TDF 2024:- Stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux – Superdévoluy, 177.8km ***Spoilers***
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I don’t think second or third matters much when you already have two wins.
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I think keeping Remco in his box is sensible.
Don’t want to encourage another contender think they have a real shot of yellow
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Nah, better to see if Pog has an off day, gather data for next year and in all likelihood take time out of Remco anyway.
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Just watched the highlights, looked like a fun stage. Can’t believe I had to miss it after enduring yesterday and those couple of other no action sprint stages.
Carapaz is such a class racer (and got me a PTP win, I don’t get many on breakaway stages). I said from the start it was more likely Jonas would fade in week 3 after his lengthy lay off than get stronger as so many others were suggesting. One of the rare occasions where satellite riders proved useful, there were big time losses if Remco and Pog had teamed up with Jonas on his own.
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Remco lost time in both pyrenees stages, no idea why it would be different in the alps.
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I'd be surprised if he doesn't have half an eye on Remco - ego will mean he doesn't want Remco leapfrogging him on GC. I hope he does keep trying and I'm sure Visma will try and put pressure in Pog and look for weakness but for me it'll be a bit more cautious
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
Was a rather impressive bit of cycle racing
"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 -
They did mange to drop mist if UAE on the flats ...and Adam is nakkered ..but it looks like Jonas is fading
"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 -
I can see Jonas losing more time on Friday. He’s started to look fatigued which is understandable. He did better than I’d anticipated in the first half of the race but that lack of prep seems to be showing now much as it did for Pog last year.
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I rode the Vars, Bonette and Couillole the week before last, and have ridden the Braus, and Turini previously. There's nothing nasty in any of those that I recall (well apart from the last 800m of the Bonette which is 13% at 2,800m). I don't know what the climb to Isola is like, but of those I have ridden, I don't think Remeco should struggle too much.
The Couillole is a very consistent 7-8%, and is the Stage 20 finish.
Mind you there is a lot of climbing on Stages 19 & 20.
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An up and over cat one with a cat three finish? That's a long way from the Alpine climbs, and pretty close to his favoured terrain for one day races.
It's very possible he loses more time to Pog. I think it's too early to say he's fatigued as yet though, this was another stage that favoured Pog (and Remco even), which is why he sent three riders up the road. - @mididoctors was right, the team did ride well. To me it looked like he went a touch too deep trying to follow Pog's initial punch, as it's clearly got him worried, and then paid a bit for it when Remco came past riding a more progressive chase.
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Not so many steep gradients. e.g. the road to the Col de la Bonette is an old military road (and thus designed for 19th century movement of heavy military kit via horse power) and has a steady gradient, even in many of the corners so you can basically TT up it. (Suspect Remco will not be replicating my 34*34 gearing strategy!)
All the difficulty is in the last bit to the Cime, which is very steep, as that was added for tourists.
I think the other climbs in the southern Alps are also on roads with a military origin.
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The road from Isola village to Isola ski resort is pretty much purpose built for tour buses, and is perfect for those who like steadiness. It's a shame they're not doing the final 4k to the Lombarde, as that has much more by the way of gradient changes.
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I've not checked the numbers so this is a "gut feel", but hasn't Vingo put more time into everyone bar Pog in the second half (so far) than he did in the first? If so, and if this is continued, one could argue that Vingo has ridden into relatively stronger form in the second half, even if only by fading less than the others (bar Pog).
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There was very few opportunities to race in the first half, so I would say your ‘gut feel’ is accurate.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Fair point. I was thinking the same as a I returned to the thread!
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Doesn't the second half really start after the second rest day?
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I would guess yes but mainly as the stage he won was just after the half way point.
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I think of the penultimate weekend as half way even though it plainly isn't.
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