Originally Posted by
slcbob
Froome & Thomas. I don't think I could be as gracious as they are being, at least when not behind closed doors.
The three, er, two, er, one amigos have a pretty good record of collaboration, too. Just collaborating to do silly things.
I think it's an extra nail biter with the TT so late. I think Thomas will continue to ride really well but in the sharper climbs of the Pyrenees he's due one jour sans. I would think Froome is far more resilient in that area, but like Bobke said in last night's coverage when everything went according to script and Froome blew past Bernal but couldn't drive all the way to the end, maybe the Giro is catching up to him.
I do hope it is the road and the legs that decide, and not a mechanical.
Prediction? I think on stage 16 or 17 G loses a bunch of his lead on Froome, but may keep yellow.
Something crazy happens on the Tourmalet in the middle of stage 19. Maybe Dumo going for it. And if Froome and his Giro legs aren't behind Dumo and his at that point, then Froome rides away from G on stage 19.
Going in to the TT it will still be a race, Maybe a shuffle within the podium (G to 3rd?), but none of them off the podium..
I'm rolling ahead with shameless self-quoting and the axiom that even a broken clock is wrong twice a day.
I'm still sticking with my prognostication for a Tourmaletapalooza.
I'm gonna stick my neck out even further and say that De Gendt might make a go for the break. And Ahlaphilippe will tip toe gracefully deeper into le psyche Francais through the smoke that rises from the ashes of Barguil's burned out polka dot dreams.
I handicap it at 75% chance that Froome is the most gracious teammate possible, and 25% he goes full Finestre. Maybe even attacking with Bernal, or odd bedfellows like Bernal, Quintana, or Martin leaving G to whisper sweet nothings into Tom's ears. If none of that crazy happens, I predict Roglic nips Froome in the ITT for the GC podium.
P.S. I really hope I'm wrong about that one G jour sans. Ignore that thought, stages 19 & 20.