Ineos’ best start to a Tour de France yet: Daily News Digest
Welcome to your Daily News Digest. Here’s what’s happening today:
Ineos is perfectly placed going into week two of the Tour de France. Julian Alaphilippe already sees his Tour at a success (and rightly so). Warren Barguil apologises for Mikel Landa’s crash. Those stories and more in today’s Daily News Digest.
Story of the day: Ineos perfectly placed ahead of the Pyrenees
For all the talk of this year’s Tour de France being the most open in years, it sure looks like we’re headed for another Ineos/Sky victory. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) leads the race, but defending champion Geraint Thomas and his teammate Egan Bernal are a little over a minute behind, in second and third, waiting for Alaphilippe to crack. In short, the British squad is perfectly placed after 10 days of racing.
“Without a shadow of a doubt this is the most positive start we have ever had, a dramatic change from last year,” said team manager Dave Brailsford during Tuesday’s first rest day.
Thomas, too, is satisfied with the team’s position.
“It’s been a great 10 days, and would have been even better if we were just a couple of seconds behind Alaphilippe instead of over a minute,” he said. “But Alaphilippe is not necessarily a [title] contender. By the second rest day we’ll know a lot more, and if he has increased his advantage we’ll be a lot more concerned.”
Thomas showed some good signs on the stage 6 summit finish, putting a little bit of time into his rivals.
While the Tour is long from being over, Ineos’ list of apparent challengers appears to have shrunk. Richie Porte, Thibaut Pinot, Jakob Fuglsang — all lost time in the crosswinds of stage 10. Thomas points to Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) as one his biggest rivals from here.
“Steven is a very strong rider,” Thomas said. “He could have won the Giro a couple of years ago, he’s been consistent, fifth last year in the Tour and top 10s in Grand Tours. He’s a big threat with strong riders around him.”
The Tour restarts with a sprint stage today and then it’s into the Pyrenees. By the second rest day, which follows stage 15, we’ll have a clearer idea of whether Ineos is indeed riding to its seventh Tour win in eight years.
Follow the link to read more from Ineos’ rest day press conference.
Socially speaking
Viviani’s plays along
Elia Viviani wasn’t stoked to be beaten by Wout van Aert in Monday’s bunch sprint at the Tour, as you can see in the clip below. But as you’ll see below that, Viviani was happy to play along with the fun and responded to the original tweet. Chapeau, Elia.
— Elia Viviani (@eliaviviani) July 15, 2019
Surprise crosswinds
Cycling memes are like, so hot right now. Like this one that nicely sums up stage 10 of the Tour.
The realities of amateur racing
Speaking of accurate memes, anyone that’s dived headfirst into the amateur racing scene will be able to identify with this all too well. Be sure to click through the gallery.
Race Radio
Alaphilippe: “The Tour is already a success for me”
Much of the excitement in the Tour’s first 10 days was thanks to Julian Alaphilippe. The Frenchman took a stellar win into Epernay on stage 3, earning the yellow jersey as a result, he attacked on the stage 6 summit finish while (unsuccessfully) trying to defend yellow, and he fought back into the lead with a late move on stage 8. As a result, Alaphilippe doesn’t just wear the yellow jersey into the second week of racing, he’ll race the rest of the Tour without the pressure of any expectation.
“The Tour is already a success for me,” Alaphilippe said on Tuesday. “I’m going to enjoy being in the yellow jersey. Whatever comes now is a bonus.”
Alaphilippe has said he’ll be surprised if he can hold onto yellow after the stage 13 time trial, but he’ll certainly do his best.
“I will defend the yellow jersey as long as I can,” Alaphilippe said. “I feel good, fresh, but the hardest is yet to come. I hope to surprise even myself, but I am not dreaming. I know there are the Pyrénées and the time trial. The longer I keep the yellow jersey, the longer the dream lives on.”
Read more about Alaphilippe’s enviable position, over at VeloNews.
