The Tour - stage 13 *spoiler*

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  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Cracking day of racing! Very pleased that Valverde's distanced...

    Worth pointing out that Fuglsang also did a good job getting into that front group... potential top 10 for him?
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    tigerben wrote:
    Paulie W wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    Froome can feel that jersey slipping off his shoulders. needs a result on the ventoux and TT?

    He sure isn`t sitting pretty. I wonder if he will blow mentally with a weak team and some proper racers coming at him old school.

    There's nothing to suggest he is mentally weak - the stage on sunday in fact suggests the opposite. He and his team lost concentration and didnt have the strength to bring it back. Happens to the best of them e.g. Stage 3 2009.

    How about tactically weak instead? He should have followed his instinct and gone with the Saxo break rather than hitting the radio and missing the chance. Lack of experience perhaps causing fatal hesitation?

    NO shame in being unable to hold Cav's wheel when he's sprinting to get onto the back of a group
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  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Makes you think, what happened to Valverde today could have happened to Froome. No way would Sky have been strong enough to bring him back. That is why the team's weakness must be a worry for him.
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  • Paulie W
    Paulie W Posts: 1,492
    BigMat wrote:
    Makes you think, what happened to Valverde today could have happened to Froome. No way would Sky have been strong enough to bring him back. That is why the team's weakness must be a worry for him.

    I wonder whether the front group would have gone as hard if the yellow jersey had punctured?
  • Squaggles
    Squaggles Posts: 875
    I was actually hoping they'd take a bit more time out of Froome there , great stage though
    The UCI are Clowns and Fools
  • tigerben
    tigerben Posts: 233
    Paulie W wrote:
    tigerben wrote:
    Paulie W wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    Froome can feel that jersey slipping off his shoulders. needs a result on the ventoux and TT?

    He sure isn`t sitting pretty. I wonder if he will blow mentally with a weak team and some proper racers coming at him old school.

    There's nothing to suggest he is mentally weak - the stage on sunday in fact suggests the opposite. He and his team lost concentration and didnt have the strength to bring it back. Happens to the best of them e.g. Stage 3 2009.

    How about tactically weak instead? He should have followed his instinct and gone with the Saxo break rather than hitting the radio and missing the chance. Lack of experience perhaps causing fatal hesitation?

    Maybe but one mistake doesnt make you "tactically weak" - it means you made a mistake.

    I guess time will tell whether this was a one time mistake or an indicator of an underlying tactical weakness. He is relatively green as a team leader and his tactical naivety has been questioned in the past.
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    tigerben wrote:
    Paulie W wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    Froome can feel that jersey slipping off his shoulders. needs a result on the ventoux and TT?
    He sure isn`t sitting pretty. I wonder if he will blow mentally with a weak team and some proper racers coming at him old school.
    There's nothing to suggest he is mentally weak - the stage on sunday in fact suggests the opposite. He and his team lost concentration and didnt have the strength to bring it back. Happens to the best of them e.g. Stage 3 2009.
    How about tactically weak instead? He should have followed his instinct and gone with the Saxo break rather than hitting the radio and missing the chance. Lack of experience perhaps causing fatal hesitation?
    NO shame in being unable to hold Cav's wheel when he's sprinting to get onto the back of a group
    Indeed. Makes you wonder what would've happened if Cav was still at Sky. I think Kwiatowski will also be much more popular on the Saxo Bank team bus than the Sky bus!
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  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    It`s more to do with him being worn down. He has done well so far given the weak team etc. Just he is human and a constant mental assault is also tiring. Plenty of people crack mentally.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    BigMat wrote:
    Makes you think, what happened to Valverde today could have happened to Froome. No way would Sky have been strong enough to bring him back. That is why the team's weakness must be a worry for him.

    Exactly. Unfortunately the big teams might be in recovery tomorrow given Ventoux on Sunday. The most promising moment to isolate & attack Froome is the first ascent of Alpe D'Huez. Which wouldn't be bad at all.
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  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    If saxo rock up with their TT hats again tomorrow you just know they will break team sky.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    If saxo rock up with their TT hats again tomorrow you just know they will break team sky.
    You don't think that effort will have taken anything out of them then?
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    NO shame in being unable to hold Cav's wheel when he's sprinting to get onto the back of a group

    According to Cav on the official Tour website at http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2013/us/s ... print.html: "The group went, [Michal] Kwiatkowski just missed it, he left a little gap and I actually did more watts in the sprint over to the front group than I did at the finish sprint. I just managed to get on as the last man and we were away. It was close but it was nice to do it."
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  • frisbee
    frisbee Posts: 691
    Bit of a pointless stage to attack Froome on, they've expended a huge amount of energy and were lucky that they actually gained 70 seconds.

    Sky may be weak as a team but their tactics are indicating that Contador is weak as an individual this year, once it becomes man against a mountain he'll crack.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Paulie W wrote:
    Crimmey wrote:
    Am I the only one thinking that was the perfect result for Frome and sky? The rearranging of gc. The only guy capable of beating Froome is over 5mins behind and the others will protect their position, not go for yellow.

    Yes, I think you might be the only one. Contador isnt going to be protecting anything and today has put him closer to Froome.

