TdF 2017

kleinstroker

Terrible photo, is that a new Sky hairstyle?

Looks familiar..

yourpaceormine

Cynical marketing move to get the True-fanz™ to buy another jersey, or a response to the long range weather forecast (hot and sticky for France in July)?

Seems an strange departure for them, as they haven't departed from the base colour black. Does the UCI still only allow one kit change per year?

wombly_knees

I quite like that kit.

Richmond Racer 2

Ridgerider wrote:

TheBigBean wrote:

Froome hasn't looked great this year, but we will presumably see more at the Dauphine.

Is it just me or am I reading about his bad back more often this year.

It's not often he fails in races but he seems to have done so a couple of times earlier this year...

First reports of back problems were in 2014 IIRC, certainly seems to be reported more and more

Remember seeing a sarky tweet from Matt Rabin that year to the effect that Sky, specifically Tim Kerrison, didnt believe in the value of chiropractors or ways of cyclists avoiding back problems seriously enough

rick_chasey

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

Ridgerider wrote:

TheBigBean wrote:

Froome hasn't looked great this year, but we will presumably see more at the Dauphine.

Is it just me or am I reading about his bad back more often this year.

It's not often he fails in races but he seems to have done so a couple of times earlier this year...

First reports of back problems were in 2014 IIRC, certainly seems to be reported more and more

Remember seeing a sarky tweet from Matt Rabin that year to the effect that Sky, specifically Tim Kerrison, didnt believe in the value of chiropractors or ways of cyclists avoiding back problems seriously enough

Is this why he sits on his bike like a N00b on his third Sunday club run?

Richmond Racer 2

Rick Chasey wrote:

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

Ridgerider wrote:

TheBigBean wrote:

Froome hasn't looked great this year, but we will presumably see more at the Dauphine.

Is it just me or am I reading about his bad back more often this year.

It's not often he fails in races but he seems to have done so a couple of times earlier this year...

First reports of back problems were in 2014 IIRC, certainly seems to be reported more and more

Remember seeing a sarky tweet from Matt Rabin that year to the effect that Sky, specifically Tim Kerrison, didnt believe in the value of chiropractors or ways of cyclists avoiding back problems seriously enough

Is this why he sits on his bike like a N00b on his third Sunday club run?

Y
E
S U R E L Y

ddraver

To be fair Kerrison is sensible not to believe the word of chiropractors...

Mad_Malx

kleinstroker wrote:

Terrible photo, is that a new Sky hairstyle?

Looks familiar..

Excellent, belongs in the lookalikes thread.

Richmond Racer 2

ddraver wrote:

To be fair Kerrison is sensible not to believe the word of chiropractors...

Its certainly done Fenton the world of good

gsk82

Milton50 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I can't think of an occasion in his victories when he has ever really looked under pressure, save for one day on the Alp when he was ill and even then it wasn't that bad.

Did it turn out he was ill that day?

I thought there were two occasions when he lost time on the Alp. One when he had a hunger knock and Porte had to go back to the car to get a gel.

Then the other time Porte and Poels had to pace him up the climb and Quintana gained about 1:20. Didn't realise it was illness.

he said afterwards that he'd have been well within his rights to get a TUE, but decided it wasn't worth all the furore that would follow. I think he said a chest infection.

the problem when he had the hunger knock was that one of the team cars had broken down (reported to be due to some numpty throwing a cool box full of water into it and it affecting the electronics) and they couldn't get a car to them before the cut off.

bompington

ddraver wrote:

To be fair Kerrison is sensible not to believe the word of chiropractors...

Many chiropractors are basically skilled and effective masseurs.
Many also peddle absurd and useless alternative treatments based on magical thinking.
And some cause real harm.

dish_dash

bompington wrote:

ddraver wrote:

To be fair Kerrison is sensible not to believe the word of chiropractors...

Many chiropractors are basically skilled and effective masseurs.
Many also peddle absurd and useless alternative treatments based on magical thinking.
And some cause real harm.

Yeah, though FWIW plenty of 'conventional medicine' treatments have caused real harm too...

blazing_saddles

That 100km jaunt through the Pyrenees stage might just have to be a lot shorter.

https://www.facebook.com/laflammerouge1 ... =3&theater

ddraver

The avalanche app I have on my phone from the winter season keeps pinging me with alerts about snowfalls. I reckon I ve had more in May/June than over the whole winter *grumble*

bobmcstuff

ddraver wrote:

The avalanche app I have on my phone from the winter season keeps pinging me with alerts about snowfalls. I reckon I ve had more in May/June than over the whole winter *grumble*

Wah wah wah...

If you want to know why it wasn't a great winter it's cos my mate was doing a season too and he's a snow anti-god. When we did a season together 2010-11 It was pretty much the worst season in living memory...

rick_chasey

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

Ridgerider wrote:

TheBigBean wrote:

Froome hasn't looked great this year, but we will presumably see more at the Dauphine.

Is it just me or am I reading about his bad back more often this year.

It's not often he fails in races but he seems to have done so a couple of times earlier this year...

