Men riding bikes for an excessive amount of hours - Professional Cycling 2019 - Page 4 - Sporting Events and Fantasy Sports

Bernal looked really good today, he would have attacked Ala except he couldn't bc of Thomas.

That is where Ala is at a huge advantage, If Bernal is indeed the best rider in the race it might be too late and he might be too far behind by the time team Ineos realizes it.

I think that’s really unlikely. I bet he attacks tomorrow if he can and if he cant he will early in the alps.

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07-20-2019 , 08:51 PM

#77

Booker Wolfbox

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Yeah, if Bernal got to carry on today when Thomas got dropped that's a pretty solid sign they aren't going to keep him on a short leash.

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07-21-2019 , 09:53 AM

#78

mw828

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Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 29,301

This is the best tour in ages. Every team has been torn apart already. Contenders are basically on their own.

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07-21-2019 , 10:43 AM

#79

Cinarocket

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Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 14,791

Can a psychology expert tell me how the power of a yellow jersey can make become the 3rd best climber of the tour?

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07-21-2019 , 10:49 AM

#80

mw828

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Pinot is crushing everyone. What a performance this weekend.

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07-21-2019 , 11:03 AM

#81

Viggorous

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These two last stages are probably the best in at least 5 years, what a race.

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07-21-2019 , 11:04 AM

#82

royalblue

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Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 20,554

One of the greatest stages I've ever watched. BUCHMANN

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07-21-2019 , 11:07 AM

#83

Cinarocket

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Sky & Sunweb need to put Allaphilippe in positions where he has to ride on his own, Sunweb been working for Thomas way too much for my liking today

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07-21-2019 , 11:09 AM

#84

mw828

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Yeah Ala is screwed because the team wasn’t set up to contend for the GC. Jumbo Visma looks like the strongest team, but Pinot has done well with basically only Gaudu.

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07-21-2019 , 08:05 PM

#85

Booker Wolfbox

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Quote:

Originally Posted by mw828

Pinot is crushing everyone. What a performance this weekend.

This. Pinot looks so strong.

Then Bernal then the rest.

Can any of the Ineos guys recover enough to give Thomas and Bernal support in the Alps? They look third or fourth best as a team

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07-21-2019 , 09:10 PM

#86

mw828

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Bernal hasn't shown me anything tbh. Sure he clung onto Pinot for a few minutes in the last stage, but I can't recall him ever attacking or giving any indication that he is ready to do more than just hang with the GC group. I'm sure he is waiting for the Alps, but I'm not sure if he has it or not.

Thomas is kind of confusing. I think his range is fairly polarized and either way people will say it was obviously coming with complete hindsight bias. Either Stage 14 was just a bad day and he'll end up winning this again, or he really is at his limit and he'll blow up at least once next weekend.

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07-21-2019 , 11:43 PM

#87

andyhop

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Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 3,253

Quote:

Originally Posted by mw828

Thomas is kind of confusing. I think his range is fairly polarized and either way people will say it was obviously coming with complete hindsight bias. Either Stage 14 was just a bad day and he'll end up winning this again, or he really is at his limit and he'll blow up at least once next weekend.

It's hard to know if his messed up preparation means that he is going to ride into form the longer the race goes on or mean he just won't be in shape to compete at the level needed over the weeks.

I presume the team would have an idea where he is at but everyone else is just guessing

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07-22-2019 , 03:12 AM

#88

derwipok

Power Ranger

Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 54,312

Quote:

Originally Posted by Booker Wolfbox

This. Pinot looks so strong.

Then Bernal then the rest.

Can any of the Ineos guys recover enough to give Thomas and Bernal support in the Alps? They look third or fourth best as a team

3rd week Poels is about to be activated.

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07-22-2019 , 07:09 AM

#89

mw828

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Poels was already immense yesterday. He aided Thomas a lot and then just casually came to the finish behind Ala, who was totally in the red at times. He probably could have gone faster but obviously wasn’t going to assist the yellow jersey.

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07-22-2019 , 07:15 AM

#90

guivre1408

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Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 3,587

Geraint is just a little bit overrated, He won the tour last year when the rest of the podium is 2 guys that did the Giro the same year and Roglic who was leader for the first time.

I don't think we have to expect something better from him, he just isn't the best and he's nowhere near Chris Froome who can attack anybody in an epic mountain stage

Pinot vs Bernal vs Kruijswijk is the real match

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07-22-2019 , 08:32 AM

#91

Booker Wolfbox

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Quote:

Originally Posted by mw828

One of the NBCSN studio guys, I think it was Chris Horner, went on and on after the stage about how Poels saved Thomas's tour.

Also, Gaudu deservedly getting a lot of credit for his work for Pinot but no mentions I noticed of Sebastien Riechenbach, who was there as well.

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07-23-2019 , 07:18 AM

#92

mw828

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Booker Wolfbox

I saw that. Horner was way over the top on that segment and was kind of an *******. I like his insight but he is a bit of a know-it-all on matters of opinion or speculation.

Gaudu has done way more for Pinot. The field has been shredded so much, the GC guys were hardly getting any assistance. Gaudu twice in a row was able to pull for Pinot for a good number of minutes before he launched. Only Poels for Thomas has been up there with that late in a mountain stage. Even Jumbo, where the support has been good, has left Kruiswijk on his own pretty early.

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07-23-2019 , 11:49 AM

#93

Viggorous

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Fuglsang unlucky as usual. Feel sad for him

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07-24-2019 , 08:38 PM

#94

Schlitz mmmm

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So tomorrow is gonna bring some excitement?

Hope nobody gets hurt, that final descent looks scary

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07-25-2019 , 03:39 AM

#95

Cinarocket

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How excited should I be for the climb to Val Thorens? Can't remember tour de france ever going there (it's a great ski station) but holy hell 33km climb but then only 5.5%

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07-25-2019 , 07:02 AM

#96

Cinarocket

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big lol @disqualifying Rowe & Martin

the french rig is in

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07-25-2019 , 09:20 AM

#97

Booker Wolfbox

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I had to turn it off and leave for work after the first climb so I'm not up to the minute, but wouldn't it be hilarious if Ineos/Jumbo/FDJ all continued to refuse to do any work and Alaphilippe's team was so weak that it ended up letting Quintana back in?

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07-25-2019 , 09:28 AM

#98

Cinarocket

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That'd be hilarious but you did not factor the lolmovistar who decided to ride in front while quintana was 10min away from the bunch

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07-25-2019 , 09:36 AM

#99

Booker Wolfbox

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinarocket

That'd be hilarious but you did not factor the lolmovistar who decided to ride in front while quintana was 10min away from the bunch

You can always count on Movistar.

It would be peak Movistar for Quinatna to get back in and then for the team to leave him in the dust on the climb to Val Thorens on Saturday.