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“Yesterday and on Superbangers (pardon my atrocious french spelling) Tadej Pogacar was favoured to win the stage,” writes Mark from Florida. “But he didn’t even try to - why? Is he afraid of being too tired on later stages? Is he afraid of blowing up on a climb and losing the tour? Is he afraid of being considered greedy?”
As far as I could see yesterday, it just so happened that the breakaway was a bit too far ahead. Pogacar had the legs to accelerate away from Vingegaard in the final metres, so safe to say he would have won the stage had they caught the break. But in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter for him, yesterday was about protecting the GC lead first and foremost. I don’t think Pogacar is shy of going for as many stage wins as possible, either.
As if by magic, an electronic mail message drops into my inbox.
“Not sure anything could rival yesterday TBH,” writes Jem. “A day of proper racing, great win for Paret-Peintre, so close for Ben Healey and masterful from Pogi – fair play to Vingegaard as well for having a go.
“For today, at least I don’t have to feel embarrassed by watching blokes go up a mountain at similar speeds to those I plod round reasonably flat country lanes at. Instead, I just have to watch blokes going along reasonably flat French country lanes at speeds I rarely reach even going downhill!
“Really enjoying this year’s race – a win for Bini would do me today so fingers crossed for him.”
You can send me your opinions, thoughts, predictions and the like on email. Don’t be shy.
Yesterday, of course, was a dust-up between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard on the punishing slopes of Mont Ventoux. I didn’t see the full stage, just the highlights, but I don’t believe Pogacar was ever in serious trouble, despite Visma-Lease A Bike throwing the kitchen sink at him and his team. Read Jeremy Whittle’s report right here:
The official Tour de France withdrawals page is a handy resource. Mathieu van der Poel abandoned yesterday due to pneumonia, just in case you missed it.
William Fotheringham
William Fotheringham’s pre-race assessment of today’s route:
Stage 17, Wednesday 23 July: Bollène to Valence, 161km
Potentially a bunch sprint, the last of the Tour, but teams with a sprinter who can climb – think Intermarché with Girmay for example – will try and burn off the slightly heavier brethren such as Merlier on the drag to the Col de Pertuis after 66km, particularly if the green jersey is in play; here’s a chance to gain valuable points. It will all hang on wind direction, morale and the peloton’s dwindling reserves of strength.
Preamble
Welcome to Wednesday’s Tour de France entertainment, AKA Fast and Furious Part 17. At 161km this is the third-shortest stage of the final week, and the lack of significant climbing will see the sprinters’ teams attempting to set things up for a bunch kick in Valence. Unusually Sunday’s stage in Paris looks highly unlikely to finish in a sprint, due to three late ascents of the Butte Montmartre, so the points classification contenders will go all-in today for what should be their last chance of a stage win.
So it promises to be another insanely fast day, with plenty of interested parties as the peloton heads north, out of the Rhône Valley, through the Drôme and in the general direction of Lyon. There are two category-four climbs: the Col du Pertuis, after 66.3km, and the Col de Tartaiguille, coming after 117km of racing. The day’s intermediate sprint arrives after 47.9km, at Roche-Saint-Secret-Béconne, guaranteeing a flat-out start, continuing on to a flat-out middle and finish.
The fastest projected time schedule has the peloton roaring into Valence to wrap things up at 17.10 local time (16.10 UK) – it would be no surprise to see another full-on day finish before that.
Stage stage time: 13.50 CET / 12.50 BST
