Tour de France 2025 (CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

[Pross]

The "we tried to slow things down but nobody would listen" line when JV was off the back because of the crash was such transparent codswallop.

Even the other team DSs were telling their riders not to panic as Pog was trying to slow them down so obviously not.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I have to agree with DB. The commentators were at pains to point out that Pogacâr did what he could, but couldn’t control such a big group of breakaway hopefuls who were never going to sit up and wait for the peloton to suck them up.

The group was about 25 riders, he didn't need to control them but he controlled Jorgenson and Visma, he could have just sat up and that would have done the job. Or just let Jorgenson go. Literally nobody else was controlling that group. Effectively, without GC riders, that group was the break. It's only Pog being there - like Armstrong riding up to Simeoni - that stops it being able to go as is.

 

[mididoctors]

Not when half of that fog is the exhalation of thousands of spectators.

One of the many reasons why it's called the bad way

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Even the other team DSs were telling their riders not to panic as Pog was trying to slow them down so obviously not.

Yeah, but they didn't know he was chasing to control Jorgenson at the same time. The UAE radio was clearly designed for public consumption

 

[mididoctors]

They're off

 

[mididoctors]

WvA attacks

 

[mididoctors]

Milan is not being that smart

 

[Adam4868]

Oh I actually think a lot of it is genuine.

The podcast Pollitt was on where he talked about a blacklist on the fridge - riders that wouldn't be allowed to win/get in a break. Pretty clear that Van Aert and Jorgenson especially are on it. I'm told Eenkhoorn confirmed he talked to Van Aert about it on Avondetappe (Dutch TV). When Jonas (and every other GC rider) is caught behind he has the DS very publicly tell him to slow it, and he does a bit of arm waving in the full knowledge the race for the break is on, then carries on chasing Jorgenson down so the break takes ages to get away - and with Wellens in it! Then he does the "weird Visma tactics, Jonas should be pissed off" interview just to try and cause some Visma tension and have Jonas answering soap-opera questions on the rest day. Van Aert is right that Pog could have just sat up and dropped back and the problem was solved immediately - the break would have gone away with no dangerous GC riders in it and everyone could chill.

Incidentally, before the break split up Wellens didn't take a pull - sat there saying he had Pog behind him, then attacks. Some might say that's canny racing, others might be a bit put out by it. I'm not sure it won him a lot of friends.

So at the end of the day, Pog got his teammate into a break that he won from after doing little work, protected his teammate by not letting Visma get Jorgenson into the break, kept Jonas chasing to get back and sowed the seeds of another Visma tactics/team cohesion media shitstorm but still gets to come out of it with everyone sniffing his @rse and saying it smells of roses

Poke the bear and then complain about getting bit...all is fair in love and war and the smartest rider is in Yellow.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Milan is not being that smart

Trying to get in breakaway to get intermediate points?

 

[Blazing Saddles]

This stage is set up for about a 100km battle for the break and keeping the GC guys interested.

 

[Pross]

Splitting, wind possibly a factor?

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Poke the bear and then complain about getting bit...all is fair in love and war and the smartest rider is in Yellow.

Oh I'm not complaining about Pog doing what he does, he can do what he wants. I'm complaining that everyone eats up the bullshit and says it's some sort of beautiful Michelin star cookery.

 

[mididoctors]

UAE starting to mark these moves

 

[matticus]

If quiet dignity is sitting behind Pog day after day, climb after climb with a 10 second effort then I'll take Pog. Jonas would be the all out winner if Pog wasnt there and would have as much time or more on the rest of the field and I'm sure would be more outgoing if he was winning.

Good point: after his previous Tour wins, you couldn't get JV off the chat shows and red carpets. I think he bought every bus in Denmark and had it painted yellow.
Every post-stage press conference over-ran, they just couldn't shut him up; tennis fans were leaving Eurosport in droves due to the schedule disruption.

 

[Dorset Boy]

Yeah, but they didn't know he was chasing to control Jorgenson at the same time. The UAE radio was clearly designed for public consumption

Except Pog didn't do any chasing. The break went with VLAB's best domestique of this tour, and their best domestique of the last 4 tours.
It sounds as if you expect Pog to have sat at the side of the road and waited for Jonas to catch up.

You don't normally write shite, but you seem to be put out that Denmark's star GC rider hasn't been able to keep with Pogi so far.