Tadej Pogacar Attack BLOCKED by Motorbike on Joux Plane | Tour de France 2023 Stage 14

[@grouchycouchys5289]

Wout van Aert coming back from a complete standstill has to be my favourite moment of the Tour so far. What a rider

[@steffensrensen5076]

Yea that was epic.

[@rokker333]

Machine.

[@thobilemonakali7117]

Best comment of Tdf stage 14

[@2beinteresting]

He gave his turn to Kelderman and let the group go. But when Majka started pacing, Van Aert saw that Kelderman was dropped immediately (at 3:44), giving he UAE's a 3 vs. 2. Van Aert probably thought: what the hell, not on my watch! I think that's why he decided to restore order. He fought his way back, literally pushed Majka out of the way and stormed another few hunderd meters. What a man.

[@keepitreal1547]

Afterwards WVA said he did it because he was told it has slowed alittle up front & he knew that UAE were playing a mental game. He wasn't having any of it & wanted to prove that. Fantastic WVA

[@thewoolyknitter]

Whats not mentioned here is the bit where Rodriguez was close to being run over for a straight 10 seconds while trying to get past 2 motos and the hoards of supporters in order to actually get back to Jonas and Pog. He kept the belief, rode to his pace and was rewarded. What a ride from the young man.

[@edwinlam4679]

There needs to be better restriction of crowds on the road. It's insane how in the biggest event of the year you're allowed to have your face right up to a rider, and even more insane how there hasn't been catastrophic interference; on accident or on purpose.

[@douglastong3208]

​@@edwinlam4679it seems crazy and dangerous, but it's been like that for as long as I've been watching the Tour (since Lemond in '89). Besides the crazy fans, there's also the smoke grenades they allow...can't be great for the riders. But that's the way it's been...it's just part the Tour.

[@andersh3185]

@@edwinlam4679 they cant prevent it everywhere, simply too much road to cover, but on the last 2 big mountains on a stage it should be better than it is now

[@lorenzodelmedico5555]

But also he got lucky with the moto stopping Poggacar. If he can make his run to the top Rodriguez never comes back on the two of them.

[@raphgrel5635]

@@edwinlam4679 that's what makes the tour special, it's why this sport is alive professionally, it's because of moments like that where the crowd opens up 1s before the riders and the atmosphere is electric in the peak of the effort. no other sport can do that, please let cycling have this bit of magic. of course touching or being in the way of the riders is stupid but 99% of the time it doesnt happen, if we were to ban every spectator from the actual tarmak the sport would be much more boring

[@geuros]

What WvA did was hilarious, when he was passing the trains like nothing and the look from Pogi "what are you doing here bro"

[@Fewa10]

Also earlier when Jumbo overtook the break away grp like a freight train and the ones being caught stared daggers. Pog expressed "Dont look at me, it's not my fault"

[@chrisjie2127]

Some of the fans were a joke today. There was some drunk looking guy running along side them at one point way too close - luckily another fan yanked him out of the road.

[@Nige.]

I remember that… well done to the guy who grabbed him. The drunk sorts like him need a bit more mob justice.

[@keepitreal1547]

As a former rider, there's many disrespectful people at the side of the road on every stage of the tour. What we see on our screens is only a very very small part of it, unfortunately. Such people call themselves cycling fans, but in reality they're not at all, they're just a disgrace to themselves & others. Usually drunk. In this tour there's been drawing pins thrown on the roads before the riders, idiots running at the side of riders & then tripping up causing riders to brake hard, flags being waved getting caught in riders wheels etc etc. This said, the atmosphere is absolutely electric, the real fans also make the tour a magical experience like no other.

[@JakobKenda]

and the dude with his pants down 😭

[@oldfrend]

as far as i'm concerned they should ban all the fans cuz as a group they've proven they cant be trusted to keep the safety of the riders foremost in their behavior. and they don't pay any money to be on the side of the road so it's not like the tour is losing any money anyway.

[@0nkelfarmor]

@@oldfrend I agree on limiting the people on the side of the road, but they would still lose money since that would be difficult to enforce.

[@johtor2358]

As ex-cyclist i was , long time ago, as caregiver/mechanic 3 x in the Tour, 2x in the Giro and 1x in the Vuelta. A car is about 1,8 mtr wide and imagine what happened when you are in a car with all these idiots on the middle of the road. It was frightening sometimes. I feel sorry for the people on the motorbikes because sometimes they have totally no options to avoid this kind of problems unless the organization place proper fences. My respect to Tadej for not complaining about this incident. This makes him a much better and more respected cyclist. 👍👍👍👍

[@Tommi462]

Yeah, everyone blames the motos, and sure, they could've handled it better perhaps, but it is ultimately the fault of all these idiots on the side of the road who can't stay on the sides. The motos and cars can't run over them. Way to be a fan of the sport and end up ruining the race you're there to watch...

[@ianism3]

wait why does Tadej not calling out something as being wrong make him a better and respected cyclist? if there is injustice and you say nothing, it's less likely to be fixed....

