Tuesday 22: 12:10–12h40 → 16:45–17:15
This first stage of the last sequence is made of a long and boring approach that manages to avoid every hill available, before the Mont Ventoux as single and final climb.
Given the profile, and the fact that it comes after a rest day, we may see many explosions on the first slopes of the Ventoux. Luckily, no hot weather is expected.
Unless someone abandons during the rest day, there should still be 166 riders in the race (out of 184 starting on the first day). 165 after Van der Poel’s withdrawal.
Standings before the last sequence
General classification
- T. Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE
- J. Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma – 4′13″
- F. Lipowitz 🇩🇪 Bora – 7′53″
- O. Onley 🇬🇧 Picnic – 9′18″
- K. Vauquelin 🇫🇷 Arkéa – 10′21″
- P. Roglitch 🇸🇮 Bora – 10′34″
- F. Gall 🇦🇹 Decathlon – 12′00″
- T. Johannessen 🇳🇴 Uno-X – 12′33″
- C. Rodriguez 🇪🇸 Ineos – 18′26″
- B. Healy 🇮🇪 EF – 18′41″
Points
- J. Milan 🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek – 251 pts
- T. Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE – 223
M. Van der Poel 🇳🇱 Alpecin – 210- B. Girmay 🇪🇷 Intermarché – 169
- T. Merlier 🇧🇪 Soudal-QS – 150
Mountain
- L. Martinez 🇫🇷 Barhrain – 60 pts
- T. Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE – 52
- T. Arensman 🇳🇱 Ineos – 48
- J. Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma – 39
- M. Woods 🇨🇦 IPT – 38
Teams
- Visma 🇳🇱
- UAE 🇦🇪 – 16′51″
- Bora 🇩🇪 – 50′38″
- Decathlon 🇫🇷 – 52′38″
- Arkéa 🇫🇷 – 52′39″
NB: the gap between Visma and UAE is the same (difference is just 6 seconds) as before the second sequence!
I agree with this mistake in the first part – and Politt’s attempt to intimidate attackers wasn’t well received. However, in the second part of race when the large group left, they still could have stopped the gap earlier, they had available riders who wouldn’t be useful later on Ventoux slopes; it was just a matter of giving 5 mn instead of 6 mn, and that was easily in UAE domestiques’ league.
I think that, perhaps, Pogatchar wasn’t feeling wonderful before the climb, and hesitated on playing for victory or not.
Maybe, Pogacar does seem to be racing a bit “smarter” this year. Like not going crazy on every stage like a one-day racer and instead riding a bit more conservatively like you’d normally see from someone leading the GC.