The Commuters Tour of France Thread - Spoilers
Comments
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SteppenHerring wrote:
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.cjcp wrote:Tell you what, two ascents of ADH in one day? Feck. That.
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.
Didnt they do the descent in the Dauphine?0 -
Respect to GT for putting in a shift up to the last km.
That injury with Stannard's probably made the difference for the Yellow Jersey. Said while the race is still in progress......None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0 -
DonDaddyD wrote:He could still be the 5th man, and still fall behind after the other 4 have been dropped..
That makes no real sense.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
CiB wrote: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'.
I'd imagine the real problem isn't so much riding with the injury as being able to sleep and recover.
Tony Martin is also carrying some injuries from the same crash.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
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UndercoverElephant wrote:Didn't Tyler Hamilton manage fourth in the GC with a broken collarbone that he picked up in the first stage? Ground down eleven teeth as he ground out the miles.
They're not right in the head, this lot.
Ahhh, but he was also supported by a motorbike full of EPO and other peoples blood as well as everything else he could get his hands."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 Hills0 -
TailWindHome wrote:DonDaddyD wrote:He could still be the 5th man, and still fall behind after the other 4 have been dropped..
That makes no real sense.
Yes it does. It didn't happen but:
9 men in a TTT, 4 guys get dropped along the course. 5 men left, of which Geraint Thomas is one of the five, and he falls behind (i.e. the fifth man - to be dropped). It didn't happen but it could have done, but it didn't and Chris Froome is looking explosive, strong, supremely confident and tactically sound. He is also in the ideal position. Slightly ahead of his rivals, yet not enough for them to want to attack him but just enough for them to be psychologically aware of the threat - all the while marking each other.
What do you do, do you attack Froome and incur the wrath of the other contenders? Do you not attack Froome and mark each other into a null effect handing Froome the Tour. Do the Spainish riders Valverde, Contador and Rodriguez team up to eliminate Froome and duke it out themselves? What if Froome goes Rambo gun powder in the wound and explodes up a mountain? All hell breaks loose, Contador goes nuts, Cadel realises he is six years too old, Valverde and Rodriguez pray for EPO to rain from the heavens. This I imagine is going through the heads of those that have lost time to Froome, while Froome is like "I've got x seconds buffer".
All of this coupled with Contador's stints on the front at the TTT suggesting a return to form makes for the shaping of one hell of a second week of Le Tour.
I'm all excited.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 Game0 -
rubertoe wrote:UndercoverElephant wrote:Didn't Tyler Hamilton manage fourth in the GC with a broken collarbone that he picked up in the first stage? Ground down eleven teeth as he ground out the miles.
They're not right in the head, this lot.
Ahhh, but he was also supported by a motorbike full of EPO and other peoples blood as well as everything else he could get his hands.
True, but then so were the guys he was racing against...
Oh, no, here we go...0 -
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UndercoverElephant wrote:Boom! Win 24.
Never a doubt.
Although i was willing on the 20 year old Kazakh!
Thomas, G. is still a hero! and i cant wait for the Aussies to loose the yellow!"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 Hills0 -
rubertoe wrote:UndercoverElephant wrote:Boom! Win 24.
Never a doubt.
Although i was willing on the 20 year old Kazakh!
Thomas, G. is still a hero! and i cant wait for the Aussies to loose the yellow!
Right.
Look.
1 (one) o okay?
muttermuttergrumble
Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
Kieran_Burns wrote:rubertoe wrote:UndercoverElephant wrote:Boom! Win 24.
Never a doubt.
Although i was willing on the 20 year old Kazakh!
Thomas, G. is still a hero! and i cant wait for the Aussies to loose the yellow!
Right.
Look.
1 (one) o okay?
muttermuttergrumble
Sorry KB,
I'm just off to book some English lessons now."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 Hills0 -
For the 100th Tour, the organisers are doing a great job of celebrating the different track disciplines. We had the unknown distance race on Saturday, combined team pursuit and devil race on Monday, and even some keirin racing after the first crash yesterday. Anyone know how they are planning to incorporate the madison?Pannier, 120rpm.0
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Is the Guardian's blogger John Ashdown on here by chance? Glad to see he's following BR commuters' fine 'spolier' traditions with his consistent spelling of Griepel today.0
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Well, that's another result!
Had a few quid on Cavendish at 9/2 yesterday (CRAZY odds, but i guess folks thought he might be knackered)
Cavendish was in below evens today, so I had a few quid on Greipel at 11/2 instead. I thought the heat might scupper Cav a bit today.
