TdF 2015 Stage 11 Pau-Cauterets *SPOILERS*
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TV coverage from 12 tomorrow. Disaster.
Eurosport start live at 10 tomorrow, with Lemond, then the stage right from the 10-15am kick off."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Reckon Q-Ball is going to have a pop on the tourmalet to see if Sky worked themselves over yesterday and then also see how the Kenyan's descending skills have improved. Could be good for his time.
Where does this thing come from about Froome's descending skills? I cant recall him crashing, over cooking a corner or losing significant time to rivals (who aren't famed for descending). Anyone?
I've seen him over cook a few corners (which rider hasn't?). I can't remember him actually losing time though. I think the impression partly comes from his position on the bike which really doesn't look suited to fast descending.
barloworld...shot straight off the side of the bonette down a scree slope.
oddly I reckon he is a ok descender not great just ok"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
that was Augustyn, right?Reckon Q-Ball is going to have a pop on the tourmalet to see if Sky worked themselves over yesterday and then also see how the Kenyan's descending skills have improved. Could be good for his time.
Where does this thing come from about Froome's descending skills? I cant recall him crashing, over cooking a corner or losing significant time to rivals (who aren't famed for descending). Anyone?
I've seen him over cook a few corners (which rider hasn't?). I can't remember him actually losing time though. I think the impression partly comes from his position on the bike which really doesn't look suited to fast descending.
barloworld...shot straight off the side of the bonette down a scree slope.
oddly I reckon he is a ok descender not great just ok0 -
that was Augustyn, right?Reckon Q-Ball is going to have a pop on the tourmalet to see if Sky worked themselves over yesterday and then also see how the Kenyan's descending skills have improved. Could be good for his time.
Where does this thing come from about Froome's descending skills? I cant recall him crashing, over cooking a corner or losing significant time to rivals (who aren't famed for descending). Anyone?
I've seen him over cook a few corners (which rider hasn't?). I can't remember him actually losing time though. I think the impression partly comes from his position on the bike which really doesn't look suited to fast descending.
barloworld...shot straight off the side of the bonette down a scree slope.
oddly I reckon he is a ok descender not great just ok
That is correct"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 -
I note there is no sign of Skylimit on this thread. Just proves he has no interest in cycle racing, merely accusing anyone involved with Sky of doping. :evil:
The simple act of posting on a thread doesn't prove interest. Case in point.0 -
Interesting interview with David Walsh on Radio 5 Live this morning who was talking about the questions being asked about Froome and Sky. But more interestingly he reckons yesterday's summit finish was very poorly attended by roadside crowds. Claiming that the big dread of all TdF journalists is the drive down the mountain of a stage finish, which can normally take hours. He said they were down Pierre Ste Martin in about 20mins yesterday. Also said that the crowds gathering for today's stage were also thinner on the ground. His reasoning behind this is the possibility the French may have fallen out of love with the TdF and so the normal hard core followers are not travelling.Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.0
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With reference to the Froome descending thing (and more widely the accepted view that 'Froome can't handle a bike well'), part of me suspects that it's mostly an impression created by attempts to analyse his weaknesses. Sure, he's weaker in those areas, but it's a mistake to extend that to assume that he's terrible at them. As others have said, he's not great, but he's not a disaster zone. It's a bit like assuming that Contador's tactical nous means that he's a terrible time trialist.0
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By and large, interest in everything that has been around for a long time is falling. People just have much more options of what to do with their free time these days.Interesting interview with David Walsh on Radio 5 Live this morning who was talking about the questions being asked about Froome and Sky. But more interestingly he reckons yesterday's summit finish was very poorly attended by roadside crowds. Claiming that the big dread of all TdF journalists is the drive down the mountain of a stage finish, which can normally take hours. He said they were down Pierre Ste Martin in about 20mins yesterday. Also said that the crowds gathering for today's stage were also thinner on the ground. His reasoning behind this is the possibility the French may have fallen out of love with the TdF and so the normal hard core followers are not travelling.
It also wasn't a headliner mountain. There will be more on PdB tomorrow.Twitter: @RichN950 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19653119#p19653119]underlayunderlay[/url] wrote:With reference to the Froome descending thing (and more widely the accepted view that 'Froome can't handle a bike well'), part of me suspects that it's mostly an impression created by attempts to analyse his weaknesses. Sure, he's weaker in those areas, but it's a mistake to extend that to assume that he's terrible at them. As others have said, he's not great, but he's not a disaster zone. It's a bit like assuming that Contador's tactical nous means that he's a terrible time trialist.
