Stage 20 TdF 2015 - Modane Valfréjus/Alpe d'Huez**SPOILERS**
Comments
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^ That's an interesting one. Froome definitely has a significant advantage in long flat TTs. But he'll have to balance the loss in climbing preparation to get full benefit. Still a good chance to make a balanced route. Sensible TT mileage is good for Nibtador too.
Nairo outclimbed Froome by nearly 2 mins in the last 2 stages....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0 -
Vitriol not reserved for just Froome. Paul Martens twitter.
https://twitter.com/PMartens83/status/6249727729309450240 -
I think they won't want to make it tougher.
I fully expect to see less high mountains - It's a balance, if you make it too hard it shuts down the racing.
The first week this year was genius. A good balance of everything. I think the mountains were fine, but the transition stages were too hard to encourage recovery, so everyone got knackered.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Amazing how the same performance can't be reported so differently.ammattipyöräily @ammattipyoraily 2h2 hours ago
Nairo Quintana's climbing time 39:23 on Alpe d'Huez is the fastest since 2006 (Floyd Landis / Andreas Klöden 38:36). #TDF2015Matt Keenan @mwkeenan 2h2 hours ago
That ride by Nairo Quintana was the 22nd fastest time up Alpe d'Huez.
Note the use of the word fastest and the name of a known doper in the first. An agenda perhaps??0 -
Valverde getting all emotional after finally ending up on the podium: http://www.rtve.es/m/alacarta/videos/tour-de-francia/tdp-declas-valverde-250715/3227111/?media=tve0
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I think they won't want to make it tougher.
I fully expect to see less high mountains - It's a balance, if you make it too hard it shuts down the racing.
The first week this year was genius. A good balance of everything. I think the mountains were fine, but the transition stages were too hard to encourage recovery, so everyone got knackered.
We've had cobbles two years running so I imagine they may take a break. Probably more sprint stages next year and a proper TT.0 -
Wout Poels and Richie Porte did a grand job for Froome on the Alpe today. Good to see Porte on a good day, especially if that is going to be his last big effort for Froome before his move from Team Sky.0
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19664459#p19664459]Blazing Saddles[/url] wrote:They've been caught at it again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m0aDfTXUrY
I reckon this is how Froome's cough has got worst.
The French method of transmitting an airborne disease.
Utter scum! Simple as that.
DD.0 -
The way some Skyfans are harassing Tucker on Twitter you'd think he was the fraudulent charlatan....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0
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I think they won't want to make it tougher.
I fully expect to see less high mountains - It's a balance, if you make it too hard it shuts down the racing.
The first week this year was genius. A good balance of everything. I think the mountains were fine, but the transition stages were too hard to encourage recovery, so everyone got knackered.
Don't you think the fact that all the current crop of French starlets are all climber bods and a bit poo at the contre le montre stuff, might influence the ASO's thinking?"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Pinot, Froome, Quintana and Contador all had their bikes checked for motors today.0
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Quintana made the classic youthful mistake of not believing he could win it.
Contador around 30s slower than his Alp d'Huez average of 42 mins.0 -
I fear Quintana doesn't know how to prepare a GT... both in the Giro 2014 andthe Tour 2015 he was invisible in the first half. He did manage to come back in the Giro, but missed his chance in the Tour... that said, it makes for good TV when he does finally come back!left the forum March 20230
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Pinot, Froome, Quintana and Contador all had their bikes checked for motors today.
I know people keep trying to make something of that, but they said theyd always check the stage winner & yellow jersey holder bikes by default everytime they do it, plus either the other two in the top 3 of GC or the other jersey holders.
and as per all the other bike checks, they found nothing again.0 -
Certainly (to mis-quote Froome). Richie Porte - what a legend. And Wouter Poels - give that man a cigar. Fantastic stuff. I am now put of superlatives, and full of Hommelbier. I have seen the first Brit win the TdF twice.Wout Poels and Richie Porte did a grand job for Froome on the Alpe today. Good to see Porte on a good day, especially if that is going to be his last big effort for Froome before his move from Team Sky.
I am going to bed (more likely, being put to bed by Mrs BBGeek) a very happy man.
Night, night all.Ecrasez l’infame0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19664534#p19664534]Blazing Saddles[/url] wrote:I think they won't want to make it tougher.
I fully expect to see less high mountains - It's a balance, if you make it too hard it shuts down the racing.
The first week this year was genius. A good balance of everything. I think the mountains were fine, but the transition stages were too hard to encourage recovery, so everyone got knackered.
Don't you think the fact that all the current crop of French starlets are all climber bods and a bit poo at the contre le montre stuff, might influence the ASO's thinking?
