Pro-cycling thread

Deffo

Ahaha on the reply you can see Alaphilippe did a sick skid as he met his team too.

So long as nobody needs a poo on the climb.

He didn’t even look that out of breath at the end. Mad scenes!!

I hope the French media scrum won’t completely blow up Alaphilippe’s recovery before tomorrow.

I think G is probably quite happy to have taken loads of time, but still be in the relative peace and quiet of second place for the moment.

Well Alaphillipe is putting my assertion that Quickstep is not where you go to win GTs. I mean everyone thought he would lose time here, and everyone thinks he will struggle in the high mountains. He hasn't and maybe he won't. Geraint looked distinctly downbeat.

Bloody good for the race though.

Never know, in 7 years they might award it to G when they work out how to actually detect juice.

Alaphillipe is doing what Thomas did last year though. Unlikely challenger getting ahead and staying there. So far.

It's the ketones

We’ve not had a serious mountain stage yet, so let’s not hand out the podium places in Paris just yet.

This Tour route is back loaded and Alaphillipe has been on it since the opening weekend, so he might fade over the next week. Think back to last year’s Giro to see what happens to a rider who dominates the opening fortnight of a GT.

Did he have a tantrum?

I think G is probably quite happy to have taken loads of time, but still be in the relative peace and quiet of second place for the moment.

That wasn't the impression I got from his post-race interview, he seemed downbeat as @Jimmy_Fingers said. He also seemed knackered, whereas Alaphillipe was jumping around!

But I agree with Andy, it's a long Tour which is going to be mountainous towards the end...

Great stage, wish all friday afternoons were that interesting

Just hope we have more excitement over the remainder

I wonder how much of that jumping around was adrenaline from the win.

Probably, yea. Could do with some of them for my walk to the shops, you know, for marmite gains.

I am guessing he didn't hit the numbers or time the team were expecting. He said he was 5% shy when he needed to put the hammer down. Was Bernal also worse than anticipated?

Well several teams have admitted to using them. They seem an unknown factor. They can aid weight loss and I have seen big numbers in terms of performance boost. Not on the banned list yet though.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/915715

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/915715

https://www.velonews.com/2019/07/tour-de-france/stamina-boosting-ketones-spark-tour-de-france-debate_497586

Lumbo and Quickstep have both said they use them.

They used to give kids cocaine for toothache, too.

Well it is a natural product your body produces them when in ketosis, but then EPO has a similar mimic effect. It's a moot point: they are legal and inexpensive so available to the entire peloton. It is up in the air how effective they are.

Inexpensive !?

Edit: £30 a bottle, admittedly less than Dr whoever

He has also had a long season but that might play into his favour as presumably he will have a long break after the Tour.

But isn't it ironic the previous year's King of the Mountains ability in the mountains is being doubted? Against Geraint Thomas? Who prior to last year was not regarded as a top climber. Stranger things have happened.