Pro Cycling Discussion 2019

Bear said:
Awesome racing today, Pinot getting back into contention with a couple of fantastic days. Wonder if he’s gone too deep and will crack next week. GC is so close, sets up a fantastic last week.
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Hope not but fear that could happen. Going to be a good final week, so close 2 to 6!
 
touch said:
I wonder what Ineos do now?
Go hard and attack on the climbs may get rid of Alaphillipe but Pinot looks like he'll take time if they do that.
Ride tempo on the front to stop Pinot attacking but then they probably won't drop Alaphillipe.

Maybe it's not a decision they get to make anyway? They don't seem to have the team there on the final climbs like they have done in the past.
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I reckon based upon what I've seen of Ineos that they've really massively focussed on those last 3 days and Kwiat, Poels, Castroviejo will be peaking for those days. The velon vid of Kwiat with Luke Rowe up the final climb from yesterday looked like they were fairly positive and just saving themselves massively. I can't see how Kwiat has fallen that much, considering he looked fairly strong earlier in the year. Poels has slowly gathered form and looked quite comfy yesterday up that final climb. They've not been controlling the Peloton as they have in previous years, and I suspect that is by design, realising it's not the best way to win with the smaller team and the way the route is this year, so letting others do the hard work until the later days.

But until those 3 days happen it's all talk for now :D I really hope Pinot can challenge but in the end I want G to win it as a Brit, and I still envisage him having a Pinot day where he has suffered from his efforts so far. Going to be fascinating to watch next Thurs,Fri and Saturday that's for sure.
 
Er Luke Rowe and Tony Martin expelled for clashing wheels and having a little tete a tete, very very odd decision. Nacer Bouhanni has punched people and not been kicked out in the past.
 
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I did see a later clip where he sort of grabs Martin quite soon after, but it's ridiculous, especially after the way they settled down and rode together shook hands etc. That sort of stuff happens every single day. They should have been reprimanded but dqed is a ridiculous judgement.
 
Think it was worth the try and showed that Alaphillipe could be dropping some big time over the next two days. Quite telling that G told Egan to go, suspect the yellow jersey will be changing hands tomorrow, to who that is the unknown! :D
 
Bear said:
To be fair, the push was considerably shorter compared to Roglic. Feel sorry for Pinot, admittedly I want to French to lose at everything but I actually like riders like Pinot (as well as Alaphilppe) and would have like to see them make the podium all be it not on the top step.
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Very true, but the fact it was his soigneur not a fan! I'm the same I've enjyed watching them both ride, but would much prefer a British winner.
 
just finished watching the stage up until the cancellation. Great stage all day. Shame the freak weather put an end to it, but definitely the right thing to do if landslides were occuring, I dread to think if any debris hit a rider or one happened whilst racing.

Shadowness said:
Wow what a day!
Stage cancelled and a new GC leader!!
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Told ya!

SoliD said:
Think it was worth the try and showed that Alaphillipe could be dropping some big time over the next two days. Quite telling that G told Egan to go, suspect the yellow jersey will be changing hands tomorrow, to who that is the unknown! :D
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Much of nothing in the end, just some trains after the breakaway. Good win by nibali to hold on in the end, and thoroughly deserved win for bernal, to take back the amount of time he has since the TT is impressive, wonder how many tours he'll win.
 
Great tour throughout, shame it was curtaildd a bit and pinot had to pull out. But all ifs and buts. Deserved winner in bernal, had 1 not so good day on the tt but was flawless every other day it seemed.

G's interview at the end saying about when he's 45, old and fat watching bernal win his 10th tour. Classy in defeat!
 
Bear said:
Crazy to think this was supposed to be a sprint stage and it blew the peleton to bits with no sprinters there to contest the run in. Not sure who writes these road books, I bet they were laughing
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Vuelta always springs these sorts of things up. Going to be a great race, and although the commentators are talking about it being settled early I think the podium won't be decided until the day before Madrid with some stings in the tail and no doubt some yoyoing of positions as we go through the weeks.
 
Well yesterday was brilliant on paper.. Just didn't get to see any of it unfortunately. Roglic in prime position to take the Jersey tomorrow and if his form continues to pull back the time after his crash all the way to Madrid.
 
Roglic put down a marker yesterday as expected! Quintana flumped as expected. Really interesting to see if now he moves to Arkea Samsic they invest 5 quid into improving his position which hasn't changed in all the years I remember seeing him on a TT bike.

Up to Lopez, Pogacar and Movistar to put the attacks on from now on, 4 more summit finishes and some climbs to come, but based on the way Lopez and Roglic rode on Sunday they look the two strongest riders if they can stay upright.
 
Lethal` said:
Did anyone catch what actually happened to Pogacar? Millar noticed the bike had been swapped as the original bike was on the roof with number but no details on what the issue was.
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Reading/listening to the interviews it didn't sound as though anything happened and he dropped off in the middle part, so maybe he started on that bike?
 
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