Pro-cycling thread

I saw Tao at the front at 30km to go but maybe something happened?

How hot was it? He has lots of problems in the heat last year at the Vuelta, so maybe it was a repeat of that.

Either way, the more we see of Ineos racing without Froome, the more it becomes apparent that he's the driving force behind the team's high standards. Without him they underperform.

They just scored 1 and 2 in the Tour...

With a team that was peaking towards supporting Froome.

I think the domestiques that underwhelmed at the tour would have done better with Froome, he appears to be able to pull out exceptional performances from his ‘troops’.

Their performances in grand tours without Froome involved has generally underwhelmed considering their dept of talent.

This of course may change with the new guard of Bernal, Carapaz, Sosa, Sivakov, Tao.

Fair point. But the way they won the Tour was very different from previous editions, and the likes of Kwiatkowski, Moscon and, to a lesser extent, Poels, underperformed in the mountains. You could argue that the only Ineos support rider who emerged from the Tour with any credit was Dylan van Baarle.

Imlac and Millar studio scenes on ITV 4 highlights show seem like they may be filmed with a green sheet in a public toilet. Sad they can’t send anyone out there.

If Froome had made the start line, Ineos might have had the bookies three favourites.
I’m not sure the domestiques performed much worse than last year, the race was played out differently.

So what did happen to Tao/Wout? I've not seen the coverage

the race was played out differently.

Mainly because Froome wasn't there. If he had been, I think Ineos would've been much more inclined to take control of the race, because that's how Froome likes to race.

I get that to an extent. I guess I was thinking Froome means three riders on the front even at the end. Also that quality has to intimidate.

Is Jumbo Visma’s eyewear sponsor a company that rips off Oakleys on AliExpress?

If the season had gone to plan, Bernal would have won the Giro and supported a Froome/Thomas Ineos at the tour so yes, obviously things would have panned out differently.

Instead the would be super domestique beat the reigning champion without someone supporting him in the way he could have supported Froome.

I do agree that Ineos are more inclined to back Froome 100% - something that I imagine they will do for Bernal now as well.

Seen nothing from Ineos, but AIUI Tao and Pools just got dropped on the final climb and were with no-one with any incentive to chase. De la Cruz was in the group with Kruiswijk and others who pushed to limit losses so finished only a minute and a half down and is presumably now team leader?

From Ineos website...

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• Nicolas Portal
  
  

"Everything went pretty well until we hit the final climb. The guys had done a good job during the day, with Owain and Ian putting our guys in a good position. It was hot all day, and then it went really hard on the final climb and became a proper GC race.

"Our top guys just couldn't really follow. Only David could try to minimise the loss, but we cannot really be happy with this time loss on stage. But it's cycling, this happens and we will stay motivated for the next three weeks. We have some top quality riders and I'm convinced we will do a good race."

Interesting that Roche and Aru managed to be competitive

Tao had quite a bit of time off the bike after breaking his collarbone to be fair. So not surprising if he's not on top form off the bat.

Didn't he just top-10 in Poland?

Yep. 5th on GC

He told the cycling podcast he was feeling great coming into the race.

I gather he’s had issues with the heat in the past. With Poels cracking too, you have to wonder if a bug or something has gone round the team.

Hopefully he can salvage something from the race.

He was interviewed before the race and it was shown on ITV4's highlights yesterday. He just said he reached the climb and had nothing left at all. Must have been heat exhaustion or something because I guess that's not normal for a GC contender reaching their first proper climb in a GT.

Kiriyenka was DFL 6 mins behind everybody else on that stage too.

I just watched the footage from the start of the climb and just before it Tao was in the first 10-20 then once it went uphill and the other teams put the hammer down, he was gone. I guess it's exactly like Portal and Tao said; no legs.

I gather he’s had issues with the heat in the past.

Ginger innit.

Giro with the snow and rain for him!

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/wout-poels-bernie-eisel-mark-cavendish-bahrain-merida-according-new-reports-435697