The Commuters Tour of France Thread - Spoilers

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  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Would love him to beat Valverde, but no one has touched Froome in TT's this year, so unless Sky let him escape on a mountain finish, I can't see him winning. It's good that a few teams have excellent 'second fiddles' to deploy this year - Quintana, Porte, TVG etc. Should make for some good tactical battles. Bring it on!
  • vermin
    vermin Posts: 1,739
    Absolutely. My alternative GC winner bets rest on Froome suffering a Chateauroux moment. So, essentially, I hope I lose!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    Live on ITV in 14 minutes

    Exshited.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    I see google is paying tribute :D
    Whippet
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    Bus stuck under the finish line lolololololol
    Whippet
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    suzyb wrote:
    Bus stuck under the finish line lolololololol

    Indeed what a mess!
  • SteppenHerring
    SteppenHerring Posts: 720
    I reckon Stage 18 could be decisive. Last week I did some research on this by riding Valbonnais over the Col d'Ornon, Up Alpe d'Huez and up the Col de Sarenne (where they are descending). The conclusion I've come to (apart from being knackered) is that a small break on the first Huez ascent would be able to stay away down the nasty Sarenne descent. Sure there's then the dull bit on the Bourg de Oisans bypass but that's short. They'll then have a massive advantage going onto the second Alpe d'Huez ascent.

    I'd also advise them against using the urinal just after hairpin 7 as the flush sprays all over your shorts. And €5.60 for a grand pression at the top is outrageous when you can get a better one in Bourg for €4.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    So I popped over to Eurosport to listen in on the commentary during a commercial break on ITV....

    ...meaningless waffle...<schhhllllppp>..waffle..<schhhllllppp>..meaningless drivel...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>...something midly relevant...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>

    FFS.
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
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    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
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  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    So I popped over to Eurosport to listen in on the commentary during a commercial break on ITV....

    ...meaningless waffle...<schhhllllppp>..waffle..<schhhllllppp>..meaningless drivel...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>...something midly relevant...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>

    FFS.


    Ever try filling 5 hours plus of TV time when nothing is actually happening?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    So I popped over to Eurosport to listen in on the commentary during a commercial break on ITV....

    ...meaningless waffle...<schhhllllppp>..waffle..<schhhllllppp>..meaningless drivel...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>...something midly relevant...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>

    FFS.


    Ever try filling 5 hours plus of TV time when nothing is actually happening?

    Easy just talk about cheese and chateaus .....
    --
    Chris

    Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/5
  • wandsworth
    wandsworth Posts: 354
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    So I popped over to Eurosport to listen in on the commentary during a commercial break on ITV....

    ...meaningless waffle...<schhhllllppp>..waffle..<schhhllllppp>..meaningless drivel...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>...something midly relevant...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>

    FFS.


    Ever try filling 5 hours plus of TV time when nothing is actually happening?

    ITV commentators filled the time by reading out little prepared notes about the various ancient buildings that the helicopter cameras lingered over. It got pretty irritating as they clearly didn''t give a sh*t about them but had to read out these notes that a researcher had copied from WIkipedia.
    Shut up, knees!

    Various Boardmans, a Focus, a Cannondale and an ancient Trek.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    SteppenHerring wrote:
    I reckon Stage 18 could be decisive. Last week I did some research on this by riding Valbonnais over the Col d'Ornon, Up Alpe d'Huez and up the Col de Sarenne (where they are descending). The conclusion I've come to (apart from being knackered) is that a small break on the first Huez ascent would be able to stay away down the nasty Sarenne descent. Sure there's then the dull bit on the Bourg de Oisans bypass but that's short. They'll then have a massive advantage going onto the second Alpe d'Huez ascent.

    Tell you what, two ascents of ADH in one day? Feck. That. :o

    I think it depends on who's allowed/able to breakaway on the first ascent and stay away. It'll take an awful lot of energy to attack on the first ascent, stay away, and then retain that advantage up ADH for the second time - Contador was caught up there by Rolland and someone else (Sanchez?) a couple of years ago on just the one ascent. There's often a headwind coming into Bourg from that direction, too, which would make things that little bit more difficult.

