TDF 2019: Stage 3, Binche > Épernay 08/07/2019 - 215 km *Spoilers*

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Comments

  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,744
    If it leads to Bernal getting yellow it'll be interesting though. 2 leaders can be a strength - we all know the scenarios where you might use that - but how would Thomas react to his younger team mate leading the race - if a situation arises where it's best for one to gamble and one play safe who does what - is it harder to sacrifice the yellow jersey to work for Thomas - it just adds a bit to the mix.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    BM5 wrote:
    Alan Ha Ha wrote:
    I was on the last climb today, about 200m above the Moet Chandon hut and 150m before the KOM.
    OMFG we watched Alaphillpe make his jump to catch Wallens... The French cheer was HUGE.
    We could see his descent across the vinyards he was a massive amount ahead of the rest on the downhill, so so much faster.
    Amazing to watch.
    The cheer on the hillside when he won the stage and confirmed yellow was beautiful.
    Muntingy is gorgeous... But don't drink Moet or Bollinger for a few years... There will be a distinct tasting note of French wee-wee with the aftertaste of the shite of a Scottish 9yr old girl.
    Wow that must have been a fantastic day.

    Do you know what happened to WEllens bike on the climb?
    Wellens said he got a puncture at the bottom of the last climb, the tyre wasn't totally flat, so he could carry on riding, but it meant he couldn't get out of the saddle (as that would have put more pressure on, and possibly destroyed, both tyre and rim) so had to stay seated the whole climb, not what he wanted.
    At the summit there was no neutral material service or car, so he dismounted and had to wait for his team car to arrive.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,553
    RichN95 wrote:
    There seems to be an odd narrative arising that Thomas losing 5s to Bernal/Pinot shows he's struggling. Surely he was still the 3rd GC guy up the climb.

    The sports news reader on BBC Wales reported it as a bad day for Geraint.

    I couldn't quite work out how the gap opened, when the camera panned back it looked like Geraint had been too far back when someone in front had let it go and he was trying to close it but ran out of road. It would be unusual for him to be badly positioned though.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,553
    If it leads to Bernal getting yellow it'll be interesting though. 2 leaders can be a strength - we all know the scenarios where you might use that - but how would Thomas react to his younger team mate leading the race - if a situation arises where it's best for one to gamble and one play safe who does what - is it harder to sacrifice the yellow jersey to work for Thomas - it just adds a bit to the mix.

    For the sake of a 5 second gap I don't think it will change anything to be honest. Thomas should take back much more than that in the TT you would think so I don't see him or the team sacrificing his chances in favour of Bernal just yet. As long as things are tight between the two I see the joint leadership just meaning Bernal will have the freedom to do his own thing in the mountains rather than work for Thomas.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,702
    wrong thread