Tour de France stage 2 York-Sheffield *Spoiler*

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Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Great stage.

    All the big guns looking good, exciting 3 weeks to come.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    God I love GTs.

    The races within races that determine all kinds of tactical considerations. The strong man stage hunters and the GC men happy to just defend time all with their different desires, wanting the win, not wanting to loose too much time to rivals but not wanting the responsibility of yellow this early etc. etc. all going into the last 1km to go.

    Lovely stuff.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Why weren't Sky wearing yellow helmets today?
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    sjmclean wrote:
    Why weren't Sky wearing yellow helmets today?

    I wondered that, unless the whole idea has been ditched. Was it Sky's own choice before or was it something ASO introduced (I think it was the latter).
  • type:epyt
    type:epyt Posts: 766
    sjmclean wrote:
    Why weren't Sky wearing yellow helmets today?

    If they are still doing that I believe it was/is 'optional'.

    I remember Trek stopping wearing them a couple of years ago as it just looks crap.

    Also how do Cofidis get away with it when Saxo had to change their kit?
    Life is unfair, kill yourself or get over it.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,182
    Betting on a GC rider trying it on at Côte de Jenkin Road? Nibs looking comfortable, Froome under pressure to make the GB crowd love him....
    Good call there NtD.

    Must be the first time I've seen GC contenders fighting it out on a road stage at the start of a GT
  • ednino
    ednino Posts: 684
    sjmclean wrote:
    Why weren't Sky wearing yellow helmets today?

    They'd get confused with Cofidis
  • type:epyt
    type:epyt Posts: 766
    Mad_Malx wrote:

    Must be the first time I've seen GC contenders fighting it out on a road stage at the start of a GT

    TdF 2011 Stage 4. Evans beat Contador in a photo finish.
    Life is unfair, kill yourself or get over it.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    edited July 2014
    .
    I couldn't be more happier and never thought I would ever see a cycle race event in this country of such Magnitude.
    2 Days of Outstanding, Fantastic Carnival in Yorkshire and you should be proud of yourselves.

    That Nibali an Italian did win today is the Icing on the cake.

    .
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • ednino
    ednino Posts: 684
    antsmithmk wrote:
    Sagan in danger of being jack of all trades, master of none.

    I'd take that if it meant winning the green jersey 3 years in a row :mrgreen:
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Worked out pretty much as the ASO had hoped, I suspect, with the GC riders playing the hilly classics guys.
    I'd score it about 1-1. :P
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • antsmithmk
    antsmithmk Posts: 717
    deejay wrote:
    .
    I couldn't be more happier and never thought I would ever see a cycle race event in this country of such Magnitude.
    2 Days of Outstanding, Fantastic Carnival in Yorkshire and you should be proud of yourselves.

    That Nibali an Italian did win today is the Icing on the cake.

    .

    The first 2 days have been amazing. The best grand depart I've seen in my shortish few years of watching cycling. Belfast was a great Giro depart too..... What a few years its been!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Ha ha you little beauty. I'm now glad I changed my PTP pick.
    WOOP WOOP! Called that 1st!
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    coriordan wrote:
    Ha ha you little beauty. I'm now glad I changed my PTP pick.
    WOOP WOOP! Called that 1st!

    Good call.

    My husband was the one who said to me blunt as anything:

    "Sagan? No go for Kwiatkowski." He hardly even follows cycling but he's pretty sharp when he does.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,332
    My friend, who has never knowingly watched a bike race, was urging Nibs onwards at the end. Pretty good finish - I never expected Jenkins Road to match some of the hype, but I reckon it justified itself (and without turning into one of those silly stunt climbs that the Giro sometimes throws in). Nice to see the GC boys having a chance to test each other out - Contador looked good, Froome's little burst let everyone know he was still there - all bodes well for the Tour as a sporting event.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Interesting observation from Jez Whittle

    Tour's GC taking shape: three SKY riders in today's selection, two Astana, two BMC, one Tinkoff Saxo. Seems Alberto is isolated already.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    For those wondering, a very good 7/10 today.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Great opening weekend of the Tour.

    So much better having a few rolling stages this early on rather than 4 or 5 nailed on sprint stages in a row.

    Good attack from Nibali he timed it perfectly. The top 3 GC contenders are naturally attacking riders so I think the next 3 weeks will see some great racing.

    Hopefully we're one step closer to having a WT one day race in the UK.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    iainf72 wrote:
    Interesting observation from Jez Whittle

    Tour's GC taking shape: three SKY riders in today's selection, two Astana, two BMC, one Tinkoff Saxo. Seems Alberto is isolated already.

    Wonder how much that's team strength and how much stage prep. There were plenty of sprinters ruling themselves out beforehand, but on a parcours like that why would you even ask them? Q should have been "how much time will le autobus drop?" Points maybe to an underestimation by some teams (Contador hadn't ridden it) coupled with the difficulty of squeezing through the crowds.