[@johtor2358]

@@ianism3 He could complain that the motors ruined his attack but it makes him, in my eyes, better and more respected not doing this. Every cyclist knows that these motors are not really guilty and all cyclists know that the public is necessary for their sport. Where do you see public so close to the sportsmen? Yes and sometimes it went wrong but that makes cycling for millions of people so interesting. Tadej👍👍👍👍👍

[@zerog4261]

​@@ianism3it's the fact he's not blaming the guy on the motorbike. Also, he's not condemning the fans, because they did what they are allowed to do. I think the time for reassessing this has definitely come and some form of tape, or barrier should b in place.

[@nachobroryan8824]

Seems like nothing will happen as long as no fans are killed.

[@KevinKimmich44024]

One of the best tours and tour stages I've watched in years. This year's race is really entertaining. I like the contrast in styles of the two main protagonists and teams. They're matched close enough that it comes down to random events and not paying attention for a second. It could go either way.

[@indusrtial]

Agree, never really thought of the "They're matched close enough that it comes down to random events...", hadn't thought of that since watching the tours since early 2000s. Now i'm really curious if the TT is going to be the big differentiator.

[@jortand]

What an insane end for Rodriguez! That bike blocking Pog from making the to the top attack set him up so well to launch when Jonas and Pog were just looking at each other after the sprint

[@robinbeckford]

Yes - impressed by his quick thinking there. An opportunity - nothing to lose - go for it!

[@thegrumpydeveloper]

Jonas and Pog keeping us guessing to who’s going to take it. Love that they’re keeping things so close, can’t wait to see what they do to pull ahead of the other.

[@pizzahypeftw9039]

I love it that its this close! amazing stuff!, but i think Jonas is stronger, 10 sec ahead and Jonas is stronger on the timetrial?

[@MrElpajita]

​@@pizzahypeftw9039nah, Tadej got him

[@Sm4shNGr4b]

I reckon Pog is gonna get it.

[@frederikmangor5527]

@@Sm4shNGr4b i think Jonas is gonna drop Pog on etape 17, by alot. so i guess he is going to win again, but i love that its so close makes the race alot more interesting

[@mertaslan9331]

@@frederikmangor5527But Pogi is better in hilly timetrials I think the gap will be 30 seconds for Pogi after Tt

[@Albatrossamongus]

This Lanterne Rouge signature style analysis and commentary is the best thing that's happened in pro cycling broadcasting in the 20 years I've been following it. Every much deserved present and future success to you mate.

[@donaldvanvliet9039]

Weird. In belgium we’ve had this style of analysis since forever😂

[@quiet451]

Everyone calling AG2R crazy for pacing for Gall yesterday and yet here he is now in 9th.

[@DanArnets1492]

Still stupid though 😂

[@MichaelAndersen_DK]

This TdF is even better than last year. Epic!

[@homeward-bound23]

even better since the time of Armstrong 🤣🤣🤣 Dope keeps on improving.

[@Maestro-mn6nm]

​@@homeward-bound23?????

[@hughjanus7354]

EPOic indeed!

[@dubvulture99]

"It's like Sky train but aggressive." Savage.

[@ulfy01]

What a battle between Pogi and Jonas. Such a good year for the Tour.

[@erikpeterson25]

Great summary and video 👍.....the motorbikes blocking Pogacar was a real shame 😕...looks like they were a problem elsewhere as well ..also the big crash was a bummer ... The close contest between Pog and Jonas is awesome to see 👍

[@GotDamBoi]

i'll never understand the fans that want to get 6 inches away from the riders while they are trying to climb. worst kind of sports fan in all of sports

[@andersh3185]

clearly havent watched football fans then haha, if they where allowed on a tour stage there would be no stage, just a warzone, but yea, some cycling fans take it too far

[@johnwest7993]

2 words: Soccer hoodlums

[@KillersFromTheWest]

European fans, they do this during the world rally championship (and normal rallies too) which is the dumbest thing ever. 🎶 dumb ways to die 🎶

[@l.d.t.6327]

So you don’t understand cycling? I perfectly understand the fans that want to get 6 inches away from the riders on a climb… that’s the beauty of the sport to get this close. What I don’t understand is the organizers not assessing this situation and fencing off the last kilometer of the climb.

[@rodriguezdiazlaura]

Its part of this sport

[@ollik3083]

Both Jonas and Tadej have domestiques in the GC top 10. Insane.

[@peakinearly_2788]

Rodriguez seems to be a cool guy. Great win for him!

[@keepitreal1547]

He's a well liked guy in the peloton, always courteous & respectful to others. One of the nice guys. Great win today, well pleased for him.

[@sldulin]

I confess that I have disrespected him because he kind of struck me as an Almeida-type rider, rarely attacking, not offensive minded enough for my taste. But he showed me a lot today in terms of his character and that voice! Can't root against a guy with a voice like that, he has a career in voiceovers if cycling doesn't pan out.

