General Race Thread 2022 **spoilers**

CrowdedHouse

Jumbo-Visma out of Suisse due to covid

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119209803#Comment_119209803

That's a bit of a disaster for Kuss & Dennis's TDF preparation/audition

Adam Yates positive too.

Dodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119209580#Comment_119209580

That’s not true. Look at the stages Alaphilipe and MVP won last year. Both worth 50 points. Same as the sprints

dastardly00

8 km to go in Tour of Slovenia Stage 2. Live on GCN

dastardly00

That was a messy sprint. BEX couldn't keep control at the front. When Groenewegen did eventually hit the front, it was very obvious that he was the quickest, and he won it easily

I was hoping for Bardiani there

mewso

The start list for La Route D'Occitanie has plenty of World Tour teams for a 2.1. Some promotion/relegation thinking going on you'd imagine. Ben Healy is there anyway for some Irish interest.

Jez Cox mentioned at the start Israel were a late addition at D'Occitanie in that they weren't on the start list he printed out in preparation last night. They sent Woods there hoping for points .

Ended in a sprint today with Demare taking it without any problems, some sketchy marshalling there it looked to me. Need to watch it back but looked on the right before the roundabouts a side road without a marshal and a car and van waiting to come out.

Oh Remco out the back, wow.

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119211605#Comment_119211605

Got back in, now out again!

The sweat pissing out of Hule there, Finally a cyclist who sweats more than I do 😅

DvP who did the sprint in Belgium, second place.

Dodge

Quick step did a lot of work for Jacobsen there and he gave up quite quickly. Was the little ramp there too much for the pure sprinters?

DVP out performing Sam, whatever the reason

mr spuckler

This really doesn't bode well for Sam after the Bora DS etc were talking up his progress a few weeks ago, saying his progress this year was in line with expectations.

Torrey

I can't see how Bennett goes to the tour now, whatever about his sprint, he hasn't a hope of getting over the mountains.

dastardly00

With regards to Sam and the Tour, a potential saving grace could be that even though DvP has been performing so well, he still hasn't managed to win anything. So Bora could gamble that Sam might eventually find some form and he could be more likely to win a stage, compared to DvP.

Although in saying all of that, if I was the general manager of Bora, I'd forget about Sam and focus purely on Vlasov and bring more domestiques.

He's not going to have the same support to get him in before the time cut either.

Dodge

Bora aren’t hiding the fact they set it up for Sam. It did look chaotic

https://www.bora-hansgrohe.com/en/news/pressemeldungen/zweiter-platz-fuer-danny-van-poppel-auf-der-zweiten-etappe-der-belgien-rundfahrt/656126712

dahat

At this stage unless something changes bringing Sam to the tour doesn’t make sense or fair to the rider & team. A “Covid diagnosis “ could save face for both.

mewso

Vlasov's form certainly doesn't help Sam but then I still have this feeling there is specific line in that contract.

griffin100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119211777#Comment_119211777

DVP is outperforming Sam because he’s faster at the minute. It’s that’s simple. Bringing Bennet to the Tour at this stage looks like a waste of time. He won’t have one of the best teams in the race concentrating on getting him in before the time limits either. This season is a write off. Hopefully it’s a blip, but I think he’s in trouble longer term.

MangleBadger

As much as Patrick Lefevre is a prick he may not have been too far wrong with his comments on the mental side of Sam's game. It's not that he isn't winning sprints, half the time he gives up before even opening up. It is like he is waiting for the perfect sprint opportunity to arise.

dastardly00

Loads of Covid-19 cases at the Tour de Suisse including Vlasov

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/multiple-covid-19-cases-emerge-at-tour-de-suisse-and-tour-of-slovenia/

dastardly00

From ProCyclingStats:

retalivity

Jesus. is there anyone left?

Wow, COVID or the heat? A few mentioned they came from altitude and weren't dealing with the heat. I'd hate to see similar happen at the tour.

retalivity

Seems to be all covid, Bahrain, UAE, Alpecin fenix withdrew their full teams due to covid tests. Other teams seemed to just withdraw the people with tests, like Bora.

EDIT: Pidcock out now as well, and 2 of the UAE lads (Bjerg and Lanegen) have withdrawn in Slovenia!

dastardly00

I'd imagine there are some very worried people in ASO (TdF organisers) at the moment.

retalivity

The Route d'Occitane stage today has been shortened to 39km, as there is a red alert heatwave warning in the Tarn dept in france and they are no longer allowed to cycle there. Bit of a farcical day all round for cycling...

https://twitter.com/PierroooRolland/status/1537707649847918592