You were close. They fired the entire JV student body up the road! I can't believe the UAE dropped the ball so badly. Though it may come back together.

What the heck just happened to McNulty and Pog? Group with Rog is full gas and committed.

Yeah, had the race on in the background, looked up and there was a gap. Had to rewind, and still am not sure. Looks like maybe gaps opened on the descent and UAE fell asleep and got caught behind one of them.

Edit: Yeah, looks like it's similar to what happened to Froome at the Vuelta. Only it was Fraile instead of Contador springing the attack and Pogacar and Bam Bam getting trounced.

The announcers are saying it was McNulty who was slow descending. But why would Pogacar stick around? And was Yates just fixated on UAE and missed it too? He's not a bad descender. Great stuff - this stuff always seems to happen in and around Spain.

Must have been something odd, wouldn’t think Yates would hold back.

Chateau hanging on Pog like a bad hangover. Rog really turning the screws but too early?

Those guys completely railed that descent. On the flat it looked very much like Bam Bam should have been on the front, dragging T Po back to the front Rog group. Hirschi looked very ordinary. Good of UAE to give McNulty the support but when the Rog group got the gap he needed to go to work. But still a long way to go.

Brutal DS decision. I think he had to go. Though Roglic is pretty much on his own, and Pogacar is getting help from Yates and Valverde.

He sure did. That's a chase group UAE had to get on. Bam Bam is giving it all he's got. I don't think Rog is going to enjoy T Po showing up.

If I was Rog I’d bluff and sit-up if Gaudu and Carthy don’t share in the work, and tell them to take their chances against Pog, Yates and Chateau for stage. Not very sporting of them.

Whelp, Pogacar just stopped for a casual Coke break. I have no idea what's going on anymore.

Roglic finally got them to help a little. That's about as animated as I've ever seen Roglic get.

Valverde goes and Yates chases. This is some odd racing. Lot of pedal turning in anger.

Looked to me like the group came to top of Krabelin [edit: actually it was top of Elosua climb 70k from finish] together then two Astana went to front and drilled it as descent started. Then my feed cut out. Then there was group in front with Astana and Roglic in it. Then feed out. Then trio at bottom [edit of Krabelin].

---

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

Pog and Rog are savages. No wonder they can’t get much help.

Gaudu has twice attacked Roglic -- so I'm guessing Primoz doesn't give him any gifts.
Edit: wrong Roglic just gave him fist bump.

---

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

That was a nice gesture on the part of Roglic

I have to say that this is the first stage race I ever remember watching where every important move went on the descents.

In the cyclingnews forum they were saying that some 30-40k out, Roglic rather loudly told the Gaudu and Carthy that he was not interested in the win.

Gaudu deserved that win doing all the work on the final climb after dropping Carthy.

---

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

It was, he looked like he had another gear near the end. Impressive show of force from J-V.

And another example of why short stages rule. That was 50+k of great racing as opposed to most GT climbing stages that slog on until last climb.

Spoiling the wine party, but it is not "vin-gegaard" but "vinge-gaard". "Vinge" = wing (birds/airplane wing). So "wing-farm" literally. He sure has grown some of those wings over the years the way he flys, so still a suiting name.

Some Valverde power data from the climbs and he was still getting dropped by the hitters in the end. Gaudo was looking beastly as well; too bad he can't TT. You can extrapolate out what the big guns were up to. Really impressive stuff even if it was a short stage.

CAVENDISHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get in there

That was great. Thought he was going to be too far back, that was some slick sprinting.

Beating the Gorilla no less. It was like a masters race.

It would be awesome if Griepal wins tomorrow.

“Experience pays off.”

How was your first dab back at racing?