The Tour - stage 13 *spoiler*

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  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Paul 8v wrote:
    tigerben wrote:
    No more yellow lids for Movistar ... down to 5th
    Who will be in the Yellow lids after today? Saxo after the TTT this afternoon?
    Yes, looks like it: http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/cl ... tions.html
    Sky down in 11th, another large change from last year.
  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    Any news from Cloud?
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    OK. Just caught up on the thread. Good stuff. A couple more thoughts.

    I'm no Contador fan but the guy is a racer. Maybe it wasn't his idea to force the split but kudos to him for working on the front to ensure it worked.

    Froome is absolutely guaranteed to take time out of his rivals on Ventoux. He will probably take some time in the mountain time trial as well but not I suspect as much as people are expecting. As I've been saying for days now, they absolutely have to attack him where he is at his most vulnerable, which is on the flat. Sadly, they are running out of opportunities and I still think Froome is a shoe in for yellow in Paris but at the start of the race I didn't think it would be as close as this. Add this to the close battle for the sprint stages this is turning into a pretty decent edition.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Given that Sky is such an elite performance, results & numbers-driven operation, it might be jotters for Kerrison by the end of this.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Paul 8v wrote:
    Yeah but it also requires Contador and the Belkin boys to crack. Valverde would have to have a VERY good day to catch up now.

    I don't want them to crack, I want them all to light it up. Hoping for a massive battle in the mountains.
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    Paul 8v wrote:
    Yeah but it also requires Contador and the Belkin boys to crack. Valverde would have to have a VERY good day to catch up now.

    I don't want them to crack, I want them all to light it up. Hoping for a massive battle in the mountains.
    That would be awesome, much less TT led this year, the mountains will hopefully be where the action is!
    Road
    MTB
    NEW Cross
    Track/Grass Track/Winter bike
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    tdf_2013_stage_13_3362.jpg

    From this stage review with some vivid words on the echelons http://cyclingtips.com.au/2013/07/chasing-le-tour-a-memorable-windswept-stage/
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • Gazzetta67
    Gazzetta67 Posts: 1,890
    If saxobank would have done this on sunday they would have took minutes and minutes out of Froome and let Kreuziger go up the road with a few team mates and let contador sit on the wheel until froome blew up saxobank would be in the Yellow out of sight......great days racing on a generally "nothing" stage.
  • mr_poll
    mr_poll Posts: 1,547
    Gazzetta67 wrote:
    If saxobank would have done this on sunday they would have took minutes and minutes out of Froome and let Kreuziger go up the road with a few team mates and let contador sit on the wheel until froome blew up saxobank would be in the Yellow out of sight......great days racing on a generally "nothing" stage.

    Nah I think Froome would have held his own pushing himself to the limit knowing there was a rest day ahead. What will make the next week interesting is if Saxo and Belkin isolate Froome day after day - still think he will cope but as another poster put it, riders will have a reason to light up the race.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,431
    So...just watching this now...we're at 90km to go and the breaks just been caught.

    I can understand what OPQS are at (getting rid of Argos/Kittel)....but why were Belkin helping?

    Just softening things up for a GC dig?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Cleat Eastwood
    Cleat Eastwood Posts: 7,508
    Macaloon wrote:
    tdf_2013_stage_13_3362.jpg

    From this stage review with some vivid words on the echelons http://cyclingtips.com.au/2013/07/chasing-le-tour-a-memorable-windswept-stage/

    Some cracking pics on there too
    The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
    momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
  • Daz555
    Daz555 Posts: 3,976
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    Sky are completely cooked, it's going to be a bloodbath in the mountains
    Wiggins must be loving watching this at home.

    Screenshot2013-07-12at224102_zpsfcbfa212.png~original
    Froome & Sky needed Wiggo's engine today.
    You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
    If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
    If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    TailWindHome wrote:
    So...just watching this now...we're at 90km to go and the breaks just been caught.

    I can understand what OPQS are at (getting rid of Argos/Kittel)....but why were Belkin helping?

    Just softening things up for a GC dig?

    Given their experience of riding in echelons both teams went for a speculative dig to see what would happen. Best case for Belkin was to eject some GC hopes.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • Daz555
    Daz555 Posts: 3,976
    So, is Porte cooked or are we going to see him smash up Ventoux and take 2nd behind a probable Froome stage win?
    You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
    If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
    If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.
  • tigerben
    tigerben Posts: 233
    Bookies still fancy Froome currently 1/4 on to win ....

