-man break, especially today

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Tim Wellens completely destroying himself. Considering how useless he was on Mont Ventoux its a pretty dumb move.

He was in about the Top 15 of climbers from the GC group on Ventoux, I don‘t understand why people think the UAE Doms should be able to follow Vingegaard‘s attack or what other useful things they could do.

 

[ashhutch1997]

He was in about the Top 15 of climbers from the GC group on Ventoux, I don‘t understand why people think the UAE Doms should be able to follow Vingegaard‘s attack or what other useful things they could do.

For me it's a pretty useless move.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Wellens for the valley up front incase of an attack is a reasonable move, this aint the way though.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Just 30-40 seconds? That would be a major gap.

IIf Pogacar loses 30-40 seconds on a hard MTF its a minor loss in his GC situation and changes nothing. Obviously a loss like this on Madeleine could grow later and become a problem. Thats why Vingo wants a long battle. No way to overcome this gap otherwise.

 

[Didinho]

Wellens should wheelsuck for the rest of his breakaway day.

 

[Boehmand]

IIf Pogacar loses 30-40 seconds on a hard MTF its a minor loss in his GC situation and changes nothing. Obviously a loss like this on Madeleine could grow later and become a problem. Thats why Vingo wants a long battle. No way to overcome this gap otherwise.

Exactly, and because they are riding de la Loze from the easy side, Madeleine is where Visma needs to put Pogacar under maximum pressure, they cannot wait for de la Loze.

That doesn't mean Vingegaard goes before de la Loze, but it means Visma needs to start cooking Pogacar already on Madeline, as preparation.

Ideally Vingegaard would create separation before the top of Madeleine and link up with a teammate or 2 over the top - but I don't think he can drop Pogacar already then (if at all).

 

[E_F_]

Hey, I know that dam!

 

[Peyroteo94]

Lenny missed the break? If so, he will not win the poka dot jersey