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Morning folks, lets see what's in store today, CyclingStages, lead the way.
Wednesday 24 July - Stage 17 in the Tour de France is a 200 kilometres race from Pont du Gard to Gap. The rolling route serves as warm-up before the ensuing GC challenges in the Alps, while a breakaway is likely to succeed.
The race sets off near the Pont du Gard. This ancient Roman aquaduct crosses the Gardon River 25 kilometres northeast of Nîmes. The route moves through the Rhône valley and visits the famous Roman Theatre of Orange before entering a sheer endless false flat of 70 kilometres. The slope kicks up a bit on the Côte de La Rochette-du-Buis and, in quick succession, the Col de Mévouillon, before the route reaches an elevation of 883 metres at kilometre 110.5.
The Tour de France continues on predominantly flat roads to the foot of the Col de la Sentinelle. The 5.2 kilometres climb at 5.4% is crested inside the last 8.5 kilometres before the riders fly down to the finish line in Gap.
Gap is a regular host of the Tour the France. The last three stages ended in solo victories: Thor Hushovd (2011), Rui Costa (2013) and Rubén Plaza (2015).
Time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds are awarded to the first three riders on the line.
Stage profile? Interesting.
Small lump at the end.
And the riders in the mix for the stage?
The Contenders: with the three big mountain stages coming up we could see the main GC contenders contesting the stage wins so today is the last certain chance of a breakaway and half the peloton knows it. So we can expect wave after wave of attacks and a lottery element as to which move finally sticks. Rather than listing lots of riders and their associated stories, some rapidfire bullet points:
The prototype rider is Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) as he has the power to get away on the flat and also to ride rivals off his wheel on the final climb but might he sit tight with an eye on tomorrow’s stage where there’s a shot at the stage win and also the mountains jersey?
Astana have had a quiet Tour so far and even if they’ve been all in for Jacob Fuglsang they’ve not fired as many riders up the road as usual. Maybe Omar Fraile is their best bet.
Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) is another obvious pick, he can finish fast from a small group.
Michael Matthews has tried some sprints but today’s course suits him better
Peter Sagan (Bora-Hangsrohe) is the safe pick, able to get in the breakaway and then hard to outwit
We could name 80 other riders and still miss today’s winner.
Can Julian Alaphilippe attack over the final climb and use the descent to boost his lead? On paper yes but this move is obvious and he’s looking increasingly tired, he’s starting to skip media appearances.
And to finish, yesterday.
Bumpy huh.
EF or CCC.
Can’t decide, it’s either Kangert or Langeveld..
Or
GvA, Pauwels or Schar.
A break, no change in GC. Alaphillipe will be bungeed to Thomas.
We might see Buchmann scoot off, but considering he’s in the top 10 now it means he’s a marked man. Great effort in his first tour, Sagan might just say “chill dude, come ride with me”
Hope they all eat and drink enough today, gonna be another blinking hot rideout.
Last chance sprinter saloon before Paris. It's going to be manic.
Nibali. He's far enough back on GC now not to be a threat, he can descend like a rocket and, while it's not the same descent into Gap that had Beloki down and Armstrong doing cyclo-cross, it's still fast and technical enough to mean if he gets over the top in a small breakaway, he'll be hard to beat on a downhill run in.
I'm hoping this will be a great stage to watch with the breakaway taking the win, but only just! 😀
Dare I suggest Cummings for today's stage? If not, de Gendt is the obvious pick.
Valverde today, more's the piti.
Defnite win for the breakaway, it depends who's feeling good with the rumours of illness going round. Nibali is a good call, and Adam Yates is also far enough down to be allowed to go in a break, though not as good descending as Nibbles. I'd also consider this to be a classic Cummings stage, but as the preview says above you could name dozens of riders and still miss the winner.
Barguil to wipe out Thomas again on the descent into Gap.
Whoever wins , I hope it's in a heroic break.
Nicolas Roche to have yet another go?
Bardet has had some rest and descends with the best. Not sure the climbs are selective enough. Please be a Wanty winner if not Bardet.
Barguil is such a good descender so in with a chance. I too would love to see Cummings in a breakaway.
