Tour de France Stage 11 *Spoiler*

Turfle

Shouldn't they at least try to drop Sky's domestiques before we say they can't do it? VDB and Vanendert managed to get rid of Porte and Rogers easily enough the other day.

Plenty of opportunities to break up the Sky rhythm today.

Boy Lard

GSVBagpuss wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

'cause neither Evans nor Nibali can even drop Wiggins' domestiques, let alone the captain.

Very good point, it's doesn't look for them if they have no weapons even against EBH and others. I do hope Wiggins solo's to a victory at some point; Evans rode very defensively last year, waited for the ITT and won but hardly excited anyone.

Didn't he do that in the ITT? If not, then he should probably be disqualified.

alwaystoohot

11 Cav please.

Eric Cartman

If it is so boring why not do something else? Like going to ride a bike or something!

The Tour is like a blow job - even a bad blow job is still fucking great, you dont need a vacuum seal and a finger up your ass for it to be good.

calvjones

Alwaystoohot wrote:

11 Cav please.

Distractingly hot in Singapore?

gsvbagpuss

Boy Lard wrote:

Didn't he do that in the ITT? If not, then he should probably be disqualified.

I was going to come back with "Solo up some hills" but stage 9 was fairly hilly I guess You win

samiam

Eric Cartman wrote:

If it is so boring why not do something else? Like going to ride a bike or something!

The Tour is like a blow job - even a bad blow job is still ******* great, you dont need a vacuum seal and a finger up your ass for it to be good.

True. But once you have had that vacuum seal and that finger, when you aren't getting it - you think about those previous times. :shock:

derbygrimpeur

Interesting that people want Contador back, or make reference to Armstrong having to go it alone, or other GC riders not being able to blow domestiques away. Ever consdiered that this is the result of CLEAN racing? Something that maybe we've not had before.

Contador's clearly a great climber, but there also doping question marks - he was part of the Astana/Bruyneel setup that is currently being investigated by USADA, he has also had a positive test. Without wanting to go too far down that road, at least the current GC guys (Wiggins/Evans/Nibs) seem to be clean (ok, I know some might dispute Wiggins, but let's assume he's clean for now).

If we assume that the juice is not flowing these days, maybe there won't be the same destruction of opponents. Perhaps what Sky are doing is trying to ensure that they can maintain a consistent performance over 3 weeks. If Wiggins launched a big attack on Saturday (just gone) then he probably wouldn't have been able to TT as well on Monday.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying, it stop longing for the days of dopers if you want clean racing. I loved Pantani, doesn't mean I want a return to 1998 habits!

ugo.santalucia

derbygrimpeur wrote:

Interesting that people want Contador back, or make reference to Armstrong having to go it alone, or other GC riders not being able to blow domestiques away. Ever consdiered that this is the result of CLEAN racing? Something that maybe we've not had before.

Contador's clearly a great climber, but there also doping question marks - he was part of the Astana/Bruyneel setup that is currently being investigated by USADA, he has also had a positive test. Without wanting to go too far down that road, at least the current GC guys (Wiggins/Evans/Nibs) seem to be clean (ok, I know some might dispute Wiggins, but let's assume he's clean for now).

If we assume that the juice is not flowing these days, maybe there won't be the same destruction of opponents. Perhaps what Sky are doing is trying to ensure that they can maintain a consistent performance over 3 weeks. If Wiggins launched a big attack on Saturday (just gone) then he probably wouldn't have been able to TT as well on Monday.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying, it stop longing for the days of dopers if you want clean racing. I loved Pantani, doesn't mean I want a return to 1998 habits!

Yes, you are right on this... however, in the days when the Tour carovane wasn't 20 Km long, once a rider was spent, he had to make his way to the finish in some form of gruppetto and got to the line an hour later, now they drop down half the way of a climb and then you find them back at the front on the following climb... these days everything is allowed, they get all sorts of draft and pulls and pushes from the admiral cars (often disguised as mechanicals) until they get back in the peloton, ready for another turn at the front... that also explains how domestiques seem to have endless batteries

jezzasnr

calvjones wrote:

Yellow Peril wrote:

ddraver wrote:

TheStone wrote:

Short, but lots of climbing.
Can't see a stand off, the competition have to go for something today.

This - I really hope! Otherwise it's going to be a (ever so slightly) hollow victory for Sky as they ve beated a bunch of people who have all just led down!! Not that they'll care a hoot but....

Good point. A favourable TT parcours and a lack of top drawer climbing opposition has been a gift to them so far. It's times like this I wish Contador had been a Vegetarian.

This. I'm already putting this one in a drawer called 'dull' and packing my mental suitcase of courage for a Brad v Bertie v Alpecin 2013 showdown on a Centenary parcours that includes the Alpe, Ventoux, Puy-Dome, Tourmalet, 100K of TTT, 150K of ITT, Roubaix cobbles and Breton wind, all done on 50Ib flip-hub dinglespeeds.

Oh, and Corsican separatists and pirates staging sit ins, bombings and ransom kidnaps of Mr Nibbles masterminded by le Comte de Monte Cristo.


Am I expecting too much for the centenary?

I'd buy a ticket for that!

ddraver

Contador rides in a similar way to Froome - decent in the TT's during a GC but also capable of lightning accelerations in the Mountains. Contador is not a fantastic climber by any means but the ability to suddenly up the pace is his biggest asset - and alos makes for exciting races as there is all the attack, back together, attack, back together etc etc.

