Wednesday, July 13, 2022
2022 TDF, 2nd half
And so, the REAL race for this years TDF crown starts today. Stage 11. Three MASSIVE climbs. Three serious potential winning teams. First, UAE with Pogacar, winner of the last 2 TDF's. His most serious competitor this year might not even be human, but Covid. He's now lost TWO teammates to this neverending threat to society. It sounds like Maika (another of his teammates) has tested positive but is still in the race, asseme that means he tested positive on a quick test but the more reliable PCR test didn't confirm that (but I'm must guessing at that scenario). Even so, Covid is running thru the peleton and UAE. Pogacar himself could test positive and his dreams of his third win vanish like smoke in the wind. Poof...gone. It could end that unceremoniously for him, OR he continues to lose teammates and I doubt very much he will be able to hang on against the combined threat of Jumbo and Ineos. Today stage goes over the Telegraph, Galibie and a finsh atop the Gannon, which I've never seen climbed to the best of my memory. Jumbo still has THREE guys in the top 10, and I'd think with UAE's diminished team this will be a great place to start playing those cards. Sepp Kuss will need to really be on his A game today and I'd think Vingegaard will be THE MAN for them unless he cracks...he's super close to Pogacar in time and is likely THE most serious challenger other than Covid to Pogacar's hopeful win in Paris. Ineos claims GT is stronger than he was when he won his TDF, and he has a pretty great team, so it will be fun to see them FINALLY come out and play.The stage is live as I type but I've got to get to work...will catch the replay tongiht. It should be a thriller...GAME ON!
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Holy smokes what a stage (11)!!! Right up to the end it was amazing! Jumbo did what they could to isolate Pogacar...on the final 2 climbs they had several teammates and poor Babyface had ZERO! I had a feeling Roglic wasn't the guy everybody has been saying (a true GC threat)...I think his ship sailed a few years back. And GT / Team Ineos? As usual they didn't do anything but hang...I'd have thought GT should have been alternating attacks w/ Roglic and Vingegaard...but no, just sat there holding a wheel being no help in wearing Babyface down whatsoever...that said, maybe he was unable and holding a wheel was all he could do. Either way, I put him with Roglic...a few years past his shots for the top step on the podium. But Jonas, FINALLYFINALLYFINALLY cracked Pogacar! (well, the team did). I was sad not to see Sepp Kuss out front like in the last few years...he was nowhere to be seen until he came out of the blue and joined the Yellow group, but took like 1 pull and then dissapeared. I guess he isn't his best either...the last 2 years he's been a breath of fresh air, out front in the big mountains for his leader just killing it. Not this year, at least so far...maybe he will get better and be that guy by the time they get to the Pyranees...we shall see. And tomorrow...Alp d' Huez!! Woo-HOO! Anyway, what a day! Jonas up over two minutes over Pogacar!! Was hoping he could do it but wasn't counting on it...And he went away pretty far down the Granon climb...very brave and audacious attack, LOVED IT!! OK..bedtime...I'm beat, and tomorrow will be another huge day...GAME ON!
ReplyDeleteMatt here (I'm at work so I show up as anonymous here)...HUGE stage 12...maybe it wasn't the fireworks everybody was expecting, but it was still a great stage! Loved it that Pogacar attacked even tho he was all alone. And boy, Team Jumbo really cleaned house on the Yellow Jersey group on the Alp d' Huez! It was literally the top 5 and 2 extra Jumbo riders..(Wout and Sep)..and speaking of Sep, hooray, he was BACK! I was really worried after Stage 11 when he was a no-show...but yesterday there he was...and how many times did he drop himself pushing so hard at the front, he'd fall off, Pogacar would attack, and then a few minutes later there he was, right back on front...again and again, that was AWESOME!! He and Wout really devastated the peleton. And finally near the top Pogacar goes again and Vingegaard stayed right with him. GT, well, he wheel-sucked all the way to the top...again. Sure would like to see him join in the fight now and then. And hey, Froome was back! Sure he wasn't able to stay at the front, but considering what he's been thru (his horrible accident 3 years ago) it's quite amazing to see him NEAR the front on the top of a 3 HC climb 16,000' day! And that kid Pidcock, just WOW! His descent off the Galibie (think I"m not quite getting that spelling), he was amazing! And to win on top of Alp d' Huez, on his FIRST Tour? AMAZING! We will be seeing lots more of that kid! OK...back to work...Game ON!
