Tour of Oman 2013 **SPOILERS**

mfin

Oh I dunno, maybe I dont find what bits I have seen exciting and some think they are. I know the bulk of people just see it as what it is. I don't much go for these early season mini tours myself, I don't think they show a lot, but I know a lot of people like to think its some kind of crystal ball as to what will happen later in the year, particularly in the GTs, and get wrapped up in it.

Ah, highlights should be youtubeaboobable tomorrow then.

Richmond Racer

Helicoptors, perky music...here you go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BieXRXFgvCU

Mad_Malx

^^Well that looked superb.

Here's hoping this sort of racing carries through to the GTs (I can dream).

twotyred

I don't much go for these early season mini tours myself, I don't think they show a lot, but I know a lot of people like to think its some kind of crystal ball

You're probably right when doping was at its height and riders would "prepare" for target races but I reckon with less of it going on now early season form may well be a better indicator of future performance

rick_chasey

No broadband or satellite tv is a f*cking ballache.

jerry3571

Really can we not get in to the, old days were dirty and we are now living in a cleaner age, as that theory has been disproved on so many occassions. LA was suppose to be a new clean age in cycling after 1998 and it's only history which will tell.

I'm not a fan of ACs riding style as he's choppy and all over the bike when he's honking. Looks aweful. He attacks and sits on breakaway riders and rarely works with others and tries to win the stage when it should be gifted to the breakaway rider (unless it's Tiralongo). Not good.

I'm fascinated by Froome's riding style as his head drops a lot which usually means that the rider has cracked.
He also is bad at sitting on the wheels and looks as though he's struggling and then he attacks from the back.
Not sure whether it's intentional but I have no idea whether he's riding within himself or whether he's cracked.
It's fascinating to watch.

Jerry

PS- Can Euro channel not have coverage of Oman 24 hours late as it's doing my nut?

PPS- I still have no idea why the top riders are beating hell out of eachother in some far off Desert.

petemadoc

Just saw the highlights on 'telly

Great to see the big boys scrapping like that. Froome looked like he attacked too early bit then still had the legs for the sprint. Very entertaining, can't wait for the summer!

petemadoc

Just watched Thursday's stage highlights too, great stuff! Froome let loose . . . Not sure if he was playing games or what but he looked out of it one minute and then launched a huge attack the next.

dougzz

inkyfingers wrote:

That, in a nutshell is what makes talking about sport as interesting as it is. Everybody has their own opinions and none of them are wrong, except supporting Arsenal.
(I'm a former Spurs season ticket holder)

Everything Inky says is right, he clearly has excellent taste.

Bertie does look good dancing on those pedals, it offers contrast in styles. Froome is the least 'Sky' Sky rider. He likes to attack and seems to have a lot more 'have a go' than the determined plan of Brad, both are interesting, and whatever people say about Sky, Brad's season last year was just magnificent. Foome is odd, he seems to be cracking and then gather himself again and carry on. Nice to see Cuddles showing some early season form, Nibs still looks just a little short of the top few.
It'll be interesting come the TdF whether Bertie really makes an attack stick, he seems to have a lot of unsuccessful digs these days, not sure whether that's because he's changed or they're all at it. I'm not trying to start another steak thread, just saying how I see it.
Isn't great to be able to watch even delayed bits of Oman, rather than focus on inane twitterers and over-hyped journos.

Richmond Racer

PeteMadoc wrote:

Just watched Thursday's stage highlights too, great stuff! Froome let loose . . . Not sure if he was playing games or what but he looked out of it one minute and then launched a huge attack the next.

Seems to be a real trademark of his. Looks like he's blown, and then a couple of minutes later he's off again. Saw it in the '11 Vuelta. Also on the climb to La Toussuire when he was leading Wiggins, Nibbles etc and then dropped right off the pace to the back of the group - Wiggins had to take it up for a while,thought Froome had blown for good and then suddenly Froome came back past him again like a bat out of hell. Amazing powers of recovery.

I've had my doubts about him as a leader but he's been really impressive this week.

Richmond Racer

I keep on remembering what David Millar said in an interview end-last year: Contador's scared of Froome, and he's never been scared of another rider before.

gsk82

i think sky's 2012 has already ichanged year round cycling for the better. everyone now knows that they could race hard all year and still win lots and its making crappy little early season races interesting.

well done sky, revolutionaising cycling since 2010!

Richmond Racer

dougzz wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

That, in a nutshell is what makes talking about sport as interesting as it is. Everybody has their own opinions and none of them are wrong, except supporting Arsenal.
(I'm a former Spurs season ticket holder)

Everything Inky says is right, he clearly has excellent taste.

Bertie does look good dancing on those pedals, it offers contrast in styles. Froome is the least 'Sky' Sky rider. He likes to attack and seems to have a lot more 'have a go' than the determined plan of Brad, both are interesting, and whatever people say about Sky, Brad's season last year was just magnificent. Foome is odd, he seems to be cracking and then gather himself again and carry on. Nice to see Cuddles showing some early season form, Nibs still looks just a little short of the top few.
It'll be interesting come the TdF whether Bertie really makes an attack stick, he seems to have a lot of unsuccessful digs these days, not sure whether that's because he's changed or they're all at it. I'm not trying to start another steak thread, just saying how I see it.
Isn't great to be able to watch even delayed bits of Oman, rather than focus on inane twitterers and over-hyped journos.

