Tour of Catalunya - *Spoilers*

Macaloon

Above The Cows wrote:

I don't mean to read a riot act...

Was joking. Hoped Trumpton Riot reference would obviate need for cliched , , or even :P

Meanwhile, Uncle Rich dropped the wisdom:

alihisgreat

RichN95 wrote:

Naivety is thinking that Sky give a toss about this race. Sure they'd like to win it and they'll give it a go but ultimately they know that Wiggins (or anyone else on the team) isn't going to outclimb Rodriguez and Quintana if they are on form, so in the absence of the a time trial they are unlikely to win. If Catalunya was high on their agenda they would have sent Froome or Henao.
What is high on their agenda is the Giro, which will have two hours of time trialling. And supporting Wiggins in that race will be Cataldo, Lopez and Uran so they're riding this as they will the Giro - minimizing loses to the pure climbers who will be battered in a TT.

well said

above_the_cows

Macaloon wrote:

Was joking. Hoped Trumpton Riot reference would obviate need for cliched , , or even :P

Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.

I figured you were. I thought I'd add an addendum for why I got a wrinkle in my chamois in the first place and Trumpton offered a good opportunity.

cal_stewart

RichN95 wrote:

Naivety is thinking that Sky give a toss about this race. Sure they'd like to win it and they'll give it a go but ultimately they know that Wiggins (or anyone else on the team) isn't going to outclimb Rodriguez and Quintana if they are on form, so in the absence of the a time trial they are unlikely to win. If Catalunya was high on their agenda they would have sent Froome or Henao.
What is high on their agenda is the Giro, which will have two hours of time trialling. And supporting Wiggins in that race will be Cataldo, Lopez and Uran so they're riding this as they will the Giro - minimizing loses to the pure climbers who will be battered in a TT.

Don't be coming around here speaking the truth!

inkyfingers

frenchfighter wrote:

Oh man Inky. Let me remind you:

He attacked about 5km out with his cousin Roche (have awesome photo of this) but was too good for him so continued on alone with about 4km to race. He was later joined by Nibali and they both forged on into a block headwind (got a superb photos of this). Froome dragged Wiggins and co up to them with about 1.5km to go, and then Wiggins opened his TT engine for a while. Then 250m to go, Dan Martin still had the strength to sprint to victory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... TNECeSGYr8

--

Ps. Note how Martin uses the best shaped bars in the business. Class.

Consider me reminded

I'd forgotten the details, but remember that being a good stage, lots of wind.

dolan_driver

Well done to Dan Martin. It is great to see an Irishman taking another good victory. I hope he does this on a regular basis from now on.

(We used to see Kelly and Roche taking wins like these all the time and we took all those victories for granted back in the good old days. It is great to have another one to celebrate now.)

DD.

Macaloon

Above The Cows wrote:

Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.

Now that was a train; albeit hopped-up on Chippy Minton's hooch.

ddraver

frenchfighter wrote:

ddraver wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Jonathan Vaughters ‏@Vaughters 2m
Bzzzzzt.... alert, alert.... SkyBoy cannot compute!!!!! Bzzzzt....




*think he means SkyBot

Cos he'd be doing something different if he was a Sky DS I suppose :roll:

That is correct yes. Who do you think created this.

*epic looking photoshop*

Oh yeah because Wiggins was well known as a climbing GC contender before evil evil Sky got hold of him and turned him into a TTer...

Don't you just hate it when Sky forms a train in every race?


err oh...

gsk82

frenchfighter wrote:

Oh man Inky. Let me remind you:

He attacked about 5km out with his cousin Roche (have awesome photo of this) but was too good for him so continued on alone with about 4km to race. He was later joined by Nibali and they both forged on into a block headwind (got a superb photos of this). Froome dragged Wiggins and co up to them with about 1.5km to go, and then Wiggins opened his TT engine for a while. Then 250m to go, Dan Martin still had the strength to sprint to victory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... TNECeSGYr8

--

Ps. Note how Martin uses the best shaped bars in the business. Class.

oh yeah that stage, the one that on a sky related thread (aren't they all) within the past couple of weeks you claimed you didn't remember!

thegibdog

Great win from Dan Martin. Was worried for him when Quintana went but it was never really in doubt.

