Oh, and Steve Porino said something about stripping the riders of their points if the failed to meet the time limit, but the organizers would let them stay in the race.
Bob Rolle made it sound like the entire peloton was behind the time limit, but as they came in there was a clock counting down… not up. So I assume that was the time limit and they all ended up beating it despite being more than 30 minutes behind.
The official site still lists Cav as the maillot verde so I assume he wasn’t stripped of anything.
Does anyone know the actual formula for computing the time limit? It sounds absurdly complicated, but being a I’m naturally curious.
Quintana had surgery on both knees last October so may still be coming back up to his old level. He’s still only 31 so hopefully still has two or three good years left in him. He’s been a favorite of mine since he did so well at a young age and it’s a mystery why he peaked so early (in his mid-20s) but couldn’t maintain it.
Yeah, he was Best Young Rider the year he finished the tour in second place. (2015 maybe? Too lazy to check.)
I didn’t know that about the knee surgery. That’s interesting.
I wonder about these rich athletes from relatively poor countries… where do they go for these surgeries? Columbia, where he’s from? He rode for Movistar for a long time, which is a Spanish team, so… Spain? Or if the surgery was after he switched to Arkea then France? Pony up the US where the surgeons are astronomically expensive, but you may score a better surgeon?
I’m guessing they have better knowledge than a rich rider from a poor country.
And if not, the “rich” part solves one issue, but could create more options, causing more indecisiveness.
That was just mean making them do that hill twice. The top looked really steep! Kudos to Wout for somehow keeping it together at the end of the climb. Looked like he was struggling a bit.
My favorite YouTube analysis for TDF is Lanterne Rouge. Special mention though for today’s Chris Horner Butterfly Effect was very interesting about the DCQ team not being smart today on the flat stage.
Not gonna lie, the middle TDF stages were mega boring following Mt. Ventoux. It’s nice the Cav tied the record, but I can’t think of a single sprinter now who is left who could actually beat him in a sprint except maybe his own leadout man.
Hopefully the rest of the Pyrenees stages will be exciting.
I’m naturally curious.