No Quintana in tour 2014
Comments
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Macaloon wrote:
You really can find everything on the internet. Tim Berners Lee, when he's not getting cross with the NSA and GCHQ must be so proud.Correlation is not causation.0 -
Above The Cows wrote:Macaloon wrote:
You really can find everything on the internet. Tim Berners Lee, when he's not getting cross with the NSA and GCHQ must be so proud.
Tim Berners-Lee in an open-necked shirt drying his night clothes
Some bloke in an open-necked shirt and a piece of defunct machinery0 -
Thanks to Macaloon and his advice on digital washing machines. I will give the new digital washer/dryer combo a few weeks and see if it works out ok. The Astana set up is very impressive. I will keep you posted.0
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Digital washing machines more interesting than the Tour and Giro? :shock:
Unconfirmed from elsewhere mind.
They say Unzue wanted Quintana to ride Le Tour, Nairo insisted on Il Giro.
Wiggins last year? Riders aren't a bunch of casual British, 3 weeks in July fans.
Much respect for the unique challenge of earning a Giro victory."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Digital washing machines more interesting than the Tour and Giro? :shock:
Unconfirmed from elsewhere mind.
They say Unzue wanted Quintana to ride Le Tour, Nairo insisted on Il Giro.
Wiggins last year? Riders aren't a bunch of casual British, 3 weeks in July fans.
Much respect for the unique challenge of earning a Giro victory.
Is that your way of disagreeing that Le Tour is head and shoulders above any other race in terms of prestige for rider, team, and sponsor? Or what?...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0 -
Makes sense. Probably Valverde's swansong before Quintana takes over as leader. With a potential Giro win ahead of a proper target of the 2015 Tour...correct me if I'm wrong but the parcours for 2014 Tour isn't massively mountainous is it?0
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Macaloon wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:Digital washing machines more interesting than the Tour and Giro? :shock:
Unconfirmed from elsewhere mind.
They say Unzue wanted Quintana to ride Le Tour, Nairo insisted on Il Giro.
Wiggins last year? Riders aren't a bunch of casual British, 3 weeks in July fans.
Much respect for the unique challenge of earning a Giro victory.
Is that your way of disagreeing that Le Tour is head and shoulders above any other race in terms of prestige for rider, team, and sponsor? Or what?
No.
It's pointing out that Movistar are Spanish.
The Vuelta clearly a factor in their decision.
The casual Brit audience was brought up earlier in the topic.
I think the term used was "British public"."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Joelsim wrote:Makes sense. Probably Valverde's swansong before Quintana takes over as leader. With a potential Giro win ahead of a proper target of the 2015 Tour...correct me if I'm wrong but the parcours for 2014 Tour isn't massively mountainous is it?
This may well be another factor.
The Vosges, on paper, seem perfect for a rider such as Valverde; more similar to Ardennes than Alps.
The parcour after the Vosges appears somewhat less.................inspired."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
I'd have thought that the lowest total TT kms since 1934 would outweigh a little less climbing. And Froome was exposed badly on medium mountain stages last year. The 2014 parcours is much more favourable to Quintana than 2013 was and it's hard to see a better one unless TT prowess is neutered....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0
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Macaloon wrote:Froome was exposed badly on medium mountain stages last year.
Do you mean this year?
If so, I don't remember Froome being exposed anywhere during the Tour; except in his team's support. And that such support was largely lacking, in an event where we are always told it's critical, only further emphasises Fenton's superiority...
Basically, Froome was Bruce Lee in 'Enter The Dragon'... (With Unzue as the evil Mr Han sending his henchmen O'Hara (Valverde) and Bolo (Quintana) after him. Porte was Roper and Kiryienka was Williams (died early on), obviously....)0 -
OCDuPalais wrote:Macaloon wrote:Froome was exposed badly on medium mountain stages last year.
Do you mean this year?
If so, I don't remember Froome being exposed anywhere during the Tour; except in his team's support. And that such support was largely lacking, in an event where we are always told it's critical, only further emphasises Fenton's superiority...
