2019 Tour de France – Stage 6 – Mulhouse–La Planche des Belles Filles – 157

cunavalos

So today see the first real mountainous stage of the TDF, difficult to predict how this will go. Will it blow the race to pieces or will we see shadow boxing with favourites marking each other with only a few seconds separating and maybe losing a couple of top 10 gc aspirants.



One thing for certain we will see a breakaway looking to take most of the KOM points and it may give us an indication who is serious about the KOM classification and likely get a head start on Alaphilippe as he will be attempting to defend yellow instead, at least until Bastille day.

The route itself mirrors closely the 2014 stage which saw Nibali edge out Valverde and Pinot but organisers have extended the final climb to include a gravel section which appears to be Wicklow Mmountain-esque chip and seal as opposed to strada bianchi or goat track gravel.

I found it surprising to see Valverde so close to the top on such a long climb which augurs well for Dan and perhaps gives Alaphillippe hope of hanging on to the yellow jersey




For those with limited time best to tune in from 4pm onwards and you should be able to catch the final two climbs.

I will go with a Pinot victory but also going to put my neck on the line and my new found love for Jumbo Visma and say Kruiswijk into yellow with notable mention to Michael Woods who if not working for Uran may have a chance.

I am also prepared to be left disappointed and subjected to Ineos boring us to death, grinding down the peloton and Bernal to escape very late on to win by a handful of seconds.

For those climbing nerds out there (myself included) here is youtube footage of the final climb taken earlier this week

neris

And it's Ned Boultings birthday today aswell

My god Adam Blythes shirt :eek:

MPFGLB

Ineos to drill it and ride away from everyone

MPFGLB

Nico and Dan chatting and looking pretty cool down the back

TheBlaaMan

That final KM looks horrendous !

Cippolini to swap to a mountain bike at the 5km to go mark and win by 2 minutes.....

Ciccone in the break. He's made Trek's season this year. Maybe has an eye on some mountain points today?

eagle eye

I am laughing at the fact that Greipel is in a breakaway on a stage let this.

eagle eye

I like Alaphilippe's chances today. He'd love to do it today and hold onto the yellow jersey for a nice length.

Inquitus

eagle eye wrote: »

I like Alaphilippe's chances today. He'd love to do it today and hold onto the yellow jersey for a nice length.

He can probably limit any losses enough to keep the jersey, its a short enough final climb and should suit him.

Joe Exotic

EDIT Watching in work TG4 live appears down any where else i can watch ?

Hmm may they are just not streaming it

fishfoodie

murphk wrote: »

Watching in work TG4 live appears down any where else i can watch ?

I think you can stream S4C ?

Joe Exotic

fishfoodie wrote: »

I think you can stream S4C ?

Requires a bbc login, ill give it a try

CramCycle

murphk wrote: »

EDIT Watching in work TG4 live appears down any where else i can watch ?

Hmm may they are just not streaming it

Working for me, check your adobe flash extension is active

Joe Exotic

murphk wrote: »

Requires a bbc login, ill give it a try

Logged in its geo blocked :mad:

retalivity

eagle eye wrote: »

I am laughing at the fact that Greipel is in a breakaway on a stage let this.

He didnt even win the intermediate spring from the 14 in the break, came 3rd???!!

DKmac

eagle eye wrote: »

I am laughing at the fact that Greipel is in a breakaway on a stage let this.

Watch the end of stage time limit cut-off and see who's laughing afterwards. Could work out to be a clever move on his part.

DKmac

DKmac wrote: »

Watch the end of stage time limit cut-off and see who's laughing afterwards. Could work out to be a clever move on his part.

Exactly, at the minute he's probably 15 minutes ahead of the groupetto. Do no work or very little in the break and take his time up the final climb and comfortably make the cutoff.

cunavalos

Prizemoney stats for the tour so far

topnotch

Ciccone is a man of steel.

retalivity

Looks like someone from movistar saw that prize money graph and got on the earpieces!

brocbrocach

"Pinot - like a zeppelin arriving at night" Ah, Carlton, bravo!

brocbrocach

Can't understand how Carlton and Seán are writing off Wellens. He's a very serious rider.

brocbrocach

brocbrocach wrote: »

Can't understand how Carlton and Seán are writing off Wellens. He's a very serious rider.

He is but he's no goat.

brocbrocach

Ye were right!

Any sign of Dan in that group? Kirby mentioned he was in trouble.

