🦺 Safe passage through stage 16 at #TDF2024 Some good teamwork saw the Grenadiers navigate the tricky finale. Tomorrow? Back to the ⛰️!
Geraint Thomas on Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard's Plateau de Beille performance: "I've heard the numbers. It's just bonkers"
CyclingThursday, 18 July 2024 at 11:37
Stage 15 of the Tour de France has seen climbing performances unlike any other in the history of the sport. After 200 kilometers and almost 5000 meters of climbing, Tadej Pogacar climbed Plateau de Beille at almost 7W/Kg and over three and a half minutes faster than Marco Pantani's previous record of 1998. He, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel have done career-best performances in this ascent, which has blown Geraint Thomas.
The Welshman has tested positive for Covid-19 a few days ago, and has since been in the back of the peloton trying to recover and improve as fast as possible. "They (the last days, ed.) were ok. I was expecting them to be worse, but I was able to choose when to get dropped really and get to the points where I had to in order to survive as best as possible," Thomas told Cyclingnews at the start of stage 16. "But it's hard on the head because I didn't come here just to survive. I wanted to at least race on the front, do my bit for Carlos [Rodríguez] and try to go for a stage. It's been tough going but I'm still in it, so I'll see what the next week holds."
One thing is for sure, INEOS will not risk having Thomas work for Rodríguez whilst Thomas is symptomatic, so as to not risk infecting the leader they have been working for for weeks. Thomas entered the Tour with some good form but hasn't been able to improve on it. He is far from the level he reached at the Giro d'Italia where he finished on the podium, but even his best performance there would be nowhere within reach of what the main favourites have done this Sunday.
"I didn't actually watch the highlights, but I've heard the numbers. It's just bonkers, really," Thomas said of the power output estimates that according to Jonas Vingegaard, were very accurate. "But what can you say, really? It's just unbelievable. The team he has around him as well…. Obviously, Jonas isn't 100% but it's going to be an exciting final week. It's unbelievable what he's done this weekend. Fair play to them."
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- If Valentino Rossi could never win during his period of dominance, and massive personality, then Pogacar not winning isn't a massive surprise. Cycling isn't a Premier League global sport......only one event reaches the mainstream every year - and that's not good enough.wipperman9519-12-2024
- I don't think it's only a British thing; the biggest talents aren't usually drawn to CX. Where are all the top Italian, French, Spanish, Slovenian CX riders? Apart from Belgium, and Netherlands, it's not really a target for up and coming cyclists - as there's no career unless you move to Belgium. Other countries can't support a proper professional series, like an international sport should be able to do. Lets not forget, since 2016, British riders have won plenty of World championships; with Pidcock, Richards, Tulett & Backstedt all winning more than one..... And, there was a time when Belgium didn't rule the roost in CX; that was Switzerland, but since the advent of XC MTB, their top off-road talents race there instead of CX - and the 2nd raters not good enough for XC MTB, race CX.wipperman9519-12-2024
- "25-34 are only 13% of USA Cyclings membership" Wow. I own a bike shop, and that number comports both with what I see in the business as well as on the road and trails, but it's somehow hugely demoralizing to see it quantified. Thirteen percent?verve82519-12-2024
- What super dutch talent are we talking about?awp18-12-2024
- Yes, 25-34 are only 13% of USA Cyclings membership.awp18-12-2024
- I will take the old days when you could track your teams across 8 years. Can't imagine a new fan finding it easy.Sweep18-12-2024
- Pick better parents and/or better doping agents.
ChoppyWarburton18-12-2024 - The bike industry situation is the same as the future Dutch talent pool discussion , it’s a fakely perceived problem due to an exceptional period that’s come to an end.Mistermaumau18-12-2024
- It's all a part of the fun. Sometimes it takes a few races before you can tell who's who and what's going on.
santiagobenites18-12-2024 - Every year cycling teams force their fans to memorize the jersey colors of all the teams so you can tell which team is doing what in a race. Not like normal sports where the jersey's and numbers mostly stay the same year after year.Sweep18-12-2024