Tour de France 2024

['Dale]

How racing has changed, my word:

 The frenzy at sprint time. The high speeds and aerodynamic gains deployed to increase the advantage on the descents. The risk taking by GC contenders in the first week to earn some bonus seconds and watching Vingegaard explode up the Col de Marie Blanque, wow.

Jonas took the KOM by 90 seconds or something after the two Pog and Rog raced up there together in 2020 with Tadej holding the climbing record.

What a maiden stage victory for the relatively quiet Aussie in his first Tour de France. Can he recover enough and maintain his advantage in stage 6 tomorrow? Superb racing by Bora'.

It is relative short course that include the Aspin-Tourmalet combo with a finish up to Cauterets (around 5% average) Gonna be quite a reveal of the GC ladder before reprieve over a few flatter stages. Don’t blink, hey.

Edited July 6, 2023 by 'Dale

[Bub Marley]

Honestly, what a fantastic stage and so early also. I have a few thoughts so bare with me:

 

1. Vingegaard is stronger than last year and just seems so much more confident now that he’s won a grand tour.

 

2. Pogacar’s comments at the end of the stage were quite interesting. He said it wasn’t a hard stage and he stills feels quite strong. Vingegaard was just too fast for him up that last climb. What was different this year though, was Pogi just continued to ride tempo after Jonas went, whereas last year he would have gone with Jonas and then probably try to attack him like the Galibier/Telegraf last year. So i do think he’s learnt from this.

 

3. UAE are such a strong team but just erratic and dysfunctional. There doesn’t seem to be a clear plan at all and for me that stems from the top. Compared to Jumbo who are so calm and collected and in control. 

 

It’s a pretty significant gap already to Pogi and let’s be honest, yesterday was hard but there are way harder stages to come so it doesn’t bode well if Pogi already can hold Jonas wheel. The last climb also suited Pogi better and he still got dropped. Jonas could really do damage on the longer climbs to come. UAE need to figure out how to hurt Jumbo and isolate Jonas. Pogi cannot do it himself and it’s clear he’s going to need his team this year more than ever. 

 

Shoutout to Hindley also. Will be interesting to see how he recovers but we kinda need him to do well just for Jumbo to have another distraction.

[babse]

Yeah that win and yellow for Jai was brilliant... for Jumbo Visma 😜

 

I have to agree though. Big gap already to a very confident looking Jonas. 

Today will be more sparks and UAE have it all to do.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

That certainly was a shake up and kudos to Jonas for having the balls to shake the tree after Poggy was looking oh so confident in the few first days.

When Jumbo took over the pace making my first thought was "you okes are going to commit suicide here". I was expecting Poggy to sit wheel and attack them with a kilo to the top and solo to the finish. I'm guessing Jumbo had an inclination that Poggy was feeling the pace otherwise that was just a very brave move that fortunately paid off.

Bring on the fireworks today, let's see who's drugs have worked best overnight 😉

[lechatnoir]

12 hours ago, 'Dale said:

How racing has changed, my word:

 <snip>

how do you see this year's route playing a role? I think it's been fantastic and has really made this an exciting tour so far.

 

19 minutes ago, babse said:

Yeah that win and yellow for Jai was brilliant... for Jumbo Visma 😜

 

I have to agree though. Big gap already to a very confident looking Jonas. 

Today will be more sparks and UAE have it all to do.

the other big teams got caught with their pants down with Hindley yesterday. the Bora DS said it was totally unplanned, but hey, you take your chances and that's exactly what Hindley did.

1/4 of the way into the tour and things are already bonkers-unpredictable... #workingfromhome #grateful

[TheoG]

What will Jumbo/Jonas's plan be today, sit on Pogi's wheel or attack again?

Regardless, its going to be another interesting day !!!

Edit:  One things for sure Jumbo & UAE will not allow another top 10 contender to fly off in the distance again.

Edited July 6, 2023 by TheoG

[Eddy Gordo]

I am probably wrong, but I think everyone is trying to attack and tyre out whoever they can. Pogi just seems to be taking it easy, conserving his energy perhaps. The next few days could be telling though. Even the peleton yesterday were in no rush to chase down the breakaways.

[NickGM]

1 hour ago, Bub Marley said:

Honestly, what a fantastic stage and so early also. I have a few thoughts so bare with me:

 

1. Vingegaard is stronger than last year and just seems so much more confident now that he’s won a grand tour.

 

2. Pogacar’s comments at the end of the stage were quite interesting. He said it wasn’t a hard stage and he stills feels quite strong. Vingegaard was just too fast for him up that last climb. What was different this year though, was Pogi just continued to ride tempo after Jonas went, whereas last year he would have gone with Jonas and then probably try to attack him like the Galibier/Telegraf last year. So i do think he’s learnt from this.

 

3. UAE are such a strong team but just erratic and dysfunctional. There doesn’t seem to be a clear plan at all and for me that stems from the top. Compared to Jumbo who are so calm and collected and in control. 

 

It’s a pretty significant gap already to Pogi and let’s be honest, yesterday was hard but there are way harder stages to come so it doesn’t bode well if Pogi already can hold Jonas wheel. The last climb also suited Pogi better and he still got dropped. Jonas could really do damage on the longer climbs to come. UAE need to figure out how to hurt Jumbo and isolate Jonas. Pogi cannot do it himself and it’s clear he’s going to need his team this year more than ever. 

 

Shoutout to Hindley also. Will be interesting to see how he recovers but we kinda need him to do well just for Jumbo to have another distraction.

