Yes and so did I ! Thomas showed everyone today that he is a force to be reckoned with as he displayed the form which enabled him to win the Tour De France last year ! The race has a long way to go yet so nobody is counting Bernal out but this stage sure showed off Thomas’s form. I really don’t understand how the final climb is ONLY a cat 1 !
Nothing boring about today’s stage! Thomas De Gendt went out in an early break and held off both Julian Alaphilippe and Thibaut Pinot by a scant 6 seconds. Alaphilippe goes back into the overall leaders yellow Jersey ! The other huge development was a fall by last year’s Champ Thomas Geraint.
He was brought back to the peloton but Team Ineos was out of position to respond to the attack by Pinot and Alaphilippe. As a result both Thomas and Bernal trail the yellow Jersey by over a minute. I will comment later on how I feel this will change the odds to win the Tour but it’s still a wide open Tour.
He was brought back to the peloton but Team Ineos was out of position to respond to the attack by Pinot and Alaphilippe. As a result both Thomas and Bernal trail the yellow Jersey by over a minute. I will comment later on how I feel this will change the odds to win the Tour but it’s still a wide open Tour.
Daryl Impey edges Tiesj to win stage 9. The leading GC contenders took a day off so no change in yellow Jersey race. I’ll post more later regarding updated odds as we look forward to one more stage tomorrow before a rest day and then the real race starts as the Alps and Pyrenees await !
Well I find the odds to win the Tour De France to actually be a little surprisingly! Geraint Thomas is a -105 favorite to win it. Also anyone else is listed as -115 ! Beings that he’s over a minute behind the leader and only 4 seconds ahead of the prerace favorite Egan Bernal, I kinda think the anyone else at -115 has good value. Lots of racing ahead and Thomas has already been involved in 2 spills. This wager was at 5 dimes just now.
Well today was a total shocker day ! In what was considered a flat day to be won by the sprinters, all hell broke loose ! The sprinters did win the stage as expected as Wout Van Aert won in a photo finish. However the huge development was what happened in the main GC race! Apparently a roundabout was the catalyst for a split in the peloton as Team Ineos took the correct shorter side and a sizable amount of GC contenders took the longer side ! The result was huge as the chase group containing some key contenders who were unable to catch the leading group ! They lost a ton of time which resulted in Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal moving up to 2 nd and 3 rd place in yellow Jersey race. With a rest day tomorrow and the key mountain stages coming next, there’s no doubt that Thomas and Bernal of Team Ineos are back as Tour favorites ! Thomas is very good In the last individual time trial so he’s really in the drivers seat! Nobody expected what happened today so this might turn out to be the day that actually decided the Tour. We shall see as the Alps and the Pyrenees haven’t spoken yet ! GL
Today is a rest day ! The latest show Geraint Thomas is -145 at 5 dimes. Egan Bernal is +345. The next closest is +1200 which tells me that nobody expects anyone to challenge the two Ineos so called co-leaders ! However I’m becoming more convinced that Egan Bernal is content to help Thomas win this year’s Tour ! He was up front helping on yesterday’s escape and of course Thomas will smoke Bernal in Time Trial still ahead. The only way Bernal will be free to go off on his own would be IF Thomas should fall or falter in the mountains! It should be recalled that Bernal did not go back when Thomas fell a few days back as Team Ineos chose to keep Bernal up front.
As predicted for a change, today was a day for the sprinters. Caleb Ewan won today’s stage in an photo finish. 11 stages so far and 11 different winners !
No change in the GC race as tomorrow’s journey into the mountains lies directly ahead and the real action begins in earnest !
No change in the GC race as tomorrow’s journey into the mountains lies directly ahead and the real action begins in earnest !
Tomorrow’s stage will be the start of the real battle ! After a mild beginning, the Pyrenees will come into focus. I think the stage could easily be won by a breakaway rider as the stage is Not A summit finish but rather a steep and long descent. I think the main yellow Jersey contenders from Ineos are worried about The descending prowess of GC leader Julian Alaphilippe! Should be a very tense stage for Thomas and Bernal as they don’t want to lose any seconds to the Tour’s front runner. GL
Today’s stage went pretty much as I predicted. A large breakaway group was allowed a big lead by peleton group containing the main GC contenders. The leaders were content to have a rather relaxed climb in advance of foreseeing the upcoming next 3 stages ! By Sunday we will know perhaps who will win this year’s Tour as these 3 stages are all critical! Today’s stage was won by Simon Yates. Now 12 stages and 12 different winners which is rather unusual. I’ll post more later and make my choice of who will win tomorrow’s individual Time Trial. GL
As someone who admittedly does not understand the inner workings of the tour, I would love an exclamation as to why Thomas is still -175, Bernal +350 And everyone else is at least 12/1.
I am assuming at some point coming up here shortly there will be a stage or a time trial that will separate those two from the field?
I am assuming at some point coming up here shortly there will be a stage or a time trial that will separate those two from the field?
Welcome back as I missed your imput! In regards to present odds, it may indeed seem ridiculous but it’s not that far off. I’ve been wagering on the Tour for close to 15 years going back to Lance Armstrong days. You will not have to wait long to understand why Thomas is a favorite over Bernal. Tomorrow’s time trial baring sometime unexpected happening will almost certainly show Thomas gaining time on all the CG contenders. Secondly Thomas is the defending champion and has been participating in the Tour for many years now. Thirdly in the steepest 24 ascent I’ve ever can recall, Thomas was easily passing the present leader Alaphilippe and Bernal in the final climb ! I expect both Thomas and Bernal to catch Alaphilippe by the end of the next 3 stages ! We shall see soon but don’t miss the next 3 days ! GL
I’m going to go out on a limb just a bit and pick Geraint Thomas to win tomorrow’s stage 13 Time Trial. He’s not the favorite but I got +310 at 5 dimes.
He gets the advantage of starting second to last which means he will know who he has to beat and and will get updates at different time checks. Also he needs to go all out to make up a deficit to Race leader Alaphilippe who will start last. It should be interesting! GL
He gets the advantage of starting second to last which means he will know who he has to beat and and will get updates at different time checks. Also he needs to go all out to make up a deficit to Race leader Alaphilippe who will start last. It should be interesting! GL
