Tour de l’Ain and Critérium du Dauphiné 2020 *Spoilers*

rick_chasey

https://twitter.com/pasiociclismo/status/1292079710512578561?s=21

robnewcastle

rick_chasey said:

RichN95. said:

Where did Thomas go? He was in the front group, they went to an ad break, and when came back he was gone

Yes I thought I missed that whilst getting an ice cream. I think he was dropped but can’t confirm.

He was

rick_chasey

Mollema pulls a foot/pedal out in the sprint and Roglic finishes it off easy peasy.

Bernal second Conti third

robnewcastle

Jumbo sticking it to ineos. Can’t wait for tomorrow now

ddraver

Stamp of authority from Jumbo Visma...

All the flip you'se to Ineos

blazing_saddles

Mollema would have won that as he's fast on this type of finish.
Men of the match: Bennett and Castroviejo ( I was actually more impressed by the Spaniard)

Looked as if Dumoulin is following an Ineos type of tour preparation.
The other Jumbos already seem sharp, perhaps too much so.

Quintana once again comes away with the Haimer Zubeldia award.

robnewcastle

blazing_saddles said:

Mollema would have won that as he's fast on this type of finish.
Men of the match: Bennett and Castroviejo ( I was actually more impressed by the Spaniard)

Looked as if Dumoulin is following an Ineos type of tour preparation.
The other Jumbos already seem sharp, perhaps too much so.

Quintana once again comes away with the Haimer Zubeldia award.

I did notice Quintana haha

DeadCalm

Thomas and Dumoulin lost almost 5 minutes. Froome, Porte and Dan Martin were more than 12 minutes down.
Castroviejo surely confirmed his place on the Tour squad with that ride.
Given his relative lack of form since his recent contratemps with a car, I was pleasantly surprised to see Quintana stay with the group of leaders. Hard to see what he could have done differently given the infernal (Sky-like) pace Jumbo were setting.

rick_chasey

The Samsic jersey and Ineos look the same from the helicopter shot.

Very annoying

robnewcastle

DeadCalm said:

Thomas and Dumoulin lost almost 5 minutes. Froome, Porte and Dan Martin were more than 12 minutes down.
Castroviejo surely confirmed his place on the Tour squad with that ride.
Given his relative lack of form since his recent contratemps with a car, I was pleasantly surprised to see Quintana stay with the group of leaders. Hard to see what he could have done differently given the infernal (Sky-like) pace Jumbo were setting.

Castroviejo is nailed on given his ability to climb well too which is why Van Baarle will probably go too. More of a concern for Ineos is having mountain domestiques who can match Jumbo I’d say. Sivakov is therefore surely a shoe in too.

blazing_saddles

There is a certain irony in the fact that Jumbo are going all in for the Tour, while the team that apparently doesn't give it's riders a chance are allowing Carapaz free rein to defend his Giro title.

Sivakov it is, then.

Also looking forward to seeing a different colour train, using the tried and tested tactic, this afternoon on the Grand Colombier.
Or rather I am looking forward to how suddenly it becomes viewed as exciting, in certain circles.

robnewcastle

blazing_saddles said:

There is a certain irony in the fact that Jumbo are going all in for the Tour, while the team that apparently doesn't give it's riders a chance are allowing Carapaz free rein to defend his Giro title.

Sivakov it is, then.

Also looking forward to seeing a different colour train, using the tried and tested tactic, this afternoon on the Grand Colombier.
Or rather I am looking forward to how suddenly it becomes viewed as exciting, in certain circles.

Whose your pick for the stage today?

DeadCalm

blazing_saddles said:

There is a certain irony in the fact that Jumbo are going all in for the Tour, while the team that apparently doesn't give it's riders a chance are allowing Carapaz free rein to defend his Giro title.

Sivakov it is, then.

Also looking forward to seeing a different colour train, using the tried and tested tactic, this afternoon on the Grand Colombier.
Or rather I am looking forward to how suddenly it becomes viewed as exciting, in certain circles.

It was exciting because it was a different team but, you're right, it will get tired pretty quickly if Ineos domination simply becomes Jumbo domination. Hopefully, with Sivakov in there and if Thomas can ride himself into form, the teams will be more evenly matched come the Tour.

blazing_saddles

robnewcastle said:

blazing_saddles said:

There is a certain irony in the fact that Jumbo are going all in for the Tour, while the team that apparently doesn't give it's riders a chance are allowing Carapaz free rein to defend his Giro title.

Sivakov it is, then.

Also looking forward to seeing a different colour train, using the tried and tested tactic, this afternoon on the Grand Colombier.
Or rather I am looking forward to how suddenly it becomes viewed as exciting, in certain circles.

Whose your pick for the stage today?

Depends how well Ineos cope with the JUMBO choo choo.
Roglic or Bernal would be the most obvious suspects.
Kruijswijk maybe?

blazing_saddles

Live now on the player with 35kms to go and Geraint Thomas leading the pack down the descent, so expect him to not to feature too much on the Grand Colombier.

No_Ta_Doctor

Geraint drops off, job done

blazing_saddles

Ineos burning up domestiqus but Jumbo still have their big 4.
Bernal going to end up outnumbered again.

No_Ta_Doctor

Amador gone now

blazing_saddles

The Froome train is hardly TGV fast, so it's status quo for now

Lanterne_Rogue

Has that Froome stint done for Bernal? Didn't look happy sat at the back there and got caught the wrong side of the split.

Lanterne_Rogue

And with that Bernal gets himself sorted out. Ho hum.

He was taking a whole fistful of gels earlier in the climb though - lack of fuel?

blazing_saddles

4 against 1

Ben6899

Was hoping to see the start and get a glimpse of the Mapei factory in St Vulbas.

blazing_saddles

Now we get two trains for the price of one.

m.r.m.

Jumbo looking super strong. Ineos looks in trouble for the Tour. Could be nothing though.

robnewcastle

m.r.m. said:

Jumbo looking super strong. Ineos looks in trouble for the Tour. Could be nothing though.

Ineos lacking climbing firepower. Roglic looks in outrageous form

blazing_saddles

Roglic with ease but boy that was not pretty.
Like watching paint dry.

ddraver

Ineos are bluffing right..?

Pross

Sharp attack by Bernal but couldn't sustain it and Roglic seemed to get inside his head as he eased past. Not sure Bernal was bluffing the couple of times he lost the wheel, he looked to be genuinely struggling for a large part of the climb.

So much for the 3 leadership contenders at Ineos. Castoviejo currently their second strongest rider.

Is anyone having issues with the Arkea top being too similar to Ineos? I was watching on my phone wondering why Declan was getting so excited that Bernal was losing the wheel when he seemed to being sitting comfortably in third and I assumed the rider drifting off the back was Castoviejo. It didn't help that both teams have 5 letter words in white on their black shorts. Took me quite a while to work out it was Quintana, seems odd him not being in blue.

blazing_saddles

ddraver said:

Ineos are bluffing right..?

Sub chipper, innit.
Back here in 5 weeks, Covid permitting.....