TDF 2024:- Stage 11: Évaux-les-Bains – Le Lioran, 211km ***Spoilers***
Comments
-
You're very right, but maybe it was his own wish, not to finish halfway through a stage. Pride.
I took a wrong turn on a Gran Fondo 20 years ago but eventually, realising my mistake, I made a u-turn, When I reached the next feed station (at the top of the Grossglockner-Pass), because of my mistake I was outside the time limit, thus eliminated and told I could get in the broom bus. But I decided to ride on, although knowing I would arrive last. And to my surprise, at the prize ceremony, I was then given a prize, as 'the guy who refused to give up'.
4 -
I don't think they made a mistake. Everybody seems to think JV will come stronger through the race and this was an opportunity to catch him on ground that possibly favours Pogacar. It didn't work, but you can't blame them for playing the cards they have.
The interesting thing for me is that on the bonus climb Pog pretty much sat up and waited so that he was fresher for the sprint. That suggests he'd gone way too deep and was worried he'd blow if he tried to hold off JV so took the recovery. No wonder he seems reasonably pleased to have got out with a 1 second loss.
0 -
What should pog do . ?
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
Like Cav in 2018 at La Rosiere. Some athletes are OK with making a tactical retreat. Others console themselves when their race falls apart due to illness / form issues with the knowledge that they didn't give up.
At my own lowly level, I went into Marmotte 2022 with high hope, having finished in the top 20% of my age group in the "Fred" a few weeks earlier It all went wrong on the day though, due to a combination of a bout of Covid three weeks earlier, insane heat and a recurrence of an old back injury. As I limped back to the campsite to rejoin the family, having hauled myself to the finish around two hours later than hoped, I was in something of a state. As the kids said: "You could have given up, Dad. But you didn't" which was likely the only thing that saved my bike from going in a skip and me embarking on a career in basket weaving!
3 -
I don’t know whether it was a mistake but as cycling fans we should be grateful that Pog is prepared to take those risks. Too often we bemoan negative racing and Roglic style last 500m attacks so having a rider who is prepared to go out to win whilst risking losing and another who is prepared to accept the challenge is a breath of fresh air.
3 -
Mark Vingegaard and win by over a minute. That would be boring though.
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
but thats what all the pundits are saying. good news for viewers but not for UAE. Move podcast ralked about it last night. You have over a minute and a full squad of riders. let Visma make the running (and let any breakaways go)
0 -
Ah, so all the pundits agree with me. There's always a first time! 🤣
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
I don't think UAE made a mistake. It was the last stage outside of the high mountains and TT to make a difference. Nobody really knew Vingegaard's form, but everyone knows that if his form is good then he can do real damage on long climbs, even to Pog.
It very nearly worked as well - if Jonas hadn't caught him just before the top to the Cat 2 I don't think we'd have seen him again and he'd have gained maybe 30"- 45" plus bonuses.
I'm not sure his mountain train will help him all that much in the end though, at some point Vingegaard will offer him up to dance and he won't be able to resist. All those riders are no good if you don't use them.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Agree it was worth a shot - with hindsight it was a mistake as he lost a second and he'd probably have won the stage sprint in other circumstances but a high risk strategy you take the losses with the wins.
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
Jonas has to attack or bank on the TT ....
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
That was my thinking. Depends entirely on the fitness of the two at the end of three weeks and how much of a buffer is required/can be caught. If Pog is feeling strong then he can sit on Vingegaard's wheel. But he won't...
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Pogacar had to test the water yesterday. Now he should switch to riding like he did on the Tourmalet stage, last year. If an opportunity comes along, all the better. If Vingegaard drops him, it was always going to happen.
He doesn’t need to do anything until the TT stage. Just conserve energy for that one big effort as it seems to work for the other guy.
Then we might have ourselves a Fignon-Lemond finale.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
There's no way Vingegaard can bank on the TT, it's held in Pog's back-yard on roads he trains on regularly. Vingegaard's own TT prep will have been hampered as well, so even if there's a physical difference between the two Pog gains a lot just by knowing the roads.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
If the gap is roughly where it is now I would see the final TT as a coin toss between Pog and Jonas
0 -
Or simply see if Pog has one of his bad days in the big mountains. I think yesterday Pog would have stayed away but had a bad patch either due to not eating properly or due to the Giro and season in general starting to take its affects (that's not to say Jonas didn't recover brilliantly after losing the initial 30" but Pog definitely seemed to blow on the bonus climb).
0 -
If everything were as it is now coming into the TT (which it won't be, of course), I'd make Remco a slight favourite.
0 -
Jonas did the uphill section of the TT faster than anyone and that climb to bring pog back was impressive ... I think it works both ways ...neither of them are sure of the TT
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
-
Empty ...that was maximal
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
He still took more time out of everyone else on that climb, but Vingegaard is just currently in as good form as him. Which of them carries it through to next week is still to be seen. It's impressive that Vingegaard is even here, the missing training surely catches up somewhere. Otherwise maybe they can change his training schedule for next year!
1 -
Given where he appears to have come from, if Vingegaard wins this tour, he is on another planet.
0 -
Or on another dodgy Rabobank programme....
0 -
If a rider who had been seriously injured in an accident and to aid recovery what would be classed as PED’s were clinically indicated. Would this be allowed.
0 -
Would need a TUE (therapeutic use exemption) and those are only available for select medications, not unilaterally for anything.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
Presumably for life saving treatment it’s a case of giving what is needed but then having to notify the authorities prior to a return to racing. I guess he would also have been tested prior to racing again.
0 -
Give the HG and steroids were developed for therapeutic reasons I was wondering in case of severe injury. Could there be a case of using a TUE for these. I have friend, rugby player/ body builder who following a bad car crash which resulted in bed bound for a month or so due to broken pelvis was prescribed steroids in order to build muscle back up. I know this is not the same as a professional cyclist but I’m just curious.
0 -
I can't imagine anyone is going to withold the best treatment due to the medication being on WADA's banned list but equally I can't see a cyclist being allowed to take part in a major race if still relying on medication with performance enhancing capability (it feels different to someone with a chronic condition needing a TUE somehow).
0