He's not terrible but he's worse than Nibali and Contador, or at least he's more risk averse, whether the GC is close enough for either to try anything on a descent though is questionable. A wet day on the Glandon might be interesting though.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19653119#p19653119]underlayunderlay[/url] wrote:With reference to the Froome descending thing (and more widely the accepted view that 'Froome can't handle a bike well'), part of me suspects that it's mostly an impression created by attempts to analyse his weaknesses. Sure, he's weaker in those areas, but it's a mistake to extend that to assume that he's terrible at them. As others have said, he's not great, but he's not a disaster zone. It's a bit like assuming that Contador's tactical nous means that he's a terrible time trialist.
He's not terrible but he's worse than Nibali and Contador, or at least he's more risk averse, whether the GC is close enough for either to try anything on a descent though is questionable. A wet day on the Glandon might be interesting though.
Sure, I'd agree with that - my point was rather that their relative performance sometimes gets over-extended into "Froome is terrible at handling a bike" and then people are shocked when he doesn't fall over on the first set of cobbles. It's a relative weakness, but it's not kryptonite.0 -
Must say, I wish Geisnk would ride further up in the group.
His entire career he seems to be yoyoing off the back on the front group. Sometimes he stays, sometimes he does;t.0 -
Also, Rafal majka doesn't get enough love on the forum.
Frenchie - you must - he's got panache in spades.
He winked at the camera before attacking for the win last year FFS!0 -
Guess who's immediately reacts when Bauke Mollema attacks?
Gesink of course
. No love lost there... 0 -
Seemed a good stage to me, with a quarter eye on it at work and the highlights.
Nice mountains, few names being dropped, nice breakaway victory.
Beats a week 1 flat stage any day.0 -
Thought it was incredibly boring myself.0
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Also, Rafal majka doesn't get enough love on the forum.
Frenchie - you must - he's got panache in spades.
He winked at the camera before attacking for the win last year FFS!
That 'multiple wink' win was shady. I said so at the time and I don't feel any differently now. I'm not looking for an argument, I'm just saying in that on particular stages he has been suspect IMHO.0 -
Incidentally, I am taking a half day tomorrow and going to Look Mum! No Hands in Old Street to watch the stage. Anyone care to join me? From 1300 on.0
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Thought it was incredibly boring myself.
good descending day
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I have to say that for someone who has no natural talent, can't ride in the rain, can't ride in the wind, can't ride in the cold, can't ride on cobbles, can't descend, has no tactical sense, in a team with no tactical sense and has a terrible riding style, Chris Froome is doing quite wellTwitter: @RichN950
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Cavendish today.0 -
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^^^ that's Kwaiatowski's. I saw the Etixx oneupmanship on twitter about descent speeds. Renshaw won with 107 kph.
Oops, cheers0 -
cows n descending... chuckle 0
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Zak Dempster was 29s outside the time limit today, but allowed to continue by the jury.0
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Maybe this is with the benefit of hindsight, or perhaps Martin didn't have much information... but why was he flogging himself up that final climb when the win was already clearly lost (and second was assured). Better to save some energy, no?Do we think Martin is going for the dots?
Sometimes it seems like he is going for the most-talented rider squandering his power through tactical mistakes.
He's one of the best tactically.
Impeccable timing of attacks usually.0 -
“I used the little strength I had left to try and go into the break, I was in the attempt before the break. But when I see how it went later in the day, I have no regrets. I didn't have legs again today. We try to understand why it doesn't work, why I can't reach my normal level. I'm far from my best, I don't manage to raise the tempo. I try to understand, but I can't. We're going to have blood tests to see if something's wrong. If I didn't believe I still have chances, I wouldn't be here. Mentally, I'm fine, but the problem is the legs.There's a problem for sure.”
-Pinot0 -
Also, Rafal majka doesn't get enough love on the forum.
Frenchie - you must - he's got panache in spades.
He winked at the camera before attacking for the win last year FFS!
I used to really like him and can still admire his talent and silky smooth pedalling, I just went off him. Maybe when he matures a little then I will like him better.Contador is the Greatest0