[@Tibovl]

I've commented before about the auto subtitles, but "Johannes finger God" is the best one I've ever seen

[@trentvlak]

Maijka: Goodbye Wout Wout: Goodbye Rafa

[@LeonidasForLIfe]

LOLOLOLOL

[@epincion]

It was Maijka: ‘Goodbye Wilco we are taking control’ and then when the news got down to WVA he said ‘fuck that and rode back to say goodbye Rafa. All along Wilco has been the weak link for TJV in terms of being a mountain super domestique for Jonas and as many said TJV should have taken Roglic

[@PMP5240-e3i]

Yates: Goodbye Sepp

[@epincion]

@@PMP5240-e3i except in the end it did not work for UAE

[@PMP5240-e3i]

@@epincion at least they weren't on the front all day burning riders for 1 second gain

[@dropatrain]

Wout getting dropped then coming back just to tell Majka to fuck off was the weirdest shit ive ever seen

[@scottcottontx]

I'm sure its just me, but Vingegaard always looks like his bike is too big. Like a kid riding their older brother's bike. I imagine its some sort of optical illusion created by his riding style, but I can't un-see it.

[@marcobaldini4589]

Another contributor to this perception could be his body Mass, litterally nonexistant from the waist up 😅

[@poodleprofessor]

His body and style reminds me of Froome

[@annettewillis2797]

Great coverage from Lanterne Rouge of an epic stage in what is becoming an epic TDF! The hordes of people on both sides of the road seems much worse this year. Drunk guys with their pants down, fancy dress costumes, flags, flares, signs, rubbish, vehicles. It's unsustainable as was shown in Stage 14. It is a miracle that riders haven't been brought down as has happened in the past. If we really want to see riders giving their all and chasing down seconds then there has to be some form of crowd control, not a free for all.

[@Andi-dy1gm]

Van Aert is a motorbike but I think the gap on the second last descent happened because of the motorbike and the red car really close in front of him. If there is a gap you can't close it anymore then.

[@petechambers1511]

You would have thought they would consider putting railings up for the last km of the mountain like they do with summit finishes, especially with time bonuses on the line as it was always likely to be a sprint for the GC. Adds to the drama though. I get more annoyed with these people who set off flares as the riders go past. That is not nice.

[@stewartwilson382]

If they can fine riders for dropping litter and bidons, they can, surely, fine spectators from letting off flares?

[@icollectstories5702]

@@stewartwilson382 The race can't, but I believe the gendarmes can.

[@helloitismetomato]

I loved that comeback from Van Aert, what a boss. His honor was tarnished until he kicked Majka out himself so that's what he did.

[@cpk313]

This has been a supremely entertaining Tour!

[@nicolasmoreno7434]

So sad what happened to Chaves :( Hope he will recover soon.

[@asnark7115]

@1:58 "It's [Jumbo Visma] like Sky Train, but aggressive." lolol

[@oldfrend]

i knew that motorbike thing would happen sooner or later. they've been sitting way too goddamn close to the front of the riders the whole tour; with how close the fans are they had no chance to react in time if one of the riders sprung an attack like pog did.

[@0nkelfarmor]

Yeah, they can't get too close because of obvious reasons, and they can't get too far because they also part the crowd so the cyclists have somewhere to go. Yeah, I wouldn't want that job.

[@frankforster706]

Agreed. Add in Pogacar sprinting up mountains like no other when he accelerates --> more distance/space in front to accelerate is needed. But it's not just the motorbikes, it's also the Tour organization and the fans to blame here. They all changed GC yesterday, fortunately by only 6 seconds - which may or may not change the entire Tour outcome

[@luisbretonv]

“Pogacar attacks and gets blocked by a motorbike, in this controversial moment of the stage” proceeds to put ads

[@epincion]

WVA coming back was in response to Kelderman dropping out. Wilco replaced WVA in leading the TJV train but he then was not able to pace hard and this allowed Majka to take over the lead of the peloton and suddenly UAE were in control of the climb. IMO Wout saw/heard about this and immediately showed that he has the mind of a champion and so despite being spent he came back up & rode to the front then displaced Majka and reasserted TJV control. To me the lesson here is what others have said all along which was that Wilco does not have what is needed to be a climbing super-domestique for Jonas and TJV made a mistake in not taking Roglic.

[@kingkangageo]

You maybe right, I’m not totally convinced of Kelderman too. But to be fair he crashed today and that quite certainly influenced his performance. In earlier stages of this tour he did a good job in pacing hard and long enough before leaving it to Kuss.

[@felipealves7177]

Roglic runs his own Race. He's a leader. He surely doesn''t like to be a domestique for J. Ving. The 2022's domestique Roglic was a opportunity caused by his crash/pain.

[@epincion]

@@felipealves7177 Roglic said that he offered to ride in support of Jonas in this year's TDF

[@arjanharjani3109]

These guys are amazing! Sharing water sprays shows the true spirit of competition....

