Tour de France 2021 - 'Ineos are looming' - Bradley Wiggins expects attack from Richard Carapaz and co on Stage 16
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Updated 14/07/2021 at 10:37 GMT
Bradley Wiggins feels Team Ineos will launch some sort of attack on Stage 17 of the Tour de France. Ineos are sixth in the team rankings with Richard Carapaz sitting in fourth in the race for the yellow jersey. "The next two days are going to be crucial to that and I think Ineos are going to launch something," Wiggins said on his Eurosport podcast.
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Bradley Wiggins is predicting a big move from Team Ineos on Stage 17 of the Tour de France.
Richard Carapaz sits fourth in the race for the yellow jersey with UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar out in front and the favourite to win back-to-back Tour de France titles.
Speaking on his Eurosport podcast, Wiggins said he has the feeling there is ‘something’ coming from Team Ineos after some disappointing rides.
“Ineos are looming to do something,” he said.
The next two days are going to be crucial to that and I think Ineos are going to launch something. I don’t think they’ll take this lying down.
“This is a big one and that’s why today was a bit of a lull in the action,” he added.
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Asked if he felt Pogacar could be caught, Wiggins was cautious not to rule it out completely, but said it would take quite the collapse from the yellow jersey holder.
“We’ll see. It’s that interesting battle between Carapaz and (Jonas) Vingegaard,” Wiggins said.
“And when Vingegaard goes high like that it seems to distance him a little bit. I’m looking forward to it tomorrow. I think we’ll see a shake up in the GC.
“I don’t know which way. Maybe the podium, maybe the yellow jersey. It’ll be a big ask. Something is going to have to be seriously wrong with Pogacar to lose that jersey at this stage, but you just never know in the Tour de France.”
Another interesting battle is the race for the green jersey, with Mark Cavendish still in the driving seat.
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BikeExchange rider Michael Matthews, however, has been making strides to peg Cavendish back and Wiggins thinks his team will throw everything at the green jersey rider in the next race.
“Matthews isn’t going to win a sprint against Cav (Cavendish),” Wiggins explained.
“He's not going to win a stage – he always falls short because of the severity of the stages and he's kind of halfway between being a sprinter and a puncheur.
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SAINT-GAUDENS, FRANCE - JULY 13: Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia and UAE-Team Emirates yellow leader jersey & Richard Carapaz of Ecuador and Team INEOS Grenadiers at arrival during the 108th Tour de France 2021, Stage 16 a 169km stage from Pas de la Casa to Sai
Image credit: Getty Images
“But by notching up points like he has been, he's become a serious threat to Cav's green jersey. You have to hope for Cav for the next few days, because Michael’s got a job on his hands and he seems to be getting in good form.”
“I think [Cavendish’s] team will rally around him,” he continued.
“Bike Exchange, they’re going to throw everything at it tomorrow to get Matthews those first bonus points.
“If he picks those up he comes within ten, 15 points. Then it comes down to the wire. It’s a race within itself and it’s looking interesting."
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