Feels like the race has just started today, a dramatic stage!
Pro Cycling 2022
- Thread starter Mike Smalling
- Start date
Wow, he's blowing up nicely. This is shaping up to get rather interesting tomorrow.
This is one for the history books.
Wow, that was insane. Vingegaard looked phenomenal but it was more than that, Pog had to let everyone go at the end. Did he forget to eat and drink? Or Jumbo just destroyed him with those earlier attacks. Whatever the case, it's race on!
Pogacar looked so strong, took the attacks on him like a champ and even attacked himself when he was alone against two jumbo people. I can't believe this.
Hope Pogacar can recover, I don’t want Jumbo to win the Tour.
Why not?
Mega. Talk about GOAT stages.
Wow. Thought Vingegaard might win today, but never expected it to be an almost 3 min. swing. That’s massive.
If he can keep that gap tomorrow, it would look really good for the GC. He is a pretty good time trialist in his own right, so he won’t lose much there.
If he can keep that gap tomorrow, it would look really good for the GC. He is a pretty good time trialist in his own right, so he won’t lose much there.
Crazy ride today. Didn't expect Pogi to lose so much time.
Haha, I know tons of people who don't like Jumbo. I'd rather have Pogacar, Vingegaard is a bit meh.
Haha, I know tons of people who don't like Jumbo. I'd rather have Pogacar, Vingegaard is a bit meh.
Pogacar is a proper rider, competing from early March through the Ardennes classics and the Tour now. What did Vingegaard do this season? Can’t even recall one noteworthy moment of him previous to the Tour. Everything about him screams “meh” to me, just not a colourful or interesting persona imo.
I like Pogacar, his attitude and his style of racing. Even though he’s probably more talented he’s now somewhat of an “underdog” compared to Jumbo-Visma.
I hope Pogacar didn't get covid from his teammates. I thought Vingegaard could drop him on these long high mountain ascents but not by 3 minutes and not with guys like Thomas or Gaudu in between.
Always said I had an inkling Vingegaard would be stronger on the long, steep climbs but didn't expect this at all. A combination of Vingegaard being the strongest climber in the peloton and Pog having a really bad day (you fear it's COVID related). Vingegaard overwhelming favourite now and could potentially kill the race tomorrow.
You take that back
!In all seriousness, I can't disagree too much on the personality bit. He has the classic introverted personality of a guy from the western part of Jutland. He did win a stage in the Criterium du Dauphine and get 2nd overall in the GC, but yes he hasn't done a whole lot this year. He is not really a classics rider and has obviously been preparing to peak for the Tour.
I really do like Pogacar as a rider, but as a Dane I'm obviously rooting for Vingegaard. It would also be more interesting than Pogacar for the third time in a row, in my opinion.
I hope that if he felt sick he wouldn't have given the handshake to Vingegaard after the race, or maybe he is taking him down with him?
Now as in after losing 3 minutes today, right?
He also said in a post-race interview that he felt strong during Galibier so probably unlikely that COVID suddenly hit him on the descent. I'm so scared COVID will ruin the first non-doping Danish Tour de France win.I hope that if he felt sick he wouldn't have given the handshake to Vingegaard after the race, or maybe he is taking him down with him?
Yeah, I'm sure he is being tested frequently with Bennett and Majka both being positive. I think it is most likely a matter of having a bit of an off-day and that combined with the heat and constant attacks from Jumbo-Visma wore him out towards the end. He could also have made a mistake with regards to drinking and eating, but that would be a bit amateurish from a two-time winner.
I get all that, even though I think it's very harsh on Vingegaard; he hasn't really had many opportunities as the main man. But it doesn't really explain why you don't want Jumbo to win. They have several "proper" riders, not least van Aert obviously, but Roglic as well, who has won races throughout the year on many occasions. The reasoning doesn't really make sense to me.
If anything I think this is great for cycling. As likable and exciting Pogacar is, seeing him dominate literally everywhere like some sort of ultimate man-machine would not look great for the sport. Him finally showing a sign a weakness - well, just being human I guess - is sort of a relief, if that makes sense. He might still win this one yet and if not, he'll still win loads throughout the rest of his career. At the same time I think Jumbo are due a big success here, they've suffered enough heartbreak in this race.
Such a tough result today, really hoping Pogi can recover tomorrow.
UAE made mistake after mistake whereas Jumbo played a blinder
Will be super interesting to see how Pogacar reacts today. He almost has to try and get some time back - it's today or later in the Pyrenees, as there won't be enough time to be gained in the time trial. It's pretty clear that he made some tactical errors yesterday, either as a result of inexperience or hubris. Having lost the advantage and being on the weaker time will be a big headache for him.
I expect Pogacar to come back today, his interview post race was telling.
Wout van Aert is not human. He is everywhere, doing everything on every stage.