ReplyDeleteMs. Rae here - these past 4 stages have been everything one could want from the TdF, haven't they? a well matched rivalry, yet lots of "lesser" competitors and teams getting into the game!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see Froome back, but he himself acknowledges that he is there as a helper - Israel seems to have several riders that might be a bit past their prime, but they have been representing with their younger crew. Looks like unless he has a bad day, GT may well end up in 3rd - maybe he has been saving effort for the Pyrenees? Ineos still has 3 in the top ten!
But if I had my druthers, I would like Bardet on the podium.
I have to say that I was relieved and kind of glad that Pogacar cracked the other day - I just don't want to see a rider so dominant as he was looking to be.
--Spoiler (Saturday) I was glad to see "Bling" pull it off, but I was really pulling for Bettiol too.-- EF is having one of their best tours ever, I think, even though Rigo isn't on form to contend (another who might have passed his peak?)
I was wondering if J-V is saving Sepp a bit for the Pyrenees too. IIRC it was the 3rd week when he really started to drive last year... all of the American (and one Canadian) have been making a splash at the front, with varying degrees of success!
Looking forward to the next 8 days!
Hey Rae, yes, it's been a WONDERFUL Tour so far! The last 2 stages (Fri & Sat) appeared to be not so dramatic, but the pace they were pushing was incredible! On Saturdays "hilly" stage they had over 30mph pace for the first hour! (The only time I can do 30 mph is when I fall off a mountain). I haven't yet tuned into todays (Sunday) stage to see how Caleb did...was he able to get in under the time cutoff? As to Sepp, the day after I mentioned he was a no-show there he was back up front, tho not quite the same (so far anyway) as he was last year...but very close. Today we are in the Pyranees, so maybe you are right and Sepp will be going full blast for Jonas...who is doing quite well on his own w/ Tadej btw...yesterday he threw everything he and his time had and couldn't gain back even a second. I agree that I am very happy to see Pogacar is not invincible...and I do love his attitude as he is not afraid to attack...maybe as he's still so young, but it's refreshing to see someone not afraid to throw caution to the wind and go for it. As to GT and Ineos, they ARE afraid to throw caution to the wind...GT just stays back and does nothing other than wheel-suck, maybe that's all he can do, but after all that talk about how he's in even better shape than when he won, well, put up or shut up. Be bold. Do a Meryx...have some panache and do SOMETHING to animate the race and gain some of your time back...3 guys in the top 10, and we are up to what, stage 15? What the hell are you waiting for? You should have been using those top 10 riders for days now doing what Jumbo did (tag-team-attacks on Pogacar). Sad that Roglic is so far out, as is Rigo...but I think we all knew that anyway...back earlier in the race when Pogacar was worried about them, I'd have let them go knowing they will crack, and just worried about Jonas (as he now knows for sure is the only REAL threat this year). Ok...on to the stage, game ON! The last week begins!!!
ReplyDeleteOOps...forgot, today is a sprint stage, TOMORROW is Pyranees...rats. I have all day to watch the stage and it's a flat'ish stage. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteOh, and while I'm watching the 'guys' talking (love that part of every stage!) I forgot to mention Powless! I've loved watching him, he is a shining star in the making for EF! And let's not forget Quinn Simmons on Trek, his FIRST Tour! He seems so chill and cool...and yet there he is out in the breaks, working hard...he totally helped setup Mads for his sprint win the other day, also a star in the making! And Sepp...the Americans this year, few as they are, are really contributing!
ReplyDeleteOh, and so Caleb made the time cutoff by 9 minutes (seems Lotto FINALLY sent back some teammates, after he languished WAY off the back all by his lonesome for so long). And the big news is Roglic abandoned. Well, he did his job helping Vingegaard in the earlier stages, even tho he was injured...so huge kudos to that. Sadly I think his days as the GC guy are numbered if not over...the up and comers are just too good and he is getting a bit long in the tooth for that.
