Tour Tendencies: Gaudu’s Massive Second?

Lower than two weeks away from the Tour de France begin in Bilbao, however with riders coming down from the latest drama (Gino Mäder’s tragic dying, Tour de Suisse, Dauphiné) and largely heading residence to combat for fancy nationwide flag jerseys, it’s a little bit of a lull earlier than the déluge of Tour media to start no later than subsequent Monday. To fill the time, let me toss out just a few subjects.

What Are You Gaunna Du?

Should you watched the Nextflix Tour de France: Au Coeur du Peloton (which doesn’t translate to “unchained”), then you definitely noticed how the present — notably a French manufacturing — hyped the efforts of David Gaudu of Groupama-FDJ to seize the third podium place in Paris final 12 months. You would possibly even have detected the absurd “drama” we had been handled to when Gaudu, who began the ultimate mountain stage of the Tour an nearly insurmountable 3:01 behind Geraint Thomas of INEOS for that third spot, raced again as much as catch Thomas earlier than the ultimate kilometer!! Thereby clinching his place… nonetheless 3:01 behind Thomas!! It was an expertise I’ll always remember, particularly after Gaudu blew a gasket within the time trial and shipped one other three minutes and would have been trying over his shoulder to see if his fourth place had been in jeopardy, had his closest pursuers not have been even worse towards the watch.

Photograph by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP through Getty Photographs

Anyway, whereas nearly nobody alive thinks Gaudu will discover some nine-to-eleven minutes the place he could make up his hole to the leaders, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, who’re two wholesome campaigns away from locking up these spots (in both order) once more, there’s a fairly entertaining query on the market as to who will be a part of the 2 latest winners on the rostrum in Paris this time. Significantly since a Frenchman is concerned, and the racing for third factor, not at all times de rigeur on the Tour, shall be very actual this time round.

By dint of fundamental math, Gaudu is available in because the presumptive favourite to ascend to the rostrum, becoming a member of Jicé Péraud and Romain Bardet on the twenty first century Legión d’Honneur — simply subtract the absent Thomas, who cashed in his chips on the Giro d’Italia, and the pathway is cleared for the brand new Better of the Relaxation. Gaudu, for his half, kinda-sorta appears to be like like he’s positioned to defend his place, though it’s not with out crimson flags. His efficiency on the Dauphiné was someplace between forgettable and alarming, particularly the time trial the place he once more shipped massive chunks of time to the favorites with a efficiency that foundered within the latter half of his stage effort.

However! Gaudu wasn’t any factor particular finally 12 months’s Dauphiné, coming in seventeenth, and insisting (with purpose) all through the Tour that he would peak late within the race. Furthermore, Gaudu is coming off his finest early season marketing campaign of his younger profession, coming second this spring at Paris-Good to Vingegaard and roughly repeating his efficiency (with native boys Landa and Izagirre sandwiching in there) on the Itzulia Basque Tour. So you may argue that he began off by reaching a brand new stage, then took a protracted break and was a bit sluggish coming again. I’d additionally throw on the market that this 12 months’s Tour has an absurdly low 22km of time trialling, only one stage in Week 3, nearly as if ASO went out of its strategy to decrease Gaudu’s weak point. They wouldn’t, would they?

Anyway, let’s do a fast handicapping of his threats to the third throne.

• Ben O’Connor — think about if a Frenchman had been booted off the rostrum by an Aussie… using for a French staff? Insert discontented murmurs. Anyway, O’Connor’s case is that he was simply third within the Dolphin race and 4th within the Tour two years in the past, however crashed out final 12 months earlier than we might see him and Gaudu face to face.
• Jai Hindley — Extra Aussies? Their two-year drought since Richie Porte’s third place looks like it won’t final for much longer. Hindley’s case is that he received a Giro, final time he went all in on a grand tour. That was really his first main goal since becoming a member of the robust Bora squad, and this 12 months’s Tour is the second. Having Sergio Higuita alongside seems like both robust help or a potential flip in management if the Colombian, nonetheless simply 25, makes the leap.

Photograph by Dario Belingheri/Getty Photographs

• Richard Carapaz — The Ecuadorian switched from INEOS to EF Training-EasyPost for a clearer shot at management, and the previous Giro winner will get his want this month. For a number of non-2020 years working Carapaz has made the rostrum in his largest grand tour goal, with a 3rd in Paris two years in the past, the final time INEOS allowed him to race the Tour. The one actual crimson flag is that, after successful the MercanTour Classique Alpes-Maritimes final month, he type of laid an egg on the Dauphiné, coming in near final within the remaining stage. Undecided what occurred there however no one is reporting something disastrous that I can see. Yearly we speak about how missed EF’s likelihood is, to the purpose the place you marvel what “missed” even means anymore.
• Somebody from INEOS — Take your decide. You could have a pure elite climber with just one grand tour success, if that’s what you name fifth within the Giro. You could have a former youngest-ever/first-ever Colombian winner of the Tour!! Whose profession went into abeyance after a horror coaching accident. You could have a 22-year-old Spaniard who simply took the very best younger rider honors on the Dauphiné — lately an indication of imminent greatness. So DaniMart, Egan or Carlos Rodriguez… who do you want?

