pstock

Where can one find decent analysis (or even discussion) of each stage of the 2023 Tour?
the NYTimes is a full two days behind.
L'Equipe is paywalled.

Why did UAE send Adam Yates out front in the last 2 kms today?
I'm just don't understand the tactic.

spdntrxi

LR. lantern rouge

tFUnK

I don't know about recaps in print but there's plenty on YouTube to watch. I like Chris Horner, Lantern Rouge, JB2, and Phil Gaimon.

tFUnK

My speculation as I was watching: maybe to draw an attack from Vingegaard to set up a counter attack from Pogacar, or maybe to get two guys up the road to pace Pogacar to the finish if Pogacar was able to get a gap on Vingegaard (but he was not).

Aardwolf

I like the ITV4 (free UK TV station) coverage.
Commentators are Gary Imlach, David Millar + Daniel Friebe and Matt Rendell.
Currently supported by Ellen van Dijk (30 weeks pregnant).

They actually work out the team tactics on the fly (live coverage) and it's really interesting.

Apparently a VPN will let you want it for free, catch up at ITVX https://www.itv.com/watch/tour-de-france/34067

badger1

As suggested earlier, lanterne rouge; also, Inner Ring (inrg.com). Cycling News (paywalled) is ok if you can be arsed to subscribe.

pstock

Just watched a couple of Phil Gaimon commentary videos. He's excellent. They are intelligent, tightly edited, and brisk.
and so far, there are no delay ads. [ CORRECTION. on his own site there are no popup ads but on Youtube there are.]
good tip.
(though he didn't comment on why Adam Yates was sent up front.)
Peter

Iride01 

Possibly to see if Jonas would chase and waste his energy leaving Tadej to get behind Jonas. Tadej likes to be behind his quarry because he has a explosive sprint on climbs when he can surprise them and be at some speed before they know what he's doing. However yesterday he seemed tired to me. He wasn't able to maintain his acceleration for very long at all. Jonas seemed to be having a better day on that climb.

If Tadej could have gapped Jonas, then having a teammate up there to pace him would have been a help even at the slow speeds of the climb. But as it played out, I think in essence it was a last ditch hope that they'd pull it off because Tadej was aware he didn't have the legs and was hoping Jonas had worse legs.

However other reasons are plausible too. What would you have done?

You can always ask in the Professional Cycling For the Fans sub-forum to get some opinions from them. But remember, no spoilers! Especially in the title of your thread.

PeteHski

GTCC (Geraint Thomas Cycling Club) daily podcasts are following the Tour.

GCN/Eurosport Breakaway for stage analysis.

pstock

though why would Jonas chase Yates, who is not a serious threat in the GC?

What would I have done?
I have no clue.
I think I understand most of the classic tactics but these are very strange situations that seem to have a lot of people scratching their heads.

PeteHski

I think the plan was for Pog to try and jump the gap to Yates and then get paced to the line gaining further time with Jonas left on his own. But It didn’t work. Jonas was too strong.

He let Yates go ahead first because he knew Jonas would not chase him. Pog was basically feeling confident and hoping Jonas would crack. In hindsight he would have been better off keeping Yates with him and going for a smaller jump nearer the finish. He probably would have gained a few seconds that way instead of nothing. But he took the risk for a potentially much bigger gain. If Jonas had blown up he could have taken a minute over the last couple of a km.

Maelochs

I finally got to watch this stage and I don't see any real mystery.

Yates is fourth in GC behind Rodriguez of Ineos, and Rodriguez had dropped off the back of the yellow-jersey peloton in which Yates, Pogacer, and Vingegaard were riding.

Yates, Pogacer's last lieutenant, put in a slow acceleration halfway up the last climb, which shook off all the rest of the contenders save Vingegaard. Yate's lifting the pace made it certain that Pogacer would have only Vingegaard to compete with in the closing kilometer--no one else would be making moves and possibly hindering Pogacer's plans.

Since Pogacer and Vingegaard were marking each other, Yates had a chance to take off up the road to try to get the 37 seconds he lacked to knock Rodriguez off the podium. In the TdF, podium positions are a big deal ... even a top-ten finish is a big thing for a rider and his team.

