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Morning all, it the morning after the night before and I’m trying to do this preview on an iPad paired to an iPhone with very questionable signal.
Anyway what’s in store?
169km out of the Alps via the big valley roads. They could cross over the Vercors but four mountain stages in a row is probably too much. It’s down the Romanche valley on a wide road and then into Vizille for the first climb of the day. Listed as 6.9% it’s more like 8% for most of the way but short, a mere bump after recent days. Then it’s around the base of the Vercors plateau with a climb out of Pont-en-Royans. But the climbing isn’t finished, the road tackles the Monts du Matins, a small chain of foothills and crucially the roads get smaller, notably the last climb to Peyrus where the road twists up via a hairpin bend. Still it’s 25km
The Finish: the same finish line as the Tour’s visit in 2015 when André Greipel won… but a different approach. It’s uphill in the final kilometre, rising at 3% before levelling out for the final 400m
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Lovely, so rolling then. Who’s in the mix? Well I could save us all some time and just write “Sagan”, but I won’t.
The Contenders: who is left for the sprint? It’s not just a matter of naming the remaining sprinters, it’s to note that several teams who would have led the peloton today are now orphaned and so instead they’ll either try to coast in the peloton or send a rider up the road and hope to break the chase.
Still it’s advantage to the sprinters. How about a second win for John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo)? He’s been close in the sprints and has a team likely to pull. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) kept running close, now he’s got fewer rivals but has such a big lead in the points competition he doesn’t need to risk things. Sonny Colbrelli(Bahrain-Merida) has a good chance, he’s not as quick as the others in a straight contest but today may be a touch fresher as he’ll have found the Alps easier than the others.
Alexander Kristoff (UAE-Emirates) has had a sluggish start to the Tour but as the adage goes “to finish first, first finish” and he’s in the mix while his rivals are out. Only he’s not got the train he’d want.
Edvald Boasson Hagen gets the nod once again, on his day he’s gone to rim to rim with Marcel Kittel and now has the remainder of Dimension Data at his service.
Arnaud Démare gave an interview to L’Equipe recently explaining his love for growing vegetables in his gardening, right down to soil preservation techniques, but he also mentioned in passing how he’d spent time training in the Alps which may explain why he’s still here. There’s a good chance for Christophe Laporte(Cofidis) but still the opposition is tough for him. Finally don’t forget Astana’s Magnus Cort Nielsen, on fire in the Vuelta two years ago.
Aaaand as ever, a look back to yesterday. Not as many pics as normal as posting pics and quote on an iPad is a pain, but I’ll put a link up at the end for you to sort yourselves out.
Have a look at the album over a CyclingTips for more awesome pics.
It worked!!!!! Apologies for the typos, I’m crap at typing on an iPad. Do take a look at the pics on the link, some absolutely magnificent shots.
Sagan or the break for this one, other than that a nice quiet dull stage so we can all knock off work and do something else !!
Boassen-Hagen for this one. Mostly because I got Dimension Data in the office sweepstake and I need them to actually do something this Tour!
I haven't read yesterdays report but blimey what a stage. Froome & Doumilin look to be duking it out for a while yet, Nibs has gone, Quintana not really in the races.
But quizzically, G says he's supporting Froome because " he know how to win a 3 week race". Eh? That barks of team orders / historic need over G's form, G doesn't look like collapsing in week three, shame.
Still, with 2 exceptions its quite hilly next week, plenty of games to be played and possibly the best week to work from home...
At this stage i'm thinking i might have a chance in Paris for the sprint....
Interesting to see what Sagan has in his legs after the climbing yesterday, but with the sprinter field decimated, if any stage was one for a breakaway it is today.
But...i wonder whether one of the GC teams knowing that there will be far fewer sprinters trains (not in the old sense of the word) at the front may fancy trying to get their man a few bonus seconds?
@lunge - thanks, you're doing a great job!! I love that 3rd photo...it's other worldly
A long break by someone like de Gendt for today (it would have been a good day for Cummings if he was there), or if it does come down to a bunch sprint then Sagan is the man.
GC teams to have a quiet day. Been a few tough days and they will need a chance to recover. In a perverse way they would be happy with a breakaway win, since it would share out the wins and allow the rest to trundle along. And as others have said, I really need to do some work and not be glued to the laptop watching the race!
As others have said, thanks lunge for your efforts. What a great day yesterday, will it go down as one of the greatest days of the tour in many years? Thomas the Bike is the first yellow jersey to win on the alp, the first Welshman and all round nice guy. His interviews post stage were great and humble, how can you not like this guy. As for Froome, yes he does not seem to have the zip in his legs and I also thought a Giro TdF double would be to much. Then again you cannot right the man off.
Was not impressed by the ignorance of some of yesterdays spectators.
For today I suppose it will be a long break for whoever still has the energy, perhaps the teams that need pictures on the telly. Sagan if it comes to a sprint, predictably.
Break away all day long. GC men will want to neutralise things today. Not many sprint teams left so I reckon only Bora and Trek will work to pull a break back. Could be a long day for the likes of Oss, Bodnar.
Calmejane or Van Kiersbulck from the break.
