2022 PRO Thread

[tymon_tm]

becuase we've never seen a bike race won by someone else than a main favourite..

[maquisard]

i do not understand the argument that WvA should have waited for Vingegaard and Roglic yeterday.

WvA finished only 8 secs in front of the peloton yesterday, he was working incredibly hard and putting in great efforts. Yesterday Roglic was out of position and not on the wheel, Vingegaard (along with Yates) was better placed and could have gone with WvA. However could Vingegaard have managed the pace to stay with WvA even if they did attempt to share the work. If WvA had gone with Vingegaard there would have been an initial small delay in forming the move while WvA waited for Yates and Vingegaard to form a break with him. They probably would not have stayed away until the line and WvA would not have won. Yesterday was a case when WvA was better on his own.

Today will be different and I expect Laporte and WvA will definitely be on team duty.

[guyc]

I'm not unconvinced by the argument that teams are also riding more for stage wins in case they lose riders to COVID mid-race.

[maquisard]

True, this is a very good point.

[jurez]

hopefully some mvdp action today, he's been very quiet this tour.

[Karvalo]

becuase we've never seen a bike race won by someone else than a main favourite..

We don't see them being won by fundamentally the wrong types of rider either. Winning a mountain stage does not a GC contender make. The demands are still completely different. Or maybe you think Thor Hushovd should have targeted the overall the year after he won over the Aubisque?

[BdaGhisallo]

becuase we've never seen a bike race won by someone else than a main favourite..

We don't see them being won by fundamentally the wrong types of rider either. Winning a mountain stage does not a GC contender make. The demands are still completely different. Or maybe you think Thor Hushovd should have targeted the overall the year after he won over the Aubisque?

Indeed.

I recall Eros Poli - all 1.94m and 87 kg of him - winning the 94 TdF stage over the Ventoux, like WVA did last year. I don't recall anyone speaking of Poli as a future Tour winner, though.

WVA is a great rider but he is not a GT winner in waiting.

[robbosmans]

What am I watching

[maquisard]

Chaos!

[maquisard]

For the sake of the race hoping Pogacar punctures...

[jurez]

well i guess my schedule for the next 3 weeks just freed up

[maquisard]

The ride by Pogacar and Stuyven was so impressive.

They held of a chase by both TJV and Ineos. Crazy.

At least we now know who is TJV leader!

[robbosmans]

The roglic/ ewan crash was so avoidable if aso knows how to build a course

[maquisard]

ASO are an absolute disgrace. Prudhomme should go.

There was lots of road furniture on the course today that was also poorly marshalled and marked. With resultant chaos.

[maquisard]

Ah Vingegaard is only 21s behind Pogacar and is the one person who can drop him in the mountains.

Perhaps there is hope for some good battles.

Until the final TT...