Paris-Nice 2019 *SPOILERS*

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Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,644
    Lads. Weak effort.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Nobody surprised at Yates win? He was on non of the contenders lists that I saw. I know he’s improved but that was impressive
  • twotoebenny
    twotoebenny Posts: 1,537
    I'm surprised, was there a big change in weather conditions or something?
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    inseine wrote:
    Nobody surprised at Yates win? He was on non of the contenders lists that I saw. I know he’s improved but that was impressive

    Why? He needs to up his TT game to help him in the Giro, so he’s obviously been working on that, and he got caught out in the echelons, so he’s missed out on being a PN contender.

    Ah, wait, have you gone full Clinic and you’re insinuating he’s on the gear?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,644
    4 EF riders in top 8
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    4 EF riders in top 8

    Good performance by them, sadly none on the podium
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    inseine wrote:
    Nobody surprised at Yates win? He was on non of the contenders lists that I saw. I know he’s improved but that was impressive

    Why? He needs to up his TT game to help him in the Giro, so he’s obviously been working on that, and he got caught out in the echelons, so he’s missed out on being a PN contender.

    Ah, wait, have you gone full Clinic and you’re insinuating he’s on the gear?
    It wasn’t a strong TT field, and Bernal was up there too, but he’s not exactly got Testers build.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    4 EF riders in top 8

    Good performance by them, sadly none on the podium
    They won thT TTT and used to be good at such things. Nice to see them back
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,313
    inseine wrote:
    4 EF riders in top 8

    Good performance by them, sadly none on the podium
    They won thT TTT and used to be good at such things. Nice to see them back
    And Simon Clarkey and Albert Beltoil are mixing it with the best in T-A. It’s a Renaissance!
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,701
    Today's stage may prove to be more interesting than the profile suggests, if it goes ahead at all.

    stage-6-profile.png

    A quick look at the map.

    stage-6-route.jpg

    And the weather forecast. Temperatures on the up, but so too the wind. From the North West, 40 to 55 km/h possibly above 60kph gusts.
    A pity about that headwind finish, though.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,153
    Probably too sheltered but otherwise that section between the first sprint and final climb could be a good place to split it but yes, 20-30km into the wind to finish is unlikely to make it attractive.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,701
    First 50kms covered in just over the hour. Windspeed: 33.0 km/h
    Cross tailwind from left
    Alex Kirsch (Trek-Segafredo), Laurent Pichon (Arkea Samsic) and Mauro Finetto (Delko-Marseille-Provence) lead the peloton by 2:50.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Bardet told L’Équipe (after finishing 28th) “It was my first time trial of the year and it was a time trial for rouleurs"

    except the guy who won it....
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,570
    inseine wrote:
    Bardet told L’Équipe (after finishing 28th) “It was my first time trial of the year and it was a time trial for rouleurs"

    except the guy who won it....

    But he's a loser.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    gsk82 wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Bardet told L’Équipe (after finishing 28th) “It was my first time trial of the year and it was a time trial for rouleurs"

    except the guy who won it....

    But he's a loser.

    Taking it on face value, it's amazing how one potential future Tour winner has upped his game and the other guy seems to be going backwards.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,570
    inseine wrote:
    gsk82 wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Bardet told L’Équipe (after finishing 28th) “It was my first time trial of the year and it was a time trial for rouleurs"

    except the guy who won it....

    But he's a loser.

    Taking it on face value, it's amazing how one potential future Tour winner has upped his game and the other guy seems to be going backwards.

    I think Bardet was just the best of a mediocre supporting cast for a couple of years. Since then other guys have really kicked on while he's stood still. I mean the likes of Yates, Dumoulin, Roglic, Even Thomas. A couple of years ago i read a quote from him saying he doesn't train on his tt bike "because it's boring". With that attitude he'll continue to be an also ran. He's never even win a world tour race. Nothing about him suggests he'll ever be a contender.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,701
    Splits everywhere now as DQS put the pressure on.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    gsk82 wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    gsk82 wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Bardet told L’Équipe (after finishing 28th) “It was my first time trial of the year and it was a time trial for rouleurs"

    except the guy who won it....

    But he's a loser.

    Taking it on face value, it's amazing how one potential future Tour winner has upped his game and the other guy seems to be going backwards.

    I think Bardet was just the best of a mediocre supporting cast for a couple of years. Since then other guys have really kicked on while he's stood still. I mean the likes of Yates, Dumoulin, Roglic, Even Thomas. A couple of years ago i read a quote from him saying he doesn't train on his tt bike "because it's boring". With that attitude he'll continue to be an also ran. He's never even win a world tour race. Nothing about him suggests he'll ever be a contender.
    The sad thing for French cycling is that he's still the best of the bunch. A few years ago we had Barguil and Pinault, both of whom seem to have an even less serious driven approach. At least Bardet can still light up a race.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    Rowe on the front looking for a bit of a crosswind in the valley
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  • alanparsons
    alanparsons Posts: 529
    I think a large problem with the French riders is that they stay too long at French teams.
    Julian Alaphilippe is going to be a much better prospect for the French long term, though possibly not a Grand Tour winner.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,701
    Rowe on the front looking for a bit of a crosswind in the valley

    Just call him "Windy". :lol:
    MS take over now. Half a minute between the groups.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Groenewegen and Bennet currently in the second group but not far behind
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,701
    Chute on the downhill takes out Valls and Bakelandts plus a DQS.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    Huge rock in the road did it. Bloody lucky only two went down.
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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    Possible crosswinds coming on these last few kms
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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    Roads too wide to do anything with wind anyway by the looks of it.
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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    My Man Tao tastes the tarmac :-(
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,644
    Caleb down too.

    Kwiat uses the sprint for bonus points to pop off the front - LLS joins but the have hestitated.

    Now FDJ in full 5 man chase.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,644
    Demare, Bennet, Cobrelli, Cocquard, Trentin all in there.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    Bennet takes it, nicely done.
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