2012 Tour De France Spolier Thread

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Comments

  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    hmm maybe Wiggins should do a chicken dance when he crosses the line in Paris.
    Whippet
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,341
    Turns out Greg66 was a day out in his prediction: Nibali didn't make much of a dent yesterday, but has jumped clear today.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • Gizmo_
    Gizmo_ Posts: 558
    cjcp wrote:
    You know these climbs are a bit long and, in some cases, a bit steep, right? Not everyone can say, "Right, time to go. You comin'?" as they look back on their opponents. Most mortals are asking themselves if it's possible to unstitch their @rses so they can breathe a bit more.
    Beautifully put. :D
    Scott Sportster P45 2008 | Cannondale CAAD8 Tiagra 2012
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    rjsterry wrote:
    Turns out Greg66 was a day out in his prediction: Nibali didn't make much of a dent yesterday, but has jumped clear today.


    Already back in the pleoton.

    Presumably having cut a deal with Valverde ;).
    _
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    Turns out Greg66 was a day out in his prediction: Nibali didn't make much of a dent yesterday, but has jumped clear today.


    Already back in the pleoton.

    Presumably having cut a deal with Valverde ;).

    He's Valverde's dealer? :shock:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    BigMat wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    Turns out Greg66 was a day out in his prediction: Nibali didn't make much of a dent yesterday, but has jumped clear today.


    Already back in the pleoton.

    Presumably having cut a deal with Valverde ;).

    He's Valverde's dealer? :shock:

    Hah.

    More like, I'll leave the break, and maybe you do a big turn for me if I come racing up to you later on in the day.
    _
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    jedster wrote:
    BTW - is anybody REALLY still sure that Froome is stronger than Wiggins. I've not seen enough to call it one way or another - thought Brad looked comfortable yesterday and had the legs when Froome needed him. Again.
    I'm looking forward to the TT. If Froome really is stronger then the mountains should have taken it out of Wiggins and Froome will surely be highly motivated to make a point in the TT?

    +1

    To me, Wiggo has never looked completely spent at the end if any mountain stage.

    +2. If Wiggo didn't have the legs and lungs, Froome would have dropped him. You only need to be a little weaker to be dropped.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,341
    Some epic TdF film title puns over on the Guardian stage blog.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • Gizmo_
    Gizmo_ Posts: 558
    rjsterry wrote:
    Some epic TdF film title puns over on the Guardian stage blog.
    Epically bad. :D
    Scott Sportster P45 2008 | Cannondale CAAD8 Tiagra 2012
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,341
    Where's Mr Burns when you need him?
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    http://www.cyclesportmag.com/news-and-c ... een-stage/

    Birnie saying it exactly how it is re Sky's/this Tour's 'cold' feel.
    _
  • Gizmo_
    Gizmo_ Posts: 558
    This is the last big hill of the Tour and everyone's cracking... must be psychological.

    Going to be close...
    Scott Sportster P45 2008 | Cannondale CAAD8 Tiagra 2012
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    exciting!
    Dolan Mythos
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    http://www.cyclesportmag.com/news-and-comment/stage-16-analysis-voeckler-is-king-of-the-queen-stage/

    Birnie saying it exactly how it is re Sky's/this Tour's 'cold' feel.
    Basically what I've been trying to say....
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,341
    That combative enough?

    Nearly shelled Nibali despite him trying attack after attack and almost reeled in Valverde.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    rjsterry wrote:
    That combative enough?

    Nearly shelled Nibali despite him trying attack after attack and almost reeled in Valverde.

    I'll be honest, missed the end.

    Caught a bit of the replay.

    Reasonably predictable from what I can see, right?
    _
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Poor show from Sky, Froome should have chased down Valverde and taken the stage - Wiggins would only have lost maybe 30 seconds and it would have been a far more honest finale. Not knocking Bradley as he dropped everyone else, but you do reach a point where you have to let your domestique off the leash!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • Gizmo_
    Gizmo_ Posts: 558
    BigMat wrote:
    Poor show from Sky, Froome should have chased down Valverde and taken the stage - Wiggins would only have lost maybe 30 seconds and it would have been a far more honest finale. Not knocking Bradley as he dropped everyone else, but you do reach a point where you have to let your domestique off the leash!
    That's what I'd have done too.

