Brussels sprouts a new winner? Tour de France 2019

[longeared]

Movistar dropping their own leader is absolute Peak Movistar.

[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.

[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?

[caja-dglh]

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

[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.

[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?

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[Billy Casper]

Does anyone else have the feeling that Thomas will be out of the top five - if not the top ten, by the end of the day?

[longeared]

Since the Planche des Belles Filles I've been of the view that INEOS are going to have to sacrifice Bernal or Thomas to go all in on the other. May or may not be today but as soon as Bernal gets ahead then I think Thomas will plummet from the top end of the GC.

Strong break finally gone after 60k of effort. Nibs is there, others include Bardet, Quintana (yes really), Zakarin, S Yates, Mollema, Woods, G Martin.

[ursus arctos]

It all depends if yesterday was a reflection of having emptied himself on the time trial or something more serious.

That said, he didn't look to have been shattered by the time trial, which lends credence to the something more serious hypothesis.

Dropping 1:11 will put him in seventh, and I can certainly see that happening. INEOS are also faced with a tactical conundrum, as Bernal really can't wait for him if they are to have any chance of winning the race.

[longeared]

Baffling Movistar Tactics Klaxon

[longeared]

"Just the craziest racing from Movistar" says David Millar.

[longeared]

Oh, Romain.

[Snake Plissken]

Why are Movistar so tactically inept? Surely someone must be getting sacked by now?

[longeared]

Alaphilippe dropped, Pinot, Bernal and Buchmann ride away from him.

[ursus arctos]

Allez Thibaut

[ursus arctos]

Movistar appear not to be alone in their perplexing tactics

https://twitter.com/LVCKV/status/1152959293676773378

[longeared]

This is now going to go down as one of the great Tours. I have not got a fucking clue who will win it.

[Ray de Galles]

Movistar appear not to be alone in their perplexing tactics

https://twitter.com/LVCKV/status/1152959293676773378

It may just have been the edit but watching the highlights it didn't look like Thomas resisted counter-attacking (for fear of dragging Alaphilippe with him) for long.

Great stage, even knowing the results it was gripping viewing. The weather and terrain rain at the end made it like watching a race in Wales.

[San Bernardhinault]

Yeah. I wonder how much of that from Thomas is mind-games. Why would you send the guy in fourth up the road and make the guy in second lose time? I'm not convinced he's as strong as he claimed.

[jwdd27]

It's been a great tour so far, it's refreshing not have Sky/Ineos grinding their way through it, they've seemed lacklustre, Thomas looking a bit undercooked and Bernal looking still a couple of years away from being a team leader.

Pinot looks most likely to me now, and (with apologies for bringing gambling into it) the bookies agree, he's 6/4 favourite (Thomas 3/1, Alaphillipe 5/1, while Kruijswijk 10/1 and Buchman 14/1 look the each way value to make the podium in Paris)
I've been very impressed with the work Gaudu has done for Pinot so far, although surprised and disappointed not to have heard a commentator shoehorn in a "waiting for Gaudu", although I only watch highlights.

[Felicity, I guess so]

He’s certainly the Gaudu guy when Pinot wants to prepare an attack