The Lanterne Rouge Thread 2019 **Spoilers**

lettingthedaysgoby

This is why Wanty are Pro-Conti and not World Tour. Just not quite got the tactics to really go well at the big events.

above_the_cows

Disaster for Cycling Fans Globally as Don't Wanty-Groupe Gobert loose the race that truly matters after holding it for 20 stages.

Lanterne_Rogue

And now for the thread that asks the questions other people are too scared to ask, such as "how bloody big is Qinghai Lake if it takes 13 stages to race around it?", and that is also unafraid to provide the answers.

Well in this case the answer is "he's ****ed it, hasn't he?"

With the hopes of a nation pinned on him for some bright news in an otherwise hopeless tour (nobody counts the spotty jersey*), in which the French hope for yellow Julian Alkaptonuria fell short, and in which the 'not' in Pinot was again made clear, the added pressure of defending a meagre three second lead has finally scrambled Offredo's brain. Nobody can say for sure, but it appears that rather than live with the uncertainty Offredo decided to embrace the certainty of failure and ride.

Langeveld now leads by for and a half minutes and it's inconceivable that Offredo can take it back in Paris. The LR embarrasses lesser baubles by remaining competitive to the end instead of settling for an amiable farce of a ceasefire, but the gap is surely too much.

Ride of the day came from Roger Klutz, losing time at an impressive rate of over twenty seconds per kilometre over the 5 km or so that today's stage finally covered, and earning the penultimate white feather of the tour.

Join us tomorrow to see if there's a final twist in the tale - I've just stuck a sneaky fiver on the final stage being neutralised due to a burst water main and the time taken as they come through the underpass for the first time, with Geraint Thomas' LOL BAnTZ! joke attack winning him the yellow.


Barbie Girls:

146 SEBASTIAN LANGEVELD 95 EF EDUCATION FIRST 02H 12' 43'' + 00H 20' 50'' - -
147 YVES LAMPAERT 24 DECEUNINCK - QUICK - STEP 02H 12' 43'' + 00H 20' 50'' - -
148 SVEN ERIK BYSTRØM 123 UAE TEAM EMIRATES 02H 12' 43'' + 00H 20' 50'' - -
149 MIKE TEUNISSEN 87 TEAM JUMBO - VISMA 02H 12' 43'' + 00H 20' 50'' - -
150 ALEXANDER KRISTOFF 126 UAE TEAM EMIRATES 02H 12' 43'' + 00H 20' 50'' - -
151 MICHAEL MØRKØV 26 DECEUNINCK - QUICK - STEP 02H 12' 43'' + 00H 20' 50'' - -
152 DYLAN GROENEWEGEN 84 TEAM JUMBO - VISMA 02H 12' 49'' + 00H 20' 56'' - -
153 AMUND JANSEN 85 TEAM JUMBO - VISMA 02H 12' 49'' + 00H 20' 56'' - -
154 MAXIMILIANO RICHEZE 27 DECEUNINCK - QUICK - STEP 02H 14' 34'' + 00H 22' 41'' - -
155 ROGER KLUGE 166 LOTTO SOUDAL 02H 15' 00'' + 00H 23' 07'' - -

Barbie Grills:

146 149 ▲3 BAK Lars Ytting Team Dimension Data 4:07:11
147 141 ▼6 GROENEWEGEN Dylan Team Jumbo-Visma 4:07:16
148 148 - HALLER Marco Team Katusha Alpecin 4:08:17
149 143 ▼6 RICHEZE Maximiliano Deceuninck - Quick Step 4:10:05
150 147 ▼3 KLUGE Roger Lotto Soudal 4:13:23
151 150 ▼1 DOWSETT Alex Team Katusha Alpecin 4:13:48
152 152 - MØRKØV Michael Deceuninck - Quick Step 4:19:33
153 153 - DEBUSSCHERE Jens Team Katusha Alpecin 4:29:07
154 155 ▲1 OFFREDO Yoann Wanty - Gobert Cycling Team 4:29:50
155 154 ▼1 LANGEVELD Sebastian EF Education First 4:34:23


*There's only one of it anyway; you don't need to count

bm5

That has got to be one of the biggest upsets for many years.

Lanterne_Rogue

BM5 wrote:

That has got to be one of the biggest upsets for many years.

Best comeback, possibly (don't ask me - I view cycling knowledge as a positive disadvantage in this game). Sky winning it with Luke Rowe was probably more unexpected, given their absolute disinterest in competing for it, a policy of hiring riders who ought to be doing well on GC, and team tactics that absolutely mitigate against it. Sort of like Movistar winning the GC would be, and for the same reasons.

