TdF 2015 - Stage 5 - Arras - Amiens ***Spoilers***
Comments
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Like a football team that's losing 3-0 scoring in the last minute.Sagan was closing at a mighty mighty rate.Twitter: @RichN950 -
Like a football team that's losing 3-0 scoring in the last minute.Sagan was closing at a mighty mighty rate.
Not really.
Means he has the speed & so has better legs than I anticipated.
(granted, he did just suck Greipel's wheel for 100m)0 -
He had the speed when everyone had already used up theirs.
Like a football team that's losing 3-0 scoring in the last minute.Sagan was closing at a mighty mighty rate.
Not really.
Means he has the speed & so has better legs than I anticipated.
(granted, he did just suck Greipel's wheel for 100m)
He's sprinting well though.Twitter: @RichN950 -
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In more important news TdG has 2 broken ribs & bruised shoulder.
Is he going to start tomorrow?It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.0 -
Will decide tomorrow morning.
Having recently broken my ribs myself(still recovering) I think the bigger problem will be sleeping which is basically not possible unless you can sleep propped totally upright.
Broken ribs on a bike are do-able in a way running with broken ribs isn't, though a bust shoulder on the bike can be agony.
Depends on the break of course, but I continued riding more or less immediately - not even a day off so it can't be that bad.0 -
They are fantastic places are nt they, almost abusrd mind when you think what it would take - even today - to build them
I don't know how many times I've driven through Amiens but never stopped. I really must some day.
By pure chance I'm stopping there overnight 2 weeks today on my way to EuroDisney, will let you know what it's like
Very late catch up to this - been working non stop all day.
It's really quite a nice place to spend a leisurely day/day and a half. The cathedral is worth a look. Wander around the Somme/canal area (nice restaurants for lunch). Jules Verne also lived there, so there's a museum where his house is and the bizarre permanent circus building.0 -
Agree, though both finishes have been into a headwind. Greipel has raced perfect sprints both times, Cav was launched too early, in the first then rather messed up the second. He looked confused and irritated he couldn't get past greipel.Cavendish has always been slow to find his rhythm in the Tour. That said I think Greipel is simply faster than him right now.
I have to agree re the lead out train. Lotto soudals train seems much more cohesive and their timing and positioning exemplary. Eqs think they can drill it from too far out and overwork each component part of their train....0 -
Went to watch some junior racing last night and took the opportunity to have a chat to a bloke who knows a thing or two about winning bike races and the internal workings of QS.
His take, Cav isn't quite as fast as he was, but neither is Greipel. QS haven't got it right in the last KM yet and neither has Cavendish. Been panicking when Renshaw starts to fade at 300 to go and relying on the team to boss it rather than his racing smarts. Said the feeling in the team was that they're not far off getting it right and morale remains high."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Photos. B. Lennon and D PensingerContador is the Greatest0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19645998#p19645998]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:Went to watch some junior racing last night and took the opportunity to have a chat to a bloke who knows a thing or two about winning bike races and the internal workings of QS.
His take, Cav isn't quite as fast as he was, but neither is Greipel. QS haven't got it right in the last KM yet and neither has Cavendish. Been panicking when Renshaw starts to fade at 300 to go and relying on the team to boss it rather than his racing smarts. Said the feeling in the team was that they're not far off getting it right and morale remains high.
You are the belgian Richmond Racer and I claim my 5 waffles!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Sky's 2012 GC team positioned him better than the EQS shambles have done over the past 2.5 years. Must be a tad embarrassing for him after all his snide comments at sky after her left, that he won more in one season there than he has in 2.5 years at EQS.
Presumably this is limited to TDF stage wins? He's maintained his usual win-rate at EQS, including 5 stage wins and the points jersey in the Giro in 2013, which isn't too shabby.
He's actually only completed a handful more road stages in the Tour for EQS than for Sky so the 2.5 yrs vs 1 yr comment is a bit premature.
That said, he's definitely not as good relatively as he was. And he does tend to "shoot from the lip" somewhat unwisely.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19645998#p19645998]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:Went to watch some junior racing last night and took the opportunity to have a chat to a bloke who knows a thing or two about winning bike races and the internal workings of QS.
His take, Cav isn't quite as fast as he was, but neither is Greipel. QS haven't got it right in the last KM yet and neither has Cavendish. Been panicking when Renshaw starts to fade at 300 to go and relying on the team to boss it rather than his racing smarts. Said the feeling in the team was that they're not far off getting it right and morale remains high.
You are the belgian Richmond Racer and I claim my 5 waffles!
I'm just a guy who likes to hang around cafes watching circuit races instead of training... Said gentleman was holding court in the corner before giving his nephew a ride home after the race. In his Aston Martin. With a bike rack on it.
Does Richmond Racer have "connnections"? I was unaware."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Ilijo?
Van Petegem"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
He does come across as a spoilt brat sometimes“The news, instead of I’m beaten again, maybe writing the news that Greipel has won. He’s a phenomenal sprinter, he’s in the green jersey and that’s the second stage he won this year.”
