Tour of California 2014 **Spoilers**
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Decent stage in the end, always good to see the big boys mess up once in a while. Routley looks a good prospect, his acceleration on the climbs was superb. TV production and picture quality for the world's richest nation is terrible.0
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I gave up on it last night, because I knew I could catch the end, this morning.
Turns out I was wrong.
Cameras on bikes, but a clueless cameraman at the finish.
What were they thinking?
8 years in and the tv coverage is still amateurish.
That break was never coming back."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Very happy to see the break stay away - must have been the happiest day of that guy's life:
Interesting what Boonen said:
"They were going slow when they needed to, and they were going fast in the final," Boonen said. "And that's the way you win the race. The climb before actually I went to the others and said we have to start pulling with two or three extra guys, because in the front they were waiting for the last part to speed up, I could really tell," Boonen said. "At that point we started riding full speed straight away going 75k an hour trying to get as soon as possible a minute or a minute and a half off their lead, so the other guys would start pulling as well to take their morale away a little bit. But it lasted too long, and with tailwind they were going full speed in the front as well."
Nice to see Wiggins make that little 4 sec split - was well positioned.
Great photos of the lovely scenery:
http://www.steephill.tv/2014/tour-of-ca ... /stage-04/
Contador is the Greatest0 -
Contador is the Greatest0 -
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Winner been around for a while including a year on a Belgium team - he showed some nowse
ages of top 5
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19 - Gregory Daniel - great ride
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34
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The commentary described Routley as 'young' so I assumed he was about 22 or 23!0
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I too love a breakaway win. Poor goss, coming third in that sprint for minor placings. He is another Tyler farrar only without the crashes, not sure why OGE keep paying him.0
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mulletmaster wrote:I too love a breakaway win. Poor goss, coming third in that sprint for minor placings. He is another Tyler farrar only without the crashes, not sure why OGE keep paying him.
A little OT but on the subject of OGE sprinters, where is Caleb Ewan? Haven't heard about him anywhere since the TDU, and would have thought a race like this would have been ideal for him with Cav being the only real top sprinter in front of him.0 -
He's doing another year at under 23 level. He's already signed to Orica for next season and will join them on a stagliare contract in August.DL1987 wrote:mulletmaster wrote:I too love a breakaway win. Poor goss, coming third in that sprint for minor placings. He is another Tyler farrar only without the crashes, not sure why OGE keep paying him.
A little OT but on the subject of OGE sprinters, where is Caleb Ewan? Haven't heard about him anywhere since the TDU, and would have thought a race like this would have been ideal for him with Cav being the only real top sprinter in front of him.Twitter: @RichN950 -
RichN95 wrote:
He's doing another year at under 23 level. He's already signed to Orica for next season and will join them on a stagliare contract in August.DL1987 wrote:mulletmaster wrote:I too love a breakaway win. Poor goss, coming third in that sprint for minor placings. He is another Tyler farrar only without the crashes, not sure why OGE keep paying him.
A little OT but on the subject of OGE sprinters, where is Caleb Ewan? Haven't heard about him anywhere since the TDU, and would have thought a race like this would have been ideal for him with Cav being the only real top sprinter in front of him.
Cheers.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:I gave up on it last night, because I knew I could catch the end, this morning.
Turns out I was wrong.
Cameras on bikes, but a clueless cameraman at the finish.
What were they thinking?
8 years in and the tv coverage is still amateurish.
I thought they brought the TdF production crew over lock stock and barrel to sort it a few years ago, but appears not.0 -
All this talk about cameras (and sh!t coverage)... Has anyone not banged on about them not having race radios probably being a major contributing factor in misjudging bringing the break back?
What was otherwise a procession stage turned into something more interesting...0 -
But was it the lack of radios that did that or the poor updates on the time gaps?OCDuPalais wrote:All this talk about cameras (and sh!t coverage)... Has anyone not banged on about them not having race radios probably being a major contributing factor in misjudging bringing the break back?
What was otherwise a procession stage turned into something more interesting...Twitter: @RichN950 -
RichN95 wrote:
But was it the lack of radios that did that or the poor updates on the time gaps?OCDuPalais wrote:All this talk about cameras (and sh!t coverage)... Has anyone not banged on about them not having race radios probably being a major contributing factor in misjudging bringing the break back?
What was otherwise a procession stage turned into something more interesting...
Wasn't paying all that much attention, but weren't the comms getting more accurate time gaps from race radio?Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
The_Boy wrote:RichN95 wrote:
But was it the lack of radios that did that or the poor updates on the time gaps?OCDuPalais wrote:All this talk about cameras (and sh!t coverage)... Has anyone not banged on about them not having race radios probably being a major contributing factor in misjudging bringing the break back?
What was otherwise a procession stage turned into something more interesting...
Wasn't paying all that much attention, but weren't the comms getting more accurate time gaps from race radio?
The thing about "old fashioned" time gaps, as opposed to race radio comms, is that they are devoid of story/narrative... Had a DS been able to scream at the OPQS boys "the break have suddenly gone full gas!!!" a few Kms earlier, chances are they'd have caught them as usual...
A seasoned break away rider/group can feather their efforts to mislead the bunch: likewise, a seasoned bunch engine can marshall his efforts - as well as those of his fellow engines - to bring them back... That tension between hunter and hunted is eroded by the radios, IMO...0 -
OCDuPalais wrote:A seasoned break away rider/group can feather their efforts to mislead the bunch: likewise, a seasoned bunch engine can marshall his efforts - as well as those of his fellow engines - to bring them back... That tension between hunter and hunted is eroded by the radios, IMO...
I think Boonen was pretty much suggesting that is what they did, pretty impressive for a break comprised of 'lesser' riders.0 -
Pross wrote:I think Boonen was pretty much suggesting that is what they did, pretty impressive for a break comprised of 'lesser' riders.
That was the thing: and when a group of 6 - even at the end a long break away stage - are all in the 53 x 12/11, going through and off, with purpose, at about 57-60kph (on super-fast roads with no wind/tail wind) the bunch might be able to average 60-65kph... And as we saw yesterday - sometimes 65kph just ain't good enough...0 -
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38C today.
72 kms to ride. Break, for some strange reason, not being allowed much rope."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Not sure about San Marcos pass. Is it severe enough, and close enough to the finish to encourage some exciting attacking and another successful break or will the sprinters' teams cope and we get a bunch at the end?
OPQS not giving much away -
@OPQSCYCLINGTEAM NO GUARANTEES ON THE OUTCOME OF TODAY’S STAGE. SAN MARCOS PASS (CAT. 1) COULD FOIL ANY PLANS FOR A BUNCH SPRINT. WE’LL SEE!0 -
Stage previews are a bit rubbish but overall I think it's pretty good.0
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Looks like a windy (and very hot) day - echelons towards the front of the peloton forming and then falling back in line every few kilometres. Maybe there will be a split in the peloton before they reach the climb? No real pace yet suggests maybe it's not windy enough to split them at this stage.0
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According to that tracker there are plenty of riders out the back. They might have to relax the time limit a bit at this rate.0
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It'll be interesting to see if Cav can limit his losses to get back on over the final 16 miles. Canondale hoping to make sure he can't.0
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Sagan looks comfy so far and well positioned between Wiggo and Dennis at the mo. Can't see Cav but as I said earlier there will be quite a run in once the climb is over.
GC guys happy to follow Cannondale. They might be thinking about Mountain High tomorrow (hill top finish).0