My own prediction is Thomas De Gendt.
break to be controlled, Alaphillipe to attack on Col de la Sentinelle, hail mary descent to try and get the 10 bonus seconds/force a mistake
Got to be another day for a big elite breakaway to go 15 mins out? TDG again?
I am sure that the GC guys will want to go as slowly as possible, but I guess the first 50k will be manic until DQS/Ineos are happy with the composition. Cant see a sprinters day there will be mountain domestique duties the next day
I think Alaphilippe will use today as another chance to rest up in the bunch, given what is about to kick off in the Alps. You never know with him though...
Could Kruijswijk, 3rd in GC, be feeling the heat????
https://www.tellerreport.com/post/2019-07-23—kruijswijk-believes-tour-should-think-about-measures-in-the-event-of–unhealthy–heat-.B1baFGT4zH.html
I seem to remember that Pinot can be a bit iffy on descents - didn't he crash a couple of times downhill over the last couple of tours?
Given that he is now current favourite to win GC, I predict the other contenders doing a late attack over top of final hill to pressure him into chasing on descent....
Probably not until Galibier stage but maybe even a surprise attack over final cat3 today?? !
Sounds like they listened to Sagan's comments yesterday.
Cut off extended & feed zone cut off is later in the stage.
For the life of me i can't work out why they don't do that and just start at 8am instead. Get at least some of it in slightly cooler temps.
For the life of me i can’t work out why they don’t do that and just start at 8am instead. Get at least some of it in slightly cooler temps.
TV slots & Corporate stuff?
Well yes of course, but you can't expect people to flog themselves day in day out in the heat etc...
Sounds like they listened to Sagan’s comments yesterday.
Should have made them ride up Ventoux as punishment for speaking out 😉
Well yes of course, but you can’t expect people to flog themselves day in day out in the heat etc…
have you not seen Love Island??!! 😉
The commentary on Total Direct amuseed me 'Our DS hates us, the rest of te peleton hates us, we even hate ourselves'!
Quite a who’s who of breakaway artists today - should be good.
Sounds like they listened to Sagan’s comments yesterday.
Cut off extended & feed zone cut off is later in the stage.
UCI Extreme Weather protocols allow for things like extra feed zones, feeding from the cars allowed earlier and later (normally it starts after 50km raced and stops with 20km to go) plus things like spray zones.
Looks brutal out there, can see why the bunch have just gone "yeah, sod it" and let the break go.
That's some break! TdG or EBH for the win today hopefully.
Fantastic ride by Trentin.
Luke Rowe making more friends!!
Did you mean when Tony Martin cut him up at the front of the bunch?
Yeah, somethingbwent on there as it was deliberate from Martin.
There's been a lot of chatter about 'blocking' at the front of the bunch this year - normally when the break is forming and the GC teams are policing who goes up the road. It seemed blatant but totally unnecessary from Martin as 1. it was Luke Rowe and 2. the stage was over by then. Let's assume he was a bit tired.
Another chance missed by the sprinters. I was hoping Perichon might take it as its 4598753486* years since Cofidis won a stage.
*2008
Nice stage that.
Almost called it 😵
Well yes of course, but you can’t expect people to flog themselves day in day out in the heat etc…
What are those Middle East stage races like?
Re. Tony MArtin, it looks to me as though he was just moving over to grab a bottle.
Rowe & Martin out!
Bit extreme.
Just saw that.
Pathetic decision.
I am gutted. So harsh.
almost as though the UCI want a french winner ?
Indeed.....
Luke pushes Tony. UCI have no choice
Certainly weakens two of the strongest teams.....hmmmm
It wasn’t just a single push, followed by a shove. It carried on for a little while, as evidenced by that extended video above.
What would have happened if Martin had actually swerved Rowe into those spectators at the side of the road, or if Rowe pushed Martin into another rider causing a pile-up?
