TDF 2025: Stage 16- July 22, 2025 – By John Eustice
So, as a heartfelt member of the Amicale des Coureurs des Savoie, I had to cheer on my fellow Savoyard, even if
mine is only an honorary membership. I also had a celebratory phone call with my dear friend Jacques Michaud, the last rider from Haute Savoie to win a Tour stage, at Morzine in 1983, and who was a fine Director Sportif as well. We talked racing. Jacques was in a grand mood, both he and Paret-Peintre came out of Velo Club Annemasse, the famed developmental club that still organizes the 89-year-old Annemasse-Belgarde Elite race.
He had thought the young Frenchman was going to win as “he’s a real specialist in les Course de Côte (climbing races) and only weighs 50-kilos (110-lbs) which, like little Lenny Martinez (currently second in the KOM standing) can be a problem as their size makes it almost impossible for them to fight on a daily basis. Their bodies are just too little, they don’t possess the sort of robust strength that’s needed, so they have off days and must carefully select the stages where they can perform. The riders who can support the daily pressure are heavier, more in the region of 60 to 65-kilos like Pogačar – Healy outweighed Paret-Peintre by 15-kilos (33-lbs) it should be noted- and tend to have solid, muscular bodies.”
Jacques also feels that Vingegaard is getting stronger while Pogačar is now at his max level which he will try and
maintain. “Pogačar can’t drop Vingegaard with ease as he could in the Pyrenees, the Dane is looking better and better, but it might be too late for him. Pogačar has no one else to worry about, no one is close on the GC, and all he needs to do is stay on the Dane’s wheel till Paris. I see him riding a defensive race until then.”
We talked about the Visma-Lease a Bike tactics and how they seem confusing to many of us. “Look, they are a top, very expensive team and a second place in the Tour is not enough for them. They must show that they are still in the fight, that they are still ‘patrons’ of the Tour. So, while they do everything correctly, putting satellite riders up front to wait for Vingegaard and controlling the peloton, Pogačar is simply, so far, too strong.
Riding as they are will allow them to say that they fought hard to the end.” We finished up with me complementing my fellow Haute Savoyards, telling Jacques, “You don’t win often, but when you do it’s big. Morzine and Ventoux are two great trophies to bring back to the region.”
Any fool could have seen that Wellens was going to win that race. He was stilling on the back of the break the entire day, able to quickly cover all the moves, and, you know, dude is the Belgian Champion so knows every trick in the book and is a bona fide gangster bike racer. Simmons, instead of blaming motorcycle drafting for Wellen’s 40-kilometer solo victory, should have known that there was only one wheel to follow in that break, the one he missed. There will be payback for his comments, it will come one day when he least expects it. The other directors on Radio Tour call him Captain America and I don’t believe it’s complementary.
