TDF 2016 Stage 20 *SPOILERS*

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  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    v2p wrote:
    Wish they just had a proper stage 20 with a mountain top finish.
    They could have dropped Ramaz and added the climb out of Morzine to Avoriaz... or just kept in Ramaz and made it an absolute beast!
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    So Richie would have been second without the puncture? Good result for him whatever really and I'd imagine it'll give him a lot of confidence for next year. Hopefully any gc leadership issues within BMC have been settled once and for all now as well.

    Does this mean we can finally put the "bad day" nonsense to bed or do the puncture/ventoux incidents still count?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Decent stage as an individual stage. Disappointed with Yates in particular, he had a lot to gain by taking a risk. I'm sure he was near his limit on the climb but was expecting him to move forward towards the top and try his luck in a similar way he did on the kite stage. I don't think Nairo would have been able to hold him.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    ThomThom wrote:
    Worst Tour in 10 years. That is all.

    2012 was a pig
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Moraygub
    Moraygub Posts: 9
    jam1e wrote:
    So Richie would have been second without the puncture? Good result for him whatever really and I'd imagine it'll give him a lot of confidence for next year. Hopefully any gc leadership issues within BMC have been settled once and for all now as well.

    Does this mean we can finally put the "bad day" nonsense to bed or do the puncture/ventoux incidents still count?

    Always think its a bit simplistic to say such and such would have finished in a certain place without puncture crash etc. In Porte's case there were 3 weeks still to race and he may have raced it totally different if had not lost that time.
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    I'd agree but he's one of My Men so it's ok this time.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Just finished watching that on delay. More than anything I'm just glad there were no big incidents on that descent.

    Everyone looked pretty farked so no surprise in the lack of attacks. Great win for Izaguerre.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,978
    Have to go along with the "disappointed/boring" verdict for this tour. Pleased to see Froome get the GC, pleased for Cav and his 4 stages, pleased for Cummings and his stage... but that's just results. I watched live each day but could feel my enthusiasm waning as it went on and the lack of attacks from the GC contenders.

    Without wanting to slag off Quinta too much (I'm not anti-Quintana) to see him get on the podium seems all wrong with him just following wheels and doing just about no attacking at all.

    Oh, quite enjoyed today's stage...
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,907
    How did Poels end up an hour behind?
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    TheBigBean wrote:
    How did Poels end up an hour behind?
    Taking it easy on some of the earlier stages I think?

    On another note, this is glorious :lol:
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Ok.

    Here's a statement for you to wrangle over.

    Easily Froome's weakest win, hidden by the strongest team.
    _
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    Prove it...

    None of the usual mtfs to see who was going well etc, just a couple which were so weather (and moto) affected you never got to see any real results.
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Easily his weakest opposition would probably be more correct.
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Ok.

    Here's a statement for you to wrangle over.

    Easily Froome's weakest win, hidden by the strongest team.
    Really? I saw a breakdown someone made of his gains on GC rivals over the two ITT stages combined, and he took at least 2.5 minutes out of all of them - that is dominance by any standard. From the same source, he took over a minute out of everyone else on the other stages with the exception of Bardet (only 34s). He never seemed to look in any real trouble going uphill except for yesterday and even then he did pretty damn well considering the circumstances. If not for crashes and weather I think he'd have probably won an MTF as well, most likely Ventoux if it hadn't been shortened.

    So unless by "weakest" you mean "not taking over a minute from everyone on an MTF" I don't really agree. For all that he has a strong team, you still have to be capable of following the pace they're setting up the climbs. We saw today with Aru what happens when that doesn't happen. I think if anything made it his weakest win it was lack of serious competition - an in-form Quintana would potentially have pushed him much closer.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    Pross wrote:
    Decent stage as an individual stage. Disappointed with Yates in particular, he had a lot to gain by taking a risk. I'm sure he was near his limit on the climb but was expecting him to move forward towards the top and try his luck in a similar way he did on the kite stage. I don't think Nairo would have been able to hold him.
    Maybe but then he risked losing the white (either by cracking on the climb like Mollema or crashing on the descent). I think he'll be more than happy with the white and 4th.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,907
    Garry H wrote:
    Easily his weakest opposition would probably be more correct.

