Stage 10 (ITT): Elche -> Alicante (30.9km)

retalivity

Pancake flat 30k TT, Just started, surely Remco to win and put time into everyone?

My dark horse Yates to Top 3. Other possibilities: Rog, Dennis, Arensman, Cavagna.

Hayter would have been up there but he is a DNS this morning.

Dodge

Bennett is a DNS. He was tweeting a little while ago about the race so must have been a very, very late decision

retalivity

Weird

Morris Garren

Bennett out of green contention and Hayter out of young rider section: the Velogames situation will be topsy-turvy, like the RAS stages of old! Looking forward to the news on Bennett, could be anything ?

He had a tweet up with his start time and all there a while ago.

In Alicante I always think they are missing a trick not sending them up to the Santa Barbara castle ..... and dare it say it from the eastern side!!!!! 😉

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119542176#Comment_119542176

All the 5 or 6 other DNS due to covid were announced before, so I’d assume it must be something else, unless it was just late covid test results or something

Dodge

Bora tweeting now but nothing on Sam yet

eagle eye

There's a few out with covid, Hayter out with covid.

eagle eye

If a few tested positive would they be doing antigen tests on everybody before they start today?

This happened so late it's unlikely to be an injury.

retalivity

Mullen says it was Covid

https://twitter.com/radiotour_en/status/1564595414443196418

https://twitter.com/SadhbhOS/status/1564596097045172225

CantGetNoSleep

Hoping that it is covid or a late injury rather than some sort of dispute or fall out just as he was finding form again

Squidgy Black

As bizarre as it sounds, it’s almost a good thing it’s covid as opposed to another injury etc.

Can only imagine the social media **** storm another injury would’ve brewed up

mewso

Covid makes sense. A positive test without symptoms most likely. Pity for Affini too. He would have been looking at todays stage.

Dodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119542335#Comment_119542335

It was never going to be a fall out. Jaysus

CrowdedHouse

https://twitter.com/BORAhansgrohe/status/1564599655819886593?s=20&t=vQxk7a6HJSVXn_AAo98XBg

Covid

mr spuckler

Ryan Mullen's comment 😄

"I'm pretty sure he would have won the green jersey. Probably now Mads Pedersen is going to walk all the way to Madrid with one finger in his nose with the green jersey. It is what it is but it's a shame though."

dastardly00

Gutted for Sam ☹️

retalivity

Monster time by Cavagna, 30.9km at an average speed of 54.03kph. To put it in comtext, there's only been 2 TTs faster this year, and they were over 9 & 13.9k

mr spuckler

There was to be a tailwind along the coastal section I think from what I read earlier.

Mads might have heard in his earpiece mid-way that Sam was out, 2nd @ 6 seconds at the 10km check then finished over 2 mins behind!

mewso

I respectfully disagree with Mullen on Sam. Plenty of stages coming up that would have suited Pedersen. More than one "flat" stage with an uphill finish so I couldn't see Sam winning the green. I was hoping to see him win in Madrid though.

Bob Jungles is here? First I've heard his name mentioned.

retalivity

Dylan Van Baarle - "I spoke to my coach before to take it easy at the start...basically I fucked it up" 😂

dastardly00

I'm sweating just looking at Roglic and Remco warming up!

retalivity

Lol Remco, different gravy

dastardly00

This could be a demolition job by Remco. 21 seconds up after the first time check.

happytramp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119542784#Comment_119542784

It was still all to play for... Another stage or two for Sam with pedersen not finishing in the top three with him and Sam may well have built up a big lead. Could have gone the other way too .. we'll never know unfortunately, but I have my suspicions that mads was starting to show the effects of a long season whereas it seemed like Sam was just hitting his stride.

Chivito550

Why are they STILL testing riders/athletes/sportspeople for Covid when the world has (for the most part) moved on?

This really is nonsense. 3 years ago he'd have carried on with cold like symptoms.

This tomfoolery made sense in 2020. It does not make sense anymore. When will this testing nonsense end? It does nothing to "protect" other people.

It totally undermines the credibility of a sporting event.

If you need a test to tell you that you're sick, then you're not sick.

Funny thing was that Stefanos Tsitsipas was bunged up badly at Wimbledon, but as it wasn't Covid, he could still play. If he had no symptoms, but had Covid, he's out. Makes perfect sense...

Mefistofelino

Mas not so great when he doesn't have a wheel to follow

Remco has 2:41 now on GC over Rog.

Macy0161

Not really a rabbit hole the thread needs to go, but at this point we don't know whether Sam was symptomatic and that's why he tested (in line with even average Joe public health guidance) or was from one of the test everybody tests. But regardless, UCI rules haven't really kept up with the general advice.

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543446#Comment_119543446

I thought Mas would lose more time today tbh, and Remco would catch him well before the end. So not that bad a result.

Lopez coming 9th on a 30k flat TT is the shock result for me, wtf is that.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119542784#Comment_119542784

I think there was enough there for Sam to take it away from him and bar him getting in breakaways, presuming there were mid way points, I didn't see Mads taking it from him. Even in the last heads up against each other when they were going for minor placings Sam didn't even open up and comfortable took him at the line. Sam more than capable of an uphill finish if needed and Bora would have marked Mads out. It wouldn't have been far apart but I think Ryan is right.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543343#Comment_119543343

The results to this point are that many cyclists struggle to get their form back after a bout of covid.

Chris Froome is one of the latest to talk about his struggles in the wake of having covid. He got it during the Tour.

eagle eye

Can you imagine if Remco, Vingegaard, Pog, Bernal and I'll add Ayuso line up for the Tour next year? I'll be glued to every stage all day if that happens.

happytramp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543580#Comment_119543580

I'd tend to agree. Can't help but feel, but for some bad luck, Sam would have been looking at another green jersey in the TdF last year and green at this year's vuelta. As it is, he's missed out on two of his best years racing due to injury, poor form and now Covid.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543676#Comment_119543676

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, he was right to bow out with the injury but then half the best sprinters in the world didn't show up and he would have won it on 50%. I have the same issue in many of my races , so do many others. The one thing that injury did was show his class, Pat was pure scum and Sam was class in how he restrained himself. Alas, he was a good teammate and went out to dinner with the rest. Regardless of people's views on the regs, they are there and his team probably should have been more cautious but like most of us, we have moved to seeing Covid as a lesser threat. People may say the UCI are slow but someone there is covering there ass. Considering Patrick previously mentioned is still allowed near riders, shows that if the rules were relaxed, some would rude them even if symptomatic, it's a no win discussion.

Morris Garren

What's the odds on Van Poppel winning a stage now? I know it's a different ball game being a lead out but he's in super form and nobody would begrudge him the victory. Probably needs to surf the Trek train or keep an eye on Groves who also has a victory in him. Since Hindley looks cooked on GC, BORA can surely loosen up a bit and let riders away on breaks maybe- Higuita and Kelderman might as well try a few attacks and try nip a stage. Sam leaving is not necessarily a total disaster for them , disappointed and all as I am for him.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545019#Comment_119545019

Yeah I think Van Poppel is a serious contender tomorrow. As you said he's riding great and now he can go for it.

Morris Garren

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545773#Comment_119545773

Now if only I was a betting man.....