My 2 pounds on Sagan at 15/1 and on Boassen Haggen to get top 3 at 11/2 lost me some of my winnings, but i think i'm going to buy myself a nice fancy new pump and some tyre levers with m'winnings!0 -
DonDaddyD wrote:TailWindHome wrote:DonDaddyD wrote:He could still be the 5th man, and still fall behind after the other 4 have been dropped..
That makes no real sense.
Yes it does. It didn't happen but:
9 men in a TTT, 4 guys get dropped along the course. 5 men left, of which Geraint Thomas is one of the five, and he falls behind (i.e. the fifth man - to be dropped). It didn't happen but it could have done, but it didn't
In the context of your assertion that Thomas continuing in the Tour was detrimental to Sky it makes no real sense.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Anyone else feel they can't take any more of the side-splittingly funny comedy act that is Chris and Ned in the wind tunnel? I have no more cringes left to cringe :oops:0
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I actually quite like Ned & Chris as a double act.
In fact I love the whole ITV4 situation.
Even Phil and Paul with all there issues are still the voices of July for me....“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
TailWindHome wrote:I actually quite like Ned & Chris as a double act.
In fact I love the whole ITV4 situation.
Even Phil and Paul with all there issues are still the voices of July for me....
I like Chris and Ned, but their little grumpy-Ned punchline moments are utterly cheesetastic.
I do think the production company put in a really good show.0 -
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0
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Way to go ITV. Missed the attack. Would you go to an ad break in the middle of a penalty shoot-out??.... actually maybe you would.0
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Wow. Deja vu anyone?Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
First Aspect wrote:Way to go ITV. Missed the attack. Would you go to an ad break in the middle of a penalty shoot-out??.... actually maybe you would.
French directors missed it too.
Cut to Froome and there's already a gap.
I'm curious to know the last time there were gaps that big on the first mtf.0 -
All those comments about a Sky one-two, the race being over already, etc. seem a little premature now. Interesting comment from Schleck: Movistar did all that work but all they did was remove Porte, so was it really worth it.1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
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Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
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rjsterry wrote:All those comments about a Sky one-two, the race being over already, etc. seem a little premature now. Interesting comment from Schleck: Movistar did all that work but all they did was remove Porte, so was it really worth it.
They're racing for second.
And they missed a big opportunity. Big big big. The pace really wasn't that fast up the final climb.0 -
Looking around the web yesterday, all you read is Sky must be doping, today Movistar had 7 riders at the front of the race and today nothing (except that sky must have told all 9 riders to take it easy and dont look too doped).
No-one likes a winner do they?
Great stage none the less and I think Schleck is right, Movistar should have done more. Shame Little pete was taken out, as Richie Porte was the big loser because of 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 Hills0 -
This is what the Tour looks like when people are clean.
Personally I thought that Froome went too early to claim the yellow jersey. There's a lot of Spaniards in the peloton, and Sky are, in general, the target for all other teams. Wouldn't surprise me if there isn't a different team each day chipping away at Sky/Froome. But I suppose Froome's logic is that its easier to defend it than to attack it.
As for Movistar, I don't see the negatives; a key part of Wiggins win was his #2. Having him in second created a huge physical and psychological boost/barrier. By removing Porte and destroying his tour it leaves Froome up there essentially on his own, and yes he'll have wingmen but they'll only be fighting for him and not for any glory for themselves = a little less fight and drive.
I reckon anyway. The elimination of Porte from GC leaves Froome on his own.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 Game0 -
DonDaddyD wrote:The elimination of Porte from GC leaves Froome on his own.
I'm not convinced by that. It could just as well mean that Porte is more willing to leave everything on the road, since he's not trying to protect his own position at the same time. (Assuming Porte recovers well enough to even be capable of riding up front again.)
Today's stage had me very nervous for a lot of it. Looking forward to the ITT on Wednesday.0 -
rubertoe wrote:Great stage none the less and I think Schleck is right, Movistar should have done more. Shame Little pete was taken out, as Richie Porte was the big loser because of it.
Movistar didn't do more because they had no more to give. It was surely down to riders like Schleck to counter attack each time Froome had to chase down Quintana.
Anyway, this is exactly what the Tour and Sky need: proof that it still comes down to the rider and is not just about power metres and super domestiques. Rather peculiar about Porte, though, could a ride like that really just be put down to, "a bad day"?0
