Tour de Suisse 2024 ***SPOILERS***

24

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Yeah, that looked pretty nasty. Carapaz smashed his face up quite badly

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    On the final climb and I keep worrying Skjelmose has been dropped, can't see him anywhere, before I remember he's in white today

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Ineos take over from UAE. Would be great if Bernal has something to show

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Skjelmose dropped 😭

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    That was after UAE came back to the front and started shelling loads of people

    Pidcock slips now

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  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183

    Fantastic ride by Almeida

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Yates and Almeida are looking scarily strong for Pog's mountain train

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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,168

    Really impressive from Almeida to make sure he wasn't dragging anyone else and almost get back.

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Proper jour sans for Skjelmose, lost 1'40" in the end

    Great to see Bernal almost there, grabbing third place on the stage and GC

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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463

    Bernal's ride was interesting. Initially looked like being the only one who could hold onto Yates, when he got dropped he managed to stick to Mas for a while but again got dropped but each time he seemed to just need a very short recovery before going again and eventually getting third place. Suggests maybe he is very close to being back.

    Big gaps in the end considering they didn't race from that far out. Riccitello looked quite good, also looks ridiculously young!

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    The last two and a bit km just get steeper and steeper, ending at over 10% - it's a great recipe for time gaps

    Bernal was trying everything to save a couple of Watts - the first time he was dropped he actually just swung out to put Mas(?) in front of him as he was catching, later he grabbed a second behind a moto

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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,168

    Bernal was pretty much at the level of the best of the rest (other than Pog) at Catalunya, great to see him maintaining that.

    What's his role at the TdF likely to be? Can't see him happy being a domestique, but can't see him beating Rodriguez.

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656
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  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553

    I don't think it's a given he's going to the Tour. From what I understand, they might focus on a tilt at the Vuelta GC instead.

  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,985
    edited June 13

    Having avoided the result, and not seen stages 4 or 5, would anyone be kind enough to suggest where might be watching either stage from please?

    And that's distance from the stage finish, not what type of sofa/couch/chair ;-)

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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,168

    Last climb for both, I'd say. 10km should do it.

    20km today for Rubio being a bit of a dick.

  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,985

    Thankyou kindly @kingstongraham 😊

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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463

    Did he still get his watch after that sprint? I’ve never seen a rider block an opponent as blatantly as he did twice, there’s no way he should have been allowed to get away with that.

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Can anyone explain why the cat 1 at the end of today's stage (5.8km at 8.8%) is placed about 1.5km from the finish, while the finish itself is listed as 1.5km at 8.6%? As I read that, you get to the top at 1.5km out and then keep going up, at around the same gradient. Are you supposed to fly or is there actually more of the climb?


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  • red.rider
    red.rider Posts: 1,215
    edited June 14

    Something something incentivise early attacks to get mountain points. It was the same on the previous 2 stages. Just looks more prominent here because of the very short stage.

  • red.rider
    red.rider Posts: 1,215

    Stage starts at 3pm local time and will last for 1h give or take a few mins.

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463

    30 odd km of rolling downhill then a hill climb. Why don't organisers have a contingency plan for these sorts of events? It's not like it was a change that came about at the last minute. It could still give an exciting finish but it just feels very Mickey Mouse for an event at the top level of the sport.

  • red.rider
    red.rider Posts: 1,215

    They did. Plan A was to go over the highest paved pass in the country. Plan B was to go over the Gotthard and Furka passes, but Furka is also still closed due to avalanche danger. The only alternative traverse from Ticino to Valais would be over the Simplon, but that would require some negotiation Italy. Hence no options left other than to take the train to Valais.

  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553

    Just because the English-speaking cycling media don't report it, doesn't mean there wasn't alternatives, as @red.rider pointed out.

    This change was communicated days ago, so the organisation had clearly looked at possible alternatives and had to rule them out. The Simplon pass, which would've been the only option available, is *the* major route between Italy and the south west of Switzerland and closing that at short notice would not have been feasible.

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    I find it appalling on some basic aesthetic level. You can't just go round giving KoM points for getting to a certain point on a climb instead of for getting to the top. It's all sorts of wrong and needs to be stamped out.

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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463

    Not going on routes prone to avalanches would probably be the sensible alternative in that case or is this year particularly late for avalanche season?

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,168

    Yates goes out in front, Skjelmose not broken this time. Almeida looks like he's waiting for a chance to go. Bernal along for the ride.

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    So, Yates attack, being chased by Skjelmose with Almeida and Bernal on his wheel

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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,168

    Very solid again from Almeida