Basically, Froome was Bruce Lee in 'Enter The Dragon'... (With Unzue as the evil Mr Han sending his henchmen O'Hara (Valverde) and Bolo (Quintana) after him. Porte was Roper and Kiryienka was Williams (died early on), obviously....)
Yeps. I meant that Sky fell apart a couple of times in 2013 and agree that Froome gets scant credit.
Froome survived 100kms solo with Saxo and Movi by pulling a magnificent Brer Rabbit: "Oh please don't pull this train any faster, you'll ruin my kick". There's a disgraceful disregard for this ride from the guardians of panache. If yellow-bellied Movi had been prepared to risk more it would have been a very different story. I also recall Froome coming home in the front group with only Stannard for company a couple of time.
Only brought it up to suggest that high mountain stages are Sky's home field. The more chaotic the terrain and racing, the more vulnerable Froome is to losing team support....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0 -
In that case, I completely agree, Maca... Froome was heroic.
And I know it's uncool - and don't tell anyone - but I came through this year's Tour with a renewed appreciation of Valverde (after first being impressed by him for pipping Armstrong at Courcheval in 2005) : if you take away the "unrepentant doper" bit, he is one hell of a racer... Last year, I was shouting at Froome to be let of the leash to catch the dirty Spaniard: this year, I was nodding in admiration for AV. Besides, let's face it, maintaining a grudge gets tiring...0 -
Macaloon wrote:Edit - Worth mentioning Alberto's domestiques at Saxon cossetting his immaculate smalls.
Well that's ironic.
Seriously though, what the hell is going on in this photo? They look like keirin riders but...?0 -
Imagine the sh*tslinging on here if Sky were holding back their best rider from the Tour.
"Cowards"
"No class/panache"
"Disrespect"
"Cynically putting publicity/money before the sport
Etc.0 -
MajorMantra wrote:Well that's ironic.
Seriously though, what the hell is going on in this photo? They look like keirin riders but...?
Extremely Ironic
Hoping for a genuine Japanese GC contender soon. The Japanese Corner on Alpe d'Huez will be epic....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0 -
FleshTuxedo wrote:Imagine the sh*tslinging on here if Sky were holding back their best rider from the Tour.
"Cowards"
"No class/panache"
"Disrespect"
"Cynically putting publicity/money before the sport
Etc.
There are actually only a few regular Sky Shitslingers on here - unfortunately, their whining pierces through air like hungry hounds left out in the cold whilst their masters feast...0 -
Macaloon wrote:guardians of panache
Well that's my band name of the week sorted.
And I'm another one who thought that stage by Froome was truly epic. Perhaps it fades from our collective memory because the forum decided to sit down in the middle of the road and refuse to race. My poor nails got bitten right down. The whole stage televised, hours and hours of wondering whether Fenton would manage to hold on like a lone banana that had inadvertently fallen into a shopping trolley of Spanish and Danish charcuterie. Poor old Tithcie Richie all on his lonesome for 50km like Edward Snowden in a Moscow airport before he decided to give up trying to get back to the front group. And then the execution by dehydration of poor old Kiri.
Epic stage all round. I don't think I went to the loo once.Correlation is not causation.0 -
Above The Cows wrote:Macaloon wrote:guardians of panache
Well that's my band name of the week sorted.
And I'm another one who thought that stage by Froome was truly epic. Perhaps it fades from our collective memory because the forum decided to sit down in the middle of the road and refuse to race. My poor nails got bitten right down. The whole stage televised, hours and hours of wondering whether Fenton would manage to hold on like a lone banana that had inadvertently fallen into a shopping trolley of Spanish and Danish charcuterie. Poor old Tithcie Richie all on his lonesome for 50km like Edward Snowden in a Moscow airport before he decided to give up trying to get back to the front group. And then the execution by dehydration of poor old Kiri.
Epic stage all round. I don't think I went to the loo once.
IT WAS EPIC
(how COULD you resurrect memories of the demise of Kiry)0 -
Macaloon wrote:MajorMantra wrote:Well that's ironic.
Seriously though, what the hell is going on in this photo? They look like keirin riders but...?