    The other possibility is that riders just drop off without there being an attack or breakaway e.g. Sky ride tempo and one by one, the contenders drop off, leaving (hopefully) at least Froome and Porte. Sky then avoid a big scrum on the descent, reducing the risks to Froome and Porte.

    Either way though, you definitely want to be at the front for the Sarenne descent with those water channels and the loose gravel.
    FCN 2-4.

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    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    wandsworth wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    So I popped over to Eurosport to listen in on the commentary during a commercial break on ITV....

    ...meaningless waffle...<schhhllllppp>..waffle..<schhhllllppp>..meaningless drivel...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>...something midly relevant...<schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp><schhhllllppp>

    FFS.


    Ever try filling 5 hours plus of TV time when nothing is actually happening?

    ITV commentators filled the time by reading out little prepared notes about the various ancient buildings that the helicopter cameras lingered over. It got pretty irritating as they clearly didn''t give a sh*t about them but had to read out these notes that a researcher had copied from WIkipedia.

    Have you not watched le Tour before?

    Its basically one big advert for the french tourist board, with a bike race thrown in, hence why all the chateaus are shown.

    As for the racing. I'm bloody loving it.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Loved yesterday's stage. Always good to see the underdog win, but even better when it means Peter Sagan losing, too.
  • SteppenHerring
    SteppenHerring Posts: 720
    cjcp wrote:
    Tell you what, two ascents of ADH in one day? Feck. That. :o

    I think it depends on who's allowed/able to breakaway on the first ascent and stay away. It'll take an awful lot of energy to attack on the first ascent, stay away, and then retain that advantage up ADH for the second time - Contador was caught up there by Rolland and someone else (Sanchez?) a couple of years ago on just the one ascent. There's often a headwind coming into Bourg from that direction, too, which would make things that little bit more difficult.

    The other possibility is that riders just drop off without there being an attack or breakaway e.g. Sky ride tempo and one by one, the contenders drop off, leaving (hopefully) at least Froome and Porte. Sky then avoid a big scrum on the descent, reducing the risks to Froome and Porte.

    Either way though, you definitely want to be at the front for the Sarenne descent with those water channels and the loose gravel.
    They are going to have to sweep the gravel off or it will be lethal. It was bad enough going up and the section from the Sarenne to Alpe d'Huez is much the same. If they turned left after bend 6 on the way up and went down through Villard Reculars (lovely descent) that would be much safer but that's only about half way up AdH.
  • pitchshifter
    pitchshifter Posts: 1,476
    Big respect to Geraint Thomas for carrying on with a fractured pelvis. Kept going back to the medical car for spray. Can't see it getting any better over 3 weeks of racing though :?
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    pitchshifter wrote:
    Big respect to Geraint Thomas for carrying on with a fractured pelvis. Kept going back to the medical car for spray. Can't see it getting any better over 3 weeks of racing though :?
    Possibly just hoping to do a shift in the TTT tomorrow and bow out I think.
    Dedication & medication. :wink:
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • anonymousblackfg
    anonymousblackfg Posts: 2,029
    Also with feck all chance of some proper medication to get through the pain!
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Personally think Geraint Thomas is being a bit silly, if you're injured you're injured - bow out.

    Also, during the TTT he could fall behind - a lot, due to pain - and cost the team.
    Food Chain number = 4

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  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    What is it with 2 wheel riding men and not letting a little thing like a broken bone get in the way.
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  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Personally think Geraint Thomas is being a bit silly, if you're injured you're injured - bow out.

    Also, during the TTT he could fall behind - a lot, due to pain - and cost the team.


    He wont cost the team, he will just get dropped. Possibly eliminated.