For UAE, it made perfect sense to have Yates race for third place---he had already done his job to isolate Vingegaard against Pogacer, and also, Marc Soler was up the road to help out if needed. UAE has pretty much the perfect situation---Vingo all alone, with Pogacer and two team mates---there was no reason for Yates Not to go, to bring himself and the team a little added glory.

In the end Rodriguez fought back and only lost about 20 seconds, I think, but still, that puts Yates that much closer to a TdF podium position in paris.

tFUnK

At first when it happened I thought it might have been a move for Yates to gain time in the top 5, but it seemed like he got up to Soler and waited (TV doesn't really show this) so I think it was a move to pace Pogacar if he was able to get a gap on Vingegaard but he wasn't.

If Yates didn't wait then he could have gained some good time on GC but that's not their priority.

In hindsight it was probably a missed opportunity for Jonas to attack but I guess in the moment he was afraid of a counter attack from Pogacar.

PeteHski

This is exactly what Geraint Thomas was thinking too. Even though Yates is a strong podium contender, UAE are 100% committed to Pog winning and so Yates will be chained to Pog right through to the bitter end. Especially as the GC is so finely balanced. GT was saying that this situation will make it very hard for Yates to get on the podium with the other podium contenders more free to race. Yates is going to have to turn himself inside out for Pog while Bora and Ineos target the podium with their 2 guys, as that is the best result they can possibly achieve. UAE on the other hand are not going to be consoled by Yates getting on the podium if Pog loses the race to Jonas by a handful of seconds! They would take a Pog win and Yates narrowly missing the podium every time.

Maelochs

I agree ... but in this situation ... It looked to me, an ignorant observer, that Yates was losing steam and stopped when he reached Soler to let Soler pull. Otherwise, why let Yates leave Pogacer at all? Yates had been pacing Pogacer for a few kilometers already ... sending him ahead didn't have any benefit, particularly because Soler was already there, out ahead .... if Yates burned out (as apparently he did) going up to Soler, he would be less able to help Pogacer ... and if he just set a pace which Pogacer could hold (which he had been doing) he wasn't helping Pogacer any more by hanging there .... basically Yates had done all he could do for Pogacer. It was down to which of the top two had the legs on the day. Yates was no longer much a part of the equation ... IMO.

I agree, UAE would be happy if the whole team dropped out, so long as Pogacer won in GC. However .... in this situation, where Yates was not absolutely needed in the final km .....

Maelochs

Oh, I am sorry, you wanted Intelligent analysis .....

I will shut up then.

Maelochs

I would ask the question to one of the website mentioned above .... or the commentators at NBC or the World Feed (@antmccrossan on Twitter.) Maybe one of the reporters could ask someone from the team?

Jughed

Only thing I can think of - Yates could move up in the standings. Raise the team rank, more money for the team (not that they need it).

Pogs was going to blow by him no matter what he did, and he did. Pogs and Ving dropped everyone like a hot rock when they decided to go - I can only imagine the move was to benifit Yates, Pogs was going to sprint full gas and drafting or "help" dosen't matter when you are the fastest guy in that situation.

zionwright

nice info

PeteHski

The pundits view (and mine) was that Pog was feeling strong and wanted to use his explosive kick to gap Jonas with a few km to go. If he could have gapped across to Yates and Soler, while dropping Jonas, then they could have pulled him to the line, potentially taking more time from Jonas riding on his own. Basically a reversal of what Jumbo tried on an earlier stage with Van Aert up the road - which also failed.

The conservative approach would have been to ride with Yates and Jonas then try to take a gap in the last 500 m. But he knew that would only gain a handful of seconds at best. Although it would have been more likely to work with Pog's sprint power.

pstock

Ahhah. That's where this question belonged.
I looked for a subforum like that but couldn't find it.

scott967

Chris Horner "butterfly effect" on YT

scott s.
.

trashbiker

The way Horner pronounces things is so funny.

Maelochs

I have a lot of respect for you .... and not a ton for some of the "pundits."

rsbob 

Like his favorite phrase, “knuckle heads”? 😁