Why Egan Bernal Won The 2019 Tour de France

tailwindhome

Lars Nordhaug got ill.

mididoctors

he won cos he was at the pointy end of the race consistently then left the rest behind when the tour hit the alps..

No_Ta_Doctor

underlayunderlay wrote:

Controversial opinion, but Bernal won because Ineos are less wedded to a single tactic or strategy and more open to attacking racing than the stereotype allows. Even if the guy attaching isn't necessarily their number one shot.

You guys know more than me. Other than Froome and Thomas last year, when was the last time a team genuinely let two of their own riders sort it out on the road?

Edit: Movistar allowing their 'leaders' to screw up repeatedly according to their own whims doesn't count!

I think it's less even than "decide it on the road" (which carries connotations of a decision to support one or the other) and more "race day scenarios will decide" - If Bernal had been pulled back on stage 19 (if it hadn't been chopped) then Thomas would have a free ride to the final climb and could well have seen himself take yellow. It's a genuine two-pronged attack.

As for the stereotype - it should have died years ago. Ineos do what they need to do to win. Sometimes that's a defensive mountain train, sometimes it's a Giro stage 19 2018 attack that makes your jaw hit the ground. They've forced echelons in crosswinds, they've grabbed seconds on a mur finish, they've attacked on descents, they've played with Sagan in a late break.

blazing_saddles

Ridgerider wrote:

I'm with the OP on this...

I think we have seen over the past few years that perhaps CFs preparation for the Tour starts with the Vuelta, and as GT shows, the prep needs to continue through the winter, and as BW showed needs to ripen into a fruitful spring.

Bernal, via a series of unfortunate events, found himself in the race, and the rest is history.

More prep?
GT missed half of Tirreno-Adriatico through sickness and two thirds of Switzerland through a crash.
Just how far off do you think he was?

ridgerider

Enough not to ever worry the yellow jersey transfer printers.

I have no agenda here, just thought Bernal's route to the top step was a bit unusual.

above_the_cows

OCDuPalais wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

OCDuPalais wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

alanparsons wrote:

hypster wrote:

As I said at the end he was the best rider left standing and is a worthy winner. Please propose another winner of the yellow jersey who has had such a fortuitous route to the title if you wish.

Niballi.

Good shout, but I'm going to raise you Wiggins.

Wiggins level of fortuitousness was off the scale that year with his lucky wins in Paris-Nice, Romandie, Dauphiné before his Tour fluke. That he then scraped his way to a jammy Olympic TT ahead of notorious duffers like Cancellara and Tony Martin shows that some riders really do have all the luck. And bulging Jiffy bags, obvs...

Oh here's you getting all serious. No, no, no everyone knows it was secretly Sir Dave who gave Bertie that dodgy steak and evil corporate overlord Murdoch who bribed ASO to provide a Wiggins friendly route. And they nearly got away for it except for some pesky kid named Fenton.

Yeah - on re-reading, I did sound a bit serious... soz. I think I might be a bit grumpy because it’s all finished for this year. It’s a similar feeling to the day after Boxing Day when the happy memories are fading, all the batteries are already flat on the new toys and all there is to look forward to is visits from hung-over and bickering aunties and uncles...

Nah you're all good, I was, like a good anti-doping official taking the wee wee a little.

above_the_cows

RichN95 wrote:

Merckx was very lucky. Not only did his parents' DNA mix in just the right way to produce a body exceptionally fit for purpose, but he was born in one of only five or six countries that cared about cycling at that time. If he'd had unathletic parents and been born in Bangladesh, then he'd have never got close to winning.

Plus he was born male. And yes this is me saying cycling or the Tour and more specifically ASO is sexist.

above_the_cows

iainf72 wrote:

This whole thread sounds like when people realise there is no such thing as free will.....

The old agency versus structure debate.

FocusZing wrote:

Bernal was lucky the wheel was invented too I don't think he'd be the rider he is today without them.

Wheels, wheels! When I was a lad we were lucky if we had two herrings to rub together to make a rollmop.

m.r.m.

iainf72 wrote:

This whole thread sounds like when people realise there is no such thing as free will.....

Untrue. I saw him jump over the wall.

amrushton

Gianni Savio got lucky finding Bernal and having a clause in the transfer contract that guaranteed Gianni a payout if/when Bernal won the TdF