Warren Barguil on his role in Mikel Landa’s crash
After making the decisive split in the crosswinds on stage 10, Mikel Landa (Movistar) crashed, eventually losing more than two minutes on the day. After some suggestions that French champion Warren Barguil had caused the crash, deliberately pushing Landa off the road, Barguil opened up on Twitter, explaining what happened.
“I’m sad about Mikel Landa’s crash,” Barguil said. “I lost balance when touching the wheel of Julian [Alaphilippe], I touched Mikel, who went back on the left.
“It went very fast, it was not voluntary. I avoided the fall miraculously, which was not the case for Mikel. I hope he’s fine.”
Je suis triste de la chute de Mikel Landa. Déséquilibré en touchant la roue de Julian, je touche Mikel qui me remontait sur la gauche. C’est allé très vite, ce n’était pas volontaire. J’ai évité la chute miraculeusement ce qui n’a pas été le cas de Mikel. J’espère qu’il va bien.
— barguil (@WarrenBarguil) July 15, 2019
After leaving the road Landa collided with a spectator who was reportedly taken to hospital as a result.
Andy Schleck happy in retirement
Andy Schleck was just 29 when a knee injury forced him from the sport. History will remember him as the winner of the 2010 Tour de France, after Alberto Contador was retroactively stripped of the title. But as Schleck told Rupert Guinness for VeloNews this week, his yellow jersey isn’t something he treasures like you might think.
“It’s not even hanging somewhere [at home],” Schleck said. “I have a yellow jersey of Fabian [Cancellara] and I have the yellow jersey of [his brother] Frank hanging in my shop. My jersey? It’s really not hanging anywhere.”
Nowadays Schleck has two kids and owns three bike shops with his brother Frank. He seems to be in a great place: “I’m a really happy person,” he said.
Click through to VeloNews to learn more about what Schleck is up to.
Coming up at the Tour
The Tour resumes today with stage 11, a 167km effort from Albi to Toulouse. There are a couple of small early climbs, but judging by the profile, it’s almost certain to be a day for the sprinters.
Tech news
New Elite Suito indoor trainer is ready to suffer in five minutes or less
Elite’s new Suito direct-drive indoor stationary turbo trainer requires virtually nothing to get it up and running. It arrives fully assembled, an 11-speed Shimano cassette comes pre-installed (which will also work with 11-speed SRAM and Campagnolo drivetrains), and end caps for both 130/135mm quick-release and 142x12mm thru-axle dropouts are both bundled in the box. A one-month Zwift trial membership is included, too, along with a 12-month subscription to Elite’s My E-Training platform.
Elite claims 1,900W of maximum resistance (at 40km/h simulated speed), plus a slope simulation of up to 15%. Power meter accuracy is said to be +/- 2.5%, and cadence measurement is built directly into the unit as well.
The frame incorporates fold-out legs and a convenient handle up top, and the form factor is notably narrow for easy storage.
Retail price is fairly reasonable at US$800 / AU$1,000 / £600 / €700, and initial deliveries are expected in mid-September.
For more information, visit the Elite website.
Moving pictures
How the Race was Won: 2019 Tour de France, stages 1 to 10
You love Cosmo Catalano’s humourous and insightful racing recaps right? Follow the link in Cosmo’s tweet below to check out his latest for Eurosport, from stages 1 to 10 of the Tour. Video won’t load in your region? Click on the “No, please help!” button in the top right of the frame.
Here is one thing that doesn't suck about #TdF2019—How The Race Was Won
exists: https://t.co/KT8q1ldJKJ #HTRWW #TdF19 #restday #tdf #hashtags pic.twitter.com/NAjPxb8qx3
— Cyclocosm.com (@Cyclocosm) July 16, 2019
It’s Julian, only faster
We’re digging this ad for Specialized’s new e-road bike:
If you haven’t already, be sure to check our first-ride review of the Specialized Turbo Creo SL, which Neal Rogers described as “a marvel of technology with a price tag to match.”
In case you missed it
Jack Haig’s Tour de France Diary: Eating routines and rest days
Feature image: Today’s photo comes from Ashley and Jered Gruber and was snapped on stage 8 of the Tour de France.
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