Tour de France Tour de France 2025 Stage 9: Chinon – Châteauroux (174.1k)

Page 6 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
But indeed quite interesting that large breaks on flat stages simply do not exist anymore. If I look back to the TdFs of my childhood, you had them on each and every stage. I really wonder what the purpose of large parts of the peloton is if they don’t even try that. No GC rider, no sprinter, not going for a break. Just surviving 3 weeks? After all 1-2 of those breaks out of 100 for sure still worked…

Some underestimate the fight for UCI points. Better for teams ( which is nearly all ) to hold their team together on a flat sprint and get a decent result in the final.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
This first half of the TdF hasn't exactly been mountainous. It reminds me of the Cippollini era. But how far back must we go to find a similar "flat" start to a Grand Tour (zero mountain stages before stage 10)?

its affected by where the TdF starts though surely ? youre not going to be dropping mountain stages in if there arent any mountains around the area you are in.
 
I see irony in this break. We complain about teams who have little chance of winning the sprint not sending riders in the break, yet, when you have 2 strong riders with a decent gap then there should 10 or 12 teams chasing, but its left to one or two teams. Weird1
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Unless there are echelons, they won‘t catch Van Der Poel
It's 99km to go and only 5m10s gap to a breakaway with only 2 guys.
Lidl + Uno pulling the peloton.

There's no way Alpecin takes this breakaway to the finish line, unfortunately.

ps: and if there are echelons and Visma/Soudal go to the front, then there is really zero chance for the breakaway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan