# TdF2019
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [July 6, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627 "2019-07-06T15:38:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/81 "2019-07-28T20:02:02Z")
OTA = over the air (I don’t have cable).
Brian
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/82 "2019-07-29T11:48:35Z")
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7TwTiW5HG4)
We come on the screen at 9:00, pounding on the barricades at the transition between the yellow Continental and whtle E.Leclerc signs. Those are my wife’s hands under the NBC logo, wearing grey gloves, red shirt with a king of the hill polka dot jersey on top of it. You can see us in shots for the next 30 seconds or so, especially as Bernal is coming to the finish line.
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### Author:  [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/83 "2019-07-29T12:05:29Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#):
>
> Bernal’s ride yesterday was fine. In his position, riding defensively was absolutely the correct tactical call. He didn’t need to attack - he just needed to respond to attacks by Alaphilippe, Kruijswijk, or Buchman. Alaphilippe didn’t have any gas left in the tank, and Buchman was in “just happy to be in the top 5” mode. That leaves Kruijswijk, and Jumbo Visma looked like it was going to try something. George Bennett had an absolutely monster ride, and de Plus did very well too. And when de Plus pulled off, Kruijswijk should have attacked. But he didn’t. Maybe he was just on his limit, but honestly I can’t remember a single attack by him for the entire race. I think realistically he didn’t have any chance of putting enough time into Bernal for it to matter, but he didn’t even try to pick up the dozen or so seconds it would have taken to pass G for second. So it would seem the only point of Jumbo Visma drilling it at the front of the peleton was to officially bury Alaphilippe. Riding for 3rd just isn’t very exciting. That said, Jumbo Visma’s tour was pretty damn impressive, with 3 stage wins and a podium.
It was 4 stage wins (team time trial and 3 sprint stages). I also think you’re a bit hard on Jumbo (where it was De Plus with the monster ride and Bennett doing the best he could after a couple of crashes). Ineos still had Poels there to bring back any attack on Thomas and Bernal, just like he did the previous day when Kruiswerk attacked at half power (because he was saving energy for the last climb that never happened). Neither Bernal, nor Thomas showed any signs of weakness during that stage and Buchman had been “like a shadow” thoughout the mountain stages according to Kruiswijk. The main goal was to finish off Alaphilipe, and get a podium and not yet another 4th place for Kruiswijk.
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### Author:  [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/84 "2019-07-29T13:16:44Z")
Just a quick note to say thanks to everyone in this thread for the commentary, I don’t follow cycling closely enough to enjoy/appreciate the racing but I really enjoy following it through this thread.
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### Author:  [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/85 "2019-07-29T13:35:10Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#):
>
> It was 4 stage wins (team time trial and 3 sprint stages). I also think you’re a bit hard on Jumbo (where it was De Plus with the monster ride and Bennett doing the best he could after a couple of crashes). Ineos still had Poels there to bring back any attack on Thomas and Bernal, just like he did the previous day when Kruiswerk attacked at half power (because he was saving energy for the last climb that never happened). Neither Bernal, nor Thomas showed any signs of weakness during that stage and Buchman had been “like a shadow” thoughout the mountain stages according to Kruiswijk. The main goal was to finish off Alaphilipe, and get a podium and not yet another 4th place for Kruiswijk.
Oops. Forgot about Wout’s win. And yeah, I’m being a bit hard on them, but I’d just really like to see a competitive Tour. If one takes Alaphilippe’s alpine time losses to be inevitable, then the only person who actually contested an Ineos win was Thibault Pinot. Nobody else within shouting distance in the GC made a single real attack in the mountains. Seeing Kruijswijk’s comments after the finish, I think I’ve underestimated how much being on the podium meant to him. I can’t really fault him for that, given his history at grand tour. But goddamit, I really want to see some other team win this race once or twice a decade.
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/86 "2019-07-29T16:23:11Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#):
>
> But goddamit, I really want to see some other team win this race once or twice a decade.
InEOS has never won before and won it their first year in the tour with two podium spots. Honestly, quit your carping. 😉
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/87 "2019-07-29T17:43:46Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#):
>
> InEOS has never won before and won it their first year in the tour with two podium spots. Honestly, quit your carping. 😉
We were staying at the same hotel as team InEOS after stage 20 and several of the crew were wearing Sky branded gear.
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/88 "2019-07-29T19:03:53Z")
I don’t blame them. Much nicer looking kit than InEOS.
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### Author:  [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/89 "2019-07-29T19:12:40Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#):
>
> InEOS has never won before and won it their first year in the tour with two podium spots. Honestly, quit your carping. 😉
Next you’ll be telling me that Indurain didn’t ride for the same team as Valverde, or that Jumbo Visma isn’t Rabobank. 😛
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2019/836627/90 "2019-07-29T19:21:59Z")
Don’t say nothin’ bout Valverde. He’s a team of ONE.
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