Tour de France 2023 ***spoilers*** Warning in OP

Mefistofelino

And Cav will probably win, just to cap it off.

Squidgy Black

Welsford has messed this up so bad with that corner, he’s not going to get back on

retalivity

If Jonas leads out Laporte for a win, Belgium will explode

Squidgy Black

And there goes Jakobsen, what a disaster

retalivity

Jesus, crashes everytwhere

Paddigol

Carnage!!

De Bhál

like an A4 race in April

some mess

going by that Cavandish will find it hard to get a win, had a clear enough run there and was well off

Squidgy Black

Cavendish was miles off the pace there, I don’t think he’s going to get close to a stage win this tour if that’s the kind of performance he’s capable of without a proper leadout

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804859#Comment_120804859

He was very clearly boxed in at about 500 meters and had to go around left about 4 cyclists. Think that did it for him. Had he made the gap before getting boxed, he's then in contention, but he was out from that moment. He did well to finish 5th from there imo

I don't think he's that miles off the pace, considering he has a gargantuan giro in his legs too

De Bhál

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804873#Comment_120804873

yeah on the overhead it looked better for him. VDP went past like a train and he couldn't squeeze on

neris

More crashes then the m50 on a wet Wednesday morning

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804892#Comment_120804892

And it seemed to be dry day at the finish... and we had crashed and slips like this.

Paddigol

I only tuned in for the final 6km. Excellent bang for my buck if the comments on today's stage are anything to go by!

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804892#Comment_120804892

Robbie McEwan was warning about it being a possibility hours ago, different type of tarmac, tyres a bit less grippy by then, it had rained at some point too

Dodge

Nice to see Caleb Ewan back competing at the top end.

Good analysis after the race by Adam Blythe showing how much he had to make up on Philipsen without any slip stream

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804873#Comment_120804873

Ewen was considerably more boxed it, though he did luck-out a little with it opening up. And Bauhaus started behind Cav, got up to his wheel and as Cav eased off a little (when he couldn't get across to Philipsen's wheel) Bauhaus had to back off noticeably, but got back up to speed far more quickly than Cavendish.

I'd be surprised if Kristoff's lead-out man isn't penalised. Sits up, looks around, drifts off to the right and takes the Cofidis rider into the barriers.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804956#Comment_120804956

I thought that too - but did the other Cofidis rider clip him as he was squeezing past? Probably should have been able to avoid it, but looked a bit less incriminating when I watched it back a few times. Or maybe I'm being too nice

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804981#Comment_120804981

I thought he chopped his wheel, admittedly he was drifting into the barriers so I think he's more, if not totally, at fault

Squidgy Black

MvdP relegated and fined for obstructing Biniam Girmay in the sprint.

Bit mad that your leadout can block another sprinter and get a bit of a slap of the wrist, but it’d also be hard to punish Philipsen

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120805389#Comment_120805389

Just thinking the same. The deviation from MVDP cleared the path for himself and Phillipsen to come from miles back, compared to the ducking and diving that wan and Bauhaus had to do, as well as taking Grmay & a Bora rider out of it altogether.

Mefistofelino

Bauhaus gave Girmay a "virtual" nudge too - went to take road position from Girmay, even made a shoulder movement, Girmay blinked first and gave Bauhaus the space.

Morris Garren

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120805647#Comment_120805647

I think Girmay has been elbowed and shouldered around like a Junior B bogballer both yesterday and today; lucky to be upright at all. Was watching him both days. But I'm thinking he might still be good for a tilt at a stage from a more fractured/reduced group that won't depend so much on lead out trains etc. To see him bouncing around in the final kms with team mates swinging behind him didn't look good- where's all 55kg of Pozzovivo when you need him 😉

Dr. Bre

Looking forward to tomorrow. Powless will be in the break trying to get over the HC climb first.

Brian?

Tomorrow’s stage is mad one. I don’t get it.

eagle eye

Stage 5

This is the first serious test of this tour. No doubt there'll be GC battles in this one.

It's hard to know exactly how things will play out in this one. Will UAE continue to set an infernal pace? Will it be a case of them and Jumbo sending a rider/riders up the road in the break?

