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I'm hoping Bernal will get a chance to show us what he's capable of as well-I admire how Thomas has transformed himself but there's nothing more exciting than seeing a really gifted climber forcing a race instead of a bunch of track/tt specialists pacing themselves up a climb and trying to hold on.
Sky also don't seem to have the same engine that they used to with Kiryienka and Sioutsou murdering the pace till half way up every climb.
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Also true. Other teams recruiting big rigs for those roles seems to have opened things up a little.
I think it’s clear Bernal has been telling the truth when he’s said he’s there to learn and he’s not quite the finished stone he’ll no doubt become. So the prospect of him fulfilling team duties until Thomas’s title is in the bag and then being aloud to fly is exciting.
It’s not particularly likely given his team’s history, especially if the race stays this open, but if it happens I’ll be cracking beers and watching with glee
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They haven’t had the need to stifle the race so far. Let’s see how the next week plays out; my guess is that Ineos are back to their usual ways. I listened to Lances podcast yesterday and Bruyneel both said that any time Ineos needed numbers, their whole team was there working but other teams didn’t. Both of them reckoned Ineos are keeping their powder dry as they haven’t needed to race full gas so far.
mrJL
atz
I agree, this has been a remarkable, captivating tour so far with so many ups and downs.
I’m also of the mind that Thomas rides for one of the most nefarious teams in history that’s headed by the king of the snakes, and thus today’s “on the ropes” interview was part of a wider plan to make JA think he can hang on until Paris and go into the red so badly that Thomas can plough a double digit lead into him and have it sewn up before Quickstep can say “how long until Omloop?”