Photograph by Dario Belingheri/Getty Photographs

• Enric Mas — Looks like a man on a profession trajectory which says he might make a Tour podium. Or he simply likes ending fifth and sixth exterior of the Vuelta, the place he has two second locations. fifth and sixth are his two latest Tour finishes, plus a DNF final 12 months. He’s additionally been fifth or sixth in all of his stage races main as much as the Dauphiné this 12 months. So do you imagine the stats or the inference from the Vuelta that he can do extra?
• Some Or Different Yates — Simon heads up the Jayco AlUla squad, the place they’ll hope he’ll buck his career-long pattern of not doing a lot on the Tour (versus the Vuelta which he received or the Giro which he narrowly missed out on). Alternatively, his twin brother Adam, who has just a few good Excursions on his resume, is plan B over at UAE, and will arguably sit within the wake of Pogačar’s awesomeness all the best way to the rostrum. That sounds unlikely however you by no means know.
• Mattias Skjelmose Jensen — Is it time to overreact to a 22-year-old securing the completely unreliable information level of a Tour de Suisse win? Why sure, sure it’s.

Photograph by Tim de Waele/Getty Photographs

What’s the Matti vs Wout Angle?

Ah sure, this once more. It’s been a pair months since we in contrast these two riders, which looks like an eternity so far as they’re involved. And I’ve some questions on how they’ll do on the Tour de France.

Two years in the past it was an epic showdown, and each riders got here away lined in glory (what else is new?). Mathieu van der Poel opened the scoring by exhibiting up in a first-class, all-time tribute package to his late grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, then went out and received stage two, taking the maillot jaune as Pou-pou was famously unable to do (rattling you Anquetil!), and turning into (unofficially) the primary rider of the 2021 Tour to shed tears. That was all very shifting, and the Dutchman held yellow all the best way to stage 7. Van Aert reasserted his place within the hierarchy, nonetheless, departing from his exemplary teamwork on behalf of Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard in time to win an Alps stage, a time trial, and the dash into Paris. These guys will not be regular, in any respect.

Photograph by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP through Getty Photographs

Final 12 months was all Van Aert — successful one other stage whereas in Yellow, a second stage decked out in inexperienced (which he would maintain), and a 3rd in his Belgian Nationwide Time Trial champions package, when Vingegaard sat up and let Van Aert’s main time get away within the remaining ITT. Van der Poel had no reply, dropping out of the Tour in week 2, along with his excuse being that he’d executed the Giro d’Italia, received the primary stage, held three management jerseys for a number of days, and took residence the general combativity award. Fairly weaksauce however what are you able to do? Anyway, he did launch a breakaway on the Col du Granon stage which drew out Van Aert, treating us all to the best ever two-man opening effort (proven above). Or coolest shortly.

Historical past tells us just a few issues: that these two will find yourself combating over one thing, that Van Aert is a large Tour presence although hindered (in case you can name it that) by his staff’s total aims, and that you must by no means wager towards a rested and motivated van der Poel in something lower than an alpine stage. Alpecin Deceuninck have Jasper Philipsen coming off two dash wins in final 12 months’s race and they’ll want van der Poel to play the dutiful teammate on bunch dash days, which he’s been training as not too long ago as Sunday on the Baloise Belgium Tour. So guessing at van der Poel’s plans proper now could be sophisticated. However the first two phases round Bilbao and San Sebastian, which comprise sufficient late climbing to place Van Aert within the factors jersey earlier than anybody else even has time to consider it… might nonetheless pit the 2 head-to-head, if vdP can handle to remain in touch with the climbers like Van Aert has mastered. From there it’s anybody’s guess how van der Poel will handle to crowd his means again onto Van Aert’s nook, however we must always see him attempt.

Jersey Specials Time!

Now that each sport all over the place has determined to maximise their cash seize from promoting third, fourth and seventh sports activities staff jersey variations, you possibly can count on this 12 months’s “OMG WE HAVE A SPECIAL TOUR JERSEY” extravaganza to be among the many most in depth to this point.

Bora Hansgrohe 10-year anniversary

Bora got here on as a sponsor to what had been the NetApp-Endura staff in 2014, simply in time for the Tour de France, so I suppose that is their tenth journey to l’Hexagone. I spent a number of style capital selling their present design as the very best they’ve had and even the very best of the very best in our 5 Incredible Fashions ballot… which went (disastrously) to EF and one among their extra garish numbers. Talking of whom, we’re all ready to see what pops from them any second now. Anyway, this isn’t an enchancment from Bora however I don’t object both.

DSM Very Minor Change

Workforce DSM are including circles! to their beforehand rectangular white chest patch on which you could find their title. Additionally appears to be like like some kind of web site. Not that their web site helps clarify any of it.

LIDL-Trek

Trek-Segafredo is about to grow to be Lidl-Trek as of the Tour, so they’re completely due for a brand new package, STAT… however nothing has been issued simply but.

Jumbo “Starry Sky Filled with Goals”

I don’t assume I might add something extra to this, besides to say that the constellations appear to be some kind of animal dealing with off with what appears to be like like a centaur. I hope to by no means see any of this in my desires.

Movistar “Iceberg”

A really clear, enticing search for the Spanish squad, which doubles as a reminder that we used to have much more icebergs. Talking of which…

Bahrain-Victorious “Pearl”

The Bahrainian squad are hearkening again to the outdated days when, as an alternative of promoting world-destroying petrochemicals (see Movistar jersey design), the locals received wealthy promoting valuable pearls for westerners to clutch in moments of perceived misery. Sadly, the brand new enterprise of promoting world-destroying petrochemicals (for individuals like me to burn in our automobiles, so yeah) inevitably leaks again on to the jersey, which highlights their newly branded sponsor, Bapco Energies. [Who can go fuck off. As can I and my car.]

Uno-X

Simply going principally crimson right here (from the earlier model that had a number of yellow) to honor new sponsor REMA 1000, a reduction grocery retailer again in Norway. Very old style transfer right here.

That’s all for now, however I’m relying on you high-quality people to alert us to any extra jerseys that get rolled out within the coming days. Thanks!