TDF 2020 - Stage 18: Méribel - La Roche-sur-Foron 175 km *Spoilers*

RichN95.

Pross said:

Only a two point lead, I think La Planche is a 1st cat climb and presumably double points for a summit finish.

Only yesterday had double points at the finish. That's an old rule.

So 10-8-6-4-2-1. There's also a point up for grabs tomorrow and one on Sunday. Ineos might have their whole team doing an extreme negative split to try and fill the top six.

Carapaz 74
Pogacar 72
Roglic 67

salsiccia1

Is it just me, or is having KoM points in a time trial a bit, well, shit?

blazing_saddles

salsiccia1 said:

Is it just me, or is having KoM points in a time trial a bit, well, shit?

They used to classify a glorified speed bump in the prologue just to be able to award the jersey.
So it's kind of the way they roll.

Lanterne_Rogue

salsiccia1 said:

Is it just me, or is having KoM points in a time trial a bit, well, shit?

Timing people up classified climbs, instead of awarding points for the first riders over, might well be the best way of rescuing the climber's jersey. You could argue that it's harder for viewers to follow, but they'll probably not notice. Let's put it this way: I'm fairly sure nobody's been deliberately tuning in for the next gripping instalment of Cosnefroy dropping off the back of the bunch after a token effort to get in the break.

RichN95.

Lanterne_Rogue said:

salsiccia1 said:

Is it just me, or is having KoM points in a time trial a bit, well, shit?

Timing people up classified climbs, instead of awarding points for the first riders over, might well be the best way of rescuing the climber's jersey. You could argue that it's harder for viewers to follow, but they'll probably not notice. Let's put it this way: I'm fairly sure nobody's been deliberately tuning in for the next gripping instalment of Cosnefroy dropping off the back of the bunch after a token effort to get in the break.

No, I think riders should go out and claim the points rather than sit behind their team and win it by default.

Cosnefroy was just a place holder until the real mountains arrived, just as many week one Maillot Jeunes have been. No-one begrudges Alaphilippe his days in Yellow now that he's 36th, two hours down. Cosnefroy did something to earn his placeholding.

Pross

Lanterne_Rogue said:

salsiccia1 said:

Is it just me, or is having KoM points in a time trial a bit, well, shit?

Timing people up classified climbs, instead of awarding points for the first riders over, might well be the best way of rescuing the climber's jersey. You could argue that it's harder for viewers to follow, but they'll probably not notice. Let's put it this way: I'm fairly sure nobody's been deliberately tuning in for the next gripping instalment of Cosnefroy dropping off the back of the bunch after a token effort to get in the break.

Thing is you'd have everyone who did the climb in the Jumbo group on the same time so it would come down to a sprint to be first across the line like a slow motion version of the Green Jersey. At least the current system encourages a breakaway and I don't think you could argue any of the current top 3 would be deserving of the win.

RichN95.

Pross said:

Thing is you'd have everyone who did the climb in the Jumbo group on the same time so it would come down to a sprint to be first across the line like a slow motion version of the Green Jersey. At least the current system encourages a breakaway and I don't think you could argue any of the current top 3 would be deserving of the win.

On the smaller climbs you would get someone like Cosnesfroy dropping 15 seconds off the back at the start of the climb, getting back up near the front and maybe doing a little sprint at the top. Much easier to gain seconds from the back at the beginning of the climb than from the front at the top. He could get some bottles while he's at it.

DeadCalm

RichN95. said:

Pross said:

Thing is you'd have everyone who did the climb in the Jumbo group on the same time so it would come down to a sprint to be first across the line like a slow motion version of the Green Jersey. At least the current system encourages a breakaway and I don't think you could argue any of the current top 3 would be deserving of the win.

On the smaller climbs you would get someone like Cosnesfroy dropping 15 seconds off the back at the start of the climb, getting back up near the front and maybe doing a little sprint at the top. Much easier to gain seconds from the back at the beginning of the climb than from the front at the top. He could get some bottles while he's at it.

I ride with some guys who employ exactly this tactic on Strava segments. Not the bottle collection obviously.

ddraver

https://twitter.com/kwiato/status/1306616361066606593?s=19

RichN95.

So it turns out Sky/Ineos do have a plan B, which is now as predictable as plan A.

2016 Giro. Landa gets sick. Nieve repeatedly gets in breaks to get KOM jersey
2017 Giro. Thomas crashes out. Landa repeatedly gets in breaks to get KOM jersey
2020 Tour. Bernal drops out. Carapaz repeatedly gets in breaks to maybe get KOM jersey

Kauto5

Brailsford with a twitter twitter of Kwiatkowski's account there.

RichN95.

Jumbo DS Merijn Zeeman has been thrown out of the Tour due to an altercation with a UCI official during a bike check. One for the motor tinfoil hatters.

DeadCalm

Connor Swift finished over 9 minutes ahead of Nairo Quintana on today's stage.

craigus89

RichN95. said:

Jumbo DS Merijn Zeeman has been thrown out of the Tour due to an altercation with a UCI official during a bike check. One for the motor tinfoil hatters.