Extremely Ironic
Hoping for a genuine Japanese GC contender soon. The Japanese Corner on Alpe d'Huez will be epic.
Japanese Corner would be a nightmare as you wouldnt see a thing for the umbrellas0 -
Correlation is not causation.0
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Above The Cows wrote:
You missed out li'l Pete getting cruelly knocked down a ravine* by the Cad Ryder
*slight exaggeration0 -
Richmond Racer wrote:Above The Cows wrote:
You missed out li'l Pete getting cruelly knocked down a ravine* by the Cad Ryder
*slight exaggeration
Oh god yes, that was on this stage too. Ryder clearly couldn't see where he was going in those silly specs. I thought Lil' Pete was going to get stuck down there, it was like everyone forgot about him. It's like a nightmare I have where I'm drowning and no one can see me even though I'm frantically waving my arms around. All the cars seemed to pass him even though his bike was lying prostrate at the side of the road. It was made all the more emotional because of his heroic efforts up and then down the Col de Pailhères the day before.
Stage 9 probably ties in the EPICNESS stakes with ECHELON stage and is beaten only by the Ventoux Wild Boar Man Stage.Correlation is not causation.0 -
Above The Cows wrote:Stage 9 probably ties in the EPICNESS stakes with ECHELON stage and is beaten only by the Ventoux Wild Boar Man Stage.
So you're Valverde, let's say, when things start getting grippy: you look around and see Rui Costa, Amador, Quintana, etc...
Now you're Froome: you look around... Bo!!ocks: only Stannard left. It's only Stage 9...0 -
Above The Cows wrote:.... hours and hours of wondering whether Fenton would manage to hold on like a lone banana that had inadvertently fallen into a shopping trolley of Spanish and Danish charcuterie.
Lovely imagery there, ATC0 -
Above The Cows wrote:It makes no sense and it makes perfect sense depending on what direction you look at the decision from.
It makes no sense if you think that winning the Tour with your best and only rider capable of it is the only thing cycling teams or riders care about.
It makes perfect sense if you think your top rider can't beat Froome, there are cobbles (I for one will miss the spectacle of the little man gallantly attempting the cobbles, it was a small replacement for the carrots heroic efforts in the classics in my mind) and he has a much better chance in the two other GTs. Also Movistar has a massive interest in the Latin American market. Quintana winning a GT, any GT will be massive for them there. OK winning the Tour would also be massive for them there, but considering the Froome factor and that we're interested in who comes 2nd and wins Young Rider and sails up mountains at the Tour but the mass mobile phone market of Latin America probably isn't. So Giro over 2nd in the Tour probably comes out on top on some marketing person's excel sheet (wow isn't cycling sexy some times?)
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense from the team's point of view. It makes no sense to the romantics in us of course but that doesn't fit into the pie chart.
Maybe Quintana does actually really want to race the Giro over the Tour? Who knows? Its just nice we have something other than the Chicken to talk about.
"Marketing person's excel sheet" - as if marketing people are capable of using excel!0 -
RoadPainter wrote:"Marketing person's excel sheet" - as if marketing people are capable of using excel!
I don't know to be honest. I don't know any marketing people personally or if I do they don't market themselves very well as marketing people.
That's not true actually I know a marketing man for Heineken. I don't know how he is with spreadsheets but he's very good at drinking and rubbish in a crosswind.Correlation is not causation.0 -
I can do some good stuff with crayons0
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J-Rod also skipping the Tour de France next year, because of the cobbles according to Ekimov. More likely he just wants to win a GT. http://www.nieuwsblad.be/SportWereld/cn ... 1_00883291
Will be crowded in the Giro....0 -
FJS wrote:J-Rod also skipping the Tour de France next year, because of the cobbles according to Ekimov. More likely he just wants to win a GT. http://www.nieuwsblad.be/SportWereld/cn ... 1_00883291
Will be crowded in the Giro....
It's quite a shame that adding the cobbled stages has this effect but this way the Giro will be very interesting! Probably more interesting than the tour, which I expect will be a dominated by Sky again...0