    This.

    His opposition was either in his team, old and tired (Nibali and Valverde), unfit or injured (Contador and Quintana) or young and inexperienced (Yates, Bardet etc.).

    It's just one of those years.

    Personally, I think Froome would have won in any team.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Good race up front and great win by Izagirre.

    That was embarrassingly pathetic from the GC guys. The fact that they all had a bit of play fight with 200m to go says it all really.
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
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  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Milton50 wrote:
    Good race up front and great win by Izagirre.

    That was embarrassingly pathetic from the GC guys. The fact that they all had a bit of play fight with 200m to go says it all really.

    Yeah, they made up a whopping six seconds
  • poppit
    poppit Posts: 926
    Just noticed that Aru finished over 17 mins down :shock:
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  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    poppit wrote:
    Just noticed that Aru finished over 17 mins down :shock:

    Biggest mess I've ever seen on a bike. Makes Virenque look graceful.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    Garry H wrote:
    poppit wrote:
    Just noticed that Aru finished over 17 mins down :shock:

    Biggest mess I've ever seen on a bike. Makes Virenque look graceful.

    Who would win in a gurning contest between Aru and Voeckler?
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    Garry H wrote:
    poppit wrote:
    Just noticed that Aru finished over 17 mins down :shock:

    Biggest mess I've ever seen on a bike. Makes Virenque look graceful.

    Who would win in a gurning contest between Aru and Voeckler?

    Aru. He's like a cross between Voeckler and Ten Dam.
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    Interesting that all the commentators say Nibali is a demon descender then he gets spanked by 42 seconds. Tut tut.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    Just watching the highlights- Pantano's pain face is excellent :)
    maddog 2 wrote:
    Interesting that all the commentators say Nibali is a demon descender then he gets spanked by 42 seconds. Tut tut.

    Didn't want to ruin his Olympics. Guess he wanted a bigger gap at the top.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,599
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    Just watching the highlights- Pantano's pain face is excellent :)
    maddog 2 wrote:
    Interesting that all the commentators say Nibali is a demon descender then he gets spanked by 42 seconds. Tut tut.

    Didn't want to ruin his Olympics. Guess he wanted a bigger gap at the top.

    i wish people would stop making excuses for him. during his "amazing" descent to win lombardia last year the guy in second took time out of him. ignore the nonsense from the commentators and no one would think he was anything special
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    gsk82 wrote:
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    Just watching the highlights- Pantano's pain face is excellent :)
    maddog 2 wrote:
    Interesting that all the commentators say Nibali is a demon descender then he gets spanked by 42 seconds. Tut tut.

    Didn't want to ruin his Olympics. Guess he wanted a bigger gap at the top.

    i wish people would stop making excuses for him. during his "amazing" descent to win lombardia last year the guy in second took time out of him. ignore the nonsense from the commentators and no one would think he was anything special

    I don't particularly like Nibali and have no real desire to see him excused of anything - but it seems a reasonable reason for him to lose 42s on that descent.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    Also the ITV highlights are showing that their commentary is way better than Carlton Kirby (I watched it live on eurosport at a cafe). If only because Boulting's shark pun was loads better than Kirby's...
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    Also the ITV highlights are showing that their commentary is way better than Carlton Kirby (I watched it live on eurosport at a cafe). If only because Boulting's shark pun was loads better than Kirby's...

    I'll nee to watch the ITV highlights to see if you're right about the shark puns. Although I can't stand Millar's whiney, too kool for skool voice.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,332
    I think NIbali got a reputation for descending purely because he was always eager to give it a go, rather than any actual skill at doing so. Millar today was opining that as you get older you accumulate scary moments until your head just can't face the peril any more, which seems reasonable.
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