I hope that a lack of Clenbuterol won't stop this when he's back...

derbygrimpeur

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Yes, you are right on this... however, in the days when the Tour carovane wasn't 20 Km long, once a rider was spent, he had to make his way to the finish in some form of gruppetto and got to the line an hour later, now they drop down half the way of a climb and then you find them back at the front on the following climb... these days everything is allowed, they get all sorts of draft and pulls and pushes from the admiral cars (often disguised as mechanicals) until they get back in the peloton, ready for another turn at the front... that also explains how domestiques seem to have endless batteries

That might be true for the grupetto, but not the domestiques that make the front group. If a rider is in the front group on the final climb, he's not going to lose an hour. I don't see any evidence of what you suggest. And the sticky bidon / pretend mechanicals have been a part of the tour as long as I've watched it (which given I'm only 31 is 20 odd years).

ugo.santalucia

derbygrimpeur wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Yes, you are right on this... however, in the days when the Tour carovane wasn't 20 Km long, once a rider was spent, he had to make his way to the finish in some form of gruppetto and got to the line an hour later, now they drop down half the way of a climb and then you find them back at the front on the following climb... these days everything is allowed, they get all sorts of draft and pulls and pushes from the admiral cars (often disguised as mechanicals) until they get back in the peloton, ready for another turn at the front... that also explains how domestiques seem to have endless batteries

That might be true for the grupetto, but not the domestiques that make the front group. If a rider is in the front group on the final climb, he's not going to lose an hour. I don't see any evidence of what you suggest. And the sticky bidon / pretend mechanicals have been a part of the tour as long as I've watched it (which given I'm only 31 is 20 odd years).

I have noticed it at the Giro, this year for the first time, how domestiques disappeared half the way up a climb and reappeared at the front on the following. Pay attention to it, once a domestique has finished his job of pacing up a climb, you shouldn't see him again in the stage... while you will see them disappearing and reappearing on the stages with multiple climbs... that is new to me

Neil McC

Big break with 50 seconds at the moment

derbygrimpeur

ugo.santalucia wrote:

derbygrimpeur wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Yes, you are right on this... however, in the days when the Tour carovane wasn't 20 Km long, once a rider was spent, he had to make his way to the finish in some form of gruppetto and got to the line an hour later, now they drop down half the way of a climb and then you find them back at the front on the following climb... these days everything is allowed, they get all sorts of draft and pulls and pushes from the admiral cars (often disguised as mechanicals) until they get back in the peloton, ready for another turn at the front... that also explains how domestiques seem to have endless batteries

That might be true for the grupetto, but not the domestiques that make the front group. If a rider is in the front group on the final climb, he's not going to lose an hour. I don't see any evidence of what you suggest. And the sticky bidon / pretend mechanicals have been a part of the tour as long as I've watched it (which given I'm only 31 is 20 odd years).

I have noticed it at the Giro, this year for the first time, how domestiques disappeared half the way up a climb and reappeared at the front on the following. Pay attention to it, once a domestique has finished his job of pacing up a climb, you shouldn't see him again in the stage... while you will see them disappearing and reappearing on the stages with multiple climbs... that is new to me

I'll keep an eye out for it, although it could (in some situations) be explained by the domestique descending quicker than the front group, if the front group isn't "racing"

Neil McC

On the Madeleine, Radioshack chasing

ilm_zero7

31 riders including Gilbert. Dumoulin, Gesink, Dan Martin, Grivko, Vinokourov with 44 seconds as the climb starts - they will all be attacking Sky today

whitebait01

Could be a very different tour today if it weren't for Wiggins' reactions here - http://vimeo.com/45352846

Neil McC

Break disintegrating on the climb

derbygrimpeur

whitebait01 wrote:

Could be a very different tour today if it weren't for Wiggins' reactions here - http://vimeo.com/45352846

old news and I don't think the camera would've actually hit him.

dsoutar

ta-ra Tommy

calvjones

Could be a very different race if race radios were on the O2 network.

derbygrimpeur

calvjones wrote:

Could be a very different race if race radios were on the O2 network.

whitebait01

derbygrimpeur wrote:

whitebait01 wrote:

Could be a very different tour today if it weren't for Wiggins' reactions here - http://vimeo.com/45352846

old news and I don't think the camera would've actually hit him.

Oh Hadn't seen it, never mind then.

oldwelshman

ha funny to see some sprinters in the break trying to get some slip on the bunch to stay in the time limit I am pretty sure shrek will want stage win today, has he got the legs? Well he should have he's done fxxk all so far. Sky will be happy with the riders in the break, seems like some other teams will work today to keep break in check radio shack alreaday showing leaky gas also.

DavMartinR

What's happened to the BMC riders in the break? Can't see them anymore?

Thought Liquigas would of sent Basso or Szmyd up the road for Nibali today.

calvjones

DavMartinR wrote:

What's happened to the BMC riders in the break? Can't see them anymore?

Thought Liquigas would have sent Basso or Szmyd up the road for Nibali today.

Um.. they have...

DavMartinR

DavMartinR wrote:

What's happened to the BMC riders in the break? Can't see them anymore?

Thought Liquigas would have sent Basso or Szmyd up the road for Nibali today.

Check that Basso is up the road. Wonder if Nibali will attack on the decent of the Col de la Madeliene or the Col du Mollard?

DavMartinR

calvjones wrote:

DavMartinR wrote:

What's happened to the BMC riders in the break? Can't see them anymore?

Thought Liquigas would have sent Basso or Szmyd up the road for Nibali today.

Um.. they have...

Yea just saw that. Thought it was just Koren up there.

oldwelshman

there are going to be sooo many riders foooked after today riding like this, some will loose packets in next few days/ This is hard stage think will be carnage later.