EDIT: He's back in.

brocbrocach

He's in there, no bother I think. Another UAe man in trouble, Henao i think.

brocbrocach

brocbrocach wrote: »

He's in there, no bother I think. Another UAe man in trouble, Henao i think.

Aru

brocbrocach

Aru

cunavalos

Ciccone could get yellow with the 8+6 seconds

Pinot and Thomas look to be the men with the legs there. Brutal finish.

Itziger

Eh, wow!

Boscoirl

Dan finished strong enough,

that was some finish, that hill made them look almost human

CramCycle

I like that finish, poor Ciccone,

Angliru

Jesus Christ if Thomas does that well on a climb like that it looks ominous. Wow.

Not looking good for Bardet this tour. Lost a good whack of time there.

Ciccone in yellow. Good on him and good on Alaphilippe for fighting to keep it there at the end.

cunavalos

Top 20 on GC


You have to give Alaphilippe a chance of regaining yellow with some of the upcoming stages particularly with bonus seconds in play

letape

Very surprised by Geraint Thomas’ performance today. Said himself that this wasn’t a finish that would suit him and has had no form coming into the Tour.

He’s one of four riders that I can think of that became grand your riders in their 30s. Riis, Rasmussen and Di luca being the others.

Great ride by Ciccione after a great Giro too. Encouraging to see Dan there at the end.

cunavalos

letape wrote: »

Very surprised by Geraint Thomas’ performance today. Said himself that this wasn’t a finish that would suit him and has had no form coming into the Tour.

He’s one of four riders that I can think of that became grand your riders in their 30s. Riis, Rasmussen and Di luca being the others.

Great ride by Ciccione after a great Giro too. Encouraging to see Dan there at the end.

You forgot Chris Horner;)

Angliru

LMAO I've just seen the poll and TJVG with most votes. Is this like a meme like picking "Vino" was back in the day?

cunavalos

Angliru wrote: »

LMAO I've just seen the poll and TJVG with most votes. Is this like a meme like picking "Vino" was back in the day?

No the poll was in reverse, not who would win but who f#*k up the most so six predicted the result correctly, personally I felt Tejay would have at least made it to the rest day before sinking without trace.

eagle eye

Great job by the two lads to hang on, great job by Alaphilippe too.
Major statement made by Geraint Thomas.

letape

cunavalos wrote: »

No the poll was in reverse, not who would win but who f#*k up the most so six predicted the result correctly, personally I felt Tejay would have at least made it to the rest day before sinking without trace.

Exactly - TJ lost 8 minutes today. He was always the obvious loser! I couldn’t understand why so many voted for Dan but maybe others misread the poll.

Off topic: but I see Nico lost 17 minutes.

Lumen

letape wrote: »

He’s one of four riders that I can think of that became grand your riders in their 30s. Riis, Rasmussen and Di luca being the others.

Not very subtle doping accusation.

Do you mean age of first GC win? For TdF winners...

Evans won at 34.
Sastre at 33.
Pereiro at 30 (minus Landis).

Or something else like the number of years between first competing and getting podiums? Or age of first competing? Or what?

I'm sure you know Thomas spent many years as a track and classics rider. Which proves nothing, it's just a collection of facts to be interpreted subjectively.

People see what they want to see.

fat bloke

Thomas went up that ramp and passed Alaphilippe, riding in the saddle.

Would've liked to see Alaphilippe keep the jersey.

TheBlaaMan

Dan going well, but lost 18 seconds on the yellow jersey while climbing nearly 20 places on GC. Cream rising to the top now and progress will be harder from here, but he is also ahead of the likes of Bardet, Nibali, Porte, Luksenko, Valverde etc

letape

Lumen wrote: »

People see what they want to see.

And some people see nothing.

Wasn’t a doping accusation but rather stating a fact. Read it how you want.

Lumen

letape wrote: »

And some people see nothing.

I don't see nothing, I just don't see the point of speculating without facts.

letape wrote: »

Wasn’t a doping accusation but rather stating a fact. Read it how you want.

Oh come on, that's just laughably dishonest. You're comparing Thomas to three massive dopers.

Angliru

cunavalos wrote: »

No the poll was in reverse, not who would win but who f#*k up the most so six predicted the result correctly, personally I felt Tejay would have at least made it to the rest day before sinking without trace.

I'm an idiot....

letape

Lumen wrote: »

I don't see nothing, I just don't see the point of speculating without facts.



Oh come on, that's just laughably dishonest. You're comparing Thomas to three massive dopers.

Draw your own conclusions.

You’ve accused me of doping speculation and now of lying. I don’t appreciate either.