WVA or Alaphilippe IMO.
A true “classics” stage
With that last climb very reminiscent of Mur de Huy
Would not surprise if either Pogacar or Vingegaard won this stage.
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Last kilometre is also 4.5% - Matthews is not here because there are few suitable stages for his skill set.
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Because of the Olympics, next year’s final stage will be in Nice and a time trial at that.
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Finchy, we don’t have to move the game forward at all. That’s what England wants.
Wrong thread!
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It’s quite relaxing to be in on my way to watch the tour … currently Italy doing some riding in morning watch ke tour in afternoon rather then 1 am
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Yates x 2 is pretty cool
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I didn’t see this stage splintering the racers anywhere near as much as it did. Yikes.
It was always going to be a day for GC riders or a VWA type rider - Yates x 2 rode well with Adam slightly stronger - Tomorrow is a bit easier and could suit a MVP.
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State 2 is similar to stage 1, perhas a tad easier.
The Jaizkibel climb, is one we know from Classica San Sebastian should be decisive.
The flat sprint run in will suit WVA, and MVPD / Girmay if they can survive with the bunch over that last climb. This is another that suits the Yates, both like San Sebastian and know this area very well.
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In the post stage interview A Yates said that the original plan was for the Pog to take the stage, but when he was so far ahead of the Peleton and his brother not so far behind, he was told to go for it himself as the best chance for the team to take the stage.
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Girmay will not survive the climb and I have my doubts about MVP - Jayco made a mistake in not bringing a Scotson or Sobrero who can survive medium climbs and then put S.Yates into position for the final climb.
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With Carapaz gone, I figure 2021 San Sebastian winner Powless might be a shot here for EF.
Lafay the surprise, breaks the drought for Cofidis.
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Powless is a dumb rider in Grand Tours , especially in breaks- He has no idea how to ration his energy and to ride smartly.
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I was trying to figure out what happened to O’Connor to lose 50 seconds in the GC.
Seems he was involved in a crash.
https://twitter.com/SBSSportau/status/1675761291795808259?s=20
" A “nothing crash” may have hurt Ben O’Connor’s GC chances, but @davemacka was happy with how quickly he and Matthew Dinham got back on their bikes."
Nominally a sprinter’s stage tonight, although Groenewegen and Cavendish don’t seem hopeful.
I suspect Philipsen and Jackobsen might fight this one out.
I think Ben was down something like 30 seconds from the first stage, with the expectation that he would cut into the deficit on the second stage.
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Just a quick look - road a bit reminiscent ent of the Black Spur.
They’re not mountain ash like the spur but some patches of eucalypts…
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Philepsen (sp?) survived a Jumbo Visma challenge to claim the stage. Caleb Ewen third (seems to have had technical issues requiring adjustments to his bike during the race).
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Philipsen was lucky not to be relegated.
Tonight is another sprinter’s stage.
It’s quite technical from about 4km to go until the riders get onto a motor circuit. I think this is much more to the liking of Cavendish and Groenewegen.
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