Dauphine *spoilers*

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  • mr_poll
    mr_poll Posts: 1,547
    edited June 2014
    Don't want to fall into the FF fan club here but was great to see a rider attack and go in to the red, pain etched on his face rather than racing to a powermeter stuck on their stem. Shapes well for the TdF, as Iain says a much better spectacle beckons, just hope Nibs can find some form very quickly
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Great win for Westra, after yesterday's bitter pill, he hands one out himself to Katusha.
    A pity Froome had that crash, yesterday, as we have no idea if he has been effected at all,
    or if Contador is actually the stronger, going into Le Tour.

    Indeed. Would have been good to see Froome sans-crash then we'd know he was definitely firing properly.

    Loving Westra too. Sneaky.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Highly doubt that fall will have any consequence on how fast he goes uphill tbh.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    FYI Tinkov was there in person. Proper leader that guy.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Result:
    1 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana 04:32:51
    2 Yuriy Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 00:00:07
    3 Egor Silin (Rus) Katusha 00:00:16
    4 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 00:01:33
    5 Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin-Sharp 00:01:51
    6 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Sharp 00:01:53
    7 Chris Froome (GBr) Sky
    8 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana 00:02:11
    9 Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale 00:02:16
    10 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) IAM Cycling 00:02:19
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Gazzetta67
    Gazzetta67 Posts: 1,890
    frenchfighter wrote:
    FYI Tinkov was there in person. Proper leader that guy.[/quote]


    Eh....didnt Tinkov once say he didnt care what "his riders" got up too !!! or similar ???
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Highly doubt that fall will have any consequence on how fast he goes uphill tbh.

    Your arms can have more to do when you climb, especially if you start gripping too tight. Not saying it would necessarily slow him down, but given his elbow it must be pretty uncomfortable.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Tinkoff probably gave Contador another roasting before the start. He really is an odious man.
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  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    how do Tinkoff get away with a predominantly yellow jersey?

    Looked better when it was just the white and blue of Saxo IMO.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Not sure Porte was a lot of help there, sure he did a long stint on the front but he needs to ride harder than that to either discourage attacks or pull them back. I'm not sure if Froome could have chased himself much sooner but if he could he should have. Excellent timing by Bertie though. Sky looked really strong going into the final climb with 5 riders left in support but they all went a bit too quickly to make it count.

    Cracking win by Westra, well and truly mugged the Katusha duo. Any other rider I would have been disappointed as Katusha have been great value in this race but I think he deserved that after yesterday. This is the best shorter stage race I've seen in a while.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    maddog 2 wrote:
    how do Tinkoff get away with a predominantly yellow jersey?

    Looked better when it was just the white and blue of Saxo IMO.

    Nothing to stop them, ONCE used to ride in a fully yellow jersey (although they went pink for the Tour).
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Yates still in top 10. He must be pinching himself with this start to his pro career.

    Proper young riders jersey chance in future Grand Tours (though not this year).
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Pross wrote:
    Not sure Porte was a lot of help there, sure he did a long stint on the front but he needs to ride harder than that to either discourage attacks or pull them back.

    Not sure they could ride much harder...Nieve killed off everyone but about 6 guys.

    Froome just wasnt strong enough today...Hesjedal hung with him then finished in front and Talansky gapped him at the end. If he could have gone with Contador my guess he would have reacted immediately - was near enough the finish (1.8km I think).
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Highly doubt that fall will have any consequence on how fast he goes uphill tbh.

    More likely to affect you going up then at any other point as you use your upper body far more not to mention any soreness in your legs. That said I think he misjudged the situation more than anything.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Not sure Porte was a lot of help there, sure he did a long stint on the front but he needs to ride harder than that to either discourage attacks or pull them back.

    Not sure they could ride much harder...Nieve killed off everyone but about 6 guys.

    Froome just wasnt strong enough today...Hesjedal hung with him then finished in front and Talansky gapped him at the end. If he could have gone with Contador my guess he would have reacted immediately - was near enough the finish (1.8km I think).

    Probably right. It's a real race though which is all any of us want.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    “Everybody went to the limit but you don't know what you've got until the end,” Contador said before mounting the podium. “It was an incredible battle but it's not over yet. Still, it’s great to be able to measure myself against those around me.”
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    TJ worse than I expected but JVB is a lot better. His Tour participation was in doubt a few weeks ago but not any longer.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Great to see attacks, like Contadors, coming from the GC guys. Froome is lucky it wasn't for the win.
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  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    DIR_IMG_zpsaee4c7e1.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    OnYourRight wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Highly doubt that fall will have any consequence on how fast he goes uphill tbh.

    More likely to affect you going up then at any other point as you use your upper body far more not to mention any soreness in your legs. That said I think he misjudged the situation more than anything.
    More important than any discomfort or lack of arm strength is that he lost a little blood (i.e. oxygen-carrying capacity) and some energy trying to heal in the last 24 hours. Possibly slightly disrupted sleep too (though he said he slept okay). I think it probably did take the last edge off his power. Not much, of course.

    But yeah, I don’t think waiting behind Porte was the right move. But that’s why I love road racing. It’s not just irreducible athleticism.


