Probably hoping to re-connect on the descent and make it to the 2nd sprint ahead of the peloton (as unlikely as that seems in retrospect).

Thanks - glad I am not the only one to find it odd. Crazy to think how in a long race like this riders play the fitness gain angle.

I noticed the watch after he crossed the line too and wondered what that was about...lol.

According to velonews he was on clinchers today.

I think that's a myth. No one gets more fit during the Tour de France. You just manage to lose fitness more gracefully. Everyone is worthless for weeks afterward.

2nd sprint was the finish line, no? That seems awfully optimistic thinking even for Sagan?

Yeah. Unlikely. But he nearly made it over the two huge climbs with the break. Roll of the dice. Shrug. Or maybe set something up for Kamna?

Or maybe it really was a training ride - that just seems unlikely to me.

Cavendish used to race wearing a Richard Mille, too (several, actually).



Richard Mille is apparently a big cycling fan, and the brand is a sponsor of the Bahrain McLaren team.

I was thinking that if the pace over the major climbs was low enough early than the last two times up Col d'Eze may been possible for him to hang in and have a chance at the stage win and yellow, but he'd have to have hung in (which he did not). And I don't think he could have gone with Alaphilippe. From what I know the stats on the 1.5x Eze are tougher than Cipressa and Poggio.

OK I just checked, and the full Eze climb is 490m. Cipressa is only around 200m and Poggio only around 140m. So not sure Sagan had any hope anyway.

But main this is Julian Alaphilippe took the stage and yellow. That was a real awesome day for France! Let's see how the stage to Sisteron goes tomorrow. its not too bad for him to defend:



Everything is Cat 3 or 4 with ~5% average grades. Julian should easily be able to defend.

Do any of you guys have news on Tom Dumoulin after his crash on the the climb today (second round up Eze)?

Dumoulin seems fine. https://www.cyclingweekly.com/...our-de-france-465400

Who knows, maybe he thought the break would go

I will never understand why riders sign contracts for new teams before the tour. It just seems like a bad idea

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"The person on top of the mountain didn't fall there." - unkown

also rule 5

Adding a little soap always helps, too

https://twitter.com/.../1299775147340165124

I wondered, when a bunch of riders 'felt the ground' [my new favorite phrase for crashing] on that little dogleg left, why there were white streaks on the road? I couldn't have been from their kits being scuffed up, nor from the pavement drying out suddenly, it was actually foam being kicked up from the detergent & rainwater as they slid around



Ever have one of those moments where you need to decide 'Which should I run into? The sign, the tree, or the car?'

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Getting in shape for the Giro and needed to do his sweetspot intervals? Or maybe sunday is just the day for a long endurance ride

You left out the rock barrier. Man, that was a Wiley Coyote moment!!!

"Make party"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Hey so for tomorrow's stage Alaphilippe has to hang on to 17 seconds behind the GC studs on this:


If he is to keep yellow. It seems like it could be in the realm of possiblity. First stage where the gridlock of those at 17 seconds back should shake out a bit in the GC.

Most likely he needs to loose at most 7 seconds, as there is a time bonus of 10 seconds to the winner at the finish. Also depending on if that winner is one of the "17 seconds"-guys, and who gets second (6 seconds bonus) and third (4 second bonus) of course.

Depends How fast the they ride uphill, if they’re not pushing it, alaphilippe May take the stage win (if he Can keep up with roglic on the last 1k)

Yeah, the climb is not outside the range of Alaphillippe. 7 km at 7% although it maxes out at 1800m altitude, so its almost like an 8.% climb at sea level.

Also depends on the Wind, if there’s a strong tailwind drafting Will be harder

I think Jumbo is happy at the moment to not have to work on the flats: today all day Alaphilippes team have to work against the wind. That said, i guess everyone is happy today when Alaphilippe keeps yellow.

No big shakeout yet with 16 in lead group on same time. Also often some who lose time on first mountain stages will do better later.

Ineos looked a bit weak. When Wout pulled off, Kwaitkowski had nothing and pulled off too. LOL. Carapaz finished 28 seconds back.
EF's Higuita and Martinez also 28s back, but Uran in main group and Carthy only 15 seconds back.

Wout was awesome. Nice to see Quintana (Nairo) with good legs.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Great stage. Absolutely amazing the rider that hit the guard rail and snapped that Cervelo like a toothpick was not injured. Sep Kuss is an animal. Roglic looking strong. A but surprised Bernal did not stay with Roglic and gave up time to him.

I find it interesting how big a gap Roglic is opening up in the finish. He isn’t a bean pole yet he is quickly opening up significant gaps. It makes me think that he isn’t really being put under any type of pressure on these climbs because at the end he is capable of maybe an extra 200 watts over everyone else. I figure anyone who has been at or above FTP for 30+ minutes will be peddling squares in the final sprint.

I believe Roglic's physiology is like Mo Farah in the 5000m and 10000m running....he has 48 second 400m speed while having 59:50 half marathon endurance. Infinite slow twitch fiber, but he also has insane fast twitch. You can't be a good ski jumper without serious explosive power (there is nothing aerobic about that sport).

Well you called it almost perfectly. Alaphilippe almost kept up! Just not the same explosive power as Roglic.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/...ippes-gc-weaknesses/