    But it could get better and if the pain has leveled and he can cope then i expect him to ride on. The welsh are a bit sick like that.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    rubertoe wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Personally think Geraint Thomas is being a bit silly, if you're injured you're injured - bow out.

    Also, during the TTT he could fall behind - a lot, due to pain - and cost the team.


    He wont cost the team, he will just get dropped. Possibly eliminated.

    But it could get better and if the pain has leveled and he can cope then i expect him to ride on. The welsh are a bit sick like that.

    You can't blame the poor lad for wanting to stick with it: he'll have trained like buggery, he's suffered the misery of losing all that weight, and now it looks as though his Tour de France could effectively be over on day 1.
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Personally think Geraint Thomas is being a bit silly, if you're injured you're injured - bow out.

    Also, during the TTT he could fall behind - a lot, due to pain - and cost the team.
    A nine man team starts but the time is taken on the 5th man over the line.
    Four men can get dropped without affecting the result.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    suzyb wrote:
    What is it with 2 wheel riding men and not letting a little thing like a broken bone get in the way.
    Cos they are sports men.
    Not footballists that roll around on the ground if their hair gets messed up. :wink:
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    He could still be the 5th man, and still fall behind after the other 4 have been dropped. Then there is the fact that he has a fractured pelvis, healing, the rest of his career and the impact any aggravation could have on the healing and his long term career.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • TheStone
    TheStone Posts: 2,291
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    He could still be the 5th man, and still fall behind after the other 4 have been dropped. Then there is the fact that he has a fractured pelvis, healing, the rest of his career and the impact any aggravation could have on the healing and his long term career.

    Sounds like the doc said he won't damage it. Pain is probably mostly the bruising.
    They won't rely on him being the 5th man today. Try and hold on the back for as long as he can, then try to make the cut-off. Could be useful for team and himself of he can get through to next week.
    exercise.png
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    C Boardman was on 5L last night saying that GT's broken bone [probably] wasn't the cause of the pain, the surrounding tissue was and will improve given time. GT had said the same, that it felt better on Sunday and Monday's stage it was improved again. Hard to shake off the image of him riding along dripping blood with bone sticking out of the flesh and him dismissing it as 'Tis but a scratch'.
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    He could still be the 5th man, and still fall behind after the other 4 have been dropped. Then there is the fact that he has a fractured pelvis, healing, the rest of his career and the impact any aggravation could have on the healing and his long term career.
    If GT is fit then there is no doubt he would be in the finishing five.
    If he is unfit enough to be a hindrance but is still in Sky's top five then Sky have a bigger problem in the team.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    daviesee wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    He could still be the 5th man, and still fall behind after the other 4 have been dropped. Then there is the fact that he has a fractured pelvis, healing, the rest of his career and the impact any aggravation could have on the healing and his long term career.
    If GT is fit then there is no doubt he would be in the finishing five.
    If he is unfit enough to be a hindrance but is still in Sky's top five then Sky have a bigger problem in the team.

    Sky are missing a couple of big engines in Thomas and Stannard, they will do as much as they can at the start and then i expect them to just get round.

    They still have some pretty good guys for the TTT (EBH, Froome, Porte, Kennaugh, Sitsou, Kiryenka) though regardless of Thomas and Stanards Injuries and i still expect them to figure.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • Paulie W
    Paulie W Posts: 1,492
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Personally think Geraint Thomas is being a bit silly, if you're injured you're injured - bow out.

    Also, during the TTT he could fall behind - a lot, due to pain - and cost the team.

    Well he wouldn't be the first rider to ride through injury or illness in the first week, recover and subsequently make a contribution, although it's hard to imagine it happening here given the nature of the injury. Thomas is known for being able to suffer though and cyclists in general seem to have a strange relationship with pain - there are lots of examples of riders putting themselves through it like this so, rightly or wrongly, riders tend to soldier on when other sportsmen would be having a long lie down.

    The time is taken on the 5th rider so your latter point isn't valid.

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