ReplyDeleteSo the stage is still underway and Phil/Bobke are talking about the temp and air quality...I'd heard they (France) are having fire problems...but the air quality is "Bad" right now, the fires are apparently pretty close by to the race, AND it just hit 100F...I know a little about riding in hot temps...our summers here are pretty toasty if you go any distance away from the coast (yesterday my ride showed up to 117F, of course that's reflected temp not ambient temp, but all I know is that it was HOT, and I go into survival mode and can barely function when it goes much over 100). I'm going out into the heat on purpose, TRYING to help acclimatize me to higher temp riding...I still HOPE to do Tour Divide next year, and with a 1st Friday in June start in Banff, that would put me riding thru New Mexico likely late June (extremely hopeful pace) or early July (more likely). I would assume July in New Mexico will be pretty freaking toasty (only less humidity, it was pretty humid yesterday which makes it feel even hotter). OK...back to the race. Oh wait, they said tomorrow is a rest day? I thought they already took both rest days? I will have to look at the schedule at what's going on.
ReplyDeleteWow, crazy stage today! Another protest in the road (directly/indirectly responsible for Wout n Jonas going to the pavement), losing Kruijswijk (had to copy/past that one!) out with what looked like a broken collar-bone...that hurts the team for sure! Everybody is making a huge deal out of it, but honestly, I'd say it about makes the team more even with Pogacar's team UAE...Jumbo WAS the strongest team in the race...now down 2 important riders. Also nice to see Alpecin finally winning a stage this year, and that it was Jasper Philipsen who THOUGHT he won back on Stage 5 I think and had a HUGE (and AWESOME!) celebration, only to find out Wout had already won it...and today BEATING Wout at the line...very cool for him, that will take the ribbing for his mistaken celebration pretty much away I'd think. Good for the team. And a bit sad for the breakaway dude who got caught inside 500 meters...he sure gave it his all. Once again, poor France and NO French riders winning a stage so far. The drought continues. And a rest day...hooray! Maybe I can slip in an after-work mt bike ride! (haven't ridden except on Saturdays since le Tour started!) Game OFF (for a day).
ReplyDeleteAnother fun stage today, #16, 1st in the Pyrenees. Very cool on the stage winner Houle, 1st time winner, 1st victory in ANY race! And his story about his brother being killed in a Hit and run while out jogging 10 years ago is heartbreaking...good team tactics today from Jumbo, they were fantastic...Sepp was right where he belongs on the two Cat 1 climbs, with Wout able to get MORE Green Jersey points while in the break, AND waiting just on the downhill side of the final climb to pace Vingegaard down to the finish...Pogacar attacked a few times on the 1st of the 2 Cat 1's, couldn't pry even a second from the Yellow...who was looking quite strong. They haven't said yet but it sounds like Soler won't make the time cut, another blow to Pogacar as he was one of the big climb pacers...we don't know what happened but they said he was vomiting during the race, and he was like 45 minutes back and still losing time...I don't see any way he's still in the race. Loved the other American in the break Mateo Jorgenson...took 4th in HIS 1st Tour...he's doing fantastic! Crashed (slid out on a very tight turn chasing Haute trying to reel him in on the run-out to the finish for a chance to win, losing more time). And so...what will TOMORROW bring? No real shakeup in the top end...poor Bardet I guess is the big loser, falling out of the top 5, and Quintana now in 5th? Wow! GT doing what he had to and moving up 1 spot to 3rd...maybe that would be the final podium barring disaster for any of them...Vingegaard/Pogacar/GT...seems extremely possible. OK...an early night for me (HOORAY!)...last week, need to eek every drop out of this years race! Game ON!
ReplyDeleteStage 17, WOW! When did McNulty become SUCH a great climber? Has he ever showed such a thing? On TWO Cat-1 climbs he DESTROYED every other TOP climber except for Tadej and Jonas! Uhm, where has he been in all the rest of the mountains thus far? The guys were just saying McNulty's climb up the 1st Cat-1 broke the record which has stood since 1997! What was in his breakfast this morning? I want some of that!! Everybody was expecting Pogacar to be defensive due to the loss of TWO climbers, and instead McNulty puts on his Superman Cape and crushed the entire peleton! He was SO STRONG that he led the two up to the very top of the final climb, and finished only 33 seconds back of them! I've just never seen such a thing that I can recall...dropping Wout and Sepp early on leaving Jonas alone? Yates, Gaudu, Lutsenko, Quintana, Bardet, Mas, GT all dropped by SB on the 2nd to last climb?
