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Is it a Rest Day (2) when it's 40 degrees Outside?

blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,663
edited July 2019 in Pro race
With two days based in and around Nimes and temperatures set to reach 40 degrees, but feeling 5 degrees warmer still, the hotel lottery may be even more crucial that normal.

So, what have we got, in GC order.
1) Julian Alaphilippe. (BAHRAIN MERIDA, DECEUNINCK - QUICK - STEP, MITCHELTON - SCOTT, TREK - SEGAFREDO)
Not too bad, but none too pretty.

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2) Geraint Thomas. (ASTANA PRO TEAM, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CRÉDITS, TEAM INEOS, TEAM KATUSHA ALPECIN)
Fortunately a lot better than the weird name suggests.

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:P

3) Steven Kruijswijk
All on their own. Looks much nicer than your average 3 star stopover, but that's it's rating.

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4) Tibault Pinot
Grand Hotel de Nimes? Mmm, looks more like a porn set to me. :lol:

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5)Ineos

6) Emmanuel Buchmann
Unlucky, I hope the plastic doesn't melt in the heat.

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7, 8,9 see above

10) Rigoberto Uran
Low rise, nicely styled interior. Grand Hotel take note.

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The rest.

Lotto bag this 4 star sweetie.

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Wanty?

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Sunweb and UAE. Better than the last rest day.

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Team Arkea get rural.

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Team DD and Ag2r. They certainly tried to give poor Romain a leg up the GC with this one.

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Finally CCC. Well, what did they expect? No wonder Simon Geschke tried to get away on his own, today.

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"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

Posts

  • slim_boy_fatslim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    Quality thread!
  • AlejandrosdogAlejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    Are DD still in the race?
  • ShutupJensShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    Are DD still in the worldtour?

    Fixed
  • ShutupJensShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    I'm concerned that it will be too hot for watching on TV this week. 29/30 degrees up my ends on Tuesday allegedly
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,663
    edited July 2019
    Sticking with the hotel theme.
    Potentially a very interesting evening at the Best Western in Gap, on Wednesday, when Ineos and DQS finally get to share a hotel. :)

    No air con either.
    Hard to believe this is a 3-star hotel. Unbearably hot and stuffy, no air conditioning, no screen on windows and no way to open them without fully opening the drapes, windows give out onto a noisy parking lot and high traffic street anyway. No air circulation at all, felt like we were sleeping in a sauna.

    :shock: :?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • gsk82gsk82 Posts: 3,296
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Sticking with the hotel theme.
    Potentially a very interesting evening at the Best Western in Gap, on Wednesday evening, when Ineos and DQS finally get to share a hotel. :)

    No air con either.
    Hard to believe this is a 3-star hotel. Unbearably hot and stuffy, no air conditioning, no screen on windows and no way to open them without fully opening the drapes, windows give out onto a noisy parking lot and high traffic street anyway. No air circulation at all, felt like we were sleeping in a sauna.

    :shock: :?

    I don't believe the story that last year Sky only had 1 air con unit and gave it to Froome, even though Thomas was leading. Maybe it was mis translated and should have read "sky had 10 air con units and Froome wanted all of them"
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • above_the_cowsabove_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    62436B.jpg

    44962515.jpg

    32749655.jpg

    12749606-3-z.jpg

    98368911-original.jpg

    119787280.jpg

    les-aubuns-country-hotel-facade-caissargues-202769.jpg

    3196-so-so-accueil-photo-anim-02-fr.jpg

    1435049570-diapo-background-3.png

    75764920.jpg

    48820651.jpg
    Correlation is not causation.
  • bm5bm5 Posts: 498
    The interior decor of the Pinot hotel is not exactly restful!
  • FocusZingFocusZing Posts: 4,373
    Fish!
  • darkhairedlorddarkhairedlord Posts: 7,179
    Do many just sleep on the bus, knowing how flaky hotel aircon can be on a hot day?
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,663
    Some interesting stuff on Avondetappe, last night: no fluff, just analysis of the race.

