The way they were attacking the descent I'm glad they all got down OK.
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Cycling thread
- Thread starter Bruce Wayne
- Start date
It's a bit mad that they were going up a 9% gradient at the top of the Galibier and having to slow down to get around the bend.
It's hard to know what to say any more.
Wat Tyler
Player Valuation: £70m
Things like that look bad in isolation but there’s always more to it. It was first mountain stage so everyone is fresh, UAE absolutely drilled it because they smelt Vingegaard’s weakness being exposed and Pogacar had three climbers drilling it who would literally be podium contenders for other teams.
Wat Tyler
Player Valuation: £70m
Did you not watch last year?
Jumbo had 3 of the last 4 men on the Tourmalet with over 60km to go…
FrenchDarrenBent
Player Valuation: £20m
I did. This year though, there was a three man relay to the top.
To be 4 and a half minutes quicker than someone like Michael Rasmussen though (or around 20% quicker). Even Landa has found 2kmh between 2019 and this year. That's huge. We're in a sport of marginal gains and yet the leaders at the moment are making huuuge gains.
FrenchDarrenBent
Player Valuation: £20m
Don't forget the strong headwind today. That's why they were relaying with three UAE men.
Wat Tyler
Player Valuation: £70m
But that depends on how that was ridden, and how far into the race they were and loads of other circumstances too.
Wat Tyler
Player Valuation: £70m
Think part of that was also because Almeida and Ayuso want to be in the podium mix
For sure. All I'd say though is that records have been tumbling for a few years.
Wat Tyler
Player Valuation: £70m
Yes a lot have but sometimes they really look laughable compared to the 90’s. Remember Thomas won up Alpe d’Huez? It wasn’t even in the top 100 times. Top 100! Or when Vingegaard had van Aert lead him out on Hautacam and absolutely destroyed Pogacar in 2022, it was a full two minutes slower than Riis’ time in 96. And Vingegaard rode that climb full gas from top to bottom, one of his best ever performances, but when you watch Riis (it’s on YouTube), it’s crazy, he puts a few half attacks in, then moves up and down the group like a spider playing with a fly.
Black Belt Jones
Player Valuation: £25m
Vin's army of fans are saying he only lost seconds on the actual climb, most of the time was on the descent, so not too bad in terms of legs. IDK I thought he looked in uncharacteristically bad shape at the summit - but one-off body language reads can be misleading. He's usually a slightly better descender than Pog so not in top form there for sure.
Plus Pogacar said he only attacked near the summit due to the headwind up the climb. It would seem likely he'd go from further out elsewhere. Indeed, I wonder if he'll be aggressive on the gravel stage. He's clearly shown he can do that in Strade Bianchi, whereas Vingegaard hasn't really done any cobble/gravel races before.