Tour de France 2026 ***Spoilers***

[mididoctors]

Soo... the mountains competition. I must admit I had the rules wrong, and I've never been very interested. I thought there were extra or double points at mountain top finishes. But there aren't. It's quite simple. All 25-15-12 ... down to 2 for 10th for HC climbs. Less for the others. That's it. No extras for the highest point of the race or for finishes.

The top 3 are: Carapaz 91, Pog 90, VPP 86. Next is Remco but he's way down.

There are 3 HC climbs tomorrow, worth 25-15-12... each and a cat 1 worth 10-8-6... I think we can assume that Pog will win tomorrow, because he always does, and that will involve winning the final HC climb. We can probably also assume that Pog doesn't give a hoot about the mountains comp so he probably won't score on the other climbs. So Pog will end the day on 115.

So if Carapaz can score 25 ot more points he'll stay the jersey. Failing that, if Paret-Peintre scores 29 or more he will take it.

Then on stage 21 there are four passages over cat 4 Montmatre. But they are worth only 1 each. So if either of RC or VPP is in the jersey after tomorrow, they would do well to have a lead of at least two, because there's a high probability of Pog taking at least one.

Exciting innit?

No? How about mildly diverting?

Pog may incidentally pick up.s few. Carapaz needs to get the Galibier

 

[mididoctors]

Anyhow, I don’t see Pogačar getting back to back wins without the help of the other podium contenders. His team did a great job today, but still needed some help.
Tomorrow is a lot longer and a lot harder.
A strong breakaway could make it, as long as there are no short, Work-shy French blokes in it.

If Pog GC group got to the
Alpe 20 sec later ? It was close

 

[mididoctors]

Based off of today, Red Bull has every incentive to help UAE. Remco is in the form of his life and even able to attack a group he'd normally be dangling off of. Controlling the stage should cement his P2.

The time gaps are pretty big but you don't want some escapade , red bull will drop a rider in the break and pace behind

 

[mididoctors]

Pidcock has a 9 min gap to 11th to defend ... He's going to take a kicking I think

 

[Pblakeney]

Honestly not surprising. Pog was waving people to get out of the way & dodged a large flag during his chase, moto was in the way of Remco after his attack. Half a meter more on each side would still deliver all the atmosphere and not infringe on the competition.

Carapaz nearly got taken out by one "fan". They were too close today.
I know there is a history of such actions but the "sea" used to part earlier, and wider.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Remco, del Toro and Seixas started the climb in the same group as Pog did they not? (If not, ignore me).

If so, Remco's time would be 37:56 putting him 7th between Ullrich and Armstrong's lower time.
del Toro and Seixas, at 38:08 and 38:12 would slot in between Zulle and Virenque at 11th and 12th.

Ahem....

They slot in between Zulle and Virenque at 11th and 13th.

Skjelly slots in at 12th. I don't know where Fred Wright comes.