Tour de France 2025 (CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

[mididoctors]

On Essex Road?

Been on a group including Alex dowsett and Mark Cavendish..... Oh yeah like that 🤞🏼

 

[mididoctors]

UAE are not going to let this go....but it's strategic to wearing them down

 

[Alex321]

Kind of glad I'm not watching.

Ned Boulting did a weird thing yesterday by saying "remembering the dead from both sides" and my immediate thought was "one side were literal Nazis, Ned!"

There's a section of German graves in the Commonwealth Cemetery in Bayeux, tended just as well as the rest. The headstones have just the names and dates - all rank and dishonour stripped away. That's just as it should be, but let's not pretend there was any "both sides" about what people were fighting for.

The actual Nazis were only a fairly small proportion of the fighting men in the German army. Most of the officers were, and most of the Waffen-SS were.

 

[KingstonGraham]

UAE are not going to let this go....but it's strategic to wearing them down

Are they not trying to let it go but slowly and making sure they are at the front? Only one UAE rider actually riding, and the gap is going up.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

The breakaway finally gains a minute lead.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've just ridden the last 60k or so of the route. There are some hills which were big to me but which the pros won't notice. The last 10-15km loops round Vire with plenty of narrow tight turns and looks technical to me. The final hill is quite narrow. Although it's not a super hot day, it's cloudless and baking in the sun. My head was exploding and I was so relieved to see a Gendarme in the road ordering cyclists to dismount. I did so well before I reached him.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

UAE are not going to let this go....but it's strategic to wearing them down

They are letting it go. It has to be done very gradually. They just might not let it go very far.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Unless Visma get Jorgenson up the road, I don't see why UAE should be doing any work. It looks like all the other teams who want to join the attack rather than Visma doing anything now they have someone up the road.

I think it's in part because Visma keep talking about how they're going to test Pog every day and make the race hard. While Pog has a massive upper hand they're still managing to get into his head (or the team's) that there's some tactical masterpiece they haven't considered that Yates in the break is part of. Something like a longer range Vingegaard attack that Pog would have to cover himself, then getting isolated with Jonas and Yates.

Besides that, the constant Visma attacks were all accompanied by other teams trying to get away with them, and I don't think UAE wanted to have a massive break get away - especially not if it had Visma in and Jonas could potentially jump over to it. So they had to control to some extent.

 

[mididoctors]

I think it's in part because Visma keep talking about how they're going to test Pog every day and make the race hard. While Pog has a massive upper hand they're still managing to get into his head (or the team's) that there's some tactical masterpiece they haven't considered that Yates in the break is part of. Something like a longer range Vingegaard attack that Pog would have to cover himself, then getting isolated with Jonas and Yates.

Besides that, the constant Visma attacks were all accompanied by other teams trying to get away with them, and I don't think UAE wanted to have a massive break get away - especially not if it had Visma in and Jonas could potentially jump over to it. So they had to control to some extent.

Historically it's a hard thing to pull off as you tend to bury yourself. Visma working UAE over the telegraph I suppose ... But that was more a surprise move ....wearing down to your opponent Over multiple days? Best earliest example was CSC attacking Evans the schlecks repeatedly only to have sastre jump on the last mountain of the race

 

[mididoctors]

I've just ridden the last 60k or so of the route. There are some hills which were big to me but which the pros won't notice. The last 10-15km loops round Vire with plenty of narrow tight turns and looks technical to me. The final hill is quite narrow. Although it's not a super hot day, it's cloudless and baking in the sun. My head was exploding and I was so relieved to see a Gendarme in the road ordering cyclists to dismount. I did so well before I reached him.

No pictures?

 

[Shadow]

An exhausting first 100 km. And the break, in spite of some class riders, has not got away, UAD not letting it go out beyond 90 seconds. GC battle at the finish likely now.

 

[mididoctors]

The bunch is thinned out a bit

 

[DCLane]

Alex dowsett on the mic ...he knows about blocking the road.... Did I tell you I rode with him on a number of occasions?

I've raced him.

Or rather ... I was his 2-minute man on a TT and he came past me as if I wasn't moving.

 

[Shadow]

While there is a lull, what are the chances of the grupetto not making the time cut?

 

[mididoctors]

I've raced him.

Or rather ... I was his 2-minute man on a TT and he came past me as if I wasn't moving.

He's a good bloke ,.. beers down the pub after a flat 10 .,.proper tester