Tour de France Stage 15 - Rodez to Carcassonne

Mefistofelino

Sprinters stage today. The Extreme Weather Protocol has been implemented which allows riders stop for 99s every 50km. Or something. The authorities are spraying the roads near Carcassonne with thousands of litres of water trying to stop the tar from melting. Simon Clarke and Magnus Cort have both tested positive and withdrawn. And Rog has gone home to recover.

c.p.w.g.w

Seriously what is going on...

Jumbo lose Roglic, so a man down...WVA goes on the attack at 200km to go...

3 man break on a stupid long/hot day...

What are these new age tactics we are seeing this edition of TdF?

Mefistofelino

WVA seems to behave like he doesn't want to share the limelight with Jonas. "Yes, I know he won the Tour but did you guys see how awesome I was?"

c.p.w.g.w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119348670#Comment_119348670

Well in fairness, at any other team(aside UAE, Ineos) he'd be the principal, and I genuinely feel with a tweak of tactics and training WVA is a genuine grand tour contender...

All his attacking and long days in breakaways hampers his mountain performance's so his days in the mountains aren't a true reflection of his true abilities IMO...but what do I know

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119348697#Comment_119348697

I don’t think he’s a strong enough all rounder for GC, but he could definitely have more stage wins if he wasn’t having to play domestique. The likes of yesterday's stage with a long breakaway and a shorter punchy climb would’ve been right up his alley.

c.p.w.g.w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119348708#Comment_119348708

It's difficult to really know tho, the way he currently races and attacks he must be expending insane amounts of energy and power, where as if he was being guarded in the peloton and used those reserves for the mountains his mountain performance's would certainly be better, but of course I'm sure his training schedule is I'd imagine very different from a GC guys schedule as well...

Back to the CG race, this year's ITT profile looks similar to last year's...where Jonas put time on Pogacar...so Pogacar needs to put time into Jones before that to have any chance I'd imagine

So why is Jumbo not keeping all their remaining team in the peloton to stay as fresh a possible to help Jonas in the next few mountain stages

Morkov got dropped not long after the start and is 13 minutes down now.

dastardly00

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119348821#Comment_119348821

He has a long day ahead of him on his own

dastardly00

Tom Skijns seems to be going for the world record for the number of bidons in his jersey. He definitely has at least 8 down his back, and then more down the front of his jersey 😂😮

retalivity

God, ITV still waffling on about cav.

Morkov will have about an hr not go OTL, heat protocol means time limit isnout to 20%. Maduoas in trouble too

Mr. Cats

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119348708#Comment_119348708

I heard an interview with WVA on a podcast and he said himself that he would need to drop some weight to become a GC contender. This could take away from his top power and impact his explosivity. I think that he said he might try it in next few years. He mentioned that his favourite biking is cyclocross and really only rides road cause the money is so much better.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119348859#Comment_119348859

It’s an impressive amount of stretch in the jersey, maybe my old jerseys might actually still fit….

odyssey06

Uh oh looks like Jumbo-Visma about to lose Kruijswijk after crash and Roglic this morning.

Shame seeing lads having to head off in an ambulance.

Wonder was that anything to do with the protesters? Idiots doing that guarantees they wouldn't be shown on TV, if they had something calling attention to their cause in a field they would be certain of the helicopter picking it up.

...and as I type the yellow jersey is down ffs

Raoul Duke

UAE snipers are out today!

neris

Vingegard down now aswell with tijs benot

Caleb Ewan dropped according to race radio

EDIT: link for radio someone posted it the other days, it's worked for every stage https://ice.creacast.com/lequipe-au1

Hearing Seb call people get dropped is brilliant.

Commentators think Thomas wants a drink but his right shifter is goosed I think. He's having to shift using the satellite shifter on the under side of the bars . Assuming he has those, it looks like he has.

Squidgy Black

That camera bike needs to GTF out of the way, it’s been giving Thomas a draft the entire way around this stretch of bends, it’s mental

Squidgy Black

Wout 2nd again, he must break the record for most 2nd places now

Pog congratulating Philipsen there, must be good pals from when they were on he same team.

The amount of motor bikes at the Tour is obscene. Ok TV is required, water and Shimano but a lot of the others aren't. Wiggo and Contadour for a start and surely the likes or l'equipe and others have someone doing the same. I counted 4 bikes the other day all with still photographers shooting the same rider.

retalivity

Ryanair social media on point

https://mobile.twitter.com/Ryanair/status/1548684793663131648

Morkov was otl at 1:05 Ewan was only 20 minutes down so must have had some sickness unfortunately. Hard for him to keep going there today.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119351683#Comment_119351683

Morkov said after the finish that the heat just got the better of him, could regulate his body temp at all and just blew up.