First reports of back problems were in 2014 IIRC, certainly seems to be reported more and more

Remember seeing a sarky tweet from Matt Rabin that year to the effect that Sky, specifically Tim Kerrison, didnt believe in the value of chiropractors or ways of cyclists avoiding back problems seriously enough

Is this why he sits on his bike like a N00b on his third Sunday club run?

Y
E
S U R E L Y

Maybe this is the year???

blazing_saddles

Wout Poels is cutting it fine.
Comeback race was originally Tour de Suisse, now down for the Route du Sud

rick_chasey

Rick Chasey wrote:

BuckMulligan wrote:

Not sure I agree with the sentiments regarding the short(er) stages, I think they make for better racing.

Whenever they have a mega 250km-stage with 5000m of climbing, all the GC-contenders crap themselves and trundle around as though it's a sportive because they're (rightfully) scared of losing bucket-loads of time. On a short, punchy stage everyone is all-guns-blazing because they're all on fresh legs and want to steal the stage and/or a few seconds.

.

Let's take a look at last year's Tour which had 3 sub 170km Mountain stage.

stage 7 l’Isle Jourdain to Lac de Payolle: Friday 8 July 162.5km
Main GC guys comes in 3;37 behind – no real attacking, arrive together.


Stage 19 22 July 2016 — Albertville to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, 146 km
Apart from Bardet’s decent descent, and Froome & Bauke falling off their bike, another snooze.

Stage 20 23 July 2016 — Megève to Morzine-Avoriaz, 146.5 km
GC race effectively neutralised‘cos of wet descent, Izagirre the only one with any balls.

---

Too many of you think about these stages in isolation. For a short mountain stage to work, everyone needs to be tired.

Otherwise a strong team like SKy can boss it without any problems. The selection isn't great enough.

You need monster Mountain stages AND short stages - you need the mix. One to tire them out, the other to allow the less tired to make the difference.

Is no-one coming back at me on this?

timoid.

Rick Chasey wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

You need monster Mountain stages AND short stages - you need the mix. One to tire them out, the other to allow the less tired to make the difference.

Is no-one coming back at me on this?

Cos for once you make sense

This was a hobby horse for Fignon too. He moaned a mountain stages being too short and not testing the tank as well as the engine.

blazing_saddles

Team Sky starting a half of their TDF team in the Route du Sud, tomorrow.
Plus, naughty step boy, back just about when he would have been in any case.

Team Sky
.. ELISSONDE Kenny
.. GOLAS Michal
.. HENAO Sergio Luis
.. MOSCON Gianni
.. POELS Wout
.. STANNARD Ian
.. THOMAS Geraint
.. VIVIANI Elia

Movistar aren't sending anyone, according to PCS.

Joshgav

Looks like the most boring route in recent history (and they've made some duff ones in the last 10 years).

rick_chasey

Timoid. wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

You need monster Mountain stages AND short stages - you need the mix. One to tire them out, the other to allow the less tired to make the difference.

Is no-one coming back at me on this?

Cos for once you make sense

This was a hobby horse for Fignon too. He moaned a mountain stages being too short and not testing the tank as well as the engine.

And Ferrari I believe.

It's a bugbear of mine because I hear a lot of love for only short stages in the mountains from people who really ought to know better, so I was all revved up for the discussion.

bobmcstuff

Rick Chasey wrote:

Timoid. wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

You need monster Mountain stages AND short stages - you need the mix. One to tire them out, the other to allow the less tired to make the difference.

Is no-one coming back at me on this?

Cos for once you make sense

This was a hobby horse for Fignon too. He moaned a mountain stages being too short and not testing the tank as well as the engine.

And Ferrari I believe.

It's a bugbear of mine because I hear a lot of love for only short stages in the mountains from people who really ought to know better, so I was all revved up for the discussion.

I'm on side already.

IMO it's just not a proper GT without a few stages over 200km. No problem with the short ones either, but a GT composed entirely of 100km stages wouldn't be right.

sherer

short stages are fine if they are raced from the get go. These days the GC guys just all ride in together and nothing happens. I want good racing not bothered if its a long or short stage.

TheBigBean

And knocking the short stage was the first thing I did on this thread.

bobmcstuff

sherer wrote:

short stages are fine if they are raced from the get go. These days the GC guys just all ride in together and nothing happens. I want good racing not bothered if its a long or short stage.

Bit of a sweeping generalisation - there have been some dramatic short stages in GTs recently.

dav1d1

Eurosport have signed a new deal with TDF to show every minute live of every stage.

rick_chasey

Dav1d1 wrote:

Eurosport have signed a new deal with TDF to show every minute live of every stage.

Do NOT fall into the temptation to actually watch the entirety of the TDF.

Richmond Racer 2

Dav1d1 wrote:

Eurosport have signed a new deal with TDF to show every minute live of every stage.

God, no

blazing_saddles

Dav1d1 wrote:

Eurosport have signed a new deal with TDF to show every minute live of every stage.

So too have ITV 4.
Well, according to what was said during the Dauphine.
That's some serious siesta time.