TDF 2021: Stage 6, Tours > Châteauroux 160.6 km **Spoilers**

12357

Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,221
    That preview of tomorrow's roads on the GCN split screen will be getting the riders worked up over safety :wink:
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Was it MY MAN?
    Correlation is not causation.
  • gweeds
    gweeds Posts: 2,550
    Alpecin really knobbed that up. Pick one sprinter lads.
    Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,221
    Bouhanni was finishing fast again considering he had left a big enough gap to let Cav steal the wheel he'd been sat on.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Kirby: "It will take a photo...." Only with a very, very long lens.

    The irony being that Philipsen is complaining because Cav got to cut up Merlier before he could do exactly the same.

    DQS them both and give the win to Bouhanni. :p
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    Looking at the overhead, Merlier's move to the right as he peels off is what gets Cavendish moving left - he needs to curve around him and that's what gives him the momentum towards Philipsen.
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 1,900
    Wouldn't want to be the commissioner assigned to tell Cav it was an illegal sprint....

    Still not sure if he deviated off his line enough to be relegated though..
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,513
    Good to see the yellow jersey leading out one team and the world champion doing the other.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,133

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,221
    I think back 10 years ago when Cav was really dominating they would have DQd him for that. Now they see him winning as a good news story so should be safe.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    The hat trick stands according to the LeTour results...

    Hits the half century of GT wins as well, today.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091

    Coming up to Kluge's big moment.

    He's not looking like he's going to be making big gains today, unless he's booked himself in for a late Plat du Jour somewhere nearby.
    Gains another 1'07" on the LR. Heavyweight.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,221
    66.7km/h for the final 500m. I think it was slightly uphill too!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,221
    The way he got across to the AF train was ridiculous. Pure instinct and experience.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,133

    The hat trick stands according to the LeTour results...

    Hits the half century of GT wins as well, today.

    There's 4 sprint stages in the first week of the Vuelta. If he fancies it.
  • Pross said:

    66.7km/h for the final 500m. I think it was slightly uphill too!

    Cavendish saying the finish line at different points for the three Chateroux wins. The first two slight uphill this one flat??
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    Can't remember hearing Cavendish go full analytical previously this season when he's won. Suggests he's in a pretty calm headspace if he's spending 160km thinking about what the French teams are doing.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,221

    Can't remember hearing Cavendish go full analytical previously this season when he's won. Suggests he's in a pretty calm headspace if he's spending 160km thinking about what the French teams are doing.

    The monkey is well and truly off his back. If he can get over the mountains and DQS are prepared to chase down breaks on transition days there are still quite a few stages up for grabs.
  • gweeds
    gweeds Posts: 2,550
    He wants that Paris stage doesn’t he. And green.
    Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    Are the bookies taking a pasting this year?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    edited July 2021
    Pross said:

    Can't remember hearing Cavendish go full analytical previously this season when he's won. Suggests he's in a pretty calm headspace if he's spending 160km thinking about what the French teams are doing.

    The monkey is well and truly off his back. If he can get over the mountains and DQS are prepared to chase down breaks on transition days there are still quite a few stages up for grabs.
    The weekend mountain stages shouldn't be a problem, then it's a sprint stage to Valence.
    Get over the Ventoux twice and he's got another two chances.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196

    Are the bookies taking a pasting this year?

    Maybe for the first win - but he was favourite today
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • hypster
    hypster Posts: 1,229
    Most exciting opening week to a TdF that I can remember. Alaphilippe, van de Poel, Cav and Pogacar all racing flat-out instead of the usual, repetitive sprint-fest. And now some hills and mountains to finish things off.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,221
    edited July 2021
    The mountains are the big question for me, he cut it fine a few times in the past so I'm not sure if he will be able to keep his seat on the bus on the Ventoux stage.

    Someone I used to race against and who has won several Welsh titles over the years (and still rides a huge amount of miles) is currently riding the route a few days ahead and did Stage 11 yesterday. He described it as seriously tough, 16,000 feet of climbing in total. Stage 9 was described as brutal, only 94 miles but over 14,000 feet of climbing that day.
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,249
    edited July 2021
    Could just sit on the wheel of Froome in the autobus. He'll get over them. He was in a bad place before now he has momentum and a team of winners
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    hypster said:

    Most exciting opening week to a TdF that I can remember. Alaphilippe, van de Poel, Cav and Pogacar all racing flat-out instead of the usual, repetitive sprint-fest. And now some hills and mountains to finish things off.

    Apart from the fact that Cav won them, neither of those sprint stages have been any different to a normal TdF sprint stage IMO - obviously the fact Cavs won them is poetic etc but they were pretty bog standard sprint stages weren't they.

    As always it's the riders that make the race... couldn't have been scripted better this year
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538
    edited July 2021
    10, 12 & 13 look to be the next 3 best chances for a sprint finish?
    Maybe 10 the best, as after a rest day, but equally has the most climbs out of the 3.





    Some big hills inbetween though.

    I'd like to think he could make it over them, he's done it before of course, but not ridden 3 weeks for a good few years now.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215


    Apart from the fact that Cav won them, neither of those sprint stages have been any different to a normal TdF sprint stage IMO - obviously the fact Cavs won them is poetic etc but they were pretty bog standard sprint stages weren't they.

    So lone breakaway rider caught with 250 metres to go was just bog standard fayre?

  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538
    MVDP "Cav is just the fastest man at the moment" B)
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18