What a ride from Pidcock
Hard to recall a more boring Alpe d'Huez stage. Thought Vingegaard was a tad too conservative today. Considering the cracks shown by Pogacar yesterday, I'm surprised he didn't at least try an attack or two during the last three kilometres to see if there was more time to be gained. Extremely unlikely Pogacar can win back more than two minutes on the TT but with some bonus seconds and a few sprint gaps here and there he could chip into the lead and make it exciting going into the TT. Today seemed like a unique chance for Jonas to get a bit more buffer with Pogacar vulnerable.
EDIT: Vingegaard said in an interview he was suffering a bit and didn't have it in him to attack. Which explains it but also perhaps makes the rest of the Tour a bit more exciting.
EDIT: Vingegaard said in an interview he was suffering a bit and didn't have it in him to attack. Which explains it but also perhaps makes the rest of the Tour a bit more exciting.
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Just rewatched some of Pidcock's descending today. It's absolutely masterful. At one point he reaches 105 km an hour! That's insane 
Mads Pedersen masterclass from start to finish today. What a finish!
Between the start in their own country, the stage wins and the current yellow jersey, the Danes are having a fantastic Tour. And that's even without someone like Asgreen contributing. Is this their best generation of riders?
It's been phenomenal - and we are only about halfway through! I wouldn't put it past either Vingegaard or Pedersen to grab another stage.
In terms of the rider generation being the best, I would probably agree. As you say we haven't even seen anything from Asgreen due to his injury, and the likes of Valgren and Søren Kragh were also not picked for various reasons. There really is a depth of riders we haven't seen before.
Brilliant win for Matthews. Can't win sprints so just drops everyone on the climb, and what a climb that was! Well deserved.
Just rewatched some of Pidcock's descending today. It's absolutely masterful. At one point he reaches 105 km an hour! That's insane
Some of the descending seemed extremely risky, but that's why he is a crosscountry and cyclocross champion
Olympic champion in mountain bike as well. He knows how to handle a bike - seemed in control to me.
Roglic and Kruijswijk out and Benoot hurt in the crash puts another twist on this GC battle. Jumbo-Visma no longer much stronger than UAE, and will find it harder to simply defend it home. Wout will have to play even more of the domestique role.
Rest day comes at the right time for them though. Jonas and Benoot can nurse their scratches and recharge for the last week.
Rest day comes at the right time for them though. Jonas and Benoot can nurse their scratches and recharge for the last week.
Am becoming a real Pogacar fan this Tour. Bringing the heat.
Pog has had no luck with his teammates. Complete one man show.
Impressive stuff from Sepp Kuss today. You might even call him the LeBron James of cycling.
Very good day for Vingegaard’s GC hopes. Managed to easily repel everything Pogacar threw at him, and UAE lost Soler.
Very good day for Vingegaard’s GC hopes. Managed to easily repel everything Pogacar threw at him, and UAE lost Soler.
Can't see Pog making huge amounts of time on the time trial, so he's going to have to gamble on the next two stages. I think Jumbo's strength in the squad should just see Vingegaard through. I think Thomas will settle for a podium, he struggled today and I don't think Ineos have enough in them to bridge the time gap over the remaining stages.
Should be compelling viewing over the next couple of days.
Should be compelling viewing over the next couple of days.
Yeah I've been reading about an "Ineos coup" the next few days but can't see it, neither Thomas nor Yates (or Pidcock) or anywhere strong enough in the mountains to hurt Pogacar or Vingegaard.
I think it has to happen tomorrow if Pogacar wants to gain any time pre TT. The profile of Peyragudes suits him to a tee to go all-out from bottom to top, and hopefully McNulty and Majka can do some damage to Jumbo-Visma on the second-to-last mountain. They should also try to aim to keep Van Aert away from the breakaway, but of course that's easier said than done.
Hopefully Pogacar can crack Vingegaard at least once and we get a nail-biting ending in the time trial. If it stays at 2'22" there's a less than 5% chance that Pogacar overturns it.
I think it has to happen tomorrow if Pogacar wants to gain any time pre TT. The profile of Peyragudes suits him to a tee to go all-out from bottom to top, and hopefully McNulty and Majka can do some damage to Jumbo-Visma on the second-to-last mountain. They should also try to aim to keep Van Aert away from the breakaway, but of course that's easier said than done.
Hopefully Pogacar can crack Vingegaard at least once and we get a nail-biting ending in the time trial. If it stays at 2'22" there's a less than 5% chance that Pogacar overturns it.
Green jersey confirmed for van Aert if he doesn't crash out, a dominating performance from him this tour.
Great tour so far. The years that lack perfect teams executing perfectly and not experiencing a loss of riders only sees the odd stage or three of genuine interest.
Obviously Jumbo are going great guns but there’s always been a sense of jeopardy from Day 1.
Obviously Jumbo are going great guns but there’s always been a sense of jeopardy from Day 1.