ReplyDeleteAnd he even dropped himself on that 1st Cat-1, when Tadej tested Jonas near the top, crested with Jonas on his wheel and then slowed up, Super-Brandon catches back-on and then rips down the descent, across the valley, and finally LEADS the final climb to about 200 meters from the line on the final Cat-1...just unbelievable! And tomorrow, sheesh...HUGE climbs...Can he/they do this AGAIN? Who will crack tomorrow? Which team? Jumbo was looking pretty great until today and simply fell to pieces WAY early! I'm stunned...things change FAST! (looking back when Jonas attacked Tadej and took over THREE MINUTES from the seemingly invincible Pogacar...so hey, don't blink). I'm happy for Jonas, but as to the race, I kind of wish he'd gotten more time back than 4 bonus seconds...tomorrow is another chance, and then there is lady luck to consider...who will she shine on and who will she shun in the coming days? And the EVIL Mr. Covid...whose dreams will he crush TOMORROW and in the coming days? Hang onto your hats...we have a real pressure cooker going on here! Game STILL ON!
Loving the race and your comments too!
ReplyDeleteI am watching the stage now, and I am with Chris H in not understanding at all what Wout thinks he is doing the past few stages. The green jersey is locked up, but he seems to still be riding for himself and not to defend the yellow jersey!! I can't believe that Jumbo is in agreement with that! Has he demanded the freedom to ride for himself as the price for staying with the team? If so, I can't respect him as much as I did...
Also haven't understood some of the actions of the commissairs throughout the race - refusing to let the team cars through to give water to the riders up front (in temps of 90-100+F!!!!), not letting riders who are behind because of a crash tag through the caravan to get back....changing the time-honored "rules" of the race on the fly - WHY???
^that was me, Rae, BTW. Have you seen the rumor that Cav is talking to EF about a contract? Frankly I can't see that happening. They aren't in any way built to support a sprinter, and Cav would be a difficult , maybe impossible, person to integrate into the team. Plus he probably will want way more $$ than that team can pay.
DeleteI've not forgotten the way he shafted Columbia way back when. Not necessarily for doing what was best for himself $$-wise, but just the disrespect he showed - and it either caused or put the final nail in the coffin of the team...He was one of the great racers of the past 2 decades, but as a teammate, not so much.
Hey Rae, I've been on the fence about Wout's riding, especially since he had the green locked up...however, Bobke has been adamant about "why NOT" do what he has been doing...and to be quite honest, with the exception of yesterday (Stage 17), he has been there when needed. And now, throw in todays Stage 18, I'm pretty much at a loss for words! The question of "Can McNulty do it again" was answered (no, so he IS human and just had a truly amazing day yesterday). Sure he was there on the 1st HC climb, but after Tadej attacked that was it, never saw him again. Sep Kuss WAS back however, as he and the entire rest of Jumbo did NOT have a truly amazing day (except for Jonas who answered all the attacks and finished on the wheel of Tadej). So today..the climb up the Cat 1 in the middle of the 2 HC's (first time EVER in the Tour, and now I see why)...the descent, which supposedly was "resurfaced", was insanely scary! I seriously had goosbumps and my heard was in my throat watching Tadej and Jonas descend, Tadej TRYING to get a gap. When Jonas's rear wheel lifted I thought that was it...amazing bike skills...shifted weight in milliseconds to get the wheel back on the ground, tho now headed into the gutter, unclipped the left shoe and did a wire-rope-walk-balance-thing and did NOT crash in the gutter, made the corner, and got back on Tadej's wheel! Seriously, that was SO CLOSE to likely losing the Tour right there. And then having NOT lost his mojo and slowed down (like most mortals will do after that) he was on the wheel when Tadej misjudged a corner (just a minute or 2 later) and wasn't going to make the turn...thankfully it was on an inside corner and not an outside one, laid it down and got some road-rash on his left shin (chip seal is nasty stuff!) but jumped backup and started riding, and lo and behold, the Yellow Jersey was WAITING! The gentlemen s agreement is the other way around, yet Jonas waited! (quite honestly it was the smart move, much better to let Tadej lead the way, safer I think, but still it was awesome to see!) Remember Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador, and Chain-gate? Andy in Yellow, has a chain-off moment, and Contador passed, looked back and obviously saw it was a mechanical, and pressed the attack all the way down taking time. LOTS of discussion about that, yes, it's a bike race, but was sad to see...today I regained my faith in the sport. (comment split into 2 as it's too long)