    Had a rush of blood and put £10 on Mollema @22/1 and £10 on Ten Dam @ 66/1.

    Apologies to Dutch fans as I have probably now doomed their chances. I am cursed.
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Daz555 wrote:
    Froome & Sky needed Wiggo's engine today.
    Was thinking that too... although given how poorly the rest of the team seem to be performing you have to wonder how much help he might have been.
  • rickyrider
    rickyrider Posts: 294
    just caught up with highlights - what a race so far. sure its already been said but many people flagged the lack of experienced road captain when sky announced the team. and today that really showed I tjink. mick rogers is a sly old dog and sky really benefitted from him last year. eisel must be so pissed right now.
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    rickyrider wrote:
    just caught up with highlights - what a race so far. sure its already been said but many people flagged the lack of experienced road captain when sky announced the team. and today that really showed I tjink. mick rogers is a sly old dog and sky really benefitted from him last year. eisel must be so pissed right now.
    Even if Froome manages to hang on to yellow this year, it will be interesting to see what the Sky team is like for 2014. I'm thinking of the reports indicating he had a lot of input on the squad selection and favoured riders he felt comfortable with personally over those that had more GT experience (such as Eisel and Knees). If true it's certainly looking like a pretty bad decision so far. OK, they've had some bad luck with EBH out, Thomas injured and Kiryienka somehow missing the cut-off a couple of stages back, but they lost Siutsou early on last year and it didn't seem to bother them at all.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Never a good idea to have a team only comprised of people you feel comfortable with, as opposed to those who can do the job.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,431
    So what's the Spanish for "They’re dropped, they’re dropped, all of them"? ;)

    I'm sure when Chavanel dropped to the back of the split he was astounded to see Cav.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,431
    Days like this it must be huge advantage to not be in yellow and have to do the podium, press and that whole circus. The extra hour or two must start to accumulate.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    Froome will spank all the naughty boys on Ventoux. They all know it's coming.
    Fundamentally, he's the most supreme athlete at the Tour.


    I can't wait to see him slaughter all these chancers on Sunday
  • UncleMonty
    UncleMonty Posts: 385
    ^ this

    I think Sky are in for a hard time on Saturday though, it's just going to make him even more pi$$ed, come Sunday he'll open the can of whoop ass.
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    UncleMonty wrote:
    come Sunday he'll open the can of whoop ass.

    Wasn't him treading on a can of whoop ass how he contracted bilharzia?


    Basically, if he can get to the base of Ventoux with all the other GC guys, they're all f*ucked. It will be Froome's make/break.
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    Froomie had doubt written all over his face at the end and during the yellow jersey presentation. Lets hope he recovers well overnight - physically and confidence. Meantime, the rest of the team better have a word with themselves.

    Stannard said afterwards he was caught out by the Saxo break but recovered and tried to bring Froome across but Froomie couldn't make it rather than a Stannard 'ok let's go' issue. I love Stannard, the he's got a bigger engine than the QE2.
    'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    mididoctors wrote:
    I mean clearly they knew it was going to be strong crosswinds months in advance
    You're not surprised, are you? This was exactly where in Paris Nice there are echelons pretty much every year
    http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrenn ... in_combine
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Daz555 wrote:
    So, is Porte cooked or are we going to see him smash up Ventoux and take 2nd behind a probable Froome stage win?

    Hopefully they will have learnt their lesson with their bravado last week. If they want to win the Tour, Porte needs to do his job then sit up. He should have rolled round the TT too IMO.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • moonshine
    moonshine Posts: 1,021
    TailWindHome wrote:
    So what's the Spanish for "They’re dropped, they’re dropped, all of them"? ;)

    VAMOS!!! VAMOS!!! :lol:
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    "The first split there was a little bit expected," Evans said. "But the big thing was that Valverde had a really unfortunate puncture. I'm sorry for him. It's sometimes how it goes. It's happened to me as well in the past.

    Oh Cadel you joker.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • oneof1982
    oneof1982 Posts: 703
    But to more important matters:

    Managed to bag:
    1 mickey mouse comic,
    4 packets of madeleine cakes
    3 packets of ariel
    1 Carrefour KoM hat
    2 fridge magnets
    1 pop up sun hat - sponsor uknown
    2 key rings
    1 packet Haribos
    and all following a 4 course Menu du Tour lunch (10euros) in the wonderful hamlet of Bruere-Allichamps, on the 10k to go. 8) 8) 8)

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