There's definitely tension in TJV. Wout also left without speaking and took a team car while the others all rode on the bus.
Pro Cycling 2023
- Thread starter Suedesi
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There's definitely tension in TJV. Wout also left without speaking and took a team car while the others all rode on the bus.
It's a joke about everyone being mad at Jumbo, but even the joke says that only Belgians think Vingegaard should have worked for WvA.
Yup. Hope Pogacar destroys that wet blanket this year.
One thing is for sure: Wout van Aert will get plenty of other chances for stage wins. This will probably be talked over in a team meeting and forgotten once he takes his first this year.
You can definitely call Vingegaard boring both in terms of riding and personality, but he is also a real goodie-two-shoes. Don’t think he would ever defy team orders for his own gain.
You can definitely call Vingegaard boring both in terms of riding and personality, but he is also a real goodie-two-shoes. Don’t think he would ever defy team orders for his own gain.
He's a tier below the top sprinters like Philipsen/Jakobsen, these last two stages were ideal "classics" stages which were too difficult for the lightweights for WVA to survive on his own as (by far) the best finisher of the remaining riders. Are there other chances left? Yes, obviously, but (i) it's clear that he's going to have to do it basically on his own and (ii) it's far from a given that he finishes this week, if you look at the profile of the upcoming stages. You can't look past the fact that an early victory takes the pressure off in a massive way, even for a team that's mainly GC-focused. I'd much rather be an UAE rider than a Jumbo one right now.
No that's true, although I think he's relieved he "only" lost a few seconds to Pogacar yesterday and isn't that bothered by WVA not winning at all.
Looking at it again this morning on the news I think the main culprits are Kelderman and management. Kelderman looks behind him right after Lafay goes - he was probably completely empty at that point and looking for help, but even then you do everything you can to get on that wheel in front of you asap and he simply didn't do that. And Jumbo should've had Benoot and Vingegaard closer to Kelderman/WVA or even in front of WVA to act on situations like this. They were both in the back of the group when Lafay went, at that point it was too chaotic and they left it too late to get it organized, you can't call up either of them to immediately close the gap with them being in the positions they were. It should've been Kelderman-Benoot-WVA-Vingegaard (or the last two flipped), and Lafay wouldn't have stayed up front if that was the case.
Just poor execution all-around imo from Jumbo, but I guess they're still quite happy that Vingegaard is close to Pogacar after these two stages which massively favored the latter.
Benoot said after the race that both he and Kelderman had no legs at all after the Pidcock attack. Of course in cycling you never know what's true or not.
I believe him, and the fact that Kelderman immediately looked behind him for help + failed to keep up with Lafay let alone close the gap, kinda proves that point as well. The fact that Van Aert had to close down Pidcock himself also backs it up.
That's why it's all the more baffling that Vingegaard wasn't kept around because management knew that Benoot/Kelderman were not going to be able to close down any attacks, and they knew it as early as the Pidcock attack which was (off the top of my head) at 4km or so. Proper lack of communication and strategy execution, or they were so naive to believe that no one would attack in the last kilometer, but that would be moronic as well.
Yeah, maybe. I’d be surprised if Wout doesn’t get one or two stage wins this year anyway, although I haven’t studied the individual profiles closely.
Agree that TJV are probably relatively happy with the situation. The reality is they’d take zero stage wins if it meant Vingegaard on the top step of the podium in Paris.
Go on Mads Pedersen lad! This is yours!
Edit: Also look at Vingegaard leading out Wout. What a great guy!
Edit: Also look at Vingegaard leading out Wout. What a great guy!
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Very dodgy from Philipsen.
Not the greatest idea to have a slightly curving finish in the first bunch sprint stage. Good thing no one crashed.
Nice leadout by MVDP, good finish by Jasper. Almost crashed into WVA 
They're taking a long time here, Philipsen is definitely not certain of his victory I fear.
Yeah, I thought that looked a bit unfair. Wout can feel a bit hard done by.
Commentary immediately said the barrier came up to Philipsen, I think they were being a bit generous, he definitely deviates slightly at least.
After what feels like a life time, Philipsen is finally confirmed as winner. How long did they need FFS? 
After what feels like a life time, Philipsen is finally confirmed as winner. How long did they need FFS?
Sorry what was the holdup? Looked like a clear winner at first pass
It wasn't about the finish photo, they were considering if he deviated from his line too much. It was mostly a case of poor boarding placement.Sorry what was the holdup? Looked like a clear winner at first pass
An S-bend in the final 200m of a bunch sprint stage. Feck off, they will never learn, will they?
The course designers are utterly clueless, surely they could have found a 300-500m straight somewhere for the finish.
What a shitshow of a last 1000m
So many crashes, pffff. Really not a fan of these non-stages, there's just too many people left at the end, it's way too nervous.
Phenomenal leadout by VDP by the way.
Phenomenal leadout by VDP by the way.
Was that a skid pan driving track?! Final 2 kms were bambi on ice.
Van der Poel is taking the piss with those lead outs.
He's done a great job both today and yesterday for Philipsen. Fair play to him.
Having watched the replays I do think VDP's push on Girmay was over the edge. Great for his own sprinter, but at those speeds it's incredibly dangerous.
So did the officials. He’s been relegated, which of course means absolutely nothing, as Philipsen still gets the stage.
Having a team sport, but punishing individuals is an interesting dynamic - never really thought about it in cycling before.
Crazy start to the stage. I don't understand what half the teams are doing but it's entertaining. UAE should call Jumbos bluff and see if they're really happy to give Hindley 5 minutes.
It's the teams fighting for the third podium place who will be getting nervous and want to close down Hindley. UAE and Jumbo won't be too concerned unless the gap gets truly significant.
It'd be so funny if UAE just said "feck it" and stopped chasing the breakaway. At some point TJV/Vingegaard might get too nervous imo and start chasing after WVA himself
Disagree, it was a small nudge rather than an actual elbow, Girmay let himself push aside way too easily imo. He also said afterwards that he didn't think much of it. Mind-blowing leadout that was.
KO from Vingegaard
Wow, Vingegaard, who saw this coming? Still a way to go, but what an attack.
Vingegaard
Extremely concerning for Pogacar. These kinds of climbs are supposed to be his bread and butter.
Extremely concerning for Pogacar. These kinds of climbs are supposed to be his bread and butter.
Ugh feck off already
Come on, man, this is what we want to see from Vingegaard. Taking risks and attacking this early in the Tour. Even you have to give him credit for this. It's not even a mountaintop finish.
I wanted them to be as close to eachother as possible for as long as possible. Going by today, it won’t be much of a battle. I know the Tour is long and yada yada but this doesn’t bode well.
Good sprint leadout from Vingegaard. Shame his teammates never get to experience that from him.
Great move from Hindley by the way. Not that I expect him to be a genuine threat for the overall win, but he put himself in a fantastic position for the podium.
Vingegaard has the better team, the better preparation and he is a better climber than Pogacar. Didn't expect it to show so early, though. Wouldn't surpise me if Pogacar doesn't even end up second. Looks like we can look forward to another few weeks of salt in this thread.
Also, great win for Jai Hindley. Happy for him as well.
Also, great win for Jai Hindley. Happy for him as well.