I would like to have seen more of what was going on in the peleton rather than lingering shots of Gesink and Van Den Broeck sitting in no man's land. Seems like Katusha dropped the ball on this one.

frenchfighter

jam1e wrote:

Did the peloton pretty much just sit up for a couple of minutes when Valverde crashed then? One minute they were just over 2 minutes out and closing and then it was over 4.

The peloton, including Sky, did sit up for a short while after Valaverde crashed which was good of them. Sky then being de-facto leader were required to reignite the chase and do it all by themselves. Which in turn burnt more of their riders then they would have liked leading to Wiggins not having a full flank of support on the final climb.

I wonder whether Dan Martin would have won the stage if Valverde hadn't of crashed...

takethehighroad

I wonder if my Aunty's balls make her my Uncle.

It's redundant to say that's possibly why he won, there was so much more to that race today

cal_stewart

ff are you warming to sky with them being a bit less robotic this season?

jam1e

Cheers, that was pretty much what I'd assumed must have happened via intermittent updates and forums.

Daz555

dab_32 wrote:

They more parts of a machine that can fail, the more likely it is to. That's why they need a plan b.

I think plan B is the minute per hour Wiggo takes in the TTs.

mfin

Its a shame that so many (nearly all) race threads are descending into people arguing over crap to do with Sky, with the odd idiots lusting after attacks attacks attacks when that is not how all racing works. I don't have idols and don't favour teams, so seeing threads that are made up mostly of people offering commentary based on what they're reading on a ticker feed is bad enough (i'll never understand this, commentating on what you are reading is... well, I don't get it), but add to it all the anti-sky stuff (and I am not pro-sky, Im completely impartial) and 80% of the threads are full of sh1te. Lucky the other 20% of the content makes up for it! (although my post has knocked a few % off )

frenchfighter

mfin wrote:

Its a shame that so many (nearly all) race threads are descending into people arguing over crap to do with Sky, with the odd idiots lusting after attacks attacks attacks when that is not how all racing works. I don't have idols and don't favour teams, so seeing threads that are made up mostly of people offering commentary based on what they're reading on a ticker feed is bad enough (i'll never understand this, commentating on what you are reading is... well, I don't get it), but add to it all the anti-sky stuff (and I am not pro-sky, Im completely impartial) and 80% of the threads are full of sh1te. Lucky the other 20% of the content makes up for it! (although my post has knocked a few % off )

You know what mfin, I agree with you and have come to the same conclusion. Some talk is fine but it is now getting in the way of the race information and appreciation of the talent on the roads.

I shall be taking my problems with Sky detracting from the racing much more to other Sky threads rather than spoiler threads as I think most people are now aware of the Sky problem and their negative impact on real racing and don't want to be reminded of it every race.

I will continue to post as usual all my other contributions.

frenchfighter

It's worth looking through the results lists. Very rarely do you see such a strung out field. Huge gaps. Quality stage.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta- ... -4/results

Elissonde came in last...
Ruajno came in down 28mins...

LeicesterLad

mfin wrote:

Its a shame that so many (nearly all) race threads are descending into people arguing over crap to do with Sky, with the odd idiots lusting after attacks attacks attacks when that is not how all racing works. I don't have idols and don't favour teams, so seeing threads that are made up mostly of people offering commentary based on what they're reading on a ticker feed is bad enough (i'll never understand this, commentating on what you are reading is... well, I don't get it), but add to it all the anti-sky stuff (and I am not pro-sky, Im completely impartial) and 80% of the threads are full of sh1te. Lucky the other 20% of the content makes up for it! (although my post has knocked a few % off )

Mfin I agree to an extent, but I think one point being missed is that just as often as I or Frenchie call for 'attacking riding' and sometimes show are disatisifcation at Sky's tactic, others (who are pro-sky) are popping up in threads where very little has been mentioned about Sky or their tactics and then making comments as if something has been said, which doesn't help. A bit like twitter. Saw so many tweets yesterday after Martins win saying 'So Martin blows Wiggins away and it's a brave ride, anyone from Sky does it and their doping' blah blah blah. It's like the pro-Sky people can't handle not talking about them no matter what the situation.

We can be halfway through a normal thread and someone will say 'you wouldn't be saying that if it was Sky...' or 'I wonder what would have happened if Sky had done that...' Who gives a f*ck? Let sleeping dogs lie and far from it being one sided, both pro and anti-sky forumites are as bad as each other.

yesterday on Twitter (might have been the day before) there were several people from this forum banging on about twaliban, FG, Anti-Sky people or whatever even though nothing had been said from any of those people other than a bit of congratulating to Dan Martin. Some people just don't want to seem to let go, I know which side of the Sky barrier seem to be the more crazed and persistantly argumentative.

