Tour de France Stage 5 Ypres-Arenberg *Spoiler*
Comments
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Yes, yes indeed... you've got to keep an eye on those pings!The_Boy wrote:underlayunderlay wrote:Above The Cows wrote:I'm the child of tabloid journalists, I see 'it' everywhere.
And yes the glee of seeing people get taken out by crashes was too much for me.
One other thing that might be worth throwing out there - prompted by mention of the tabloids. Quite a few people here are questioning whether cobbles are actually that dangerous. Sure, a mechanical at the wrong time will wreck your race, and in weather like today's there's absolutely no mercy to be had, but mostly the cobbles seem to hand out a reasonably fair punishment - if you can ride them you'll normally be okay, if you can't then, well, you won't.
They're certainly an acquired taste though, and they have a mythology all of their own.
ASO might not have thrown them in to generate crashes, but thinking with a tabloid hat on then you'd certainly want to sell the sizzle, regardless of the quality of the sausage. I'm starting to wonder if the big thing about the cobbles isn't that they're dangerous, it's that they're unusual and therefore easy for ASO and the press to hype up. Is it possible we're all just falling for the hype that was used to sell the stage, and - on both sides of the argument - imbuing the cobbles with properties they just don't have?
This is basically what I was trying, badly, to get at earlier. Looking at the last few trips over the cobbles on cq ranking suggests the attrition rate agony very high at all, and GC riders can lose time at any ping
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Edit: aw you fixed it
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11 speed does not like mud, one (And this is not the only) disadvantage of 11 speed is the space between the sprockets is very tight, hence why some cross riders still run 9 speed.adr82 wrote:
Did sound a bit weird. Why him and nobody else? Stranger things have happened, but...D O G wrote:Paul 8v wrote:Didn't realise Contador had a mechanical issue, it would explain why he was losing time on the non-cobbled sections.
I can't believe that story that his sprockets were blocked with mud. Ridiculous.
Also I've had mud jam mechs so much before I couldn't change gear at all! We haven't seen a wet Paris Roubaix since 2002 and they certainly weren't running 11 speed back then, that was a fair amount of cack that got kicked up, I suppose it's quite possible0 -
adr82 wrote:
Yes, yes indeed... you've got to keep an eye on those pings!The_Boy wrote:underlayunderlay wrote:Above The Cows wrote:I'm the child of tabloid journalists, I see 'it' everywhere.
And yes the glee of seeing people get taken out by crashes was too much for me.
One other thing that might be worth throwing out there - prompted by mention of the tabloids. Quite a few people here are questioning whether cobbles are actually that dangerous. Sure, a mechanical at the wrong time will wreck your race, and in weather like today's there's absolutely no mercy to be had, but mostly the cobbles seem to hand out a reasonably fair punishment - if you can ride them you'll normally be okay, if you can't then, well, you won't.
They're certainly an acquired taste though, and they have a mythology all of their own.
ASO might not have thrown them in to generate crashes, but thinking with a tabloid hat on then you'd certainly want to sell the sizzle, regardless of the quality of the sausage. I'm starting to wonder if the big thing about the cobbles isn't that they're dangerous, it's that they're unusual and therefore easy for ASO and the press to hype up. Is it possible we're all just falling for the hype that was used to sell the stage, and - on both sides of the argument - imbuing the cobbles with properties they just don't have?
This is basically what I was trying, badly, to get at earlier. Looking at the last few trips over the cobbles on cq ranking suggests the attrition rate agony very high at all, and GC riders can lose time at any ping
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I'm on my phone struggling with my fat sausage fingers. Have edited
Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
Above The Cows wrote:Pross wrote:type:epyt wrote:Porte deserves huge respect for his ride today. It's ok to say he had GT to hold his hand but their were other GT (too many GT acronyms) leaders with 4 teammates around them getting shelled from several groups. The same groups Porte rode up to and away from.
