Tour de France 2026 ***Spoilers***

[mididoctors]

Winning any stage in the tour is insanely difficult even at the pro baseline

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Indeed. It leaves me wondering whether he would have ended up challenging Jonas for second, had Jonas not crashed. Probably not, but we'll never know now.

The dynamics of the race would have been very different, that's for sure. Visma were lining something up when Jonas crashed out (I understand scepticism over whether he could have carried it out) and from that moment Pog only went nuclear on the Alpe. The fact that Jonas was the only rider attempting to challenge Pogacar and had no real interest in chalking up yet another second place had already been exploited by the podium hopefuls as they could sit in his wheel while he tried to pull back Pogacar and then mug him at the end. This happened twice - notably on stages where the final climb wasn't the actual finish and were that climb wasn't all that hard/long:
- Le Markstein, where Jonas tried to ride people off his wheel but the climb had too many flatter (and downhill!) sections - Pog launches near the top and then Jonas has to tow the rest home
- Le Lorian, where Pog attacked from further out on a Cat 1 and Jonas was left trying to reel him in

I'm not sure which of these stages there was actually some cooperation in the group until Lipowitz decided some rapid changes of pace were needed, dropping Remco and blowing up any cooperation from the Trek riders, was it Le Lorian? Remco clawed his way back, sat in (fair enough!) and then mugged the whole group.

If Jonas did have a little more for the third week - and specifically for the longer climbs - then I'm not convinced Remco could have stayed with him, and I think those later stages were far more suited to a W/Kg battle than those where Jonas lost time to the podium group

 

[mididoctors]

There is no random soft break transition stages won by Fabio roscioli or Sergey utchekov anymore

 

[mrushton]

Anyone think Jonas will bother again? Only so many times he can hope Pog is having a bad day.
Those who think Carapaz should have waited need to stay on Zwift. Jonas crashing at 60km to go warrants a lull in the proceedings but not someone falling off at 4km to go

 

[mididoctors]

The dynamics of the race would have been very different, that's for sure. Visma were lining something up when Jonas crashed out (I understand scepticism over whether he could have carried it out) and from that moment Pog only went nuclear on the Alpe. The fact that Jonas was the only rider attempting to challenge Pogacar and had no real interest in chalking up yet another second place had already been exploited by the podium hopefuls as they could sit in his wheel while he tried to pull back Pogacar and then mug him at the end. This happened twice - notably on stages where the final climb wasn't the actual finish and were that climb wasn't all that hard/long:
- Le Markstein, where Jonas tried to ride people off his wheel but the climb had too many flatter (and downhill!) sections - Pog launches near the top and then Jonas has to tow the rest home
- Le Lorian, where Pog attacked from further out on a Cat 1 and Jonas was left trying to reel him in

I'm not sure which of these stages there was actually some cooperation in the group until Lipowitz decided some rapid changes of pace were needed, dropping Remco and blowing up any cooperation from the Trek riders, was it Le Lorian? Remco clawed his way back, sat in (fair enough!) and then mugged the whole group.

If Jonas did have a little more for the third week - and specifically for the longer climbs - then I'm not convinced Remco could have stayed with him, and I think those later stages were far more suited to a W/Kg battle than those where Jonas lost time to the podium group

Remco was vulnerable in the first two weeks on the climbs but came good towards the end of the second

 

[mididoctors]

Anyone think Jonas will bother again? Only so many times he can hope Pog is having a bad day.
Those who think Carapaz should have waited need to stay on Zwift. Jonas crashing at 60km to go warrants a lull in the proceedings but not someone falling off at 4km to go

Not with the giro in his legs he won't .... But I sense a nearing of the end

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

There's rumours that he's going to go to UnoX, but depending on how long he's out for with his collarbone I can see a scenario where he does a Simon Yates

 

[NorthernSky]

just got finished with the highlights.
shame those 3 guys didn't work better together on the first alp dhuez stage, they could have taken it i think, but they just all looked at each other a lot of the time, Pog even said it himself they helped him take it.
glad carapaz got his stage win, well deserved
it was a quite enjoyable tour even though there was never really a chance of anyone other than pog winning. do they just put rumours out that he is not well to make us think others have a chance

