Tour de France Stage 5 Ypres-Arenberg *Spoiler*
Comments
-
RichN95 wrote:
Barring injury/illness, Mollema will finish ahead of Kwiatkowski in this Tour.Joelsim wrote:Which is why I think he is just ok. He is never going to gain time on his GC rivals in a TT. He may limit his losses by being a decent TTer, but that is it. Yes he will beat the majority, but the majority only ride TTs at 90% unless they are a specialist or they are up top. Mollema is usually up top but he still loses time against the majority of his main GC rivals.
Probably, yes. But he will finish behind Contador, Nibali, VdB, Talansky, TVG, Fuglsang, Valverde, Porte and Bardet. And maybe a couple of others.0 -
Joelsim wrote:RichN95 wrote:
Barring injury/illness, Mollema will finish ahead of Kwiatkowski in this Tour.Joelsim wrote:Which is why I think he is just ok. He is never going to gain time on his GC rivals in a TT. He may limit his losses by being a decent TTer, but that is it. Yes he will beat the majority, but the majority only ride TTs at 90% unless they are a specialist or they are up top. Mollema is usually up top but he still loses time against the majority of his main GC rivals.
Probably, yes. But he will finish behind Contador, Nibali, VdB, Talansky, TVG, Fuglsang, Valverde, Porte and Bardet. And maybe a couple of others.
I'll give you some of those but not others.Correlation is not causation.0 -
Brilliant ride by Nibali.
Bit silly for Sky to have not brought Wiggins, as he would have finished right up there today.0 -
Above The Cows wrote:iainf72 wrote:I'm with Tony
Tony Martin: "I would like these kind of stages not to feature in the Tour. If you want cobblestones, go to Roubaix or Flanders".
That means you and Tony also think there shouldn't be descents or roundabouts or tarmac. Are you sure you want to be with Tony?
Now you're doing what you were moaning about others doing, I'm used to a better quality of debating from you. It comes across as sulking because a stage you felt shouldn't be there turned into a classic. As far as I'm aware only one person retired today at by his own comments that was due to a fall yesterday. No favourites lost major time due to a mishap whether a crash or mechanical.
Much as I admire Tony Martin his attitude to cobbles, which he should excel on, disappoints me.
Anyone suggesting that the riders hated it today should look at the Movistar selfie posted up thread, not exactly cobbled specialists but they don't seem traumatised. Chances are if you go out there with the attitude it's going to be miserable then that's what it will be.0 -
Mollema is a decent rider, but he is a couple of steps down from the top. I would put him as a just about top 10 in this race. He's not the best climber, he's not as good as you think at TT, he can't break and win regularly. He's good on all levels.0
-
frisbee wrote:Brilliant ride by Nibali.
Bit silly for Sky to have not brought Wiggins, as he would have finished right up there today.
Ok - So yeah. Great. But so what? He hasn't got grand tour winning form, so what difference would it make?
Their plan B is in 8th place. Can you ask for much more?Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
TMR wrote:If SKY are now riding for Porte, what do you think his chances are for GC? I think top 10, but not top 5.
Depends on if he's climbing as well as Brailsford says.
There will be different tactics, Sky won't have to control things, so he can just sit in and let others work. I suspect he'll finish pretty high.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
70 pages
0 -
Turfle wrote:TMR wrote:If SKY are now riding for Porte, what do you think his chances are for GC? I think top 10, but not top 5.
Podium chance for me. I think he's every bit the contender that Mollema, Talanksy, TJVG, VDB etc are. The only question is if he can last the full 3 weeks.
I think he is an excellent rider, it depends on his condition. If he had had last year's condition now, then possibly a podium.0 -
mm1 wrote:
Lol. No. It was an attempt at satire.Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
Joelsim wrote:Mollema is a decent rider, but he is a couple of steps down from the top. I would put him as a just about top 10 in this race. He's not the best climber, he's not as good as you think at TT, he can't break and win regularly. He's good on all levels.
He was 6th last year despite illness in the last week. Very good podium prospects or at least a top 5.0 -
Above The Cows wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Above The Cows wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:FJS wrote:Good day for the first Dutch stage win in 9 (!!!!!) years, by the way
Now let's win the f*cking football
I can't watch it. Too much drama for one day for me, my nerves won't cope.
Although I have an added incentive for an Oranje victory, my very loud Argentinian neighbours.
F*ck'em
They had a party after the quarter final victory until 4 in the goddam morning. It made me want to run into the garden and proclaim undying British sovereignty over the Falklands.
0 -
Pross wrote:Joelsim wrote:Mollema is a decent rider, but he is a couple of steps down from the top. I would put him as a just about top 10 in this race. He's not the best climber, he's not as good as you think at TT, he can't break and win regularly. He's good on all levels.
He was 6th last year despite illness in the last week. Very good podium prospects or at least a top 5.
I'll happily give you a wager on that. £5 says he doesn't finish top 7. Interested?0 -
On Geraint's interview on the ITV4 highlights he sounded like he loved it today, lots of smiles.0
-
mfin wrote:Geraint interview on the ITV4 highlights he sounded like he loved it today, lots of smiles.
Classic type rider enjoys a classic type race shocker.
It was a decent interview nonetheless.Contador is the Greatest0 -
Joelsim wrote:Pross wrote:Joelsim wrote:Mollema is a decent rider, but he is a couple of steps down from the top. I would put him as a just about top 10 in this race. He's not the best climber, he's not as good as you think at TT, he can't break and win regularly. He's good on all levels.
He was 6th last year despite illness in the last week. Very good podium prospects or at least a top 5.