No_Ta_Doctor

Seems like Offredo screwed up royally.

“It was an objective to bring the lantern home,” he told Eurosport light-heartedly on Saturday. “There was a hot place for it by the chimney. I know Val Thorens very well. I knew the climb.

“I never got too excited on it, I knew there was a way to go to the end. We are so close to Paris and so far at the same time. If you have one moment of weakness, hunger flat, you can find yourself by the side of the road and not even see Paris.”

https://www.velonews.com/2019/07/tour-d ... ear_498210

Lanterne_Rogue

Oh Yo-yo...

It was so close. So, so close. If you'd just held your nerve yesterday it could have been yours.

Yes, heart breakingly, Offredo took 1'53" in today's stage as Langeveld finished with the leading group (presumably suffering from a delusion of sprinting grandeur from EF), proving that glory was there for the taking. In the event stealing nearly two minutes was a fine effort but just not quite enough...

The final stage threw up some familiar names at the back, especially today's stage winner who naturally recorded the Wurtz time. Offredo gets the white feather though for losing with a final burst of panache.

It's been a good year for the LR this year, with plenty of action and drama right to the end. You have no idea how much easier it is to do this when something - anything - is happening. Congratulations to Langeveld, sorry about the misplaced footnote******* and thanks to everyone who has joined in or just read along. Same time next year?

Last chance saloon:

146 YOANN OFFREDO 196 WANTY - GOBERT CYCLING TEAM 03H 06' 01'' + 00H 01' 53'' - -
147 PATRICK KONRAD 14 BORA - HANSGROHE 03H 06' 01'' + 00H 01' 53'' - -
148 JENS KEUKELEIRE 165 LOTTO SOUDAL 03H 06' 26'' + 00H 02' 18'' - -
149 TONY GALLOPIN 35 AG2R LA MONDIALE 03H 06' 29'' + 00H 02' 21'' - -
150 MICHAL KWIATKOWSKI 4 TEAM INEOS 03H 06' 38'' + 00H 02' 30'' - -
151 GEORGE BENNETT 82 TEAM JUMBO - VISMA 03H 06' 38'' + 00H 02' 30'' - -
152 TOM SCULLY 96 EF EDUCATION FIRST 03H 06' 38'' + 00H 02' 30'' - -
153 OLIVER NAESEN 37 AG2R LA MONDIALE 03H 04' 08'' - - -
154 JAN TRATNIK 48 BAHRAIN - MERIDA 03H 07' 08'' + 00H 03' 00'' - -
155 MADS WÜRTZ 187 TEAM KATUSHA ALPECIN 03H 07' 41'' + 00H 03' 33'' - -

Three door saloon, no MOT, some work needed:

146 144 ▼2 HEPBURN Michael Mitchelton-Scott 25 4:07:32
147 146 ▼1 BAK Lars Ytting Team Dimension Data 25 4:07:49
148 148 - HALLER Marco Team Katusha Alpecin 25 4:08:17
149 149 - RICHEZE Maximiliano Deceuninck - Quick Step 25 4:10:05
150 150 - KLUGE Roger Lotto Soudal 25 4:13:43
151 151 - DOWSETT Alex Team Katusha Alpecin 25 4:14:39
152 152 - MØRKØV Michael Deceuninck - Quick Step 25 4:19:33
153 153 - DEBUSSCHERE Jens Team Katusha Alpecin 25 4:29:07
154 154 - OFFREDO Yoann Wanty - Gobert Cycling Team 25 4:31:43
155 155 - LANGEVELD Sebastian EF Education First 25 4:34:23

No_Ta_Doctor

underlayunderlay wrote:

Same time next year?

I'll pop along a little later*











*In it to win it.

bm5

Haven't seen today's stage but that shows a lack of respect for the honour by EF and Langaveld. Surely they should have been protecting the win by policing the back (front). Lucky escape for them that Offredo was lacking true stamina in the final days.
Let's hope that more dedicated sea level training camps are organised in Norfolk over the next year for the true contenders to hone their skills.
Can't wait.
Many thanks to the Chief correspondent (and his family waiting patiently for him to stop posting and buy their holiday ice creams )

pinno

underlayunderlay wrote:

Same time next year?

Yes please sir and thank you.

pblakeney

underlayunderlay wrote:

and thanks to everyone who has joined in or just read along. Same time next year?

I may be a little late.
#maintianingthespirit

meursault

Superb thread, grazie mille to all contributors.