TDF Stage 17 *spoiler*

Vuelta95

afx237vi wrote:

calvjones wrote:

Froome is quite a clever guy.

How to make a statement without making a statement.

It was as subtle as a brick in the face, but it did the job.

kanto

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Roll on the Vuelta at least we will see froome being "Allowed" to show he's the strongest

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

mfin

Pross wrote:

I thought Froome was in trouble half way up the climb. Nice to see the two of them going for it but still don't see why Froome couldn't go ahead and try for the stage, he wouldn't have endangered Wiggins.

All it would've taken is Brad to clearly shout 'Go get it'. He probably did the old 'no, leave me, you go on without me' like a wounded cowboy in a film and Froome thought 'awwwwww'.

fastercyclist

Proving that being undead does has its advantages in bike racing.

Great stage, I think the "this race is boring" crowd can go eat cake.

Well played Wiggins&Froome.

bigmat

Didn't like that at all, Froome should have just gone and let Wiggins diesel his way home. Will Wiggins ease off in the time trial if he's ahead at the time checks?

oneof1982

kanto wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Roll on the Vuelta at least we will see froome being "Allowed" to show he's the strongest

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

Yeh yeh yawn yawn yawn..........
Objective: Get Wiggo in yellow and win tdf
Outcome: Wiggo in yellow and about to win tdf.

keyser__soze

Don't think Froome would've been able to catch Valverde if he'd gone when he was busy hand-waving - could he have gone earlier and made it? Seemed to be trying to make a not-very-subtle point that he was sticking with Wiggo.

calvjones

kanto wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Roll on the Vuelta at least we will see froome being "Allowed" to show he's the strongest

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

If you think team tactics (of all things) are an embarrassment to Pro Cycling, you haven't been watching very long.

cogidubnus

Wish Froome had just gone. It's one thing helping your team leader but another making him look like a chump. I think Brad needs to take some big time out of Froome in the TT to show he is the top dog

afx237vi

Yates goes to the same optician as Arsene Wenger.

Pross

kanto wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Roll on the Vuelta at least we will see froome being "Allowed" to show he's the strongest

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

bondurant

kanto wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Roll on the Vuelta at least we will see froome being "Allowed" to show he's the strongest

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

Rubbish

dougzz

kanto wrote:

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

Yeah an embarrassment :roll:

If you want embarrassment look at the winner

Vuelta95

Yates giving it the Arsene Wenger.

appletrees

calvjones wrote:

If you think team tactics (of all things) are an embarrassment to Pro Cycling, you haven't been watching very long.

+1

ddraver

God dammy dammit - boss walked in so totally missed the whole last climb!! Anyone know if there is a youtube person that will put the last 10k up?

Don't know why Wiggo did nt let Froome go though tbh, but then I only saw the last 3 k...

ES girl giving Yates a bit of a grilling!!

pb21

kanto wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Roll on the Vuelta at least we will see froome being "Allowed" to show he's the strongest

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

LOLZ innit!

calvjones

calvjones wrote:

kanto wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Roll on the Vuelta at least we will see froome being "Allowed" to show he's the strongest

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

If you think team tactics (of all things) are an embarrassment to Pro Cycling, you haven't been watching very long.

For example:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck ... oming-year

dsoutar

kanto wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Roll on the Vuelta at least we will see froome being "Allowed" to show he's the strongest

I think it is clear for everyone to see that Wiggins doesn't really deserve this TDF as Froome has been the strongest rider, and Wiggins couldn't take much time out of Froome during the TT. Team Sky are an embarrassment to the sport, not allowing Froome to attack when Wiggins was home and dry. Brailsford and Co are like those nodding Churchill dogs you see in the back of cars.

Zzzzzz

rick_chasey

Missed the end.

I'm right in thinking wasn't too exciting?

Broke up on the climb, Valv. won, Froome had to crack the whip a bit to keep Wiggins there and Nibs lost time on them but gained on others?

Or am I missing something?

frenchfighter

1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling
3 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
6 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
7 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
8 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
9 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
10 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp

ddraver

Brad looking somewhat sheepish on the podium...

afx237vi

Oh dear, Ms. Froome not happy.

wallace_and_gromit

oneof1982 wrote:

Yeh yeh yawn yawn yawn..........
Objective: Get Wiggo in yellow and win tdf
Outcome: Wiggo in yellow and about to win tdf.

Quite so. The general public won't remember - to the extent they'd even care in the first place - that Wiggo wasn't as strong as Froome. Wiggo is Sky's joint main man (along with Cav) from a marketing perspective, as he's widely known from his Olympic exploits. Froome is barely known, and crucially speaks with a foreign accent. British sporting heroes don't speak with South African accents on the whole. (Sad for Froome, as he can't help his background, but such is life!) Thus, the PR upside of protecting Wiggo far outweighs the downside of needing to protect him against his own team mate.

If Froome is as good as he thinks he is, he'll win a few GTs and eventually surpass Wiggo in the pecking order of marketability/perceived greatness. If not, then he can at least dine out on Vuelta 2011 and this year's Tour. "I could have won them both if only..."

Crozza

is tomorrow just a transition stage? In all my years of watching* I have not seen such a stage right at the end, before the final TT

It's almost as if they did the parcours, then realised they were one stage short and just bunged it in to make up the numbers






*3 :oops:

dougzz

afx237vi wrote:

Oh dear, Ms. Froome not happy.

When she's shopping on the proceeds of that contract she'll get over it.

plectrum

Bollox ..... utter bollox, Sky could have done 1 thing to have made this tour exciting, catching Valverde the filthy cheat on the line. Total nonsense, 2km to go Nibali cracked, Wiggins looking like his diesel self and was safe. He could have just said THANKS to his lieutenant and let him take the glory of the stage win.

Would have been the real icing on the cake, bollox Sky '0' panache; absolutely 0.

iainf72

The only thing I wonder is do Sky know who's recovering better, and are wary of Froome being any closer to Wiggins in the GC.

Lame stage though.

Valv.Piti. Woo.

rdt

Fantastic ride by Sky, particularly Froomedog, but lack of class shown with all the looking over the shoulder antics. If he wasn't happy to toe the team Sky line, he should have just done his own ride and made the point in a truer fashion. And Sky should have let him go and allowed Saturday to settle it.

Jez mon

Rick Chasey wrote:

Missed the end.

I'm right in thinking wasn't too exciting?

Broke up on the climb, Valv. won, Froome had to crack the whip a bit to keep Wiggins there and Nibs lost time on them but gained on others?

Or am I missing something?

Basically, yes.

Had he been left to go, I'd give Froome, an exceptionally generous, 40 seconds over Wiggo. Which for all those Froomey Fan boys, is less than half of the current time gap between the two riders.