Tour de France stage 7: Vierzon to Le Creusot (248 km)

retalivity

A day for the breakaway more than likely, Campanaerts has come out and said as much saying the whole team are going to try for the break.
Maybe Bora or Bahrain will keep them in check if Sagan or Colbrelli are feeling good, or maybe AF if MVDP is at risk of losing the yellow jersey.
If its altogether for the last 20k, Alaphillipe to try something?

I'll have a stab with Michael Woods as an outsider

dastardly00

I was just about to click "Submit New Thread" :pac:

mewso

dastardly00 wrote: »

I was just about to click "Submit New Thread" :pac:

And me. Have it all ready to go

Macy0161

Yesterdays first break, today!

mewso

Anyway I've put a fiver on De Gent. If he doesn't bother trying to get away then it's money down the drain but hey ho.

dastardly00

WvA looks like he wants to be in the break

eagle eye

I like van der Poel today, with Alaphilippe as the big danger to him.

dastardly00

Victor Campenaerts is wearing sunglasses :eek:

I'd love to see someone like Turgis have a go today, he's been up there in the classics.

marvin80

eagle eye wrote: »

I like van der Poel today, with Alaphilippe as the big danger to him.

Alaphilippe a great price today each-way

dastardly00

This is hilarious. WvA is determined to get in the breakaway. So MvdP is following him. And then Alaphilippe is chasing them

Paddigol

dastardly00 wrote: »

This is hilarious. WvA is determined to get in the breakaway. So MvdP is following him. And then Alaphilippe is chasing them

They'll all probably mark themselves out of it and Sagan will shoot off up the road!

dastardly00

UAE are putting in a lot of effort to try and catch this breakaway. Very interesting

retalivity

Great stuff for the race, pressure on UAE to work now

G1032

dastardly00 wrote: »

UAE are putting in a lot of effort to try and catch this breakaway. Very interesting

Only 5 teams not in the break. How did UAE let this go without getting someone in the break

G1032

What a break. A who's who of classics riders.

I saw this going earlier and came back just now and couldn't believe UAE let some of these guys go.

lennymc

can cav make it three????

Kelly is fired up for this today isn't he.

breezy1985

Deleted User wrote: »

I saw this going earlier and came back just now and couldn't believe UAE let some of these guys go.

Would have been easier stop than have to try control after

Richard Hillman

I think they need to be worried about Van Aert. He got over the mountains quite well last year and that was a part of the Jumbo Visma train. He was usually there very late with Roglic.

Macy0161

A few on twitter saying ineos will eventually have to chase. Surely they're tactic should be to fire Carapaz/ Thomas/ Porte/ Tao off the front in rotating order? Similarly JV, with Rog and Vingegaarde, but time for Brailsford to put up or shut up regarding their "new attacking racing".

dastardly00

That was a big points haul for Cav in the green jersey competition (20 point gain)

Paddigol

Macy0161 wrote: »

A few on twitter saying ineos will eventually have to chase. Surely they're tactic should be to fire Carapaz/ Thomas/ Porte/ Tao off the front in rotating order? Similarly JV, with Rog and Vingegaarde, but time for Brailsford to put up or shut up regarding their "new attacking racing".

Presume they'll wait until UAE have gone pop and the break is brought back within bridging distance to try that - but yeah, even though terrain isn't exactly testing, Ineos and JV could be in perfect position to punch and counter punch POG in the later stages.

Mefistofelino

Shut up, Cav

Coneygree

Pogacar was basically a one man team last year and did great. Barring a mechanical/crash the tactic of tiring out UAE to isolate him won't work like it would have worked vs Froome who needed his teammates to hold his hand. Pogacar is ice cold under pressure, tactically very sound and is very talented. If they want to put him under pressure they'll have to do something else.

Yeah if it's bothering him that much get in front and pull instead of sitting on and giving out well after the fact.

Macy0161

Coneygree wrote: »

Pogacar was basically a one man team last year and did great.

He was more of a prospect last year rather than the favourite and defacto GC leader. He was able to sit on JV. He also did lose time when it was down to him when he was caught out in the crosswinds - if that happened again, those in front would've drilled it even harder.

dastardly00

About 20 km to go until the first climb of the day

mr spuckler

dastardly00 wrote: »

I was just about to click "Submit New Thread" :pac:

I was up the hills on the bike this morning so didn't quite get around to it myself :pac:

Morris Garren

25 riders here- but vast majority are invested in this; fascinating stage and a crucial next hour because if UAE don't get help soon, the gap is only going one way. Some really tough hills ahead still... Will old man Nibali or older man Gilbert have their day again? I'm loving it!

Mefistofelino

Carlton's going for the reach-around..

Paddigol

Mefistofelino wrote: »

Carlton's going for the reach-around..