    Top marks to Garmin for forcing the issue when they did, but God knows what they were thinking.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    type:epyt wrote:
    sjmclean wrote:
    Why weren't Sky wearing yellow helmets today?

    If they are still doing that I believe it was/is 'optional'.

    I remember Trek stopping wearing them a couple of years ago as it just looks crap.

    Also how do Cofidis get away with it when Saxo had to change their kit?

    Default Mavic colours perhaps?
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Just back from the roadside via Langsett Hub & watching the finish in a beer tent. Crowds again looked amazing and the weather stayed fine. Good win that for Nibs, with the added incentive of getting out of the Italian champ/ Astana blue combo for a while :D
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Could only follow it on the radio on the way back home but sounds like a great cheeky win for Mr Nibbles. Will watch later...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • kamil1891
    kamil1891 Posts: 658
    Great win for the Iranian champ. Hope he proves some critics wrong. Pleased with the efforts from BMC and Kwiato too :-)
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    kamil1891 wrote:
    Great win for the Iranian champ. Hope he proves some critics wrong. Pleased with the efforts from BMC and Kwiato too :-)

    Iranian?
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,332
    Top marks to Garmin for forcing the issue when they did, but God knows what they were thinking.

    Garmin? I'm coming to the conclusion that they're constitutionally unable to race for more than two hours without getting bored and resolving to poke the rest of the race with a stick to see what happens.
  • kamil1891
    kamil1891 Posts: 658
    TMR wrote:
    kamil1891 wrote:
    Great win for the Iranian champ. Hope he proves some critics wrong. Pleased with the efforts from BMC and Kwiato too :-)

    Iranian?

    never seen the Iranian flag then? :wink:
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited July 2014
    Thoughts for the day:
    Watched it at my parent's on French tv. The commentary is in every way miles ahead. There are almost no advert breaks. They pointed out that Slagter was deliberately putting them on the left of the road so there was no shelter from the wind and a Tinkoff rider had come up to ask him to move across. Great work by Slagter, my man showing his talents.
    The first 140km or so were very dull and I was a bit anxious at how those bumps had been hyped up but showed little.
    The next 60km or so was a real beauty - the way the peloton came unstuck gradually was wonderful.
    Great to see such a small group at the end.
    Shame Yates couldnt be a protagonist but I suppose all things considered it was a bit far-fetched and
    Very pleased an Orica didn't win.
    Over the moon my man Nibali held out for the win. All those people talking bad about him, well you should stick by your riders.
    The Italian bands are on their side and look appalling as does his whole kit...my avatar of him is from his time on Etna it has been that long I cannot find a great photo of him.
    Froome looks appalling - everything about it was awful. Even my mum, who doesnt watch overly much cycling, mentioned how bad he looks.
    Contador looking very fresh and stylish.
    Shocking lack of support for Contador and wonderful support by Sky, Garmin, Movistar and Astana, however I would say that this route takes a lot different talents to be in the front then a mountain does.
    Sagan, impressive to hang with those guys and take the initiative.
    Nearly thought Valverde would nick it and glad he didn't.
    Great work by Kadri...when I saw him relaunch I thought he was getting caught shortly after but he held on for a long time.
    Rolland - good to see but unwise given how steep that climb is...he ended up losing 16 secs.
    Even more incredible seeing those people along majority of the route and I am wondering where they all come from. On the hills however they pushed so far into the middle they disrupted the race (break always gained time on the ascent) and caused annoyance to the riders. These people are not real fans.
    See this video for the various incidents with the fans. I am glad some of the riders lashed out (Garmin rider looks like he is playing how many mobiles can I smash and gets about 4)...if I were them I would be hitting 'fans' left right and centre.
    http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/nbc ... ia&yr=2014
    Contador is the Greatest
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    kamil1891 wrote:
    TMR wrote:
    kamil1891 wrote:
    Great win for the Iranian champ. Hope he proves some critics wrong. Pleased with the efforts from BMC and Kwiato too :-)

    Iranian?

    never seen the Iranian flag then? :wink:

    I see what you mean :)
  • poppit
    poppit Posts: 926
    Great atmosphere at the roadside today, must have been thousands of us there, we were on a climb before Bradfield at the top of the Strines. 5 VIP helicopters landed right next to us, thought I saw Hinault get out of one of them. Tommy and Jens passed a few inches from us, looked like they were suffering, Thomas looked super strong.
    Eddy Merckx EMX-3
    Dolan L'Etape
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    Planet X TOR
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    “I dedicate this jersey to the public of England because they have been so amazing and gave us great support. The support was incredible. I have been blessed because I am one of the riders who could wear the leader’s jersey from the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a Espana and Tour de France and very few people can say they have won all three jerseys.”
    -Nibali
    Contador is the Greatest