Whether the break is let away or not there will be damage done in the final climb which has 7.8km at 8.4% and 4.8km averaging 10.4% going up over 11% in places.

I think the break is let away in this one, this stage is too difficult for a team to keep the pace up all the way.

I think Vingegaard is in the best position on this stage with Adam Yates being protected along with Pog. I think everyone gets dropped from the GC group besides the two favourites. Vingegaard has shown how cool and calm he is sitting on Pog's wheel and I think he'll attack early on the last climb in this one, as much to test Pog's fitness as make time this early on.

Anyway I think the break is let go in this stage and I'm hoping my vision comes true. I see Thibaut in the break and I see him winning the stage and putting the yellow jersey on for a couple of days. It's the dream for him and I'd guess for most of us too.

So my pick for the win is Thibaut Pinot.

breezy1985

Very interesting to see who can keep up. Probably gonna tell us a lot about who is gonna be 3 to 5 at this tour.

Macy0161

Things you didn't think you'd hear - Lantern Rouge firmly in the what the feck were bora thinking not bring Sam camp! Even bemoaning Bora not having Ryan Mullen to do the job of bringing DvP up!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804859#Comment_120804859

Not according to the BBC....

https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1676293547262181376

Dodge

It’ll be like that every sprint day. Hatch said “we’re on the cusp of history” with 20km to go.

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807436#Comment_120807436

Millar was shocking on the ITV coverage. No comment on the actual front of the race, just Cav watch.

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807436#Comment_120807436

The sprint stage to Bordeaux is going to be absolute penance, isn't it?

cunavalos

Cavendish loses Luis Leon Sanchez through injury who does a lot of the donkey work keeping him in position until the last 2k.

And Guarnieri from Lotto Dstny is also out with a broken collarbone.

ednwireland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804859#Comment_120804859

I'd like to see you get top 5 in a tour de france sprint.

at this point in his career with the lead out he had he definitely needs the cards to fall right and a bit of luck.

shame G isn't there to give him a hand :)

Large bottle small glass

Rough day yesterday for Pidcock😀.

Guessing heart monitor was put on while on bus

CrowdedHouse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807484#Comment_120807484

Buíochas ke Dia for TG4 😀

or if I am casting GCN I always have Ambient Sound selected!

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807669#Comment_120807669

shame G isn't there to give him a hand :)

That was probably illegal at the Giro, falling under the regs around collusion. The UCI commissaires at the Tour appear to be sticking strictly to the rule book across a variety of areas this year so a repeat of "helping a brother out" is likely to get both riders sanctioned.

Dodge

There is ZERO chance of them taking a stage win off Cavendish for “collusion”.

(Nor should there be IMO)

In fact I’d say he could deviate, elbow, do whatever he wants if it meant he got the record.

Mefistofelino

Kerrissst. GCN have set the studio up like a team bus briefing

Dodge

Saw that yesterday. The “cube” tech is pretty weird to me. It took me a while to figure out it was all CGI too

Raoul Duke

Yesterday's stage will be forgiven/forgotten if there's a good battle for the breakaway today. Surely they won't just ride off easily?

Mefistofelino

Just before they leave Pau, here's a photo from there in 1989

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120806521#Comment_120806521

Pinot has 0.1% chance of either making the break or being allowed to stay in it

CrowdedHouse

Fabio looks to be in bother

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808124#Comment_120808124

Why?

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808164#Comment_120808164

He's terrible at trying to get in breaks, especially on the flat. Plus he's only 2.47 down in GC

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808177#Comment_120808177

Well his GC position isn't important. He is not a GC threat, not only because he has no hope of staying with the leaders when they go but also because he'll be very tired in the last week having completed the Giro.

And it's unlikely a real break gets away before Col de Soudet.

retalivity

A group of 30+ with Hindley, Ciccone, WVA get away, not one FDJ guy in there!

EDIT: Maduouas made it.

breezy1985

At what point does 50 riders that strong just become the peloton and not the break.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808124#Comment_120808124

Also I don't see him winning a downhill finish like this.

devonp

with Mas out who is the GC contender for Movistar ? if any...or just stage hunting ?

Mefistofelino

Undecided on the cantilevered seat-post but the paint job on Mads Pedersen's Trek is lush