Il Ne Faut Pas Courir Deux Lievres a la Fois

This 17th century French proverb, “don’t chase two rabbits at once”, because, of course, you’ll not catch either of them, is one that the Deceuninck-Quickstep team might have considered in their approach to this Tour de France. The boys in blue, still smarting from their stunning – for such a team of pros – and almost incomprehensible loss of Julian Alaphilppe’s Maillot Jaune on Thursday, came right back to the good yesterday, mounting a perfect lead-out train – with Alaphilippe jumping in and doing his bit – for the sprint into Chalon-sur-Saône. Unfortunately, the cruel gods of cycling struck and after 143-miles of racing, Elia Vifiani’s tire began to flat in the final half-mile of the race putting all of their hard work to naught. 

There’s only so much that the team can ask of Kasper Asgreen, yet another of the new, young generation coming so rapidly to the fore. The Dane is simply heroic, doing the work of three men, which he must as the team of stage chasers is constructed for other things than the long, steady grinding required of a Yellow Jersey defense. He was on the front all day both yesterday and the day before, and even his enormous motor needs a bit of rest on occasion if they’re to make to Paris as a team.

The problem is that no one, least of all Julian Alaphilippe, knows how far the Frenchman can go in this Tour. His performance on la Planche des Belles Filles was beyond expectations, showing the same strength as the defending Tour champion, Geraint Thomas, opening his eyes to perhaps a different future. What if Alaphilippe can pass the Pyrenees and Alps with the favorites and actually becomes a bonafide Yellow Jersey contender? His team hedged their bets on Thursday by refusing to commit to his defense, wanting to save energy for their preferred and accustomed mode of flatland racing, gambling that the big teams like Ineos would panic and do that defense work for them. Problem is, no one gives Deceuninck-Quickstep presents and that gamble came up snake eyes. The pre-Yellow Jersey Alaphilippe recently signed a two-year extension with the Belgian team spurning big money offers from Total and others. If he does race well In the upcoming mountains, if he shows that he could become the first French winner of the Tour since Bernard Hinault, he’ll realize that he signed with the wrong team, one incapable of supporting his and all of France’s dreams. 

Today’s stage, from Mâcon to Saint-Étienne, has been termed a “mini-Liege-Bastogne-Liege” for its constant up and down nature and 3,750 meters of total climbing – the stage to la Planche, for example, was 3,950 meters. This race through the heartland of France perfectly fits Alaphilippe’s qualities, and the steep, punchy final climb with its 14% sections, the côte de la Jallère, has an eight-second time bonus at the top, enough for him to take back the Yellow Jersey if things go well. The breakaway riders will be crazed today, a great chance for them. Will the Deceuninck-Quickstep focus on the one rabbit? Do they have the strength and desire to do so? Everyone, most of all Alaphilippe, who must have a sour taste in his mouth, will want to know. 

A final note about Dylan Groenewegen who has won a stage in every stage race he’s started this year, and one in each of the three Tour’s he’s started. The Dutchman has won 11-times this year – he had 14 wins in 2018 – more wins than any other sprinter. Wout van Aert put on a display of crazy, crazy power over the last three-kilometers yesterday and the Jumbo-Visma team did the rest bringing Groenewegen in perfect position to the line. There are four more opportunities for the sprinters this Tour, Albi, Toulouse, Nimes and Paris, and while they’ve all conceded the Green Jersey to Peter Sagan, who’s climbing strength sets him apart from the rest, great sprint battles are still in store for our viewing pleasure. Given that those big boys make it through the mountains to come.