I'll happily give you a wager on that. £5 says he doesn't finish top 7. Interested?
Yep.0 -
Absolutely gutted for Froome today, he didn't give up easily, he looked like he'd been beaten up by a gang when he hobbled to the car.
Nibali rode like a Demon today, for someone who doesn't ride cobbles to end up ahead of Cancellara showed true grit and his fearlessness was the reason he pulled such a margin on Contador, to think this was the same guy who got that shi££y letter a little while ago.
When Froome went down I thought the tour was going to turn in to a one man show, now Nibali has given Contador to chase. I like both of them and Contador is a great racer but after seeing that today.. Forza Nibali!0 -
Got to be the longest spoiler thread ever before?Contador is the Greatest0
-
Pross wrote:Joelsim wrote:Pross wrote:Joelsim wrote:Mollema is a decent rider, but he is a couple of steps down from the top. I would put him as a just about top 10 in this race. He's not the best climber, he's not as good as you think at TT, he can't break and win regularly. He's good on all levels.
He was 6th last year despite illness in the last week. Very good podium prospects or at least a top 5.
I'll happily give you a wager on that. £5 says he doesn't finish top 7. Interested?
Yep.
OK witnesses here. Let's see in a couple of weeks. If he gets injured you owe me, as if any of the others get injured it gives Bauke a better chance.
BTW Degenkolb has torn a muscle in his bum today.0 -
frenchfighter wrote:Got to be the longest spoiler thread ever before?
Certainly the longest without the 'd' word being involved and nearly all proper race talk.0 -
Pross wrote:mfin wrote:On Geraint's interview on the ITV4 highlights he sounded like he loved it today, lots of smiles.
Maybe he is a Wiggo stooge in the team
I must admit, it struck me that he didn't seem exactly bothered by Froome's exit. Probably just buzzing from the stage, rather than actually happy to see him leave, but where facts run out it's always fun to speculate...0 -
underlayunderlay wrote:Pross wrote:mfin wrote:On Geraint's interview on the ITV4 highlights he sounded like he loved it today, lots of smiles.
Maybe he is a Wiggo stooge in the team
I must admit, it struck me that he didn't seem exactly bothered by Froome's exit. Probably just buzzing from the stage, rather than actually happy to see him leave, but where facts run out it's always fun to speculate...
G just takes everything in his stride.
Geraint Thomas @GeraintThomas86 · 2h
Gutted to see Froome abandon today!! That's bike racing I guess . The boy will be back strong as ever!!0 -
Pross wrote:Above The Cows wrote:iainf72 wrote:I'm with Tony
Tony Martin: "I would like these kind of stages not to feature in the Tour. If you want cobblestones, go to Roubaix or Flanders".
That means you and Tony also think there shouldn't be descents or roundabouts or tarmac. Are you sure you want to be with Tony?
Now you're doing what you were moaning about others doing, I'm used to a better quality of debating from you. It comes across as sulking because a stage you felt shouldn't be there turned into a classic. As far as I'm aware only one person retired today at by his own comments that was due to a fall yesterday. No favourites lost major time due to a mishap whether a crash or mechanical.
Much as I admire Tony Martin his attitude to cobbles, which he should excel on, disappoints me.
Anyone suggesting that the riders hated it today should look at the Movistar selfie posted up thread, not exactly cobbled specialists but they don't seem traumatised. Chances are if you go out there with the attitude it's going to be miserable then that's what it will be.
Well clearly Tony Martin didn't enjoy today.
But you know what p*sses me off? The way I say that I don't like stages being designed to induce unnecessary drama and then everyone else thinking I mean that there should be no racing at all and being silly little boys waving their willies around like they're back in the playground thinking there oh so funny and clever, ha ha ha ha.
If you take that as me sulking fair enough but I'm not, I'm just disappointed because quite frankly I expected a better standard of maturity from most people on here, you included. You're usually a decent, level headed individual yet today you and lots of other usually decent posters got swept up in the 'banter' and came across like little bullies.Correlation is not causation.0 -
Above The Cows wrote:Pross wrote:Above The Cows wrote:iainf72 wrote:I'm with Tony
Tony Martin: "I would like these kind of stages not to feature in the Tour. If you want cobblestones, go to Roubaix or Flanders".
That means you and Tony also think there shouldn't be descents or roundabouts or tarmac. Are you sure you want to be with Tony?
Now you're doing what you were moaning about others doing, I'm used to a better quality of debating from you. It comes across as sulking because a stage you felt shouldn't be there turned into a classic. As far as I'm aware only one person retired today at by his own comments that was due to a fall yesterday. No favourites lost major time due to a mishap whether a crash or mechanical.
Much as I admire Tony Martin his attitude to cobbles, which he should excel on, disappoints me.
Anyone suggesting that the riders hated it today should look at the Movistar selfie posted up thread, not exactly cobbled specialists but they don't seem traumatised. Chances are if you go out there with the attitude it's going to be miserable then that's what it will be.
Well clearly Tony Martin didn't enjoy today.
But you know what p*sses me off? The way I say that I don't like stages being designed to induce unnecessary drama and then everyone else thinking I mean that there should be no racing at all and being silly little boys waving their willies around like they're back in the playground thinking there oh so funny and clever, ha ha ha ha.
If you take that as me sulking fair enough but I'm not, I'm just disappointed because quite frankly I expected a better standard of maturity from most people on here, you included. You're usually a decent, level headed individual yet today you and lots of other usually decent posters got swept up in the 'banter' and came across like little bullies.
Are you on the wine again ATC? 0