ReplyDeletepart 2: And THEN Sep comes back and starts setting tempo AGAIN. Not too many left after McNulty crushed all the other GC'ers on the Aspin, but there he was in all his glory. To the top of the 2nd climb after being dropped, rejoined at the bottom and then led up to about 5k to go when Wout had slowed from the very front of the race, and then they broke Tadej for only the 2nd time in THREE YEARS! Wout broke himself too but just like McNulty yesterday, held on to finish 3rd. AND getting even MORE green jersey points...he may very well break Sagans points record...has 3 stages to do it! Watching Jonas ride away from Tadej AGAIN was amazing! He was so calm and collected, just pushed it all the way to the line. Simply one of the best stages I can remember...you just can't find Drama like that anywhere else! WHAT A RACE this year! Sure, it's seemingly all over...but is it? One thing I thought of as the front-runners climbed the last 5 k of the Hautecan, it's freaking AMAZING they don't ALL catch Covid! Every big climb, tens, hundreds of thousands of RABID FANS SCREAMING at point-blank-range as the riders eek by at 10 to 15mpg (I move 4 to 8 on similar climbs). Think of all that spit in the air...a veritable wall of possible Covid virus and they are BREATHING IT IN, about the worst thing you can do. Seriously, it's just a miracle the race can even go on in this environment...nearly everybody (racers that is) are vaccinated, so they won't die for go into the ICU, but as my work has proven this last 2 months, this latest variant still leaps on people fully vaccinated. Symptoms from mild cold to mild flu like, or nothing at all...but a positive test is a death-sentence to the racers! Look at Cunego and Froome...OUT due to Covid today...on Stage 18!! How cruel is THAT! OK..off to bed...what a stage, fantastic mountains this year, and the battle and sportsmanship is mind-blowing! Game STILL ON!!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, Bobke was right, and both Sepp and Wout came through when it really counted! Wout is just amazing in his strength and stamina, and seems to be able to read his body, rate his effort, super well.
ReplyDeleteThis has been an extraordinarily hard tour for ALL of the competitors - heat, Covid, crashes, speeds - super great viewing for us, but boy, I bet they will ALL be glad to reach Paris! That last sprint should (I hope) be a great one.
Stage 19, typically a ho-hum flat one, but I watched nearly every moment (already getting PTDS)...and hey, THE FRENCH WIN! THE FRENCH WIN!! FINALLY a Stage win for France! And that he was on Team Jumbo, and has been a fantastic teammate, well, very cool! Quick Step and Lotto really messed up letting this one slip away...especially Lotto with NO wins (Ewan has suffered HUGE and has yet to win, where-as Quick Step has won...twice). One interesting note Phil mentioned on the broadcast, before todays finish, of the 18 winners, NINE of them were first time winners of le Tour! How cool is THAT! And I don't believe Laporte has won a Tour stage before either...so make that 10 out of 19 stage winners are 1st timers! So now...tomorrow ITT, and then Paris. Vingegaard and Van Aert need to just stay safe and finish in Paris. The party is ALMOST over, but NOT YET!
ReplyDeleteStage 20 is in the books...and boy, I can't remember the last time (if ever?) that an ITT was a nail-biter to the finish! Jumbo 1 and 2 for the day...and OH BOY how close Jonas came to winning it in Yellow...that ONE TURN that he came in too hot and almost wiped out on the rock wall, but held it together on the last millimeter of pavement. However he was on that fast downhill and scubbed off almost all his speed in not-crashing, and quite likely that's what cost him the win...that and his confidence...I'm sure the little angel on his shoulder was saying "SEE! SEE! SLOW DOWN!! You STILL HAVE TO FINISH TO WIN TOMORROW!!" And I think he did...he was almost 2 seconds faster than Wout at that final checkpoint but ended up losing by 19 seconds...that all in just a few k. But no matter, he certainly showed he's THE MAN, nobody can argue that. And Wout was just on FIRE, talk about giving 100%, his ride was amazing! And so...get to sleep in a bit tomorrow (hooray!)...the final stage doesn't start the broadcast until 10am eastern time..instead of the 6:30Eastern we've been doing most of the last 3 weeks. And I can get my life back! I really need to get riding after work a few times a week again, haven't ridden after work since the Tour began. But it was worth it...best Tour that I can remember!