Read more at Viz
He does sometimes but I'd say that reply is the total opposite. He's suggesting Greipel should get credit for winning fair and square rather than saying Cav lost it again. Seems very magnanimous to me.
If you want to make an informed opinion of your own, the interview is on the ITV podcast.We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19646084#p19646084]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:Ilijo?
Van Petegem
Sweet!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Will decide tomorrow morning.
Having recently broken my ribs myself(still recovering) I think the bigger problem will be sleeping which is basically not possible unless you can sleep propped totally upright.
Broken ribs on a bike are do-able in a way running with broken ribs isn't, though a bust shoulder on the bike can be agony.
Depends on the break of course, but I continued riding more or less immediately - not even a day off so it can't be that bad.
yip, same with Matthews taking it day by day... he's got two broken ribs. Said that the biggest issue was not being able to breathe at night so having to get up on multiple occasions...0 -
Contador is the Greatest0 -
"I think it was a pure sprint. There was no lead-out for any of us, it was man to man. Sagan moved up quickly at the left, I hadn’t seen him, but it’s the result at the finish line that counts.
"It was an interesting sprint because none of the top sprinters had any of their lead-out men to lead the sprint for them in the final 300 metres. You had to improvise a little bit. I looked for an opening and saw there was one on the left. I was a bit far off at the 300 metres but I was lucky to still have the strength to pull it off. It was interesting.
“You have the fast-twitching muscles or you don’t have them. I think my parents did a good job as I have some fast-twitching muscles.
“I could count on a strong Marcel Sieberg again, who perfectly led me to the front; he is in the shape of his life. Also Tony Gallopin and Lars Bak did more than just their job. Because of the injuries of Adam [Hansen] and Greg [Henderson] we had to change our strategy, but the team was strong as always. As a sprinter it’s a luxury to have such a dedicated team.
Contador is the Greatest0 -
Brian Holm saying he should have got Cav to ease off on Stage 4 (like Griepel) rather than work for Tony on the cobbles. Says that would have ensured that Cav was fresher than he was at the Amiens finish.0
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Brian Holm saying he should have got Cav to ease off on Stage 4 (like Griepel) rather than work for Tony on the cobbles. Says that would have ensured that Cav was fresher than he was at the Amiens finish.
But then no yellow jersey.
Can't have it both ways.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
I'm not sure Cav made THAT much of a difference to Tony Martin's 3km attack. Though there is a bit of hindsight from Holm there
Cav was immense help getting Martin back on after his change of bike. He also put some serious shifts in over the cobbles. His ability to stay with the pack at the end meant that there was some hesitation in pulling Martin back.
The 3km attack would not have been possible without that assistance.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
I'm not sure Cav made THAT much of a difference to Tony Martin's 3km attack. Though there is a bit of hindsight from Holm there
Cav was immense help getting Martin back on after his change of bike. He also put some serious shifts in over the cobbles. His ability to stay with the pack at the end meant that there was some hesitation in pulling Martin back.
The 3km attack would not have been possible without that assistance.
Exactly0 -
Pleased for the lad.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19645714#p19645714]SpecialGuestStar[/url] wrote:12 points for Demarre!! - glad he has been reading this - bit surprised he was on Kristoffs wheel and got rode off
I am still hopeful he can get up there and win a Tour bunch sprint .
His trajectory has flattened a bit in the last months, but I remain a fan.0 -
I'm not sure Cav made THAT much of a difference to Tony Martin's 3km attack. Though there is a bit of hindsight from Holm there
Cav was immense help getting Martin back on after his change of bike. He also put some serious shifts in over the cobbles. His ability to stay with the pack at the end meant that there was some hesitation in pulling Martin back.
The 3km attack would not have been possible without that assistance.
Exactly
Not to denegrate Cav's work - good on the boy - but there are 7 other people that could ve done that... Cav Rest or Yellow Jersey is a tad over simplistic.We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
I think the main purpose of Cav's work on the front was to make the likes of Martin a bit happier again to pull on the front the next few days, after Cav's perhaps too open criticism earlier. I work for you, you work for me. They're all professionals, but these things do play their partI'm not sure Cav made THAT much of a difference to Tony Martin's 3km attack. Though there is a bit of hindsight from Holm there
Cav was immense help getting Martin back on after his change of bike. He also put some serious shifts in over the cobbles. His ability to stay with the pack at the end meant that there was some hesitation in pulling Martin back.
The 3km attack would not have been possible without that assistance.
Exactly
Not to denegrate Cav's work - good on the boy - but there are 7 other people that could ve done that... Cav Rest or Yellow Jersey is a tad over simplistic.0 -
The point is Cav's presence in that group when Martin attacked with 3km to go would have contributed to the hesitance of other riders to chase. If they chase they know they're towing Cav to the finish where he'd have been in with a decent shout of winning the stage. Not to say they would definitely have shut Martin down had Cav not been there, but EQS having another option would certainly have contributed to the hesitance.Not to denegrate Cav's work - good on the boy - but there are 7 other people that could ve done that... Cav Rest or Yellow Jersey is a tad over simplistic.0