    I don't think he lost enough blood from a few grazes to make any difference - probably not enough that it wasn't replaced in 24 hours. Whether he was injured or not who knows - possibly and I'd say probably Contador just had better form on the day. Whatever the reason I disagree about waiting behind Porte, we saw at the end Froome had given everything and was being caught by the riders coming back to him.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    OnYourRight wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Highly doubt that fall will have any consequence on how fast he goes uphill tbh.

    More likely to affect you going up then at any other point as you use your upper body far more not to mention any soreness in your legs. That said I think he misjudged the situation more than anything.
    More important than any discomfort or lack of arm strength is that he lost a little blood (i.e. oxygen-carrying capacity) and some energy trying to heal in the last 24 hours. Possibly slightly disrupted sleep too (though he said he slept okay). I think it probably did take the last edge off his power. Not much, of course.

    But yeah, I don’t think waiting behind Porte was the right move. But that’s why I love road racing. It’s not just irreducible athleticism.


    I don't think he lost enough blood from a few grazes to make any difference - probably not enough that it wasn't replaced in 24 hours. Whether he was injured or not who knows - possibly and I'd say probably Contador just had better form on the day. Whatever the reason I disagree about waiting behind Porte, we saw at the end Froome had given everything and was being caught by the riders coming back to him.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    The injury to his hip/leg is likely to cause more of a distraction than his elbow.

    Any crash and subsequent healing is going to take away from your full capacity and the body has to dedicate more resources to healing than to recovery in these cases. We're probably talking about very small margins of difference here and not necessarily why he lost time today but could certainly be a small factor.
  • UncleMonty
    UncleMonty Posts: 385
    Sky rode a very different race to Mondays summit finish, Neive peeled off at just 2km leaving Froome + Porte, that's very late for Froome - he's usually had a dig by then. I thought he was just going to shadow Contador and defend his lead. Not sure what the plan was to be honest but he looked shattered in the last 200m when both Talansky & Hesjedal rode him down, he just didn't have the legs today which ever way they palyed it.

    Hats of to Westra & Contador, great stage by both, the Tour's just looking better and better
  • tom3
    tom3 Posts: 287
    Was it the bump, or had froome simply gone too deep on the first climb (first stage?) where contador was glued to his wheel and therefore not fully recovered today.

    I just think he looks very pale and not as strong as last year. I've also never seen him with wobbly legs immediately post stage. Obviously come the tour or even tomorrow he will prove me wrong.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Contador said he was on the limit when he attacked but would try his luck.

    Froome said his thighs felt blocked.

    Contador hasnt raced in 8 weeks and has just come down from altitude. Come the Tour he is going to be flying much higher.

    Westra said of yesterday that he and the team really needed that win so it is great for them that they got this one which is even better.

    Re Froome and the crash. These things happen and riders get on with it just as he himself is. It would have been poor show and I would have said so but he could easily have lost a few mins yesterday if the peloton had kept on...after all they were in full flow. Funny thinking back to the comments around Evans incident in the Giro.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,587
    frenchfighter wrote:
    DIR_IMG_zpsaee4c7e1.jpg

    Frenchie you normally deliver brilliant pics... But that's just weird.
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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,652
    Alan A wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    DIR_IMG_zpsaee4c7e1.jpg

    Frenchie you normally deliver brilliant pics... But that's just weird.

    Yeah. He's not even looking at his stem.
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  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    Stalingrad wrote:
    It is also possible Froome's support staff forgot to remind him to eat or miscalculated how many gels he needed.

    It is also possible that Contador was just stronger today.

    I am moist just thinking about Le Tour
  • tonyf34
    tonyf34 Posts: 194
    Clearly there's a few here who have no idea whatsoever with regard to the effects a crash such that Froome had yesterday and its effects on him today :?
    If you've ever crashed pretty hard and had to ride on in high temperatures then backing that up the next day in a professional competition scenario at pretty much full tilt you are not going to perform at 100%

    Not only would the crash have affected him physiologically, pschologically it is very hard too, you've aches & pains to try to ignore throughout, that bit of your body that is essential for bike riding has being damaged and at this level, at this intensity even a minor injury is enough to make a difference so to say this wouldn't have effected Froome is an absolute nonsense.
    How much did it cost him, who knows, but Froome was far more in the red than Contador was & I think Froome should be applauded for his gutsy display.
    And Contador should be applauded for using his nouse & knowing that Froome was going to struggle to react that deep into the race. He did exactly what he had to do, he knew Froome would be hurting and timed his attack to perfection. Good sportsmanship yesterday but attacking your enemy/opponent when they are injured/not 100% is just professional & I'd expect nothing less.
    Well done to all.
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    I'm not reading too much into Froome losing time today, it could be physical I.e. the body repairing, disturbed sleep or it could be mental. The two of them have been quite evenly matched and it's great to see it so close. Shame Nibali isn't at the same sort of form he was at last year, it must have really messed with his head getting that letter and having it plastered all over the net.

    Is Chris Horner riding the tour? Haven't seen much of him after his mind blowing performance last year...
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