Sigh. They've followed this pattern for years now. I like the legends, like Cancellara. But I'd prefer to see them go out and get a bunch of good domestiques and develop Ciccone or something rather than just play the transfer market for 35 year-olds.

As much as I hate on Ineos, they do a great job of developing from within.

That's right. Can I ask, "Too late?"

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Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.

Absolutely true, they have a load of young talent in Bernal, Sosa, Sivakov, Doull, Geoghegen Hart, etc. With enough scratch you can win today and ensure you will tomorrow too.

Gonna go with Bernal, Fuglsang, and Uran.

Sagan, Martin, and Bernal for the other jerseys.

I'd be cool with that outcome.

The Bernal/Thomas thing will have to resolve itself with Thomas fading/dropping behind Bernal, otherwise it's Thomas. Yes to Fuglsang or Uran as one year TdeF winners if Sky/Ineos don't win.

Sagan will have to piece together a green jersey. He'll win/place at some sprints at stage finales and some points from primes. If Julien Alaphillipe pursued the same strategy - wow!

Martin over Alaphillipe? Is Martin going to change strategies this year and not go for a GC? Is Alaphillipe going to be satisfied without the green, polka dot or yellow jersey?

Bernal in the white jersey is the clearest outcome.

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Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.

GC: Bernal, Uran, Thomas
Green: Sagan
Mountains: Aladdin
White: Bernal

Fuglsang is first victim of week 1. Big bummer.

He's gonna make it back in.

Sad that there is no prologue.

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10k - 30:48 / half - 1:06:40

Damn that was a bar fight of a finish.

And hopefully back in the race. Not a good scenario to be on the floor today with violence of TTT tomorrow.

Lot of riders went down, post-action reports are gonna be interesting.

Oooof. GT.

Who do you have for the TTT tomorrow? Ineos, Jumbo-Visma, DQS, EF? Not sure Bahrain-Merida or Lotto-Soudal or the others can put up much of a fight

Sunweb.

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***

Off on a tangent.

I’m not too fussy about how I watch the race on TV here in the US. OLN/Versus/NBC Sports have been/are OK. I thought Bob Roll did fine working with Phil Liggett today. And I enjoyed Chris Horner’s blunt comments along with Christian Vande Velde.

Should be a good way to spend part of the next three weeks.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

Jumbo, EF, Ineos.

Bob needed some help with landmarks. Seems like he is reading a cue sheet. Most people would need a cue sheet; yet, Phil had to prompt him at times to say something about what we were seeing. Will Bob get it down before Phil retires? Steve, Chris and Christian were crisp and insightful.

Feel terrible for those who crashed today. It's a long way to Paris.

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Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.

That is a pretty good choice. Jumbo has just been killing the TTs this year and Van Aert could pretty much just tow the entire team to victory, if they let Tony take a couple pulls.

I have to put DQS in front of EF. DQS is pretty much unencumbered by GC worries and they have been so good for so long at the discipline, though an EF upset would be super cool.

Thought about DQS since they’re typically so good at TTTs. But I don’t think they have their best squad for it. They have loads of punchy power but hard to say if they can ride smoothly enough, or even put a lot of effort into training for it like the GC teams have. Can see EF playing the spoiler tomorrow.

I'm with you. Jumbo, EF and Ineos all have monster teams. I am often wrong and surely will be wrong again, but those look like the podium from here.

I'm with the fiancee and her family here in France. We will be able to see stage 6 and I can not wait. I rode the penultimate climb last year and did a PR power on it. Can't wait to see how much faster they go. Bernal will show something I think. Curious how Fugslang recovers.

Double backdoor brag. Well played.

Lol. Front door non brag is that they will own me by another watt per kilo. I will however brag about watching them on the road side ;)

Post pics or it doesn't happen!!

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Like trail said, yellow jersey-level well-played. I’ll be sitting at my desk, jealous.

yes, seamless backdoor double offhand brag...….chapeau...almost blew right by it