Stage 17 TDF 2022 Blog: Brandon Blazes Away
Rafal Majka withdrew before the stage, having suffered a thigh strain when his chain snapped yesterday. I don’t mind because his name wasn’t on my stage winner polls, but it is disappointing for him and TP.
Brandon McNulty stepped up instead on Stage 17, with a surprisingly strong performance that came out of nowhere, as far as I can see – but probably others know better and it didn’t. (Pete Kennaugh is not one of those others though: ‘Where it came from, I have no idea’ he said on ITV). McNulty led up most of the Val Louron-Azet climb, dropping Sepp Kuss and Geraint Thomas. In fact he dropped everyone except TP and JV.
TP attempted an attack over the summit, but JV covered it.
McNulty caught up again on the descent, then rode on the front in the valley and all the way up Peyragudes.
The three riders were together as they approched the Altiport de Peyragudes. TP half went first, and JV followed him. TP pretended to be slowing down and tiring, JV went past him, then TP showed he had been bluffing and made it to the line first.
TP takes 10 bonus seconds, and JV only 6s.
Vingegaard said he wasn’t surprised Pogacar won, because TP is more explosive. ‘For me, I think it should be a bit harder before…’ It sounds as though he was well within himself on the climbs, and he doesn’t seem like a rider who is about to crack.