longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 07/03/2021 06:22 AM |
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| Yes! Except for Cav (so far)! But still his success is more of the unexpected. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 07/03/2021 10:26 AM |
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Stamp of authority. Now what for final 13 days?
Good day for Bahrain. Stage, polka, combativity.
VDP can refocus on Olympics. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 07/03/2021 10:42 AM |
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Posted By 79 pmooney on 07/02/2021 11:29 AM
...
As I see it, winners today - Nibali and Thomas. (Thomas,"st" - same time - for not doing a whole lot in today's crazy race; pretty close to priceless.) Losers - Roglic obviously and Carapaz; a whole lotta work for nothing. I'm guessing Carapaz can hold his own tomorrow but he really needs to shine when the opportunity is there.
...
Well my prediction for Carapaz came true. On another day, his ride today would have gotten him by.
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 07/03/2021 10:56 AM |
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| Best Tour in many years. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 07/03/2021 12:33 PM |
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Welp….what are we gonna do for 2 weeks now?
Like I said before…best defense is a good offense. Pog can just cruise for 2 weeks. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 07/03/2021 02:02 PM |
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| Maybe best first week of a Tour, but from now on the odds are it may be a snoozer for GC... |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 07/03/2021 03:29 PM |
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Posted By Cosmic Kid on 07/03/2021 12:33 PM
Welp….what are we gonna do for 2 weeks now?
Like I said before…best defense is a good offense. Pog can just cruise for 2 weeks.
The early crashes have both been a curse and a blessing. The curse part is we lost a lot of podium candidates. The blessing part is no team is able to control the race which leads to a lot more attacking riding. If JV, Movistar and Ineos are still at full strength today, you won't see a Pogacar attack from that far out, or massive escape like we had yesterday. The lack of control can make the next two weeks quite interesting still.
Gotta feel for van Aert. That yellow was so tantalizingly close all week and now it is gone. |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 07/03/2021 04:57 PM |
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"The lack of control can make the next two weeks quite interesting still." OC
I really hope so. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 07/03/2021 10:01 PM |
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| So yesterday we saw a smack down, but what was left in the tank? Today we saw a smack down by a different rider, but what is left in his tank? Punches, counter punches, epic solos, and no robots. Great stuff this year! |
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mondonico
Posts:158
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| 07/03/2021 11:09 PM |
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| I think the last two weeks will not be the same team train riding the front. UAE does not seem to be that type of team. And wanting to keeping their climbers fresh. I'm finally looking forward to an attacking type race where lots of riders will go for stage wins and a few GC wannabes go from distance for a chance to get on the podium. Maybe just infusing the race. Would love to see the race spread all over the course as it has been most of the week. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 07/04/2021 11:10 AM |
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Posted By 79 pmooney on 07/04/2021 11:10 AM
Another day of ho-hum racing. Not! O'Conner opened my eyes (and I'm guessing a few others'). Fun seeing Quintana making others hurt on descents! Pogacar - what can you say.
Tough seeing Roglic out but given how his Tour had gone, nothing else made sense. Van der Poel leaving doesn't bother me. He did a lot the past week for great racing to watch, did some really hard riding, but riding today, losing a ton of time - what would that accomplish? (I won't watch the Olympic MTB but I will root for him!)
And off topic, but the other multi-discipline all-arounder won again. Win number 29! Giro Donne; Marianne Vos. Putting in a special ride in memory of fella crosser Jolien Verschueren who passed at 31 of brain cancer. Thought of Marty (forget his username) of the old VN forum who passed of the same around 2008.
Edit: Demare missed the time cut. The gruppetto and Cavendish made it. Cavendish was seen hugging his teammates after the finish. CyclingNews's Patrick Fletcher commented that making the cut sometimes rates as the great story no one sees. I thought just that when Cavendish came off on the first big climb. That if he really wanted that green jersey, today was going to be a very long day.
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 07/04/2021 06:11 PM |
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UAE is only going to ride to protect Pog. They have no interest, nor the riders, to control the field every day. So in that sense, the racing will be open, but the top spot is secured ( obviously)
The battle for the Top 10 will be interesting…not as entertaining as a GC battle, but that is what we have left.
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 07/04/2021 06:42 PM |
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Yeah today was a bit of a yawner.
But it will be a long two weeks for UAE. Pog was alone with about 8 k to go. There will be nipping at the heels and some stages will lend themselves for surprises. As long as the teams with guys fighting for crumbs don’t cancel each other out that is. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 07/05/2021 07:51 AM |
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Or Pog will fail a doping screen. Superhuman riding right now.
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 07/06/2021 09:42 AM |
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Porte and Thomas crashed - again. I should have kept an Ineos scorecard. Haven't both been down a couple of times already? And more than one Ineos rider down at the same time. Maybe Braillesford should fine his riders if they appear near riders with Ineos jerseys.  |
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