It'll be interesting to see how the forum reacts to him if he starts to perform like he did at Paris-Nice 2013.
Agreed although I'm still not quite sure where he missed out on the front group. The picture of him on G's wheel when they rode away from the Contador group is superb - might change my avatar.
He had a crash at one point. It's in the Sky report. That's where I think.
I did notice some of his shorts were missing at the end0 -
RoyPSB wrote:I've read several pages of this thread. There are some right dickheads on here slagging Froome, happy that he's out, not hurt just given up etc. How feckin pathetic you lot are.
Only one person has done that and got attacked by a lot of others but why worry about facts when you can generalise and exaggerate?0 -
I'm sure it's possible, but surely he can't have been the only one with an 11-speed out there! It just seems a bit unlikely that out of almost 200 riders he's the only one that gets affected. Not saying it didn't happen, not saying it's impossible, just that it "feels" unlikelyPaul 8v wrote:
11 speed does not like mud, one (And this is not the only) disadvantage of 11 speed is the space between the sprockets is very tight, hence why some cross riders still run 9 speed.adr82 wrote:
Did sound a bit weird. Why him and nobody else? Stranger things have happened, but...D O G wrote:Paul 8v wrote:Didn't realise Contador had a mechanical issue, it would explain why he was losing time on the non-cobbled sections.
I can't believe that story that his sprockets were blocked with mud. Ridiculous.
Also I've had mud jam mechs so much before I couldn't change gear at all! We haven't seen a wet Paris Roubaix since 2002 and they certainly weren't running 11 speed back then, that was a fair amount of cack that got kicked up, I suppose it's quite possible 0 -
Mikkel Condé v2.0 @mrconde · 1h
Comment of the day goes to @jakob_fuglsang: "Had I only known it was this easy, I wouldn't have been so nervous this morning" :-) #TDF “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Only one rider was a dnf though.Mañana0
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RichN95 wrote:It seems every GC rider went down at one point except Gonzo (who nearly crashed) and Bertie (who looked as nervous as a virgin in a brothel). Maybe Mollema was OK too.
(Which kind of goes with my point about ASO getting lucky.)
Goes to show that the safest way to ride them is to go hard
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Some great photos here
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/07/tour- ... in-photos/“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
verylonglegs wrote:
It also gave us wittiest post of the thread, Lotto rollover! to whoever it was, I can't be bothered to look back through nearly 80 pages. 0 -
Only just watched the stage and what a stage it was. Mixed feelings though, loosing Froome was a big price to pay, yes today was fantastic but I can't help feeling we've been robed of even more exitment with full on balls out climbing fights between him and Contador.
If contador is still anywhere near his early season form then Nibali's two and a half minuets isn't going to be enough, he doesn't even need a crushing stage win, with so many MTF's he just needs to take 30 seconds here 40 second there.
Wrong thread I know but my Genie senario would have been Froome loosing the same amount as Contador, then working together in the mountians to reel in Niabli before resuming what should have been the best Tour fight for years 0 -
Paul 8v wrote:
I did notice some of his shorts were missing at the end
But you're supposed to have bits missing at the end of your shorts - that's the bits you stick your leg through...
(I'll fetch my rain cape, shall I?)0 -
UncleMonty wrote:If contador is still anywhere near his early season form then Nibali's two and a half minuets isn't going to be enough, he doesn't even need a crushing stage win, with so many MTF's he just needs to take 30 seconds here 40 second there.
