Brussels sprouts a new winner? Tour de France 2019

[Antepli Ejderha]

Alaphilippe is also a home rider in an event where France have not had a genuine contender since Virenque. Of course he's going to get the crowd support and others will get it's wrath in order to support Alaphilippe more.

[Felicity, I guess so]

In addition, the treatment he received last time followed very public positive test coverage and “will he/won’t he be allowed to ride?” stories for months

[San Bernardhinault]

Maybe, but Alaphilippe plugged away on the wheel of the other GC contenders today and never had to do any work in front. It's not particularly inconsistent with his other riding. The days the French spectators wondered about Froome he actually accelerated away on the last couple of kms of big hills, away from people who were meant to be star climbers, who'd reserved their energy on TT days. Froome's mountain stage wins felt substantially more remarkable to me.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I'm not sure Rogin's questions are about whether or not Alaphilippe is clean - isn't it more the contrast with how he and Froome (and Thomas) are treated?

Yes, this.

[Kevin S]

I'm not sure Rogin's questions are about whether or not Alaphilippe is clean - isn't it more the contrast with how he and Froome (and Thomas) are treated?

[San Bernardhinault]

That's what I'd have thought, except he didn't, as Rogin says, leave all the other GC contenders for dead on the big climb of the day. He never took the lead once - all the grinding at the front was done by other GC contenders and their teams.

[caja-dglh]

SB - Quite clearly at Allaphilipe I would have thought. Pinot was a name on every list heading into this.

[San Bernardhinault]

I've just watched my recording of this stage (after my very weak ride this morning). That was some pure Movistar gold. I love that the US commentators kept saying "This is great riding from Movistar, but I'm not sure what their goal is" - it was apparent to everyone that their tactics made no sense, yet for some reason they persisted. Great stage. Very pleased for Pinot in particular.

Are Rogin's "questions" about Allaphilipe or Pinot?

[ursus arctos]

You are never going to hear such questions on France Télévisions, and will only read them in l'Equipe if another major outlet goes there first, but they certainly exist on Francophone cycling Twitter and in fora, with many making the exact same point about the treatment of Froome.

[longeared]

Movistar dropping their own leader is absolute Peak Movistar.

[longeared]

I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles, Rogin.

[Kevin S]

It needs saying tbf. Especially as, according to George Bennett, there were people booing Thomas from the side of the road today.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

There'll be not a murmur from the French press and fans that a French rider who's ridden like Steve Austin on a time trial one day can then leave all the other main GC contenders for dead on the tour's highest climb the day after. Not a single one. I'm not casting any aspersions (as I said above I'd love the spectacle of a French winner at last) but they threw piss over Froome for this kind of effort.

[longeared]

Oh, Romain.

[VTTBoscombe]

Didi the devil is being pimped out at l’Etape du Tour in Albertville this weekend by Prudhomme.

[elguapo4]

I can't see why not, there's still a week to go and team fracking are going to attack him at every opportunity,but he set down a big marker today.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Brilliant ride by Alaphillipe.

Can he win it?

[ursus arctos]

What happened to the devil spectator?

Didi only makes paid appearances now

[Ray de Galles]

Well done Alaphilippe and Pinot. Never mind, Geraint - we'll always have 2019.

[elguapo4]

Brilliant ride by Alaphillipe.

[Sporting]

What happened to the devil spectator?

[Sporting]

Indeed

[ursus arctos]

Alaphilippe looks surprisingly comfortable as more fancied riders are losing touch

[ad hoc]

Movistar cleverly destroy Quintana. Oh, wait

[ursus arctos]

The Giro Rosa has live on line coverage and the organizers of the new Nordic Tour are committed to at least that.

Purportedly a major obstacle to doing that with the Tour of Britain is your relatively poor 4G infrastructure, but the ASO obviously doesn't have that excuse (not to mention their policy of benign neglect with regard to other women's races).