Not that it matters much in the context of the race, but Bernal has quit, and is also not in the Colombian team for the Worlds.
Cycling thread
- Thread starter Bruce Wayne
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Disgruntledgoat
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Ducking the press on the rest day when you've got the greatest scrutiny of your career on you and then pulling out your leader because he wont win is pretty poor all round.
Never been a huge fan of DB but he looks like a spoiled kid on this one. If Quintana and Pinot can haul themselves over the alps, why cant Bernal ?
The team has been weird all race. Sivakov and Carapaz dropped before the Colombier and then 2 and 4th on a stage a few days later having offered practically no help to Bernal. They've been off the pace for a good 18 months imo, and bar the Tour win last year did practically nothing. For a team of their budget, they've under-performed in a big way.
spectateur
Player Valuation: £30m
Bernal has been carrying an injury that seems to be getting worse. Reports that it's now affecting his knee.
Best to withdraw and get proper treatments before the damage becomes permanent.
spectateur
Player Valuation: £30m
Sivakof got quite badly hurt on the first day around Nice.
Carapaz sulking? He seemed to be going quite well yesterday. Outsmarted by the German lad.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
So has Pinot, so have loads of other riders in this tour and others. His injury was mysteriously stable until he cracked and lost an absolute packet and his head went after two weeks.
If that was the case? Why not sack it after losing however much on Sunday?
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
Played his hand too early, plus team duty for 2 weeks will have rinsed him sufficiently not to be able to raise it for attacks.
I would argue as well that training all year to ride tempo on the climbs isnt going to prepare you for responding to changes in tempo. It's a mad thing Ineos have done with him, but the same as they've done with riders like Porte, Roche etc etc for years. They've sacrificed their potential for a pay cheque.
spectateur
Player Valuation: £30m
We can only presume that they thought he might get over it with the rest day.
He obviously had given up in the head though.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
I think the loss of Portal and Ellingworth has really hit them. Brailsford seems to have burned his bridges with all the other coaches hes worked with also
Who is Froome's coach, btw?
Just seems weird that Sivakov has been threatening the Lantern Rouge more than the yellow jersey all race, and then the moment Bernal is out of contention, he's up the front going for stage wins. Ditto Carapaz. For a rider of his calibre, he's too often been dropped before the likes of Kwia, yet shows himself when he gets to ride for himself.
Jumbo have mainly been riding at tempo though, it's just that Bernal and Carapaz haven't been able to match that tempo.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
I think Sivakov has genuinely been suffering. He was good at the Dauphine and has been absolute dreck for the whole Tour. Amador is another for me, not good enough.
Ineos have wasted so much energy, though. Trying to go up against Jumbo last week when they didn't have to... there was a moment last week where Carapaz tried to up the tempo and Dumoulin just sidled up to him, gave him a proper look and cranked it a little more.
I repeat, Van Aert sitting next to Carapaz for 15km after he got dropped was utterly ruthless. Cold blooded
Sivakov I can accept, but as you say, Amador and Carapaz have been well off the pace. They've been completely outshone by Jumbo in every element. I'm not at all convinced that Froome will get back to any kind of level either as he's not really showing any sign of improvement. 91st he finished in Tirreno, and wasn't even any good in the TT. Geoghan Hart was also way off the pace in 30th, which is an awful result for a guy who had genuine GC intentions last year. Something has gone wrong with them.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
The message you send to the people who've worked their tails off for Bernal by pulling him out as well... "thanks lads, but I need to protect this asset for next year. You lot carry on and do... whatever, I guess."
It's been evident throughout the Brailsford era tbh, especially with the classics, but also any Grand Tour that Froome wasn't in. They were very much an afterthought.
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