Tour de France 2026 ***Spoilers***

[No Ta Doctor]

Lotto Intermarché must be a bit gutted today. They've been in every break of the Tour so far - on a couple of occasions they were the break and here they are with a single rider in a 57 man group - Lars Craps, a rider who once came 5th on a stage of the Tour of Norway Northern Denmark

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Lol, Philipsen has a puncture with 13km to the intermediate.

 

[mididoctors]

Puncture...you can't make this up

 

[mididoctors]

They should ease up for him

 

[mididoctors]

Where's philipsen

 

[mididoctors]

Bahrain trying to up it

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I was surprised pidcock got away

He's strangely several minutes behind and ahead of his nearest actual rivals. I'm not sure those closest to him either have the firepower or the inclination to bring him back. Are Ineos really concerned with a Bernal GC attempt? Or Soudal with Van Wilder? Above Del Toro it's a solid podium fight, if they're worried about Pidcock they're in the wrong race. Del Toro and Skjelmose are holding their GC positions while serving their team captain, as is Piganzoli below him.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Bahrain trying to up it

UAE were quite crafty in letting Pidcock go tbh. It's got Bahrain to do some work on the front

 

[mididoctors]

He's strangely several minutes behind and ahead of his nearest actual rivals. I'm not sure those closest to him either have the firepower or the inclination to bring him back. Are Ineos really concerned with a Bernal GC attempt? Or Soudal with Van Wilder? Above Del Toro it's a solid podium fight, if they're worried about Pidcock they're in the wrong race. Del Toro and Skjelmose are holding their GC positions while serving their team captain, as is Piganzoli below him.

View attachment 815264

Think ineos will try bernal.top ten

 

[No Ta Doctor]

You only have a certain amount of matches to burn in a race, they say.

Meanwhile, back at Mads P's hotel room...

 

[Blazing Saddles]

Just came out of my afternoon coma to catch the sprint.
Minimum change after all that drama.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Think ineos will try bernal.top ten

Maybe, but I don't think they're going to burn the team riding for it, and certainly not if they can get Vaquelin into a good position for the stage here

 

[misforturob]

UAE were quite crafty in letting Pidcock go tbh. It's got Bahrain to do some work on the front

WTF are Bahrain doing riding to protect 9th place on GC

(that's what everyone would say if it were Ineos riding in the same situation, no?)

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Just came out of my afternoon coma to catch the sprint.
Minimum change after all that drama.

Which is an absolute triumph for Mads P. He'd have been happy to let a zero-threat break go and wipe out the points today. He even slightly extended his lead on Girmay, who I think is a more serious threat (better possibility in the break than Philipsen)

 

[mididoctors]

Top.ten on GC is a big deal these days