A break of 10-12 riders will stay away all-day - recovery day for the GC contender teams
Sags in the breakaway, plus maybe Phil Gil and EBH.
I think we deserve a good breakaway, hopefully with some fairly even riders with either a cagey sprint at the end amongst them or one takes a punt and rides off the front with the other chasing
Break away all day long. GC men will want to neutralise things today. Not many sprint teams left so I reckon only Bora and Trek will work to pull a break back. Could be a long day for the likes of Oss, Bodnar.
Calmejane or Van Kiersbulck from the break.
Darn it, I was going to write pretty much that ^^
But I might throw in Degenkolb, he had a tough day yesterday but his Insta feed is still buzzing with how much he's enjoying it.
I'd really I mean really like Daniel Oss to have a crack at this, however I think he'll be back on Sags duty.. I'm not going to pick Sagan for this... I reckon he's enjoying life too much to care at the moment.
Outside bet? Got to be PhilGil or Stefan Küng, Michael Schär, or Stephane Dillier...
Oss is one of the most under-rated riders in the peloton. His old team BMC will be trying as you say.
Sagan is so far in front in the green jumper competition he does not need to do anything until Paris.
Breakaway day and a rest for the GC.
I'm going to bet Wanty are in the break, it's a long shot I know but they've been absent from the front and I really miss watching them roll on and on for 120ks in the wind.
One of them (can't remember his name, but an old really good rider) had a proper spat on TV with his DS about riding solo for 150k or something... Comes to something when even your Boss hangs you out to dry in public..
Riding rest day. Breakaway and general wgas. Will be a good day for a small group. Where’s Jens when you need him. TdG would be a good choice. I don’t the no the sprinters will have it in their legs today. And nobody will want to go hard chasing. I’ll go with OSS too. Bora can do all the blocking as he neutralises what little points pickings are on offer.
One of them (can’t remember his name, but an old really good rider) had a proper spat on TV with his DS about riding solo for 150k or something… Comes to something when even your Boss hangs you out to dry in public..
Offredo?
Anyone left to sprint apart from Sagan?
But yes, a breakaway
After yesterday I'm changing my mind and am now leaning towards Dumoulin for yellow in Paris. G always has a bad day, and Froome cannot distance Dumoulin. Only 2 more summit finishes. If it goes like the last 2 days and Dumoulin storms the TT then he is in unless Froome's relative form picks up next week.
Offredo?
Yeah, think it was (ok, not old but well known)
Still a shit stick to be hit by.
Be he's on the transfer market ..
It could all be a ruse to keep the media off CF's back? Sky have strength in depth and can support both of them thru the week until the Pyrennes stages start. Once we get to the big mountains again, Froome will take the lead. Remember how they planned the attack on the GC late in the Giro
Don't write off G in the TT just yet. He is British Champion this year, you know, But it's unchartered territory for him having reserves in a three week stage race. Strength of Sky means they both have enough support from the team at the moment. They showed that yesterday when the team were so far ahead of the competition. When most of the team could be GC riders in other teams, it's basically the Galacticos. Sadly, those that have gone on to other teams have not prospered as they would have hoped. Just enforcing the strength of that team.
There were a lot of people on social media stating Sky were killing the race as usual, that it is purely their big budget and that they can afford the best, but when you look at the figures the BMC and Astana budgets aren't far short.
What Sky seem to do well is pick riders from the off, when Froome arrived with them, he had a "big engine" but was supposed to have had questionable bike handling skills, Geraint Thomas finished second to last in his first Grand Tour and how many other teams would of picked up someone at 21 years of age like Bernal and expected of him what we saw him to yesterday, pull like a train for 8kms up AdH embarrassing his countryman, Quintana?
So whilst they may nullify things, you wonder why other teams don't emulate them further.
How can other teams moan that they have the best domestiques then you see Landa give a great ride, bit wonder what his race would be like if Quintana and Valverde were riding in support of him, not at odds with each other?
A thing the Sky detractors often miss is the amount of talent in the Peleton that are ex-Sky riders: Landa, Porte, Boasson-Hagen, Vivianni etc
I see one of my picks Schär is in the break 👍
With DeGendt 🤪
Go Thomas!
They're not giving them much leaway. 2 mins.
Breaks going nowhere, it’ll be a sprint.
I’m not picking one, but Kristoff looks “chunky”
Breaks going nowhere, it’ll be a sprint.
There are a lot of riders and teams yet to open their account in the Tour. And due to the sudden paucity of sprinters, there'll be a lot of second tier riders / leadout men who now fancy their chances. I think it'll be messy. It'll be a notch below the usual pace and order of the "big" sprinters (Greipel, Kittel, Gaviria) and that'll mean more people can try their chances.
That said, i reckon there'll be a race to the 3km to go banner at which point all the GC riders will sit up safe from any time penalties casued by a crash and the rest will be a race for the stage win with Sky staying out of trouble.
Sags, Kristoff, Demare..
All within a wheel of each other... Shame PhilGil's little punt didn't work..
Nice to see Schar out the front for a change.
Real shame that some of the teams that need a bit publicity were not allowed to get away for a long break then a win. Suspect the big hitters teams would prefer a rest stage.