Tour of Valencia spoilers

specialgueststar
specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
edited February 2017 in Pro race
Stage 1

A lumpy ttt

BMC took it - 21 secs up on SKY who were a bit more up on Quickstep

Pinot got distanced in first 10km to add to my 'will he won't he' watch
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Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Pinot got distanced in first 10km to add to my 'will he won't he' watch
    I think we've got to the point where we have to accept he won't
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    That TTT was way too long for the rest of the parcour.
    Only top 3 teams within a minute of eachother.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    RichN95 wrote:
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Pinot got distanced in first 10km to add to my 'will he won't he' watch
    I think we've got to the point where we have to accept he won't



    Umm. Oui.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,576
    RichN95 wrote:
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Pinot got distanced in first 10km to add to my 'will he won't he' watch
    I think we've got to the point where we have to accept he won't

    Bullshit.

    Look at the first half of his season last year;

    http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider.ph ... eason=2016

    He's a class act, and is still only 26. Having a bad day in your first race of the season is allowed.

    Or is he the new Cavendish and we're going to have people saying he's finished every time he fails to win?
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    andyp wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Pinot got distanced in first 10km to add to my 'will he won't he' watch
    I think we've got to the point where we have to accept he won't

    Bullshit.

    Look at the first half of his season last year;

    http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider.ph ... eason=2016

    He's a class act, and is still only 26. Having a bad day in your first race of the season is allowed.

    Or is he the new Cavendish and we're going to have people saying he's finished every time he fails to win?


    Still aint gonna win the Tour. Which is what my comment was about.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    andyp wrote:
    Bullshit.

    Look at the first half of his season last year;

    http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider.ph ... eason=2016
    Similar to Ion Izagirre then. No-one's calling him the next big thing.

    Maybe I'm wrong (I often am), but I think there are several better French hopes now
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Pinot needs to leave FDJ and sort his heed out. He's got all the physical gifts but seems a lose his shoot mentally a bit too easily - Tour Cobbles stage in 2015 a good example.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,576
    RichN95 wrote:
    Similar to Ion Izagirre then. No-one's calling him the next big thing.

    Maybe I'm wrong (I often am), but I think there are several better French hopes now

    Pinot has more wins than Izagirre, by almost two to one, and is a year younger. He's also finished on the podium in the Tour, whereas Izagirre's best ever GT GC finish is 27th.

    Personally I think Bardet is the better French GC hope, but Pinot is a damn good rider, a more capable TT rider than Bardet, his equal as a climber but probably weaker mentally. To suggest he's finished because of one bad ride in, frankly, a shitty little race is an over reaction.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    andyp wrote:
    Personally I think Bardet is the better French GC hope, but Pinot is a damn good rider, a more capable TT rider than Bardet, his equal as a climber but probably weaker mentally. To suggest he's finished because of one bad ride in, frankly, a sh!tty little race is an over reaction.
    I wasn't basing it on this race. He's not finished, but I don't think he's a top five Tour rider (without all the crashes of 2014)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,576
    Christ, Carlton Kirby is unbearable isn't he?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Damp conditions made for a few spills and splits.
    Tony Martin kicks off the attacks on the climb, then rides the rest off his wheel on the downhill for a solo win.
    Quintana in the small chase group.
    GVA leads home the main group.
    Defending champion Poels finishes a minute down within a further group.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    What's Tony's calendar like this year??
    _
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    What's Tony's calendar like this year??

    Pictures of dolphins, beaches and sunsets. Last years was pictures of supercars.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    What's Tony's calendar like this year??

    Pictures of dolphins, beaches and sunsets. Last years was pictures of supercars.
    It's also one day shorter than last year's
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    Doesn't look right - Tony Martin in red.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    RichN95 wrote:
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    What's Tony's calendar like this year??

    Pictures of dolphins, beaches and sunsets. Last years was pictures of supercars.
    It's also one day shorter than last year's

    The swine! Almost as bad as Toblerone missing out half the chunks and hoping we wouldn't notice...
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Looks like a bad day for the Yates bros.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,611
    Think how fast Tony is going to be now he's on a decent bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    What's Tony's calendar like this year??

    Pictures of dolphins, beaches and sunsets. Last years was pictures of supercars.

    *applause*
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,576
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Looks like a bad day for the Yates bros.

    They're finished.

    :twisted:
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Nice win by Mr Cort today.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Joelsim wrote:
    Nice win by Mr Cort today.

    Spoiled by that manic commentator.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 22,029
    Just caught Quintana dropping everyone.
  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    TheBigBean wrote:
    Just caught Quintana dropping everyone.

    He made those gradients look easy.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Quintana riding up a 20% gradient goat track, hardly breathing with his hands at one point, off the bars.
    No messing, attacks right at the foot of the climb and leaves everybody grovelling and gasping.
    Does the Giro start next week? :P
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Kudos to Kudus too.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Another stage bites the dust as riders are apparently no longer capable of riding when the wind blows.
    Could have been a great crosswind stage with guaranteed echelons, today.
    Instead, it's going to be a city criterium.
    With he UCI's new weather protocol bringing consistency to these situations, it's going to be hoot, come Belgium, next month.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,823
    Doesn't this happen every year though? Some of the early season races have some controversy, but it's all forgotten by the time OHN, and certainly MSR, get going and everyone reverts back to the norm
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Problem with training being a race innit.
    _
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    that was a brutal crit after yesterday :) the new season kits look good!

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