[@KevinKimmich44024]

yeah that was a nice moment

[@pizzahypeftw9039]

Ye loved that!

[@daskleinegluck4553]

Love your commenting on the Tour. Great job!

[@N2theLAS]

What if they just stopped with the bonus seconds again, then people would be forced to drop their rivals to actually gain time on them. The bonus seconds are suppose to incite interesting racing, but more times than not, the bonus seconds out on the road is taken by people they don't matter to and the bonus seconds on the finish line, usually ends with a guy with a good punch waiting for the last km before trying to do anything.

[@tyleraltom6026]

Except today Pog would’ve got the last summit bonus had the motos not blocked him. Ving can’t hang with those last minute punches but usually recovers well.

[@N2theLAS]

@@tyleraltom6026 I would disagree that the motos are the reason for Pogacar not getting last summit bonus, they are definitely the reason he couldn't try to create a gap over the summit but the reason for him not getting the bonus is because he waited too long afterwards and Jonas got the better of him. Pogacar still has the best punch and could easily attack after the summit as well, so he clearly just got caught napping 150metres before the top.

[@callesgdk]

Agreed, it would be boring if this otherwise amazing tour is to be decided only on bonus seconds.

[@scninja07]

If you’re gonna put a time bonus at the top of a climb with a race this close, there need to be barriers 500m from the top. Fans are gonna be wild. That being said, not sure why the motos were THAT close.

[@bjornlangoren3002]

What I really like about the modern TdF is that there are no supermen hopped up on EPO. When someone has a super day, they pay for it the day after. As opposed to the days of Ullrich and Armstrong where they could crush the field day after day after day.

[@biscaynediver]

Shame you left out the clip of the stackup of 3 motos behind Pogi and Jonas who blocked Carlos Rodriguez from bridging, then when he tried to pass (on their left), one of them veered into him and barged him into the fans. He reached out with his right hand and tried to shove the cameraman to protect himself. Absolute shitshow from the motos. The lead moto that blocked Pogi was just clueless and slow to react. But the rear moto that blocked Rodriguez was WORSE -- that jackass intentionally fought to not give him his shot even though he KNEW he was impeding Rodriguez. The guy in the moto who blocked Rodriguez should be ejected from the rest of the race. There's a difference between an accident or mistake, and something completely intentional. He basically just said "I don't care, I want the shot, I know it's going to impeded Rodriguez, I don't care."

[@garysladek9110]

Lanterne doesn't have unlimited replay rights .some things may get left out.

[@thijslunenborg1397]

I don't think that was on purpose. It was too busy with the fans so they couldn't get out of the way as well. They should find a way to get the fans way more off the road.

[@zzdoodzz]

Lol, the moto intentionally blocked Rodriguez, give me a break, everything isn't a freaking conspiracy. The dumbshit motos are wide and the fans created a narrow tunnel. Rodriguez tried going left, then right, motos are moving slow and swerving around by nature. The whole shit show is on the organizers, they need barriers for at least the last 2k of those climbs as well over the top to keep the overzealous fans from being a factor.

[@biscaynediver]

@@zzdoodzz You reading comprehension impaired? Nobody said the moto intentionally blocked Rodriguez or that there was some sort conspiracy. You made that up in your head then projected it. What I said was that the moto had a choice, move into Rodriguez' path and barge him to the side to get a clean view, or miss the shot b/c he was being obstructed by the moto to his right who pulled ahead of him. He deliberately chose to get the shot. It was a simple choice, spur of the moment. No conspiracy. In fact, the opposite. He didn't care about the impact on Rodriguez at all.

[@biscaynediver]

@@thijslunenborg1397 Watch it again. The moto that veered into Rodriguez did that b/c his camerashot was being obscured by the moto to his right, that had moved ahead of him.

[@markdelorfano3678]

There were way too many fans on that last mountain. Looked to me like the fans impeded the motor bikes.

[@sergiodemichele6295]

However fast the domestiques can set the pace, Vingegaard and Pogacar will never be in trouble with that: that's why Vingegaard should start his attack as soon as possible when the climb begins, otherwise Pogacar will always take advantage from is superiority in a 2-3 km sector...

[@geuros]

I think you're right, it seems though Jonas is afraid to do so

[@JBtheboss649]

Thought that too was hoping voor vingegaard getting launched by kuss with 5-7km to go

[@patpat8727]

Vingegaard is leading the Tour, you know that right? He doesn't have to do anything like that.

[@JBtheboss649]

@@geurosI think he would have actually dropped pogi if he attacked one more time after he caught him back but he was indeed looking a little afraid

[@svenh1836]

@@geuros yeah right as if there wasn't a possibility pogi could couter like he did multiple times before like at the tourmalet. thats why lost 20 seconds in stage 6.

[@jweitzenheimer]

Great performance by Seb Kuss again. Makes you wonder if he wants to shop around for a new team. How many times can you just play a supporting role for Roglic and Vingo?

