TDF Stage 20: Albertville - Val Thorens 59km

neris

This race has become more dramatic then an episode of Fair City (not hard really) after the events of yesterday and forecasts and conditions for today. Stage cut down from 130km to what could be a 59km uphill battle. Start time is now 13:30 Irish time.



Already this morning there are reports of crap weather at the finish town with rain and thunder

https://twitter.com/Nicogeay/status/1155011926977581056

neris

https://twitter.com/friebos/status/1155053109984600064?s=19

Lumen

If you click the time on this webcam you can quickly zip through the last few hours and see the weather closing in.

https://www.valthorens.com/en/webcam/restaurant-la-maison

Have a vision of JA closing the gap to 3 secs, meaning a 3rd place finish in the sprint is enough to win the Tour and a huge strop from Viviani that he won't be supported in the sprint.

eagle eye

If this stage gets cancelled it's going to turn one of the greatest tours in years into a forgotten one. Yesterday was bad enough to take the shine off, today would completely ruin it. Still wondering how things would have ended up with a full stage yesterday. I really feel Bernal went too hard and would have suffered on the last climb.

REBELSAFC

I think a 59km "sprint" up a mountain would make for great racing on another day but not the penultimate day of the Tour.A massive anti-climax after the drama of the previous few weeks.

bazermc

Even Kelly has his coat on. That can’t be good news weather wise.

MPFGLB

I'd love it if Alaphillipe pulled out something ...cant see it happening ...but would love it

Also Uran ...he was so upset yesterday as just finding form

Inquitus

I think Bernal wins, Thomas overtakes JA for 2nd and 3rd is a shítshoot between those left in and around JA.

Inquitus

Raoul Duke

Inquitus wrote: »

No intermediate sprint today I see. Lucky that the Green Jersey battle wasn't close.

First time I've heard Cummings get mentioned for the whole tour.

griffin100

REBELSAFC wrote: »

I think a 59km "sprint" up a mountain would make for great racing on another day but not the penultimate day of the Tour.A massive anti-climax after the drama of the previous few weeks.

A 59km mountain TT would have been more entertaining

Inquitus

MPFGLB wrote: »

I'd love it if Alaphillipe pulled out something ...cant see it happening ...but would love it

Also Uran ...he was so upset yesterday as just finding form

Aye there is no doubt this weather event had a massive impact on the outcome of the tour sadly.

at1withmyself

Porte out of top 10 now, very disappointing tour from him!

Eamonnator

JA has cracked

kmart6

Alaphilippe gone

Angliru

Scenes if Bernal wins the stage and takes the polka dots too. French cycling in tatters after such promise a few days ago.

at1withmyself

Angliru wrote: »

Scenes if Bernal wins the stage and takes the polka dots too. French cycling in tatters after such promise a few days ago.

I would hardly say it's in tatters, they've had a great tour this year!

at1withmyself

Go Vincenzo!

Angliru

at1withmyself wrote: »

I would hardly say it's in tatters, they've had a great tour this year!

Not in that sense of course, but to go from all of that promise and hope to sweet f*ck all in a couple of days will hurt.

letape

at1withmyself wrote: »

I would hardly say it's in tatters, they've had a great tour this year!

Agreed. Certainly not in tatters. JA and Pinot won three stages between them.

at1withmyself

letape wrote: »

Agreed. Certainly not in tatters. JA and Pinot won three stages between them.

Barguil moving into top 10 shows he's back in firm this year too

at1withmyself

Who will attack? I think Bernal wants a stage win!

Eamonnator

at1withmyself wrote: »

Who will attack? I think Bernal wants a stage win!

Too late, I think

letape

Can’t believe SK won’t try something to get second overall

kmart6

Bit anti-climatic in the end.

at1withmyself

letape wrote: »

Can’t believe SK won’t try something to get second overall

It would've been funny if buchmann went for 3rd, suprised he didn't as he had nothing too lose? Maybe on the limit.

DanDublin1982

Incredible ride from Nibali. Great to see on a day that offered little else.

BuffaloTengo

Shudder to think if Papa Valverde won that. Thank god for Nibali. Happy for SK podium.

letape

at1withmyself wrote: »

It would've been funny if buchmann went for 3rd, suprised he didn't as he had nothing too lose? Maybe on the limit.