Is 'that forum' getting their pants in knots about the Jumbo mountain train like they have been for sky for the last decade yet?

gweeds

Jumbo Visma DS kicked off the race after some shenanigans with the UCI staffer doing post-race bike checks

https://www.velonews.com/events/tour-de-france/jumbo-visma-sport-director-kicked-out-of-tour-de-france-following-stage-17-incident/

RichN95.

craigus89 said:

Is 'that forum' getting their pants in knots about the Jumbo mountain train like they have been for sky for the last decade yet?

Yes, but they kicked off the worst offenders a while back.

blazing_saddles

RichN95. said:

Jumbo DS Merijn Zeeman has been thrown out of the Tour due to an altercation with a UCI official during a bike check. One for the motor tinfoil hatters.

Well if it was Van Aert's bike they have a ready made join the dots conspiracy.

WvA comes from cyclocross and Femke Van den Driessche cyclocross WCs etc etc

They'll be getting out the turkey wrap tout suite.

RichN95.

blazing_saddles said:

Well if it was Van Aert's bike they have a ready made join the dots conspiracy.

Maybe they were trying to push Van Aert through the X-Ray machine to check he isn't a cyborg.

ddraver

mooro said:

Quick question from long time watcher....

What does it mean when a rider flicks both arms? Obviously not come through and work as Carapas just did it...

FOR GOD'S SAKE SOMEONE, ANYONE!! TAKE OVER! I'M NOT WOUT VAN BLOODY AERT YOU KNOW!!!

david37

Absolutely boring stage. they didnt even race at the end.

Rubbish.

blazing_saddles

RichN95. said:

blazing_saddles said:

Well if it was Van Aert's bike they have a ready made join the dots conspiracy.

Maybe they were trying to push Van Aert through the X-Ray machine to check he isn't a cyborg.

Here you go. I have proof! Proof I tell ya.

https://cyclingtips.com/2016/06/lottonl-jumbo-team-demands-apology-over-hidden-motor-claims-against-roglic/

specialgueststar

KOM awarded after first stage with a first cat climb?

bobmcstuff

Enjoyable set of highlights.

Happy for Richie there! I was so sad for him when he got a puncture after making it all the way through 3 weeks...

Hope Carapaz keeps the polka dots.

Lanterne_Rogue

Didn't pick it up at the time, but Sagan's move across Jungels in the intermediate sprint was a bit too close for comfort -you can see Jungels had to make room.

https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1306546762941976578?s=20

Goes with this bit of dubious sprinting - first seems to have a bit of a flick at Bennett to try and force a gap that wasn't there, then chops Asgreen. All adds up to give a picture of a rather frustrated Sagan.

https://twitter.com/flammecast/status/1306575158056976384?s=20

RichN95.

^^^ Who shrunk Bryan Coquard in that clip

Lanterne_Rogue

RichN95. said:

^^^ Who shrunk Bryan Coquard in that clip

Makes him more aero. It's Smokey Yunick's 7:8 scale Chevelle all over again...

ocdupalais

david37 said:

Absolutely boring stage. they didnt even race at the end.

Rubbish.

I know - it really was awful.
If it wasn’t for Hirschi beating Carapaz for the KOM points then crashing and now potentially losing his polka dot jersey claim, De Gendt being dropped by proper players for a change, Bilbao being in the break with then Landa attacking, not coming to much except Uran and Yates distanced, the yellow jersey group being smashed to pieces, Porte then puncturing but then Jumbo’s WVA and Dumoulin helping the chase back, Uran and Yates losing time and now all the top 5 GC guys (except Rog, maybe) looking a bit iffy for the top 10 placings, along with the Green and Polka Dot jerseys still being in the balance... now that awful lucky chancer Kwiatkowski who’s never won much flouncing in to the finish with that other Ineos Ecuadorean fancyman who’s minced his way into Polka dot... these massive whoopsies need to race with proper teams who make them grimace and zigzag across the road for their top 30 places rather than finishing 1st or 2nd and looking like they’re enjoying it. What sort of stupid message does that send to any young French rider thinking of coming twelfth at the Tour?
Absolute rubbish. I’m not going to watch a moment more until tomorrow.

Pross

ocdupalais said:

david37 said:

Absolutely boring stage. they didnt even race at the end.

Rubbish.

I know - it really was awful.
If it wasn’t for Hirschi beating Carapaz for the KOM points then crashing and now potentially losing his polka dot jersey claim, De Gendt being dropped by proper players for a change, Bilbao being in the break with then Landa attacking, not coming to much except Uran and Yates distanced, the yellow jersey group being smashed to pieces, Porte then puncturing but then Jumbo’s WVA and Dumoulin helping the chase back, Uran and Yates losing time and now all the top 5 GC guys (except Rog, maybe) looking a bit iffy for the top 10 placings, along with the Green and Polka Dot jerseys still being in the balance... now that awful lucky chancer Kwiatkowski who’s never won much flouncing in to the finish with that other Ineos Ecuadorean fancyman who’s minced his way into Polka dot... these massive whoopsies need to race with proper teams who make them grimace and zigzag across the road for their top 30 places rather than finishing 1st or 2nd and looking like they’re enjoying it. What sort of stupid message does that send to any young French rider thinking of coming twelfth at the Tour?
Absolute rubbish. I’m not going to watch a moment more until tomorrow.

Yeah, but apart from that what did the stage do for us?

DeVlaeminck

To be fair it was ok but like this Tour in general it was nicely poised but never really delivered like you'd hoped.

specialgueststar

Are we watching the same stages ?