[@paulevans6403]

On a different team he could perhaps finish third this year due to the lack of TT miles. Against weaker competition and with low TT miles he could conceivably be good enough to win a Giro or Vuelta, because he can climb, he can descend, he's a good bike handler, and his stamina continues to improve.

[@mwp6662]

I’m so impressed by Rodriguez and Adam Yates. Both were only a few seconds behind the big two on the climb, unreal climbing, they didn’t give up when they were dropped but managed to claw it baxk

[@TeamGlasshole]

Kuss needs to be celebrated, he seems like the mvp domestique

[@bobbrereton135]

Pogacar has to have looked up the road before he launched a d surely saw how crowded the roadway was. It was poor timing g on his part as much as it was the moto blocking him.

[@KevinKimmich44024]

yeah, exactly, I think he might have even said that in an interview

[@bbuuttercupp]

great recap of such a thrilling stage!

[@ultramet]

Not the first time this has happened. Shameful but just like the crowd it is part of the sport. It's speculative to assume Jonas would not have responded to Tadej's attack.

[@alicenchainrings1326]

Also speculative to assume Jonas would have responded to the attack.

[@jesusredondo513]

Exactly .Those who have watched cycling for long enough just know whis is just part of the game. Even pogachar Himself let that clear at the end.

[@turtleneck369]

he would but he wouldn't get bonus more likely

[@ChristianW1975]

@RimBrakeKingwow, you just know so much, preach on…

[@ultramet]

Believe what you want but Jonas’ had already fended off Taj’s biggest attack at the start of Joux Plane. If Taj doesn’t win the tour he can point to letting Jonas catch him on the Joux Plane NOT a motorbike. Even Taj himself was not blaming the motorbike. Only threads like this do

[@madrx2]

The self control of so many of the spectators is disgusting. There should be significant fines if you step foot on the road anywhere near the cyclists.

[@exnihilonihilfit6316]

what, a law? and who's gonna enforce it?... who's gonna pay for the 1000 policemen necessary?

[@daskleinegluck4553]

People will never become reasonable. Every big event gives idiots like these a stage to perform their 'hey-look-at-me-theater'. It's a sign of the times, and not a good one. But when Rallye Group B was at it's peak the crowd's behavior was already as stupid as that.

[@otteottema6839]

​​​​@@exnihilonihilfit6316ing a law without enforcement Will already help. Also spectators may be stimulated to correct those who misbehave.

[@bjornlangoren3002]

A lady was sued for causing a mass crash some time ago, but later the organizers dropped the suit. I predict this stuff is only gonna get worse as the crowd isn't just watching the riders but also busy getting their selfies in.

[@madrx2]

@@bjornlangoren3002 watching the recap today it looks like it's happened again

[@malikmcclain7869]

Once Carlos Rodriguez got to the front, his full gas descent was just Epic .Congrats to him on the stage win.Back to the climb with Vingegaard and Pogacar on the front, the moto did in fact cut off the attack. Fanatics in the road were also a factor. Just as fans cannot breach the racing surfaces of Formula One or American Nascar, something has to be done with the fans here,if nothing more than a safety consideration for the riders .The moto either runs over the fanatics or stop and block Pogacar's attack. From a physical standpoint, it doesn't appear much can be done to get people out of the road, especially in the remote mountains, but if they understood the danger this poses to the GC riders, the best in the world, Cheer them, but just get out of the way.

[@indanekwaffles7074]

the best analysis -- keep it up!

[@D12DLyon]

Lanterne Rouge you’re the people’s champ! Your takes on the TDF make it exciting. And WvA playing possum is awesome.

[@kidnamedfinger420]

Can we please talk about Felix Gall? What a ride for the youngster

[@callesgdk]

Youngster? Dude, Pogacar is younger and has already won 2 TDFs and 10 TDF stages!

[@pope406]

@@callesgdk and that lessens the perfomance of Gall?? Completely unlogic...

[@ValtintimeGaming]

@@callesgdkunnecessary comment

[@celko889]

Pogacar did seem really sad about the motorbike incident when giving interview to the Slovenian press, as it stopped his attack(not a sprint) over the top and into the descent, probably also denying him a stage win. On the incident itself, it looked like the motorbikes were lined one after the other at the time Pog attacked, but then went parallel at the completely wrong moment, blocking the road. A pity, definitely not a disaster though.

[@lukasnagele4638]

Basically exactly what Jonas said: longer climbs, Pog cant beat him with the short acceleration

[@durianriders]

If disc brakes didnt block MAX performance then these motos sure did lol.

[@merckxamillian]

Fantastic analysis and commentary!

[@miropribanic5581]

If the race directors are not taking action quickly there is gonna be mayhem....unruly crowd, motocycles far too close, partly because they have to brake in front of unruly crowd, and then happens what we witnessed today. So far at least 4 contenders for the top ten are out.

[@lordad]

We have this Problem for 25 years now.....TDF doesnt want to adress this

[@username8644]

Its not worse this year than previous years lmao. In fact its less bad because people don't have the smoke bombs and stuff like that anymore (some still do but way less than before).