ReplyDeleteJust watching the final Stage (they just started riding, still in the neutral start)...thought of one little nit-pick I'll toss out on Vingegaard (the reminiscing video we just watched reminded me to bring this up). Ever since Stage 11 when he took the Yellow, that day and every day since after the stage Tadej would come over to congratulate him...Jonas is on the phone w/ his girlfriend (which is fine), but come on...tell her "hold on a moment, Tadej is here") and give him 10 seconds of undivided attention, not still talking with your phone still up to your ear when he comes to make this very magnanimous gesture. He's done this EVERY STAGE since he's taken Yellow. I think it's extremely rude...it's not like Tadej is some guy off the street vying for a moment of time from the rising superstar. This is the (at the moment) reigning Tour Champion and your undisputed top challenger to your win, give him that respect and put the damn phone down for a moment! OK...got that off my chest...back to todays finish (already getting a bit misty eyed as this is the end). Game STILL ON!
ReplyDeleteSo it's Monday, had a day to think about Le Tour (and it was late last night when I finally finished watching the final stage so just needed to get some sleep). I really liked the way both Pogacar and Vingegaard acted during the entire tour (with the 1 exception I mentioned in my last comment so I won't rehash that), and especially when each was in the #2 position. They both acted mature way beyond their years. I liked the old-school 'gentlemans rules' they were using between the two of them...Tade coming over every stage he was in 2nd congratulating Jonas, and when Jonas sat up and waited when Tade went down in that turn on Stage 19. That it was Phil's 50th Tour coverage is mind blowing! They did a nice little piece showing all kinds of black and white pictures and video of his very early days. I had no idea he ever raced, I thought he never did (we all know Paul Sherwin was a retired racer). Phil fell in love with bikes as a kid and was into the racing scene, says he raced against Meryx (I think, now I wish I had recorded that segment and kept it) but immediately knew he couldn't beat him so had a choice to make, and he was offered a job in a car on the route doing race coverage, accepted it and never looked back. Never would have recognized him in those early photos, black hair...so young! (and not to diverge but along the same lines, in one early Alps stage, can't remember which big mountain but it was the one where Greg Lemond was racing with Bernard Hinault, they showed a B&W shot, and there in the back of the big GC guns was Bobke right with them on the big climb (I believe it was on the Hautecan, where Jonas took Yellow from Tade, Stage 11) just like one of our young guys with Jonas and Tade! I wish I had gone back and paused the TV and taken a picture and made notes of when/what mountain...that was very interesting stuff!
ReplyDeleteHi, Rae here.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very very good race! I was glad to see newcomers winning, but you know how sentimental I can be about guys at the end of their careers- like PhilGil - maybe Sagan (the peloton seemed to think so) - want to see them go out on a wave of glory (would not even have minded Valverde - he did put in at least one good attack though, IIRC). Gee, Lotto was astonishing in the amount of bad luck they had, and Jumbo in their good - except it's fair to say that Jumbo is making their good luck - SUCH a strong team!
The race survived Covid, maybe just barely. I just hope that very few have now returned home with it - since many will be aiming for later season races, including the Vuelta.
I agree about the traditionally gentlemanly actions by Tadej and Jonas - I was afraid this very beautiful part of the professional tour was going by the wayside. Also agree that Jonas needed to put the phone down for a moment - girlfriend would still be there if he waited to call until after the top finishers and his team are in, before he goes to get wiped down and a clean jersey. After that he wouldn't have time for a while.
That is amazing about Paul - I hadn't realized that it had been so long a career. I first watched the Tour (my first opportunity, when my cable company picked up OLN) in 2004, I think (LA's next to last win). So he has been a big part of July ever since then! I do miss Paul but Bob seems to be improving every year - as is CVV and Chris (remember how nervous he was, his first year?) Those two really have formed a good commentary team now. Plus I liked the guy on the bike's - Robbie Hunter- added insights.