What flipping epic stage. We really have an interesting tour coming up. It seems that there is nobody that can hold Jonas' wheel in the mountains when he decides to go. It was evident when he dropped Pogacar on Ventoux 2 years ago and it seems even more evident now. In the previous 2 tours Jonas also seemed to get stronger (or just deteriorate slower than other riders) as the tour wore on. In the first week he'd be in the top 5 in the time trial and not really doing anything explosive in the first mountains - but just made sure he was there. But by the end of the tour he would be unquestionably the strongest climber and (IIRC) could have won the final time trial but seemed to gift it to WvA. Perhaps he just paced himself really well, or possibly just grew in confidence.

So it was a bit of a surprise to see him come out swinging yesterday, either he just felt good/could see Pog wasn't great... or the team had their hand forced by Hindley. Probably both.

The two things that count against Jonas is that WvA is not quite the super domestique he's been in the previous 2 years. Still brilliant, but seems like he's not quite capable of the super-human feats of previous years. And secondly they don't have Roglic to launch attacks (worthy of chasing down by Pogacar) this year either, which worked so well last year.

The only thing I'm certain of though is that the GCN commentators seemed far to eager to write Pogacar's obituary yesterday evening. For one of the most complete cyclists of our generation and with 2 weeks to go... that's a big and unrealistic call IMO.

[lechatnoir]

45 minutes ago, TheoG said:

What will Jumbo/Jonas's plan be today, sit on Pogi's wheel or attack again?

Regardless, its going to be another interesting day !!!

Edit:  One things for sure Jumbo & UAE will not allow another top 10 contender to fly off in the distance again.

I think the break will make it today. The final climb isn't hard enough for the GC guys and after yesterday's mania, it may be a general regrouping. But, while that final climb isn't a Sean Kelly-legbreaker, time can still be gained there. I reckon Pog will try to do that. 

I expect there will be breakaway fireworks at the front for the stage victory, but the bigger fireworks will be in the GC group. If Pog attacks (spoiler: he will), I don't think Ving will sit on his wheel - he'll either get dropped or drop Pog in return (again)

[bleedToWin]

1 hour ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

I'm guessing Jumbo had an inclination that Poggy was feeling the pace otherwise that was just a very brave move that fortunately paid off.

Interviewer asked Jonas, he said their move was based on himself feeling strong, not anything to do with their read on the competitors.

[Mohs]

I know very little of road-racing, so asking your opinion. If I look at the amount of crashes happening and how/where, it seems that a field of 100+riders is a bit excessive...?  ( referring to yesterdays bunch crashes). Or is that just bad luck---and idiot spectators 

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by Mohs

[bleedToWin]

5 minutes ago, Mohs said:

I know very little of road-racing, so asking your opinion. If I look at the amount of crashes happening and how/where, it seems that a field of 100+riders is a bit excessive...?  ( referring to yesterdays bunch crashes). Or is that just bad luck---and idiot spectators 

 

In my experience bunch size up to 60 is fun and safe, and above that we start running out of space and the crash risk increases...

['Dale]

2 hours ago, lechatnoir said:

how do you see this year's route playing a role? I think it's been fantastic and has really made this an exciting tour so far.

 

the other big teams got caught with their pants down with Hindley yesterday. the Bora DS said it was totally unplanned, but hey, you take your chances and that's exactly what Hindley did.

1/4 of the way into the tour and things are already bonkers-unpredictable... #workingfromhome #grateful

There’s been so much vert in the first 5 stages @lechatnoir unlike any Tour de France that I can remember and the gradients will always be the battleground for GC - > 3,500 meters in Basque Country on stage 1 or something. 

Today’s stage promises be dynamic dynamite - 144.9 kms with 3,800m ascent. Pogačar and Team to strike back and get his race back under control? Bora to control as far as possible and stay in yellow, likely so. Watch Jonas stick like super glue to Tadej’s wheel and watch Jai stick to Jonas’s wheel.

And while they watch each other, I hope Powless go for pink again and maybe a stage win. It’ll be a day for the escape artists.

Hindley is the first Bora rider in the maillot jaune since Sagan in 2018. He is more of a diesel engine and not as punchy as the Dane or the Slovenian. And, as is legend, the Golden Fleece adds a magical 25 watts to the wearer’s pedal force.

Hard racing; beautiful racing. Only week 1, nê.

Pic: Getty Images

Edited July 6, 2023 by 'Dale

[Frosty]

I think the old way of a team controlling the race, i.e. Sky, has ended. Listening to Watts Occurring, both G and Luke say that they would never let some like Hindley get into the break.

Perhaps we’re in the new open form of racing. 

Time will tell.

[Bub Marley]

1 hour ago, lechatnoir said:

I think the break will make it today. The final climb isn't hard enough for the GC guys and after yesterday's mania, it may be a general regrouping. But, while that final climb isn't a Sean Kelly-legbreaker, time can still be gained there. I reckon Pog will try to do that. 

I expect there will be breakaway fireworks at the front for the stage victory, but the bigger fireworks will be in the GC group. If Pog attacks (spoiler: he will), I don't think Ving will sit on his wheel - he'll either get dropped or drop Pog in return (again)

I actually don’t think Pog will attack. What’s been proven over the last 2 years I think, is that Jonas is better on longer climbs whereas Pogi thrives on those shorter and sharper kicks that’s why he does so well in the classics. Today’s climbs are pretty long so I feel that if Pogi does attack, Jonas will stick to him like glue and wear him out and then nab him at the end. Pogi will need to isolate Jonas if hes gonna beat him and Im not sure his team is smart enough to figure out how, but we’ll see. I actually think there’s more chance of Jonas attacking again today to test out Pogi and really put some time between them. That’s what I would do. Knock him hard while he’s down. It could backfire though.

[NotSoBigBen]

When last was the tour won in the first week? Ek wonder maar net ....