    Let Froome have 20-30 secs at the top of the hill, which gives him a cushion over Nibali in case of mechanicals during the TT.
    Scott Sportster P45 2008 | Cannondale CAAD8 Tiagra 2012
  • pitchshifter
    pitchshifter Posts: 1,476
    What happens if Wiggins punctures and Froome's up the road..? There is no 3km security net on a mountain stage.

    They did the right thing for the team's goals.
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    pitchshifter wrote:
    What happens if Wiggins punctures and Froome's up the road..?
    Froome goes Rambo, wins Tour de France.

    2013 Froome signs for another team as the first British Tour winner.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    It's not like Froome is going to lose any time to any of the rivals bar Wiggins in the TT.

    Brit 1, Brit 2, with one brit climbing to two MTFs with two fingers in his nose.
    _
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,341
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    pitchshifter wrote:
    What happens if Wiggins punctures and Froome's up the road..?
    Froome goes Rambo, wins Tour de France.

    2013 Froome signs for another team as the first British Tour winner.

    Do you not think that maybe Froome has a little more professionalism than that? One of the points in that article that RC posted was that the reason why Sky are so dominant is that they have a single objective and a team totally focused on that objective, whereas the other teams are less cohesive and have less clear goals. If Froome starts making it up as he goes along, the whole thing starts falling apart, and Nibali will be there waiting.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    rjsterry wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    pitchshifter wrote:
    What happens if Wiggins punctures and Froome's up the road..?
    Froome goes Rambo, wins Tour de France.

    2013 Froome signs for another team as the first British Tour winner.

    Do you not think that maybe Froome has a little more professionalism than that? One of the points in that article that RC posted was that the reason why Sky are so dominant is that they have a single objective and a team totally focused on that objective, whereas the other teams are less cohesive and have less clear goals. If Froome starts making it up as he goes along, the whole thing starts falling apart, and Nibali will be there waiting.

    For the record - Wiggins would have beaten Nibili with or without Froome - racing Froome him or Froome not there at all - in the same way Froome can wait for Wiggins on the climbs, get caught behind crashes in week one, and still finish ahead of Nibali.
    _
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    It's not like Froome is going to lose any time to any of the rivals bar Wiggins in the TT.

    Brit 1, Brit 2, with one brit climbing to two MTFs with two fingers in his nose.
    Not forgetting the prologue...

    AwqYvzpCIAAb4HF.jpg
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    http://www.cyclesportmag.com/news-and-comment/stage-16-analysis-voeckler-is-king-of-the-queen-stage/

    Birnie saying it exactly how it is re Sky's/this Tour's 'cold' feel.

    Good article. It does raise the question, what were Sky doing hiring Cav?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Publicity, probably. Having the world champion is a big deal, especially since he's a Brit.

    Someone who's in a position to know told me that the expenditure on the sky cycling team is so small it doesn't even have its own entry on the end of year figures. It's just rolled up into advertising.
    _
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Publicity, probably. Having the world champion is a big deal, especially since he's a Brit.

    Someone who's in a position to know told me that the expenditure on the sky cycling team is so small it doesn't even have its own entry on the end of year figures. It's just rolled up into advertising.

    Yeah, that's what I suspected too. I know he's putting on a positive face, but I feel for him. I wonder how badly the regrets have hit him. Lovely to be part of the over all winner's team, but when you've got used to being the best in the world in your discipline it must be frustrating. I can't imagine he'll ever have the team geared around him at Sky the way he did at HTC. I've no idea what contract he signed, but he needs to win on the Chanselise, win at the Olympics, and then look for a new team (all much easier said than done).
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Cav can't win green and gold so soon after, which does he want more? To be fair to Sky, they're paying very good money in his quest for gold. A lot of other contenders have dropped out already.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Who says he'll win either UE?

    ....

    Though Boonen's out so that should help.
    _
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    pitchshifter wrote:
    What happens if Wiggins punctures and Froome's up the road..? There is no 3km security net on a mountain stage.

    They did the right thing for the team's goals.

    Quite.

    Sky said they'd produce a British TdF within five years.

    Agw, they'll hit their target in three.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."

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