Auch, I think that's easier said than done. We don't see these margins that often anymore. I think the 2:30 down to Contador is somewhat perfect and bodes well for the upcoming stages.0 -
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I think it may have benefited from another GC rider being up there with Gonzo* (Fuglsang admittedly, but he's on the same team). A VDB or Mollema type - steady guys rather than attackers.UncleMonty wrote:Wrong thread I know but my Genie senario would have been Froome loosing the same amount as Contador, then working together in the mountians to reel in Niabli before resuming what should have been the best Tour fight for years
*I'm determined to make Gonzo stick as a nicknameTwitter: @RichN950 -
RichN95 wrote:
I think it may have benefited from another GC rider being up there with Gonzo* (Fuglsang admittedly, but he's on the same team). A VDB or Mollema type - steady guys rather than attackers.UncleMonty wrote:Wrong thread I know but my Genie senario would have been Froome loosing the same amount as Contador, then working together in the mountians to reel in Niabli before resuming what should have been the best Tour fight for years
*I'm determined to make Gonzo stick as a nickname
Better than nibbles, I guessTeam My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
ThomThom wrote:UncleMonty wrote:If contador is still anywhere near his early season form then Nibali's two and a half minuets isn't going to be enough, he doesn't even need a crushing stage win, with so many MTF's he just needs to take 30 seconds here 40 second there.
Auch, I think that's easier said than done. We don't see these margins that often anymore. I think the 2:30 down to Contador is somewhat perfect and bodes well for the upcoming stages.
Without the TT, maybe.
I really like that Fuglsang and Nibbly can tag team him though. Especially in the early mountain stages he can't afford to let Fuglsang go.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
I might have to give it another looka and see if he's spinning outadr82 wrote:
I'm sure it's possible, but surely he can't have been the only one with an 11-speed out there! It just seems a bit unlikely that out of almost 200 riders he's the only one that gets affected. Not saying it didn't happen, not saying it's impossible, just that it "feels" unlikelyPaul 8v wrote:
11 speed does not like mud, one (And this is not the only) disadvantage of 11 speed is the space between the sprockets is very tight, hence why some cross riders still run 9 speed.adr82 wrote:
Did sound a bit weird. Why him and nobody else? Stranger things have happened, but...D O G wrote:Paul 8v wrote:Didn't realise Contador had a mechanical issue, it would explain why he was losing time on the non-cobbled sections.
I can't believe that story that his sprockets were blocked with mud. Ridiculous.
Also I've had mud jam mechs so much before I couldn't change gear at all! We haven't seen a wet Paris Roubaix since 2002 and they certainly weren't running 11 speed back then, that was a fair amount of cack that got kicked up, I suppose it's quite possible0 -
Vigonzo Nibali?RichN95 wrote:
I think it may have benefited from another GC rider being up there with Gonzo* (Fuglsang admittedly, but he's on the same team). A VDB or Mollema type - steady guys rather than attackers.UncleMonty wrote:Wrong thread I know but my Genie senario would have been Froome loosing the same amount as Contador, then working together in the mountians to reel in Niabli before resuming what should have been the best Tour fight for years
*I'm determined to make Gonzo stick as a nickname0 -
Did Geraint ride the whole race without falling over?“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0
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As far as I know, yes. Not that it will change many opinions about his bike handling I'm sure...TailWindHome wrote:Did Geraint ride the whole race without falling over?0 -
That's the way these things go though. Froome will always be sketchy going downhill because of his handling earlier in his career, while Cunego will always be on the verge of dropping the peloton whenever the road goes downhill..Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0
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Yogi would have loved that today.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0
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ThomThom wrote:UncleMonty wrote:If contador is still anywhere near his early season form then Nibali's two and a half minuets isn't going to be enough, he doesn't even need a crushing stage win, with so many MTF's he just needs to take 30 seconds here 40 second there.
Auch, I think that's easier said than done. We don't see these margins that often anymore. I think the 2:30 down to Contador is somewhat perfect and bodes well for the upcoming stages.
It's a long old race though, the 3rd week will be cricial, as will Astanna's ability to control it for so long.0 -
adr82 wrote:
As far as I know, yes. Not that it will change many opinions about his bike handling I'm sure...TailWindHome wrote:Did Geraint ride the whole race without falling over?
Are we suggesting that friction is his kryptonite?0
