Tour of Catalunya - *Spoilers*

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Comments

  • roypsb
    roypsb Posts: 309
    Enjoyed that, despite the rotten pictures and uncertainty of distance remaining - "is that the flame rouge? No, still about 5k left"!

    Just a shame that valverde got in on the bonus points.
  • thamacdaddy
    thamacdaddy Posts: 590
    Little ironic that Froome basically lost adriatico on a descent and I think it's a bit obvious of a small power struggle there (as much as it's denied), maybe it's a bit of a statement that wiggo is a different rider and he isn't as weak on the descent (but perhaps more so on the explosive climbing).

    Wiggins is aiming for the Giro so I expect any racing he is doing now he is going to be quite aggressive as he was in the lead up to the tour. He doesn't use them just for training but to show everyone he intends to win.

    I already liked wiggo but I have to say this season I am liking him more - seems a bit more confident in taking stuff on. I know a lot criticise the sky tactics because it's boring or whatever but personally I prefer seeing a team putting the hurt on than contador racing off the front, breaking his opponents will then easing off to narrow the field. Seeing him try that in oman etc and getting pulled back by hard team work is equally entertaining for me.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Crankbrother wrote:
    Turfle wrote:
    Bonus seconds suck.

    Or make the protagonists race to the line rather than roll over en mass glad they won whatever battle they were riding ...

    Watching Schleck/Contador ride over the line hand in hand the other year was pathetic, give them something to race for ... Last year's Vuelta showed how bonus seconds can enliven a race right to the finish line ...

    They give too much incentive for the likes of Valverde to sit on until the finish. That he ends up 4 seconds ahead of Wiggins, Gesink and others who emptied themselves is a farce.

    They work against aggressive racing far more often than they work for it, imo.
  • thamacdaddy
    thamacdaddy Posts: 590
    PS I think wiggo was after the stage win ala romandie yesterday. He was riding just the same at the front.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le8rfpFu6TM
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Well live feed coming up soon as looks like the curling has finished early
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • ianbar
    ianbar Posts: 1,354
    dont think the live coverage can ever start early, so time to watch the finish of yesterday again
    enigma esprit
    cannondale caad8 tiagra 2012
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    ianbar wrote:
    dont think the live coverage can ever start early, so time to watch the finish of yesterday again

    ES do if buying in from the host broadcaster & have on ES HD but not on ES1 or 2 and their other live events being broadcast on ES 1 or 2 finish early they do switch over to live earlier than expected. Did it a few times last year & think once this year already in T-A if I remember correctly but might have been PN.

    Good of them to show the last 15 minutes of yesterday though, still an exciting stage finish
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Oh well early or not Carlton & Brian having to do some infill as no live race coverage as of yet just static cameras of the finish line & mobile ones of the crowd.

    If your recording might want to f/forward the first part
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Cleat Eastwood
    Cleat Eastwood Posts: 7,508
    Carlton Kirby and Brian Smith are brilliant together - theyre really doing well with absolutely naff all happening - I cant wait for brian smiths paella recipe :lol:
    The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
    momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Cleat Eastwood wrote:
    Carlton Kirby and Brian Smith are brilliant together - theyre really doing well with absolutely naff all happening - I cant wait for brian smiths paella recipe :lol:

    Maybe he made it up - I will tweet him mine if this keeps up for much longer & he can call it his own
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Hopeless coverage. What chance once they hit those big mountains tomorrow? :(
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Well today's 4 loops over the finish are making it a sprinters day. 3 man breakaway just rolled over the line followed by a peloton riding about 20 riders wide gives you the idea they are just letting them hang out just in front to stop others from breaking away.

    Oh well to be expected I guess when you look at the profile, fair point being made that it looks pretty simple into the finish so could have some issues with the barrier feet if there are lots competing for the sprint.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    We have a kms to go caption!
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    And speed - yeah
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Break has been caught & all one big group now - sorry for the delay!

    Sky, Blanco & Lotto all drilling it on the front and keeping the pace up
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Not a whole lot of sprinters here.
  • ilm_zero7
    ilm_zero7 Posts: 2,213
    Blanco - at the bell , but too much too early perhaps?
    http://veloviewer.com/SigImage.php?a=3370a&r=3&c=5&u=M&g=p&f=abcdefghij&z=a.png
    Wiliers: Cento Uno/Superleggera R and Zero 7. Bianchi Infinito CV and Oltre XR2
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Turfle wrote:
    Not a whole lot of sprinters here.


    True but thats the way its going to pan out or so it looks. Guess most teams do have people that can sprint pretty well though even though they might not be sprinters & their GC riders will let them go for it today.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Who have we got? Guardini, Wagner, Meersman/Fenn, Koldo Fernandez, Ahlstrand, then the likes of Simon and Dumoulin.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Last 5 kms blanco & bmc look to be doing most of the work
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • ilm_zero7
    ilm_zero7 Posts: 2,213
    Guardini was gutted not to make it yesterday apparently
    http://veloviewer.com/SigImage.php?a=3370a&r=3&c=5&u=M&g=p&f=abcdefghij&z=a.png
    Wiliers: Cento Uno/Superleggera R and Zero 7. Bianchi Infinito CV and Oltre XR2
  • ilm_zero7
    ilm_zero7 Posts: 2,213
    a lot of work needed to stay near the front when it is only 4 riders wide
    http://veloviewer.com/SigImage.php?a=3370a&r=3&c=5&u=M&g=p&f=abcdefghij&z=a.png
    Wiliers: Cento Uno/Superleggera R and Zero 7. Bianchi Infinito CV and Oltre XR2
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    One long line and 2 blanco riders off the front but not going to last
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    So its Meersman for 2 in a row & a crash further back in the bunch
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    looks like all the riders in the crash are up now, bit of road rash but can't see anyone else still down
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Proper messy.
  • ilm_zero7
    ilm_zero7 Posts: 2,213
    ouch that must hurt
    http://veloviewer.com/SigImage.php?a=3370a&r=3&c=5&u=M&g=p&f=abcdefghij&z=a.png
    Wiliers: Cento Uno/Superleggera R and Zero 7. Bianchi Infinito CV and Oltre XR2
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    From the overhead, Guardini was there, then went backwards at a rate of knots.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ilm_zero7
    ilm_zero7 Posts: 2,213
    that stash of bikes against a lampost with 500 to go was stupid
    http://veloviewer.com/SigImage.php?a=3370a&r=3&c=5&u=M&g=p&f=abcdefghij&z=a.png
    Wiliers: Cento Uno/Superleggera R and Zero 7. Bianchi Infinito CV and Oltre XR2
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    From the overhead, Guardini was there, then went backwards at a rate of knots.

    Yeah I was doubting it was actually him.

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