:pac:

dastardly00

I don't like cherries but I would like a slice of cheesecake right now

Dr. Bre

I wish Eurosport would give a list of people in break

Mefistofelino

Dr. Bre wrote: »

I wish Eurosport would give a list of people in break

Then there would less time to talk about Cav.

Here you go:

Van Aert, Teunissen, Van Baarle, Nibali, Skujins, Stuyven, Asgreen, Cavendish, Erviti, Cortina, Konrad, Laporte, Meurisse, Van der Poel, Cort, Guerreiro, Schar, Godon, Kragh Andersen, Gilbert, Sweeny, Van Moer, Mohoric, Yates, Houle, Campenaerts, Bakelants, Van Poppel, Bonnamour.

retalivity

7mins for the break now, Nibali must be pinching himself.
Wonder would Jumbo try and support WVA in the mountains if he had 5-6 mins over Pogacar?

mr spuckler

retalivity wrote: »

7mins for the break now, Nibali must be pinching himself.
Wonder would Jumbo try and support WVA in the mountains if he had 5-6 mins over Pogacar?

Either way it would create a massive problem for UAE - having to mark attacks from both Roglic & WVA.

Mefistofelino

Froome heading out the back of the bunch on a cat 4

Tim76

Just turned on the race. How did UAE let that break get away and then let them get to 7'21" up the road??

Mefistofelino

Mefistofelino wrote: »

Froome heading out the back of the bunch on a cat 4

Fine job he did as road captain marshalling the troops today and getting someone in the break. Oh wait ......

Paddigol

Mefistofelino wrote: »

Froome heading out the back of the bunch on a cat 4

ISN are having a shocker of a Tour so far.

mr spuckler

Paddigol wrote: »

ISN are having a shocker of a Tour so far.

They really need Dan to come good in week 2 or 3 as he's said he should.

Mefistofelino

Paddigol wrote: »

ISN are having a shocker of a Tour so far.

What's the opposite of the Movistar Team Prize?

Paddigol

Tim76 wrote: »

Just turned on the race. How did UAE let that break get away and then let them get to 7'21" up the road??

In fairness, I'd say Pog is still looking at Rog and Carapaz as his main rivals... they're gone from GC too if things stay the way the are (which they won't). And he probably backs himself against most of the lads in the break as the Tour progresses. So little point in UAE destroying themselves on their own trying to keep the break on a short leash. Ineos and JV will have to work sooner or later unless they're willing to sacrifice their main men to knock Pog out. Whether they should have made sure to get someone in any break is another matter. But it's all academic really - the big boys will find themselves duking it out on GC in week three whatever happens today.

Roger Hammond has been decent enough on comes today.

Morris Garren

Paddigol wrote: »

In fairness, I'd say Pog is still looking at Rog and Carapaz as his main rivals... they're gone from GC too if things stay the way the are (which they won't). And he probably backs himself against most of the lads in the break as the Tour progresses. So little point in UAE destroying themselves on their own trying to keep the break on a short leash. Ineos and JV will have to work sooner or later unless they're willing to sacrifice their main men to knock Pog out. Whether they should have made sure to get someone in any break is another matter. But it's all academic really - the big boys will find themselves duking it out on GC in week three whatever happens today.

If the break gets 10 minutes--- and at the current rate it is looking possible - would you think somebody like Nibali will lose almost 8 minutes in the final week? Is WVA able to defend such a gap in the Pyrenees?? Today is possibly the most important stage of the entire tour

Tim76

Paddigol wrote: »

In fairness, I'd say Pog is still looking at Rog and Carapaz as his main rivals... they're gone from GC too if things stay the way the are (which they won't). And he probably backs himself against most of the lads in the break as the Tour progresses. So little point in UAE destroying themselves on their own trying to keep the break on a short leash. Ineos and JV will have to work sooner or later unless they're willing to sacrifice their main men to knock Pog out. Whether they should have made sure to get someone in any break is another matter. But it's all academic really - the big boys will find themselves duking it out on GC in week three whatever happens today.

All fair points but, if i was the UAE DS, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving MVDP (or the others for that matter) that type of lead. I know there has been talk of him having an eye on the Olympics and he is unproven in Grand Tours but if he has a decent time gap to defend then who knows what he is capable of over the next 2 weeks.

breezy1985

Morris Garren wrote: »

If the break gets 10 minutes--- and at the current rate it is looking possible - would you think somebody like Nibali will lose almost 8 minutes in the final week? Is WVA able to defend such a gap in the Pyrenees?? Today is possibly the most important stage of the entire tour

Nibali could be setting up a Tommy Voeckler situation

Dcully

Jaysus Kelly sounds like he's aged since tour start

Morris Garren

Dcully wrote: »

Jaysus Kelly sounds like he's aged since tour start

Has had a few 'sherbets' as Carlton wud say? Certainly sounds a bit hoarse