You’re right, maybe he should have tried! He finished 2 seconds up on SK at the end of the stage.

Angliru

If only Kruijswijk didn't lose his guts in that crash at the Giro. Horrible stage, Valverde taking the piss at the end sums up how bad it was.

DanDublin1982

Also delighted to see Alaphillipe hang on to top 5. He deserved at least that.

Eamonnator

Has any team ever had three TdF winners in it's number?, apart from Ineos.

eagle eye

Very poor service stage with non of the leaders trying anything. Thought Kruijswijk or Buchmann would have tried something.

Inquitus

Eamonnator wrote: »

Has any team ever had three TdF winners in it's number?, apart from Ineos.

Or 3 diff winners in 3 consecutive races.

Decuc500

If Froome had been fit it would probably have been an Ineos podium. Disappointing stage, predictable end to the race.

Ineos are buying Carapaz next. Brailsford wants all three Grand Tours in the one year and who is to say they won't achieve it. The Man City of cycling?

letape

Eamonnator wrote: »

Has any team ever had three TdF winners in it's number?, apart from Ineos.

Renault team were as successful in that they won 6 TDFs in 7 years. Same as SKY/Ineos but Renault had two winners - Hinault & Fignon.

US Postal / Discovery won 8 with two riders!

Eamonnator

letape wrote: »

Renault team were as successful in that they won 6 TDFs in 7 years. Same as SKY/Ineos but Renault had two winners - Hinault & Fignon.

US Postal / Discovery won 8 with two riders!

In an alternative universe, Perhaps

letape

Eamonnator wrote: »

In an alternative universe, Perhaps

I knew you couldn’t let it go!

Salt Lake Stallion

Delighted for Bernal, he's a serious talent. Team Ineos are such a dminant team, hard to know if it's bad or good for the sport.

irishrover99

Decuc500 wrote: »

Ineos are buying Carapaz next. Brailsford wants all three Grand Tours in the one year and who is to say they won't achieve it. The Man City of cycling?

You mean the kinahans of cycling.
Conveyer belt of dodgy blokes replacing each other seamlessly.

c.p.w.g.w

irishrover99 wrote: »

You mean the kinahans of cycling.
Conveyer belt of dodgy blokes replacing each other seamlessly.

Can you send a pm of these guys, genuine interest

Daroxtar

Fat track cyclist loses heaps of weight but not power, gets magic cure for hay-fever, wins TDF. Domestique /tt rider with multiple ailments gets magic cure, loses weight but not power, wins TDF. Welsh lad, wins TDF. Some Columbian, must be on the cocaine or something, gets magic cure for broken collar bone, wins TDF.

irishrover99

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

Can you send a pm of these guys, genuine interest

Dave “Dapper Don” Brailsford
Chris “Junior” Froome
Geraint “The Boxer” Thomas
Egan “The Mule” Bernal
Wout “ The Mad ****” Poels
Ect ect

Eamonnator

irishrover99 wrote: »

Sir Dave “Dapper Don” Brailsford
Sir Chris “Junior” Froome
Geraint “The Boxer” Thomas OBE
Egan “The Mule” Bernal
Wout “ The Mad ****” Poels
Ect ect

FYP

dastardly00

Daroxtar wrote: »

Fat track cyclist loses heaps of weight but not power, gets magic cure for hay-fever, wins TDF. Domestique /tt rider with multiple ailments gets magic cure, loses weight but not power, wins TDF. Welsh lad, wins TDF. Some Columbian, must be on the cocaine or something, gets magic cure for broken collar bone, wins TDF.

What a stupid post

Daroxtar

dastardly00 wrote: »

What a stupid post

I was being ironic, sorry if I went a bit too deep

Eamonnator

Bernal is the 3rd youngest rider to win TdF. The two younger than him won in 1904 and 1909.

CantGetNoSleep

Movistar 6th, 8th and 9th on GC. I'm sure the sponsors will be delighted with that - really seem like a clueless team at times

at1withmyself

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Movistar 6th, 8th and 9th on GC. I'm sure the sponsors will be delighted with that - really seem like a clueless team at times

Can't believe they didn't take the stage today,as happy as I am that Niballi took the stage someone from moviestar should have one with that number of riders?