[@jameswatson5380]

How lucky are we to see and devour this stage. What a route, what a race, what talent. Such a cracker.

[@BurtonHohman]

Just a bummer that we won’t ever know what would have been without the block from the motorcycles

[@stefasbreuk4647]

​@@BurtonHohmanMy feeling is that Pog would've gotten another 5-10 seconds, thus maybe gaining the yellow yersey

[@kingcaid88]

Not sure if it’s the motorbike guy or the hordes of drunk marauders on the sideline that pissed me off more in that moment. Incredible performance from both, as Tadej said, don’t think this will end up being decisive for GC in the end.

[@triscuitbiscuit]

Wonder if it will come down to seconds that'll be decided by the TT.

[@keepitreal1547]

As a former rider, there's so many disrespectful people at the side of the road on every stage of the tour. What we see on our screens is only a very very small part of it, unfortunately. Such people call themselves cycling fans, but in reality they're not at all, they're just a disgrace to themselves & others. In this tour there's been drawing pins thrown on the roads before the riders, idiots running at the side of riders & then tripping up causing riders to brake hard, flags being waved getting caught in riders wheels etc etc. As I say, we only see a slice of this on the TV.

[@paulstarstarpaul5700]

It might not be decisive but if the gap stays that small people definitely will look back to it. Also I think it definitely bothered Tadej he just didn’t want to show it in order not to show weakness and not to show bad sportsmanship

[@mammasut8280]

No. He is a true Champion, his attitude and honesty are in sharp contrast to most of his internet fans.

[@FlyWithMe_666]

The camera teams should use bicycles as well, so this will never ever happen again. Quick fix.

[@mjtpli]

Hard to get those closeups from 50k behind tho.

[@Henry4ever]

Lol... really ! 😂

[@58668687]

Use drones and helicopters, reduce the amount of Bikes, is getting out of hand, also is the drafting factor which makes a no fair advantage

[@carloshenrikk]

Cameraman: pogacar

[@DanielHarveyDyer]

The motorbikes also part the crowd for the cyclists so they aren't just cycling at a wall of fans hoping they move, so if you filmed it all from above you'd have even more stuff getting in the way. To me it's like the equivalent of when the ball hits the referee in Soccer. It's just a thing that can happen when you play sports in real life rather than in theory.

[@lucas.5288]

I just hope in the end the motos dont decide the gc only 6 sec but a sprint cost Energy…

[@jakelivermore4597]

I see everybody saying the motorbikes were at fault but where was the fence in the last kilometer or so of the climb to keep the fans from exploding on them? I think if there was a fence then there would have never been a problem with the motorbikes. Bad preparation from TdF to be honest.

[@edwarddelacruz5893]

Yes.The momentum of Pogi was stopped by the 2 motorcycle guides and unruly crowds.

[@GZPB]

Great analysis, thank you

[@obifox6356]

Nice report, as usual. Shouldn’t permit 2 motos in frontMore barriers needed.

[@yumyumhungry]

I wonder if Jumbo could use Kuss the same way they used to use Roglic as a potential second GC threat. He's so ridiculously strong.

[@willcollier1429]

Great commentary per usual. Seeing Kuss in the top 10 as a pure domestique is heartwarming and saddening at the same time. 2 years ago he's let off the leash and takes a mountain victory in the tour. Last year, is by all accounts the top high mountain domestique for the GC winner. This year he and Yates have been on another level. I've heard he has little ambition in a leading role. His current contract expires after next season at which point he'll be 29 or 30. Seems like if he were to ever go for it himself he'd have to switch teams. I could see him competing for the podium in the Tour De France and potentially making a legitimate run in the Giro, or Vuelta. Anyone else want to see him take a shot as a GC guy?

[@geodesy2009]

If they have a ITT like in the Giro than Kuss could podium for sure. But long flat ITTs are his weakness as a GC rider. Still a hugely talented climber & ultra level domestique. He’s been with Rogla & Vindy on all their Giro, Tour & Vuelta wins. The ultimate unselfish teammate! He just came off the Giro where he saved Roglic’s win. He may well do the triple w the Vuelta. Roglic sure hopes so! And a sweetheart of a guy as well.

[@l.d.t.6327]

As long as Kuss himself doesn’t want the gc pressure and gets paid well to do his job, why ask the question? He’s in the same boat as kwiatkowksi and even Wva: too good for domesticate duties, but within a team that has a good bid on winning with another guy, and paid well.

[@discrep]

@@l.d.t.6327 I'm just a casual fan, but is there a type of route layout that would be an advantage for heavy guys while being a disadvantage for the lighter ones?

[@l.d.t.6327]

@@discrep Heavy guys benefit from long TTs, stage designs with hilly terrain / climbs early in the stage, but no mountain top finishes and no hard climbs late in the stages, and stages with crosswinds. Not sure why you're asking though.