Tbf, while Pinot is no Froome when it comes to riding against the clock, he is no Pantani either. At least on short-medium length routes.Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
Also, was a little disappointed at the lack of Madiot Madness today. Small gripe for such an awesome stage, but hey ho.Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0
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Also, was a little disappointed at the lack of Madiot Madness today. Small gripe for such an awesome stage, but hey ho.
Funny - I had the same thought and was eagerly waiting for him to stick his head out of the Team car and start screaming like a lunatic!
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Also, was a little disappointed at the lack of Madiot Madness today. Small gripe for such an awesome stage, but hey ho.
It looked very frenetic to me, different strokes for different folks I guess!0 -
I'd be amazed if there wasn't at least 1 individual TT next year. Probably 40k or less.
I think the cobbles will take a break as well. In fact in general the first week will surely not be as hard as this year.
Fair play to the organisers this year though. It was a great spectacle.0 -
Any one think that Froome might have won by a landslide?
More specifically the one that took the Col de Telegraphe and Col de Galibier out of todays stage?
Just checked my road book and on a stage where Chris just hung on - if it weren't for the landslide then the preparation for Alpe d'Huez would have been 28 km at 7% in two lumps with the very hard end of the Galibier - instead of Croix de Fer's 28k at 5.2%. And the flat road between the end of the Galibier descent and beginning of the Alpe is a lot shorter - this was where Team Sky got back into their strong mode.
Not saying he didn't deserve to win - but I think it would have been even closer0 -
Any one think that Froome might have won by a landslide?
More specifically the one that took the Col de Telegraphe and Col de Galibier out of todays stage?
Just checked my road book and on a stage where Chris just hung on - if it weren't for the landslide then the preparation for Alpe d'Huez would have been 28 km at 7% in two lumps with the very hard end of the Galibier - instead of Croix de Fer's 28k at 5.2%. And the flat road between the end of the Galibier descent and beginning of the Alpe is a lot shorter - this was where Team Sky got back into their strong mode.
Not saying he didn't deserve to win - but I think it would have been even closer
Reports are suggesting he has had a touch of bronchitis over the last few days.
On another note, wonder whether it will be a Nairo-friendly parcours next year (it was this year actually).0 -
Chris Froome spat at again, looked around, he knew it happened. When asked 'how were the fans,? He never mentioned it. Class act, no whining.0
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Chris Froome spat at again, looked around, he knew it happened. When asked 'how were the fans,? He never mentioned it. Class act, no whining.
I was watching the fans' reactions to Froome all the way through. And it's fair to say many were giving him some 'friendly advice' (with contorted faces).0 -
Climb-time update:
It's becoming less sound to compare individual climb times with those from a different race, year, even era - it's something to do with riders not taking a uniform approach to every race. That's a fairly recent change and only seems to have taken effect since young Mr Quintana ripped a few fresh ones today....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19664534#p19664534]Blazing Saddles[/url] wrote:I think they won't want to make it tougher.
I fully expect to see less high mountains - It's a balance, if you make it too hard it shuts down the racing.
The first week this year was genius. A good balance of everything. I think the mountains were fine, but the transition stages were too hard to encourage recovery, so everyone got knackered.
Don't you think the fact that all the current crop of French starlets are all climber bods and a bit poo at the contre le montre stuff, might influence the ASO's thinking?
I've got a feeling that played a part in this year's route too and they were hoping for a French podium.
To be honest, whilst I love the mountains, I think you get better racing with fewer and shorter mountain stages although the cumulative fatigue of the multiple mountains obviously plays a part. Quite a few of this year's mountain stages ended up being little more than transition stages while the GC contenders saved themselves for one or two serious efforts.0 -
Three weeks of elastic snapped when Quintana finally cracked Poels. He was off like a rocket. Amazing moment....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0
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I'm glad he beat Nibali and Contador, chuffed for him that it means so much.Valverde getting all emotional after finally ending up on the podium: http://www.rtve.es/m/alacarta/videos/tour-de-francia/tdp-declas-valverde-250715/3227111/?media=tve0 -
Chris Froome spat at again, looked around, he knew it happened. When asked 'how were the fans,? He never mentioned it. Class act, no whining.
I was watching the fans' reactions to Froome all the way through. And it's fair to say many were giving him some 'friendly advice' (with contorted faces).
Yes. I think some people see it as a pantomime, for Froome though the emotions and pressure must have been untenable.
I believe Paula Radcliffe is clean by the way, just worked her guts out.0 -
I believe Paula Radcliffe is clean by the way, just worked her guts out.
Boom boomFckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0
