Monday, July 10, 2017

TDF 2017 Stage 9 - Uran Gets Some Satisfaction

With the first rest-day upon us, it's time to take stock of the race so far.

Rigoerto Uran - or the Uranator, as I like to call him - used to be the Next Big Thing a few years back. Since then, he's not really won a lot and it looked like his best career choice may have been as a Mick Jagger look alike. He raced smart and hard to take the toughest stage of the race so far, so well done and that.

As we continue, riders are dropping like flies. The highest profile casualties of Stage 9 were Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas, who both came down on descents yesterday. Worst off was Little Richard, who broke a collarbone and his pelvis - ouch!

As the rest-day news comes in, it looks like we'll also be saying goodbye to Gesink, Majka, Mori, Trentin, Renshaw, Konovalovas, Guarnieri, Delage, Demare, Van Emden and the younger and less popular Sagan, Juraj. If you've still got all your riders left you're doing better than me, with only one rider down and some good climbers, Barmbyworld were strongest on the stage.

TTITT are still ontop for now, but losing three riders in one day has not done their long-term prospects any favors. That lead of nearly 1000 points could take a while to overhaul though.


With the rest day done, they usually go for a sprint. Let me go and check. Yes, a sprint it should be. There's not many sprinters left apart Kittel though, so organizing the chase could be tricky with few teams motivated to work.

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1 comment:

  1. UnknownJuly 11, 2017 at 8:37 AM

    The wheels have most definitely come off my super team. It was fun while it lasted...but losing 2 GC hopes and a sprinter in 1 stage...I'm done for.

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