Froome and Brad are very different. But whether Froome is the least 'Sky' Sky rider? The thing is that these are the 2 riders who are right at the top of the GT GC pile for Sky - and they are totally different types of riders. Sky get slammed for not attacking - but in fact that's exactly what Geraint Thomas did up Corkscrew Hill at the TDU. Richie Porte won last year's Algarve by attacking on the Queen stage once the others esp Brad has softened things up for him to launch a pretty devastating attack. I saw Henao attack in a number of races last year. JTL's an attacking rider - he showed that all of last year at Endura - and I dont see any reason why Sky will change that.

specialgueststar

Nacer Bouhanni wins the 6th and final stage of #TOO13. Goss second, Phinney third.

Turfle

Great work, Froomedog. Very impressive indeed. Tirreno should be good (and live!).

Cleat Eastwood

Stage 5 eurosport highlights

Macaloon

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

Stage 5 eurosport highlights

Froome did very well - including inventing some new tactics - to avoid being the beef in a Spanish sandwich at the end of that. Would love to know what he was chatting to Alberto about in the final.

Richmond Racer

I'm going to miss the Tour of Oman's special blend of shots of wadis, spectators in dish-dashs and swirly dramatic music highlights package. Final stage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u3Qx69k ... e=youtu.be

philbar72

bit of argy bargy on that stage as well. great watch.

Mad_Malx

Slightly longer highlights & commentary from Phil_s

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZYbxj7F2W4

TMR

PeteMadoc wrote:

Just watched Thursday's stage highlights too, great stuff! Froome let loose . . . Not sure if he was playing games or what but he looked out of it one minute and then launched a huge attack the next.

Hmmm...who else do we know who has form for this? Wonder if they share any other 'similarities'?

cdoh

The Mad Rapper wrote:

PeteMadoc wrote:

Just watched Thursday's stage highlights too, great stuff! Froome let loose . . . Not sure if he was playing games or what but he looked out of it one minute and then launched a huge attack the next.

Hmmm...who else do we know who has form for this? Wonder if they share any other 'similarities'?

You really don't like Froome do you ? I think he's clean to the same degree as the rest of the team. Time will tell.

Richmond Racer

The Mad Rapper wrote:

PeteMadoc wrote:

Just watched Thursday's stage highlights too, great stuff! Froome let loose . . . Not sure if he was playing games or what but he looked out of it one minute and then launched a huge attack the next.

Hmmm...who else do we know who has form for this? Wonder if they share any other 'similarities'?

Oh..Tommy V, you mean? Nah, Froome doesnt pull gargoyle faces

:?

ratsbeyfus

Well done to groomed - the elbows out sprint was fugly though. .. Reminded me of wiggins sprint last year.

Macaloon

Apologies if this has already been posted. Richard Moore on Green Mountain etc:

"When they passed, on the road below, Rodriguez was grimacing and wheezing - it is rare that you can hear the rasping - then Froome appeared, also suffering but flying, relatively speaking. Another 10 metres and he would have caught Rodriguez, who held on.Then came Evans, but the biggest surprise was Contador, who so often appears to dance or float up climbs, usually through throngs of cheering, sound-muffling spectators. Yet here he was, on this suitably empty stretch of uphill, straining and panting, forcing the pedals round, while Nibali cracked completely, only just managing to keep his legs turning over those final 50 metres. "

http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/ ... 62,00.html

TMR

cdoh wrote:

You really don't like Froome do you ? I think he's clean to the same degree as the rest of the team. Time will tell.

Nah, I don't mind him that much TBH. It's just that after the LA affair and the 3 doping books I've read back to back, I seem to have turned into a mega cynical f*ck. I just can't believe anything I see any more

deejay

The Mad Rapper wrote:

cdoh wrote:

You really don't like Froome do you ? I think he's clean to the same degree as the rest of the team. Time will tell.

Nah, I don't mind him that much TBH. It's just that after the LA affair and the 3 doping books I've read back to back, I seem to have turned into a mega cynical f*ck. I just can't believe anything I see any more

I know that feeling but I use a Pinch of Salt to swallow some of it.

Richmond Racer

The Mad Rapper wrote:

cdoh wrote:

You really don't like Froome do you ? I think he's clean to the same degree as the rest of the team. Time will tell.

Nah, I don't mind him that much TBH. It's just that after the LA affair and the 3 doping books I've read back to back, I seem to have turned into a mega cynical f*ck. I just can't believe anything I see any more

3 doping books back to back? Blimey. No wonder you're feeling cynical. Time for a different type that'll remind you why you love cycling, maybe?

I cant turn to seeing ghosts everywhere, it'd completely ruin things for me. Some on Twatters have already started the whispering about Sagan because of his wins on Oman. I cant be doing with it.

ocdupalais

Richmond Racer wrote:

The Mad Rapper wrote:

cdoh wrote:

You really don't like Froome do you ? I think he's clean to the same degree as the rest of the team. Time will tell.

Nah, I don't mind him that much TBH. It's just that after the LA affair and the 3 doping books I've read back to back, I seem to have turned into a mega cynical f*ck. I just can't believe anything I see any more

3 doping books back to back? Blimey. No wonder you're feeling cynical. Time for a different type that'll remind you why you love cycling, maybe?

I cant turn to seeing ghosts everywhere, it'd completely ruin things for me. Some on Twatters have already started the whispering about Sagan because of his wins on Oman. I cant be doing with it.

Reading 3 doping books back to back is a feat that stretches beyond the realms of accepted literary science perameters into implausibility.
I can't have faith in anyone who makes such performance claims.

Did hear of someone getting to 2.5 books before developing the early indicators of a stroke, but that was in the olden days when the doping in question was still fun and cheeky - and not so stigmatised...

Squaggles

What a rider Froome is , the antidote to boring Bradley