Tour de Pharmaceutical 2019

As Wally mentioned, Caleb Ewan pipped  Dylan Groenewegen by cm's to take the stage. Porte had his now customary fall but managed to keep going.
The tour now enters the Pyrenees with two cat 1 climbs to end the stage.

I love a 30km downhill sprint to the finish. Chance to see how much a stage win means to some people!

He may currently be recovering from breaking nearly every bone in his body, but Chris Froome has just won the 2011 Giro d’Italia.

I’d say that just about tops the achievement of Jessica Ennis “winning” a world heptathlon gold when eight months pregnant...

A superbly timed sprint to the line saw Simon Yates take out the stage in a breakaway of three that the peloton did'nt seem interested in reeling in. Yellow jersey remains unchanged. Meanwhile mystery surrounds Rohan Dennis's withdrawal from the race. He was one of the favorites for the TT today but pulled out with no apparent injury.

Individual TT today.

Alaphilippe strengthened his lead by taking out the TT from Thomas. Porte had a good run to finish fifth.
Back to the mountains today with a summit finish on the famed Col du Tourmalet.

How long since a Frenchman's won?

Pretty sure it was Hinault in 85 or 86.

Apparently" one Oz rider walked off the tour complaining about the costume he was forced to wear.

horace wrote:Apparently" one Oz rider walked off the tour complaining about the costume he was forced to wear.

Couldn't find the sock?

THIBAUT PINOT was the big winner of this important stage while Thomas lost more ground to  ALAPHILIPPE. The big losers were Quintana, Yates & Nibali. Porte had a disappointing ride but still managed to climb a few placings although his tilt, it seems, is over.
Last stage in the Pyrenees should see another tough contest with three cat 1 climbs.

Thomas looked very close to cracking overnight; hopefully Alaphilippe will find it difficult to back up tonight as well. Lots of mountains still to come.

And no further time trials, I believe? So completely down to climbing ability from now on.

Is Alaphilippe a genuine contender to top the podium in Paris or is it merely a Voeckler-like supreme effort to cling on for as long as possible? We don’t really know yet, and if it’s the latter, there’s four or five contenders to take advantage when he finally cracks. And Ineos are likely to have a decision to make.

Alaphilippe looked the most in control of all the big names yesterday.

Fuglsang and Buchmann must be firming favourites.

stage 15, the Pyrenees, this is really going to test a few of the leaders

A dramatic stage full of twists and turns but still no clearer in terms of us knowing the eventual winner. Six men remain in the mix on GC. Ineos have two of them, but not controlling stages as on previous years.

Crowds on the big climbs seem a bit less manic this year, though perhaps generally worst on Alpe d’Huez and Ventoux, neither of which is on this year’s route.

Movistar have about as much team discipline as the UK Conservative and Labour parties...

JGK wrote:Alaphilippe looked the most in control of all the big names yesterday.

FFS

A good fightback by Thomas today, first signs of Alaphilippe struggling. Pinot and Buchmann looked strong contenders throughout the day, too, considering the mountains to come. Fuglsang not so much. A slightly better day for Richie Porte who looks a fair chance of finishing top 10, but that's it.

beamer wrote:And no further time trials, I believe? So completely down to climbing ability from now on.

Is Alaphilippe a genuine contender to top the podium in Paris or is it merely a Voeckler-like supreme effort to cling on for as long as possible? We don’t really know yet, and if it’s the latter, there’s four or five contenders to take advantage when he finally cracks. And Ineos are likely to have a decision to make.

The way the commentators were talking during the he TT if the frog comes out of the Alps with any sort of lead there may be a stewards inquiry. And the Alps make the Pyrenees look like foothills.

Great to see them putting key mountain stages at the weekend this year, as well. Too often the potentially decisive stages are scheduled midweek and we just have to make do with fragmented highlights.

Looks like Mitchelton Scott backed the wrong Yates as their GC hope. Great ride by Simon to take his second stage. Rest day today before tackling the Alps.

Last chance for the sprinters before the Alps.

Ewan!!!!!!!!!!

Into the foothills of the Alps tomorrow then, finishing with that tricky little descent into Gap, where someone always comes a cropper (most famously Beloki, when Armstrong had to go cyclo-cross to stay upright...)

Actually, it’s seemingly not the “classic” Gap descent, but suspect the same idea applies...