[@hightt2449]

Then he won the Vuelta!!!@@geodesy2009

[@KillersFromTheWest]

They should fine anyone that does this for $50,000USD, what an incompetent motorcyclist

[@HkFinn83]

Not only this incident, the motorbike definitely towed the main group on the penultimate descent. They put a minute into Pidcock quickly (possibly faster descender in the peloton), then on the last climb they obstructed Rodriguez and Yates

[@imacomputer1234]

so let say the motor bikes cost pogacar the time bonus and instead vingegaard got the bonus, that's what, an 8 second difference? not to mention had pogacar stayed away and won the stage. in a tour this close that's a significant amount! i really hope those camera bikes didn't change the tour outcome!

[@rogerdc7279]

The best of this tour, so far. Let's see tomorrow.

[@holmanator79]

Glad you picked up on the bonus seconds tactics as I thought that watching it live. Surely Yates and Pog could have manufactured a 2,3 and edge out Jonas of the bonus seconds completely?

[@kconnnnn]

I don’t think they could drop Jonas, he’d get third place at least if Yates had to pull.

[@holmanator79]

@@kconnnnn easier in theory than in practise I suppose - Yates admitted he’d burnt all his matches. It just looked like that thought never crossed their mind

[@fritzwalter1112]

I feared to be disappointed by this year's tour, because the last was already so good. Its an incredible tour. I don't really care who is winning but it's so close. Please let stage 15 be equally awesome.

[@newsbuster292]

It was clear obstruction/race influencing from the motos but these things happen a lot. Probably even more so further down the race, outside the tv coverage. I tought it maybe was a good idea to cancell the bonus seconds because of this, but that would have Jumbo up in arms. Probably the best respons is the way Tadej took it, just brush it off as a minor incident. Lets hope these couple seconds will not turn out to be deciding. They probably won't.

[@jamescahill9725]

The motorbikes interfering sucked but what exactly did Pogacar think was going to happen? The road was blocked, it shouldn't have been but it was and he'd have to be not looking ahead not to see it. Really bad crowd management by the Tour organizers (all too common) but given the situation I just don't see what he thought he was doing. Would love to be told I'm wrong and there is a normal procedure that wasn't followed here but it seemed inevitable to me.

[@N2theLAS]

Pogacar usually likes to attack in the draft of the motorbikes to get as much of an advantage as possible, he probably hoped that once he attacked, the motorbikes would speed up and he could catch the draft, the crowd just made that impossible.

[@JaymoJoints]

He thought the sea would part like it usually does. You gotta have faith

[@tyleraltom6026]

@@N2theLASyeah the motos are supposed to speed up like they did when Ving attacked

[@dannyho6786]

That was most excellent, thanx !

[@methylmike]

wow, is this a contender for best day? excellent and fun to watch update

[@a1white]

Adam Yates is so consistent. He’s having an excellent Tdf

[@bram.desmet8687]

Do we realy need a Ventoux Run part 2 to finally do something about the 'fans' standing in the way at crucial moments which makes no one can pass? The motorbikes are always blamed, but are not always the culprits (only the last motor that blocked Rodriguez is guilty). The problem is not placing barriers in crucial places (last 500m on a final climb with bonus seconds) and not sending motorbikes away if the time difference is too small. Normally there are no motorbikes or cars allowed when the gap is less than 1 minute, now they were just there at 5 seconds time difference without moving aside. Very dangerous. On Belgian TV (Vive Le Vélo) it was said that Rodriguez could never have won without motorbikes blocking Pogacar, but Rodriguez was actually the biggest victim of this chaos. Luckily he was eventually able to pull through and pull away, but he could be more than 1" ahead of Hindley.

[@riquelmeone]

The moto incident was a sidenote in the bigger picture today. Why did both Pogacar and Vingegaard let Rodriguez come back? Why did Pogacar attack so early and didn’t follow the same tactics as the last days? Why did Pogacar not follow Rodriguez wheel on the downhill (apparently he had deep dish wheels, but still), why did he think a cooked Yates could help? Such an odd finale to the stage

[@marcobaldini4589]

These are my thoughts: 1) once v closed the gap to pog, pog realised he couldnt drop him so he didnt push hard, v Is in control of the race so none of them pushed and Rodriguez managed to close the gap. It was the effect of both of them not wanting to push 2) maybe pog attacked early because he was feeling good and After the successes of the past days thought he could drop v and gain Major time, but that wasnt the case.

[@marcobaldini4589]

3) i dont think pog Is very skilled in descents, Rodriguez Just dropped him with Better Lines 4) Surely he didnt want to close Rodriguez by himself, that would be Tiring and benefit V for the final sprint. He hoped Yates could help but the gap was too big and the Road too twisty.

[@riquelmeone]

@@marcobaldini4589 staying on someones wheel downhill is not as tiring as staying 5 seconds behind at the same speed

[@TheChessRunner]

The motos cost Pogacar 8secs. No way Rodriguez closes the gab otherwise. So also 2 more bonus sec difference on the finish

[@svtinker]

Let’s be honest riders benefit from drafting the motorbikes when they launch breakaways.

