Julian A and Tony M off the front. photo credit AFP
Forget the skinny climbers for a moment. Let’s talk about these two on Stage 16 and appreciate just why they are the professionals and we are not. Young Alaphilippe has already proven himself to be a monster in his Tour debut. If not for a jammed chain on the final descent of stage 15 he might have won his first Tour stage. The dude can climb and descend, like a bastard. And how is he even still in the Tour after this?
Really?
So he shakes that off, nearly wins an incredibly hard stage 15 then rides off the front with teammate Tony Martin early in stage 16. Normally a two person break will be held at four or five minutes, the peloton will break out the picnic baskets and the sprinters will nap until the finale. But no, Tony Martin can ride at over 48 kph for hours, by himself, on a road bike. Alaphilippe did the occasional pull on the front, to save face, but this was the Tony Show.
I dare any civilian to get their bikes up to that speed, grab a handful of ghost spinaci bars, settle in and do that for two minutes. I’m much more impressed by this than Froome’s climbing ability, but I tend toward the rouleurs anyway.
Was it another pointless breakaway? By the time the peloton finally sped by Alaphilippe then Martin it seemed like it but maybe that doesn’t matter. Maybe getting off the front and putting everyone else in the hurt locker for a few hours is reason enough.
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Kid's an animal, no doubt. I've been a big fan of his since watching him in the Tour of California last year. Looks the business in a Cap too.
They put the entire field in the hurt locker. The times on this stage were absurd. 200km at an average of nearly 44kmh for 4 and 1/2 hours. Mere mortals cannot accomplish this.
"Hey kid, fancy going hell for fucking leather for hours to no real end?"
"Sure?"
"Oh, you can pace me up climbs if you want. I see you brought your climbing bike. And a vented helmet. Cute. Tuck in"
Race organisers were quite right to award joint combativity. Tony's a ridiculous machine, you've got to be crazy to go with him on a day like that. Most of the peloton would not be able to hold his wheel all day when he's in that mood. Though I'm sort of glad they were caught well before the finale. Couldn't handle him being caught 7m from the line again
"but I tend toward the roulers"
Roulers is a nice little flemish town, but i think you meant rouleurs, no? ;)
And yes, i prefer the big boys too...but il prefer classics over tours anyway. Damn this tour de france is boring.
I did wonder why. I guess the answer is 'just because'.
You know it's not a great Tour when Froome is the only gc guy doing anything memorable and the best stages have been the flat bunch sprint ones.
some thoughts:
Bauke Mollema: hiding behind froome and waiting for him to get run over by a moto before you ride away is not a legit strategy, my man.
Nairo Quintana: Blaming Tour organizers for wind makes you look like an idiot. So does holding on to a Mavic neutral service moto for a tow up a climb when you're supposed to be a team leader...and then having a fan post video of the offense on youtube.....double idiot.
When does the Vuelta start?
JA and TM wear white socks. Mystery solved.
@litvi
Fucking genius,
@LeBelge
@&%!?*&!! FFS! Is my spell check worth anything? No! How many f'ing times have I typed that word correctly versus incorrectly. I prefer one day races too. There is a lot of riding going on in these Tours. Damned if I don't watch it too,
@Al__S
Christian VDV was saying Julien was getting a free ride...I don't think so. Staying on Tony's wheel is work, draft or no draft. Maybe sitting in on the peloton at the back is a free ride but not one guy, especially him. They must have had some laughs back at the bus.
Also, Marcel Kittel went by T. Martin towards the finale, I wonder if Marcel cursed him for ruining his day.