Tour de Pharmaceutical 2019

Caleb Ewan came from behind to pip the Viviani on the line and become the first sprinter to win two stages of the Tour de France this year. The yellow is unchanged with Porte moving into the top ten following the crash of Fuglsang.
Another hilly stage should see the climbers back in control.

This stage should suit Porte, no?

JGK wrote:This stage should suit Porte, no?

Actually, I meant to say Michael Matthews.

JGK wrote:

JGK wrote:This stage should suit Porte, no?

Actually, I meant to say Michael Matthews.

More Porte than Matthews i would have thought.

Matteo Trentin took stage 17 to give Mitchelton-Scott its fourth stage win. GC remains unchanged.
Some serious climbing for the next stage where they will be above 2000m in three different locations.

Three days of hell now. If you can't climb, this might be where it ends.

Unsurprisingly, Colombian Nairo Quintana won the stage with compatriot  EGAN BERNAL bumping out Thomas for second overall.
High altitude stage today should again suit the Colombians.

Surely there not guoig to hand it to the .

Bradman wrote:Surely there not guoig to hand it to the .

They have to let a win it occasionally, afterall, it's their race.

Couldn't inneos blow him away tonight if they give the colombian the reigns

The stage has been stopped because there is snow & ice on the course after a storm. The result has been declared on their positions & time at the summit of l'Iseran. Egan Bernal has won the stage & taken the yellow jersey.

Earlier Pinot had abandoned with a torn Quadriceps.

And just like that, the French hopes go up in smoke.

Bernal has it now barring disaster in tomorrow’s stage (wish it was the usual TT, as Geraint would have had a realistic chance to attack him). With the might of Ineos behind him there’s every chance he will dominate for a decade now.

He’s 22, even younger than I thought!

Mark my words, he will win it ten times, at least (injuries and drug tests permitting).

To paraphrase a comment ion the Graun ...

" Is this the first TdF stage to be decided by Duckworth-Lewis?"

There was no stage winner with Bernal now in yellow & times taken from the top of  col d’Iseran. Bad luck for Pinot who was forced to retire with a leg injury. Bernal leads by 48s so the winner will be decided today.
While you would think the final mountain climb would suit Bernal, it aint over till its over.

I suspect the French will be disappointed with nobody even on the podium after all that... I predict Bernal-Kruijswijk-Thomas as the top three.

About time they dispensed with the procession into Paris and made it a time trial though. After 1989, why didn't they decide to do that every year? Just because the Frenchman lost?

Stage 20 tomorrow has been reduced to 25km of motorway, and the final climb - 30-odd km up Val Thorens.

Mudslides have closed the roads on the earlier mountain roads, so it seems likely that the only thing between Bernal and the win is a trip to hospital following a crash.

what a debacle to decide what was until last night a tantalising contest

Yeah, they should have reserve days rather than resorting to the Super Over

The contest’s effectively over in any case, but an unsatisfactory ending.

That was a gutsy ride by Nibali.

The top three are now as widely predicted; Alaphillipe has slipped to 5th. Richie Porte has slipped to eleventh and will likely finish there - at least he's finished this year.

All over bar the shouting then. Bernal came from nowhere to grab the yellow, helped by the two shortened stages. The only interest in the final stage is if Ewan can become the first sprinter to win three stages on debut.

Big Dog wrote:All over bar the shouting then. Bernal came from nowhere to grab the yellow, helped by the two shortened stages. The only interest in the final stage is if Ewan can become the first sprinter to win three stages on debut.

Yesssss

Nice!!!!!!

Colombia is going off over Bernal's TdF victory.

Even got into a major tourist attraction here in Cartagena (Castillo de San Felipe) for free after they threw the gates open in jubilation.

Sounds like a muggers picnic.