[@unbridlededification]

Pog clearly benefited quite a bit when he was on the attack

[@mrt.7146]

@@unbridlededificationCorrect and very much so (5-7%)- just makes it more impressive that Jonas could bridge back.

[@craigcarlson4022]

Nice review!

[@Ca11mero]

I don't think the motorbikes were necessarily the problem. There were fans running all over the roads and they (the fans) probably only saw the motorbikes and the bikes had to slow down to not run someone over. But I don't know for sure though, have only seen it for one or two angles.

[@samholder196]

this tour is an absolute electric factory

[@allanvirimai7823]

We need a masters jersey for the best senior rider over 35 years old

[@jgagnier]

I’m not excusing the Pogacar moto, but maybe, like rally 40 years ago, there needs to be a spectator reckoning. Navigating crowded mountain roads while also paying attention to your boss in an earpiece and the racers as well, it can’t be an easy job. They can’t just accelerate when there is an attack and risk running over civilians. I don’t think Pogacar has any blame in this, but he should’ve been aware of the possibility.

[@equusasinus]

Fans want close-up video coverage of the race. Motorbikes are always too close but on this occasion, what were they supposed to do, speed up and risk an accident with fans all over the road? I blame the organisation: where were the roadside barriers at this crunch point in the stage?

[@alesksander]

Yep this last 2-3 km should be covered with barriers

[@ValtintimeGaming]

Rosriguez interview realy impressed me

[@hikingmallard]

Let's hope those seconds won't make the difference in gc

[@henriquecordeiro1081]

Calm down my man. Tadej is a beast. I bet that tomorrow he will take de yellow jersey, trust me. ❤❤

[@Gullbrand_]

@@henriquecordeiro1081idk tomorrow fits Jonas more so if Jonas won’t drop Tadej then I don’t think there will more of a gap than bonus second between them…

[@henriquecordeiro1081]

@@Gullbrand_ this stage was also more for Jonas than for Tadej

[@nielshaug30]

@@henriquecordeiro1081 and Jonas defended well. Your point?

[@henriquecordeiro1081]

So the team of Jonas work because Jonas wanted to attack Tadej.

[@xyphenius9942]

Is your mic okay?

[@daxquimm9799]

That moto block will go down in infamy alongside the Shcleck chain drop

[@Criminal.Lawyer.2024]

I thought the motos have to be a certain distance from the cyclists?

[@yogbert]

Today's stage was the perfect example of why morons must be kept away from the cyclists. Add to that piss poor motorcycle driving too.

[@runnexplorer]

We blaming the motos but the fans that crowded the roads ahead, making the necessary speed up impossible are the ones to blame here.

[@shema02]

And this is what i said, if kuss can do the double with this kind of form in the second week, they shoulda brought Roglic

[@youbetu18]

Domestique and full on GC ain’t the same. If vingegaard doesn’t win roglic will come next year. They will think about putting Kuss on both too. Imagine how strong he would be if he was more rested. He’d pull vingegaard all the way.

[@daniboyo]

I think Tadej was looking to use the motorbikes as a draft when he attacked (similar to how he did earlier in the tour) but this time it backfired on him

[@charlsjourney4480]

best offence is defence..good job vingo...just stay on pogas wheel and dont let poga make big gap.. just make sure to close poga in ITT, because ITT make GC change.. gudlak💪🚴💪

[@mammasut8280]

Man! this is going to be the most exciting TT in many many years in the tdf ^^

[@cheechorino3710]

All time great tour right now a close hard to predict battle for first and now for third imagine if those 3 seconds decide the tour

[@SteveDavis-i8x]

If you look ahead and see 2 motos and a bunch of fans blocking your path, it's probably not a good time to launch an attack.

[@tyleraltom6026]

They normally get out of the way, the motos are supposed to pay attention, the race setup is for the riders, not the motos

[@Soli11]

Pogacar often attacks when the motos are close by so he gets a draft. The motos should have moved out of the way faster, sure, but that's also the risk you take when you go for that strategy. Jonas said that he had spotted there was no room.

[@TheChessRunner]

​@@Soli11the no room is bullshit. They should just take off. If some 'fan' gets hurt. It is longterm probably for the best

[@Pawsk]

@@TheChessRunner they cant just take off, their reaction time wont ever be fast enough in these situations. No doubt that they shouldn’t be blocking the road, but Pog himself admitted that while the road should be clear it was his own mistake.

[@SteveDavis-i8x]

@@Soli11 Agree. But at that point the 2 motos were side by side and couldn't do anything to get out of the way because of the crowd and the incline.

[@sanastela]

I thought that Pog stopped his attack when he saw that he only put about 8 seconds into Jonas. Since it wasn't a mountain top finish, that time might not have been enough.

[@umutaymakoglu4418]

Mike Tyson said it best when he said "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Jumbo had a plan and Pogacar had the punch.