27-07-2019, 00:43
Missed all the action today, but the right decision was made - after my comments of 2 years ago, the organisers finally got the message and used a snowplough to clear the route, but it still wasn't enough. 
I feel sorry for the riders who were planning a strong attack on the final climb, but you can't beat Mother Nature. All credit to Egan Bernal though for a spirited attack for the second day in a row and he will surely have benefitted from the race decision, by not having to exert extra energy on the final climb to stave off any late attacks. Julian Alaphillippe lost a lot of time on the supposed penultimate climb and to compound a bad day for the home nation, Thibault Pinot had to abandon early because of injury.
According to the TdF website, Bernal leads Alaphillippe by 48 seconds with Geraint Thomas a further28 seconds behind. Steven Kruikswijk is another 12 seconds adrift and Emmanuel Buchmann yet another 27 seconds behind. There's still a lot to ride for as any one of these could win the TdF, although Bernal must be a strong favourite.
Tomorrow's stage has been slashed to a mere 59.5km, still finishing at Val Thorens, by a different route, due to predicted bad weather and possible landslides. This should make life much easier for Bernal, as there will not be much chance of the chasing pack getting enough time back.
I feel sorry for the riders who were planning a strong attack on the final climb, but you can't beat Mother Nature. All credit to Egan Bernal though for a spirited attack for the second day in a row and he will surely have benefitted from the race decision, by not having to exert extra energy on the final climb to stave off any late attacks. Julian Alaphillippe lost a lot of time on the supposed penultimate climb and to compound a bad day for the home nation, Thibault Pinot had to abandon early because of injury.According to the TdF website, Bernal leads Alaphillippe by 48 seconds with Geraint Thomas a further28 seconds behind. Steven Kruikswijk is another 12 seconds adrift and Emmanuel Buchmann yet another 27 seconds behind. There's still a lot to ride for as any one of these could win the TdF, although Bernal must be a strong favourite.
Tomorrow's stage has been slashed to a mere 59.5km, still finishing at Val Thorens, by a different route, due to predicted bad weather and possible landslides. This should make life much easier for Bernal, as there will not be much chance of the chasing pack getting enough time back.
Cabbage is still good for you