    I see what Crimmy, and you ve got a point, but I think Froome would have much rather not been 1min behind at the end...
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  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    RichN95 wrote:
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    If saxo rock up with their TT hats again tomorrow you just know they will break team sky.
    You don't think that effort will have taken anything out of them then?

    The peloton group was getting smaller and smaller through the race and further ahead of those falling behind. There was no incentive for them to catch contadors group and no team for froome to push on with. If this happens tomorrow he is stuffed! other outcomes are available.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    frisbee wrote:
    Bit of a pointless stage to attack Froome on, they've expended a huge amount of energy and were lucky that they actually gained 70 seconds.


    Gaining 70s doesn't seem pointless to me..
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  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    OMG ! Some real racing on a flat stage. You have to admire Contador and Saxo, no giving up. I only saw the last 25km can't wait to see the highlights.

    I think I might be warming to Contador.... If only for entertainment reasons
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    If saxo rock up with their TT hats again tomorrow you just know they will break team sky.
    You don't think that effort will have taken anything out of them then?

    The peloton group was getting smaller and smaller through the race and further ahead of those falling behind. There was no incentive for them to catch contadors group and no team for froome to push on with. If this happens tomorrow he is stuffed! other outcomes are available.
    So you think that that stage took no real effort from Saxo and it was just because the other teams couldn't be bothered. Froome had four teammates riding, Lotto were riding, BMC and Katusha too. But Saxo apparently ambled along and will not have expended any energy. :roll:
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,587
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    OMG ! Some real racing on a flat stage. You have to admire Contador and Saxo, no giving up. I only saw the last 25km can't wait to see the highlights.

    I think I might be warming to Contador.... If only for entertainment reasons

    Saxo did do a great job creating the final split, however I have more admiration for Belkin & OPQs. It was they who lit the touch paper and kept it going for 70km prior to Saxo taking things up.
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  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    TailWindHome wrote:
    frisbee wrote:
    Bit of a pointless stage to attack Froome on, they've expended a huge amount of energy and were lucky that they actually gained 70 seconds.


    Gaining 70s doesn't seem pointless to me..
    Depends if you expended 'gaining 70 extra seconds' worth of energy I suppose. That was an almighty effort by Saxo including Contdor. Be interesting to see how much they have taken out of themselves in the coming days. Great split decision by Rogers and full commitment by them all.
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,587
    Flat profile, dead cert bunch sprint sort of day. Cav won fair and square.

    No doping chat.

    35 pages before 6pm

    What does this do to Iain's graphs & pie charts?
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    frisbee wrote:
    Bit of a pointless stage to attack Froome on, they've expended a huge amount of energy and were lucky that they actually gained 70 seconds.
    You've got to hit Froome in his weak spot. On form, I haven't seen him lose a second on a mountain stage for about two years.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    If saxo rock up with their TT hats again tomorrow you just know they will break team sky.
    You don't think that effort will have taken anything out of them then?

    The peloton group was getting smaller and smaller through the race and further ahead of those falling behind. There was no incentive for them to catch contadors group and no team for froome to push on with. If this happens tomorrow he is stuffed! other outcomes are available.
    You obviously didn't see the interview with Rogers after the stage then.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Alan A wrote:
    What does this do to Iain's graphs & pie charts?
    Whisper it, but it may be pseudo science (but at least he shows his working, unlike some)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    RichN95 wrote:
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    If saxo rock up with their TT hats again tomorrow you just know they will break team sky.
    You don't think that effort will have taken anything out of them then?

    The peloton group was getting smaller and smaller through the race and further ahead of those falling behind. There was no incentive for them to catch contadors group and no team for froome to push on with. If this happens tomorrow he is stuffed! other outcomes are available.
    So you think that that stage took no real effort from Saxo and it was just because the other teams couldn't be bothered. Froome had four teammates riding, Lotto were riding, BMC and Katusha too. But Saxo apparently ambled along and will not have expended any energy. :roll:

    no thats not what I think or what I said
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    darhlairedlord wrote:
    If saxo rock up with their TT hats again tomorrow you just know they will break team sky.
    You don't think that effort will have taken anything out of them then?

    The peloton group was getting smaller and smaller through the race and further ahead of those falling behind. There was no incentive for them to catch contadors group and no team for froome to push on with. If this happens tomorrow he is stuffed! other outcomes are available.
    You obviously didn't see the interview with Rogers after the stage then.

    saw it didn't hear it no speakers on my work pc!
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    What did Rogers say?
  • nic_77
    nic_77 Posts: 929
    The key going forward is that both Saxo and Belkin now have two plausible cards (Ten Dam less so) on GC - in each case with a clear leader and a clear sacrifical lamb. That is really going to pile the pressure on Sky. I personally think they'll hold fire until the mountains now - rest and recuperate.

    Ironically teams like Movistar and Garmin probably hold the answer for Sky - if they force the race for stage wins, Froome can use them as substitute domestiques to help him mark AC and BM.
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  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,891
    Anyone think Cav might be considering tomorrow's stage?
  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    dish_dash wrote:
    What did Rogers say?
    Basically said it wasn't planned and he made the decision in an instant realising that everyone was tired and they just went for it 100%. He also said it had taken a lot out of them but they had to try something and not give up. Great effort by them but I wonder how it will affect them come Sunday. Sky took some hits today but Froome had a relatively easy ride when compared to Contador who gave his all in the last 30 k. It's lit the race back up though so hats off.

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