    Broadcast from outside of Jumbo hotel HQ.

    98981289.jpg

    They had video of Alaphilippe groaning during his solo chase and some lovely shots of a photographer's motorbike sitting right in front of him. Obviously, they thought it would be an excellent time to take some snaps.
    Luckily, he was by then being policed by Poels, who managed to send them on their way, fairly quickly.

    Oh and Stef Clement reckons Bernal is going to win.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,910
    This is a quality thread, full of amazing research.
  • ridgeriderridgerider Posts: 2,845
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Oh and Stef Clement reckons Bernal is going to win.

    But isn't it the case that Bernal will only follow Pinot/Alan Philips...he does not yet have free reign to smash the race?
    Half man, Half bike
  • larkimlarkim Posts: 2,454
    Ineos would take the bird in the hand approach surely - if Bernal does just follow Pinot / AP, and then they crack, I presume he would be given free rein to hammer on to the finish line, irrespective of what Thomas is doing. He wouldn't just slide back with them, would he?
    2015 Canyon Nerve AL 6.0 (son #1's)
    2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
    2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
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  • josamejosame Posts: 1,128
    Movistar?
    'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,730
    josame wrote:
    Movistar?
    One rider in each of the hotels above
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • AlejandrosdogAlejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    RichN95 wrote:
    josame wrote:
    Movistar?
    One rider in each of the hotels above
    :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 14,644
    This is a good thread . Overlooked aspect of the whole thing .top research.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • bm5bm5 Posts: 498
    Deleted
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,538 Lives Here
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Some interesting stuff on Avondetappe, last night: no fluff, just analysis of the race.

    Broadcast from outside of Jumbo hotel HQ.

    98981289.jpg

    They had video of Alaphilippe groaning during his solo chase and some lovely shots of a photographer's motorbike sitting right in front of him. Obviously, they thought it would be an excellent time to take some snaps.
    Luckily, he was by then being policed by Poels, who managed to send them on their way, fairly quickly.

    Oh and Stef Clement reckons Bernal is going to win.

    Other additions: the hotel is a former railway station.
    _
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,730
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    3) Steven Kruijswijk

    32749655.jpg
    They brought their own inflatables

    EAFFTBbW4AMNzn4.jpg
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,538 Lives Here
    Niice

    There an expectation that Kruijswijk does well in the Alps, at altitude and in the heat, says his DS....
    _
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,538 Lives Here
    Some chat yday on tactics to get motos to help when you’re swinging.

    Drop a little earlier, pull lots of faces - the moto will drop back (and in so doing give you a tow) to film you. Sure they’re filming you from the side (like they did at Alpaphilippe the other day) but when we’re not watching they’re often having to hover in front.

    If you’re a big rider you’ll get some photo motos too.

    Take your sunnies off to draw another photographer off to take a photo right in front of you

    Etc etc.
    _
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,663
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Niice

    There an expectation that Kruijswijk does well in the Alps, at altitude and in the heat, says his DS....

    Pinot won't touch the whole train at altitude thing, yet he holds a couple of records on 2000+ metre climbs.
    I'm wondering how he'll be, virtually living up there for 3 days, though.

    Pat Lefevre on Vive le Velo this evening.........
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • stu-bimstu-bim Posts: 384
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    josame wrote:
    Movistar?
    One rider in each of the hotels above
    :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

    And playing musical beds alternating nights
    Raleigh RX 2.0
    Diamondback Outlook
    Planet X Pro Carbon
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,730
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Some chat yday on tactics to get motos to help when you’re swinging.

    Drop a little earlier, pull lots of faces - the moto will drop back (and in so doing give you a tow) to film you. Sure they’re filming you from the side (like they did at Alpaphilippe the other day) but when we’re not watching they’re often having to hover in front.

    If you’re a big rider you’ll get some photo motos too.

    Take your sunnies off to draw another photographer off to take a photo right in front of you

    Etc etc.
    I saw someone suggest that Poels sat on Alaphilippe’s wheel rather than drop completely to wave them away.
    Twitter: @RichN95
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