julian alaphilipe

[mjr]

I get the impression what Viviani wants is a more lucrative contract which he believes would be on offer elsewhere.

Which is also the reason Dee coo Nick are unlikely to become a GC team: they just don't have the budget, so aim to play Moneyball with the classics, which Lefevre has done well for years.

If JA wants to go for GC... well, when does his contract end?

 

[smutchin]

maybe Bardet has been sandbagging so far, taking it easy in the knowledge that he could still win the polka dots with a flourish on the final three stages

I was joking, but the way he went up the first big climb today, I'm now starting to wonder if there might be something in this...

 

[Dogtrousers]

That would go down well in the Trousers household. He's my wife's favourite (after St Cav, of course)

 

[DRM]

So does the CC massive think that Allaphillipe will be getting a hand from other French riders regardless of team from now on?

 

[Paulus]

He looked a broken man when getting into the team car after today's truncated stage. Shame, he has been one of the riders to illuminate this years race.

 

[Dogtrousers]

He's still got his belle collection!

When he said "qoi qu'il arrive" (whatever happens) I bet he didn't guess quoi would actually arrive!


View: https://twitter.com/alafpolak1/status/1154682137687339008?s=19

 

[normgow]

What I would love to see is for Patrick Lefevere to tell his boys to attack on the last stage to Paris and to blow the "unwritten rule" up to where it belongs. The Quick Step Team should be able to rip the field to shreds, especially if helped out by teams who have riders in the first six who would benefit. In 1947 Jean Robic won the Tour with a similar action and I think France would appreciate something similar this year.

 

[DRM]

He looked a broken man when getting into the team car after today's truncated stage. Shame, he has been one of the riders to illuminate this years race.

I thought the same, Egan Bernal was amazing on the Col de L’Iseran, it’s definitely been an intriguing race this year, I thought surely they can’t race down that, when the cameras showed the result of the hailstorm, then the mudslide sealed it, so I think to answer my own question, no they won’t, not now, also sad to see Pinot abandoning the race too.
It’s been a very good, impossible to guess what would happen next, race for the viewers.

 

[DRM]

What I would love to see is for Patrick Lefevere to tell his boys to attack on the last stage to Paris and to blow the "unwritten rule" up to where it belongs. The Quick Step Team should be able to rip the field to shreds, especially if helped out by teams who have riders in the first six who would benefit. In 1947 Jean Robic won the Tour with a similar action and I think France would appreciate something similar this year.

I think if they did, it would be suicidal for the team, they will get shut down, at the next race if they need help, others will just destroy them when they are down.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It would be great to see, but it would never work, so no real point.

 

[StuAff]

When was the last time the last stage was competitive for GC? 1989. Fignon beaten into second. Enough said.

And, FFS, it's a sprint stage. If anyone else tried to make a serious attack, the sprint trains would shut them down faster than a TGV.

 

[Aravis]

When was the last time the last stage was competitive for GC? 1989. Fignon beaten into second. Enough said.

And, FFS, it's a sprint stage. If anyone else tried to make a serious attack, the sprint trains would shut them down faster than a TGV.

But that's not the last time the winner has been gapped and lost time to the guy in second. Sastre in 2008 is one I remember.

 

[david k]

JA looked strong in today's stage, he also looked fresh in his interviews, it gives me the impression he has the energy to complete the race at this top end effort

GT looked spent mentally, emotionally and physically. He need to turn that round to have a chance, fingers crossed

Well my assumption was right, right up until the last two competitive stages he did crack but what an effort he put up until he cracked

And GT did better than I thought, it was a great plan from Ineos

 

[mjr]

He's won the Vélo d'Or https://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf20191201_01414084/julian-alaphilippe-elu-velo-d-or-2019