Tour de France Stage 5 Ypres-Arenberg *Spoiler*

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Comments

  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    Anyone who has ridden in Belgium knows the roads are sh!t. They lay them by throwing a mixture of tar and rocks out of a helicopter and patting it down with a shovel....
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Above The Cows wrote:
    This is not how I want the Tour de France decided.

    I want gladitorial mountain scraps.

    +1
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    Katusha, Belkin, Cannondale , FDJ, Giant, Trek and Europcar all missed out on break. Cobbled sections will be carnage!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    I really don't get this attitude that the cobbles don't belong in a GT. They are as much a part of being an all round cyclist as being able to climb or TT, arguably more as the race probably went over cobbles before someone introduced the 'circus act' of sending bike riders over huge mountains. The big difference seems to be that in the last 20 years riders have decided to specialise rather than ride what gets thrown at them so virtually no GT contender has ridden cobbles. That's their choice and as a result they are less complete bike riders than in a previous era where cyclists won P-R or RVV as well as GTs. Who decided that GTs should be all about the person who can climb best whilst minimising their losses in a TT?

    That said, the decision to remove sectors looks sensible if they are flooded. It's one thing to have the skills to spot hazards and negotiate them but sending riders over cobbles they can't see would be a step too far.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    From the looks of things there will be scraps in the mountains....the remnants of the peloton
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Four SKY riders pacing.

    I NEVER want to hear Sky managers or riders complain about riders getting pulls again.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Above The Cows wrote:
    This is not how I want the Tour de France decided.

    I want gladitorial mountain scraps.
    We'll still have them, except at this rate it'll be for the lower steps on the podium while Contador is further up the hill doing his own thing.
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    I'm not going to be getting much work done today :|
    Mañana
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    My Sky Go is a few minutes behind by the looks of it, keeps breaking up. Bad news with Froome, I want to see him and Contador knocking 7 bells out of each other in the mountains
    Road
    MTB
    NEW Cross
    Track/Grass Track/Winter bike
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    pottssteve wrote:
    Anyone who has ridden in Belgium knows the roads are sh!t. They lay them by throwing a mixture of tar and rocks out of a helicopter and patting it down with a shovel....

    That's not just how they make the roads.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    oscarbudgie wrote:
    That Sky Rapha lycra sure tears easy

    If you send it back don't they repair kit for you? Froome's going to have a big parcel... :)
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    Pross wrote:
    I really don't get this attitude that the cobbles don't belong in a GT. They are as much a part of being an all round cyclist as being able to climb or TT, arguably more as the race probably went over cobbles before someone introduced the 'circus act' of sending bike riders over huge mountains. The big difference seems to be that in the last 20 years riders have decided to specialise rather than ride what gets thrown at them so virtually no GT contender has ridden cobbles. That's their choice and as a result they are less complete bike riders than in a previous era where cyclists won P-R or RVV as well as GTs. Who decided that GTs should be all about the person who can climb best whilst minimising their losses in a TT?

    That said, the decision to remove sectors looks sensible if they are flooded. It's one thing to have the skills to spot hazards and negotiate them but sending riders over cobbles they can't see would be a step too far.

    Agree 100%
    Mañana
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    edited July 2014
    Above The Cows wrote:
    This is not how I want the Tour de France decided.

    I want gladitorial mountain scraps.

    How about gladitorial efforts on the stones?

    Tony Martin down.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Is it me or are they going at a fair old whack?
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Tony Martin down according to Sean
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    pb21 wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    I really don't get this attitude that the cobbles don't belong in a GT. They are as much a part of being an all round cyclist as being able to climb or TT, arguably more as the race probably went over cobbles before someone introduced the 'circus act' of sending bike riders over huge mountains. The big difference seems to be that in the last 20 years riders have decided to specialise rather than ride what gets thrown at them so virtually no GT contender has ridden cobbles. That's their choice and as a result they are less complete bike riders than in a previous era where cyclists won P-R or RVV as well as GTs. Who decided that GTs should be all about the person who can climb best whilst minimising their losses in a TT?

    That said, the decision to remove sectors looks sensible if they are flooded. It's one thing to have the skills to spot hazards and negotiate them but sending riders over cobbles they can't see would be a step too far.

    Agree 100%

    I think we'll have to agree to disagree :wink:
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Contador protected at front of bunch.

    1.30 to boys in front.

    Froome at 45secs.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Is it too early to have a drankje?
    Correlation is not causation.
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Yay! Excitement and adventure! This is what I call a proper decider - separating the Warriors from the lightweight mountain goats.

    I am VERY happy for the Tour to be very shaken up by this stage. If it knocks some of the favourites out, then tough - that's racing :mrgreen::wink::D:wink::mrgreen:
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    I'm not sure how long Froome is going to be able to carry on for if his wrist is really bad. 2 crashes in 2 days. Not looking good for Sky.
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    Haha, the last page read (rather literally) as if Froome went down about 7 times, again and again.

    I assume it was just the once?
    Canyon Endurace CF 2014 | Canyon Ultimate CF 2010
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Is it too early to have a drankje?


    I'm waaaaay ahead of you!
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    EKIMIKE wrote:
    Haha, the last page read (rather literally) as if Froome went down about 7 times, again and again.

    I assume it was just the once?
    Yes, once + a bike change which is why he's so far back (still not back on AFAIK)
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    When's the first cobble section? Need to go to the shop...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    Acevado spat out
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,382
    pb21 wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    I really don't get this attitude that the cobbles don't belong in a GT. They are as much a part of being an all round cyclist as being able to climb or TT, arguably more as the race probably went over cobbles before someone introduced the 'circus act' of sending bike riders over huge mountains. The big difference seems to be that in the last 20 years riders have decided to specialise rather than ride what gets thrown at them so virtually no GT contender has ridden cobbles. That's their choice and as a result they are less complete bike riders than in a previous era where cyclists won P-R or RVV as well as GTs. Who decided that GTs should be all about the person who can climb best whilst minimising their losses in a TT?

    That said, the decision to remove sectors looks sensible if they are flooded. It's one thing to have the skills to spot hazards and negotiate them but sending riders over cobbles they can't see would be a step too far.

    Agree 100%

    Me too.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Froome riding some super fat tyres.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    ddraver wrote:
    When's the first cobble section? Need to go to the shop...
    Not for another 40-50K I think
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    Wait, and we've not had any cobbles yet? Jeez. Froome doing a Menchov...
    Canyon Endurace CF 2014 | Canyon Ultimate CF 2010
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    The pavees will be more safe than the normal roads we are seeing now so I'm not sure what people are on about regarding that.

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