It doesn’t happen often but the TdF occasionally expels riders for stuff that on TV looks fairly lightweight. Wasn’t it Tom Steels - who now looks about 70! - expelled for throwing a bottle, years ago? It’s all about safety, and not behaving like a 12 year old. (Or a car driver! 😁 )
Same when Mark Renshaw was sent home for headbutting in the finishing sprint. I'm sure it's happened a few times for various infringements.
Luke has always been a bit hot-headed. Maybe he's been going to the Gianni Moscon School of Etiquette.
Big loss to Ineos though - whatever Luke's personality, there's no denying he's probably the best Road Captain since David Millar.
https://twitter.com/JumboVismaRoad/status/1154111156128309248
They've been very naughty and the understand what they've done and they're very very sorry and can they go out and play together again tomorrow?
There's been argy bargy with much greater potential for carnage in some of the final kilometre run ins and that's been ignored by the comms, seems like a cheap hometown desicion tbh
Seems something from nothing and the decision does seem pretty harsh.
There’s been argy bargy with much greater potential for carnage in some of the final kilometre run ins and that’s been ignored by the comms, seems like a cheap hometown desicion tbh
Prove it. Show us video of someone shoving, pushing or deliberately riding into someone in those lead-ins, then.
I’m sure that ASO rubbed their hands in glee when they realised that they could expel these two but they didn’t make them act like twits, did they?
Yes your quite correct there's been no barging people of trains / riders wheels, coming off the lead off so sharply as to almost deliberately impede other sprinters etc it's all been perfectly civil.
Didn't realise the penalty for acting like a twit was dq, thought the bar would be higher for that.
Luke pushes Tony.
I'd have chinned the ****!!
Harsh.
I’d have chinned the ****!!
I think that was the intention, but it resulted in a lame hand off in the face.
Rowe and Martin have similar shaped ears.
Tough call really.
Don't do anything and it’s seen as favouritism, expel them and it’s seen as favouritism (for another team)
There always has been arguments between riders, this just happened to be on TV in front of spectators and in plain sight.
Didn't see the ASO rollocking Lance when he belittled Simoni any number of other riders.. blatant actions or not, it’s a bit bully like innit.
However, to what extent this started to the eventual TV footage I didn’t see.. but these two are vastly experienced riders with massive palmares... they both should have known better, and expected to get caught out.
Are they buddies right now? Of course, but that’s after the fact.
Had the ASO done nothing, they would have been called to task by the Media.. as is it’s turned into a storm in a tea cup.
Where does this leave Jumbo & Skineos? Without two fabulous road captains and vastly expensive gaps in both squads.
Could ASO boot one without the other? No, this has to be seen as fair and equitable. And it’s just that.
IMO, obvz is obvz.
Viviani got relegated from his win for less in the Giro, I think it's probably the right decision. Martin reacted badly to Rowe moving up on the outside and Rowe clearly oversteps the mark in response like Moscon last year.
Well Mr Yates your boss has high expectations !
FYI. It was the UCI's decision not ASO. Although it's entirely coincidental that it would boost the popularity of the sport in France again if Pinot or Alaphilippe won the thing and that the expulsion of Martin and Rowe increases the chances of that.
It's a bit or argy bargy caught on camera and they kissed and made up before the end of the stage. Harsh.
Skineos will miss Rowe more in the mountains that JV will Martin. Rowe was climbing well.
Alex Dowset on twitter
"Tony and Luke should’ve really joint won the “most combatitive rider” for yesterday."
😆
Precedent.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-bouhanni-penalized-for-hitting-quick-step-floors-rider/Posted 10 hours ago
Exactly, he was docked 1 minute for hitting another rider, not disqualified from the race....
Moscon was DQed last year (year before?) for hitting another rider
natrix
Member
Alex Dowset on twitter
“Tony and Luke should’ve really joint won the “most combatitive rider” for yesterday.”
Chapeau 🙂
Had the ASO done nothing, they would have been called to task by the Media.. as is it’s turned into a storm in a tea cup.
They could / should have fined them, docked some points and told them not to do it again.
Moscon was DQed last year (year before?) for hitting another rider
Mostly he was disqualified for being Gianni Moscon.
ASO/UCI, thanks for the clarification.
Lets not forget Sagan too was booted out last year (IIRC)