 

[kingrollo]

The dynamics of the race would have been very different, that's for sure. Visma were lining something up when Jonas crashed out (I understand scepticism over whether he could have carried it out) and from that moment Pog only went nuclear on the Alpe. The fact that Jonas was the only rider attempting to challenge Pogacar and had no real interest in chalking up yet another second place had already been exploited by the podium hopefuls as they could sit in his wheel while he tried to pull back Pogacar and then mug him at the end. This happened twice - notably on stages where the final climb wasn't the actual finish and were that climb wasn't all that hard/long:
- Le Markstein, where Jonas tried to ride people off his wheel but the climb had too many flatter (and downhill!) sections - Pog launches near the top and then Jonas has to tow the rest home
- Le Lorian, where Pog attacked from further out on a Cat 1 and Jonas was left trying to reel him in

I'm not sure which of these stages there was actually some cooperation in the group until Lipowitz decided some rapid changes of pace were needed, dropping Remco and blowing up any cooperation from the Trek riders, was it Le Lorian? Remco clawed his way back, sat in (fair enough!) and then mugged the whole group.

If Jonas did have a little more for the third week - and specifically for the longer climbs - then I'm not convinced Remco could have stayed with him, and I think those later stages were far more suited to a W/Kg battle than those where Jonas lost time to the podium group

Did Jonas attempt to challenge Pog.
Must have missed that bit.

 

[phreak]

Indeed. It leaves me wondering whether he would have ended up challenging Jonas for second, had Jonas not crashed. Probably not, but we'll never know now.

I wonder if the organisers will offer up a more traditional parcours with more time trial'ing to create a closer race. Maybe put a big one before any mountains so Remco has a lead to defend.

 

[kingrollo]

What a final stage !!!!!!
Not hyperbole to suggest it was the best ever finale day.

Ive been watching since 1989 - and tbh the last day as a procession was very long in the tooth.

But that yesterday was cycling racing at is ts very best - it could have gone so many ways in the last 500m - just brilliant.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Ive been watching since 1989 - and tbh the last day as a procession was very long in the tooth.

Does that include 1989 or not?

 

[kingrollo]

Does that include 1989 or not?

Yeah I watched 1989. Which was exciting enough - but it was a TT.

Thought yesterday just shaded it as a spectacle.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

The winnings table, in Euros, but helpfully with Danish Kroner also included so you don't need to work out the conversion

1	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	832.750 €	6.203.988 kr.
2	Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe	288.160 €	2.147.792 kr.
3	Lidl - Trek	204.870 €	1.526.272 kr.
4	Decathlon CMA CGM Team	165.530 €	1.233.699 kr.
5	EF Education - EasyPost	124.160 €	925.792 kr.
6	Alpecin - Premier Tech	87.840 €	653.328 kr.
7	Bahrain - Victorious	86.820 €	646.899 kr.
8	Team Visma | Lease a Bike	71.210 €	530.515 kr.
9	Soudal Quick-Step	65.810 €	489.295 kr.
10	Uno-X Mobility	45.660 €	340.677 kr.
11	Team Jayco AlUla	44.020 €	327.749 kr.
12	XDS Astana Team	39.920 €	297.224 kr.
13	NSN Cycling Team	37.100 €	276.395 kr.
14	Lotto Intermarché	35.690 €	265.401 kr.
15	Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	31.350 €	233.558 kr.
16	TotalEnergies	23.920 €	178.204 kr.
17	Netcompany INEOS	23.760 €	177.072 kr.
18	Movistar Team	18.790 €	140.376 kr.
19	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	16.760 €	124.262 kr.
20	Cofidis	15.440 €	115.528 kr.
21	Groupama - FDJ United	14.700 €	109.515 kr.
22	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	13.570 €	101.697 kr.
23	Team Picnic PostNL	12.770 €	95.137 kr.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Wow, Picnic won €12. That's almost enough for a mars bar each.

. Yes, I know