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Wednesday 23: 13:35β13:50 β 17:10β17:30
We are going up the Rhone valley, for what is normally a sprinter stage (a short sprinter stage). However the course is not direct, a few hills were added, and tired sprinters like Milan seem to have been struggling a lot even on flat-ish sections during the last few days. So, who knows if a large group cannot get away again? Last chance before 2 days of pure mountain, for sprinters and flat/flat-ish breakaways specialists.
Just a breakaway of 4 and Lidl-Trek + Soudal-QS controlling the gap around 2β²45β3β². Laurence from InΓ©os would have liked to join but the four didn't wait for him.
There was some action in the first climb, 95 km from the goal. The attackers/front came close to the breakaway (less than 30 seconds) and Milan was dropped. But the efforts at the front were not pursued long enough.
In the second climb, Van Aert attacked, he quickly reduced the gap from 1 mn or so to 20-25 seconds, but after the climb he lost ground little by little and returned to the peloton after a few miles.
Random falls happened at the back of the peloton along the course. Until the big crash under the flamme rouge which stopped almost all the riders. Amongst others, Girmay hit the deck.
Only 7 sprinters took part in the sprint. PenhoΓ«t (π«π· FDJ) started the sprint sheltered in 7^th^ position, and finished in 7^th^ position... π
Off topic but I have a general question- why has Visma not been able to do anything to UAE? Is Tadej and his team that much better? Was Visma's plan with Vingo just not good enough?
Trying to understand more fully why Tadej seems to be running away with it. Anytime Jonas has like any semblance of an opening Tadej sticks to his wheel and then sprints past him for the finish anyhow. Not like I've seen in past tours.
I found neither Visma nor UAE teams very strong on this Tour; and lieutenants are out of shape (Jorgenson, Kuss) or simply out (Almeida), therefore out of the equation. Therefore, it resolves to 1 leader vs 1 leader. And as you say, since Pogatchar always manages to stick to Vingegaard, no sophisticated tactics can do a thing about it.