Sorry to rant, back on topic now...

blazing_saddles

frenchfighter wrote:

mfin wrote:

Its a shame that so many (nearly all) race threads are descending into people arguing over crap to do with Sky, with the odd idiots lusting after attacks attacks attacks when that is not how all racing works. I don't have idols and don't favour teams, so seeing threads that are made up mostly of people offering commentary based on what they're reading on a ticker feed is bad enough (i'll never understand this, commentating on what you are reading is... well, I don't get it), but add to it all the anti-sky stuff (and I am not pro-sky, Im completely impartial) and 80% of the threads are full of sh1te. Lucky the other 20% of the content makes up for it! (although my post has knocked a few % off )

You know what mfin, I agree with you and have come to the same conclusion. Some talk is fine but it is now getting in the way of the race information and appreciation of the talent on the roads.

I shall be taking my problems with Sky detracting from the racing much more to other Sky threads rather than spoiler threads as I think most people are now aware of the Sky problem and their negative impact on real racing and don't want to be reminded of it every race.

I will continue to post as usual all my other contributions.

Good for you FF.

Seems to be a growing trend on other forum, too.
For example CN race threads have been ruined by the constant stream of sarcasm and snide remarks
directed solely at Sky.
As a consequence all debate has become polarised, repetitive and ultimately tedious and boring.
Of no use to those interested in general race development and outcome.
CN is not alone.
Another forum with very active race chat is heading in the same direction, due to a small group
intent on ridiculing Sky at every opportunity.
It's becoming a blight.

ddraver

We re now at the point where we re ranting about people ranting about people ranting at Sky...

Anyone care for a rant about people ranting about people ranting about people ranting at Sky? Just to set you off, here's a picture

above_the_cows

ddraver wrote:

We re now at the point where we re ranting about people ranting about people ranting at Sky...

Anyone care for a rant about people ranting about people ranting about people ranting at Sky? Just to set you off, here's a picture

[Off Topic] Wow look at that lekker weather.[/Off Topic]

ddraver

s'OK in Leiden today...flipping windy though, even by Dutch Standards...

Do you have a really long word for a rant that goes round and round in circles?

disgruntledgoat

I love the word Lekker!

iainf72

with the Sky thing, it goes both way. You get the frothing at the mouth haters, and the frothing at the mouth defenders.

Both put people off.

danlikesbikes

So thoughts on todays stage? Looks like a possible day for an big attack on the main climb, hard to say that anyone might be able to stay away from Dan Martin though with the form he showed yesterday.

inkyfingers

Danlikesbikes wrote:

So thoughts on todays stage? Looks like a possible day for an big attack on the main climb, hard to say that anyone might be able to stay away from Dan Martin though with the form he showed yesterday.

If you look at his career though, he tends to be right up there one day and getting dropped unexpectedly the next, so the other teams would be silly not to at least try something. Having said that, the last two stages are better set up for attacks, think we'll see a relatively calm stage today, maybe even a breakaway win.

dish_dash

iainf72 wrote:

with the Sky thing, it goes both way. You get the frothing at the mouth haters, and the frothing at the mouth defenders.

Both put people off.

Completely agree... enjoy the racing... you get exciting days, you get dull days... polarising the debate takes away the nuance... perhaps we could just have one Sky strategy thread for the year (bit like that Lance once) where people can bang on all they like.

danlikesbikes

He does seem to have 1 fantastic day & well worth it as an armchair follower.

Just with the massive hill in the middle of the stage I would have though that if someone was going to make a move that would be the time with 2km's to go to the top to get a gap. Plus if you were in GC position it might be a good chance to move yourself up or distance you rivals?

above_the_cows

ddraver wrote:

s'OK in Leiden today...flipping windy though, even by Dutch Standards...

Do you have a really long word for a rant that goes round and round in circles?

Ha ha I was actually going to post that the Sky discussion is becoming tautological but then thought that it was early and people needed another coffee.

The wind is really strong today. Niet lekker! (Lekker is a great word DG). If it's this strong in Flanders it could make for an interesting E3.

Anyway back to the Volta a Catalunya, pretty much downhill all the way after the Cat 2.