TDF 2017: 14 July - Stage 13 - Saint-Girons - Foix 101kms *Spoilers*

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Comments

  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,160
    I know today's race would have been different, but it's a pity Nairo dropped so much yesterday.
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    Last year close mate of mine had a chinwag with Rod Ellingworth about li'l Pete. Mate mentioned that it was a shame Pete didnt get the win at the '16 Herald Sun Tour - Froome had taken the jersey and overall off him on the final day. Ellingworth gave mate a look, and said 'what you have to understand about Chris Froome is that he's VERY ambitious'

    Today was par for the course
  • wombly_knees
    wombly_knees Posts: 657
    Too long between the summit and finish, imo. Good as it was, a stage that could've easily been better than it turned out.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I think the tactic didn't work out like they expected. Aru wasn't really chasing. But if you attack him it makes him work more.

    I expect they thought it would've come back more towards Landa in the stage.

    And how much time do you want to give back to NQ?

    Wasn't a great stage TBH
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    Anyhoo....that was a decent stage

    And I likes seeing a Frenchie win on Bastille Day
  • Harry182
    Harry182 Posts: 1,170
    Bardet or Landa for the win please.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Man who wins Grand Tours is ambitious and ruthless shocker.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • wombly_knees
    wombly_knees Posts: 657
    Fwiw, hope anyone but Bardet wins. That might just result in Prudhomme getting a yuge bonus and years more of such a route for delivering the coveted French win.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,704
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:
    OK I want Bardet to win the Tour now. Not Aru and not Froome. If it can't be LRP then I'd rather it was the French Exchange Student.

    How about Rigo?

    Oh yes good shout. Rigo. I like Rigo. How can you not like Rigo.

    Mick-Jagger.jpg
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • B3rnieMac
    B3rnieMac Posts: 384
    A French TdF winner on a French team? Yes please!!
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
    Last year close mate of mine had a chinwag with Rod Ellingworth about li'l Pete. Mate mentioned that it was a shame Pete didnt get the win at the '16 Herald Sun Tour - Froome had taken the jersey and overall off him on the final day. Ellingworth gave mate a look, and said 'what you have to understand about Chris Froome is that he's VERY ambitious'

    Today was par for the course

    And what he didn't say was that it's obvious that Chris doesn't think beyond his own immeadiate position ...

    Having Landa in or close to yellow would've meant that other teams have to carefully watch BOTH riders - rather than just allow one to nip away in a little break ...

    But with chasing down the break he's just confirmed he's only interested in his own result - team members will remember that and I hope it comes back to bite him ...
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    I don't have time for someone who's rather partial to taking the jersey and overall off his own team mates. There's a pattern where he's concerned.

    Its one of the many reasons why I dont care for him
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:
    OK I want Bardet to win the Tour now. Not Aru and not Froome. If it can't be LRP then I'd rather it was the French Exchange Student.

    How about Rigo?

    Oh yes good shout. Rigo. I like Rigo. How can you not like Rigo.

    Mick-Jagger.jpg

    OK apart from the fact that he looks like Mick Jagger.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    Anyhooooooos

    Short explosive stages FTW
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    iainf72 wrote:
    Man who wins Grand Tours is ambitious and ruthless shocker.

    I think he panicked. Aru is the one he has to beat.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    Rigo is grrrrrreat
  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    Not sure what people expect from a bloke that has won the thing three times. It's not pretty viewing but it's what gives the very best that extra 1% to do what they do. Ruthlessness is a must in winners.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Timoid. wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Man who wins Grand Tours is ambitious and ruthless shocker.

    I think he panicked. Aru is the one he has to beat.

    I don't think so. He was trying to put Aru under pressure.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    Attacking Aru was OK, whether it brought landa back or not. But chasing Martin and Yates? Not sure about that. For a while I thought they were just slowing things down, but then the gap started shrinking.
    But as far as team tactics go, leaving a bloke with no team in yellow isn't a bad idea and not letting Quintana get too far back into the race is a valid move.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • dinyull
    dinyull Posts: 2,979
    I know people aren't particularly warm towards Froome anyway....but today could be the turning point in how he's viewed.

    I know you have to be ruthless to be a winner at the top, but Froome was Aru's superdom today. Use their weakness against them....it's like him having men on the front is the only way he knows how to race. He gets credit for dragging Wiggins about for 3 weeks in 2012, but he's has the same each year since then.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    iainf72 wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Man who wins Grand Tours is ambitious and ruthless shocker.

    I think he panicked. Aru is the one he has to beat.

    I don't think so. He was trying to put Aru under pressure.

    By getting Kwia to give him an armchair ride?

    I understand the short attacks on the last climb/descent, but not the Kwia motorpacing at the end.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Surely a lot of what Froome and Kwiatkowski were doing was breaking up any rhythm to the chase. Landa's lead at the finish was the same as it was at 25km to go. As the larger group, the chasers should have caught back more. Froome made a couple of attacks to see what would happen, but that disrupts things as well.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Timoid. wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:

    By getting Kwia to give him an armchair ride?

    I understand the short attacks on the last climb/descent, but not the Kwia motorpacing at the end.

    To make sure Sky don't take back yellow and leave it to Aru for a bit longer?
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    Not sure what people expect from a bloke that has won the thing three times. It's not pretty viewing but it's what gives the very best that extra 1% to do what they do. Ruthlessness is a must in winners.

    But but but!!

    If he wanted to be really Ruthless he'd've let Landa get further up the GC - perhaps even into yellow - and then used his position during the next stage to be ruthless on Aru.

    I can understand the attacks - but once it was clear that Aru was getting back on the wheel - STOP ...

    The guy needs to do some sailing team racing where the individual result doesn't matter - you sometimes throw your own result to get a team win.
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    iainf72 wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Man who wins Grand Tours is ambitious and ruthless shocker.

    I think he panicked. Aru is the one he has to beat.

    I don't think so. He was trying to put Aru under pressure.

    His mind would have been pre-occupied with Aru yes, I think some people expect him to be thinking like a neutral spectator watching on tv. Of course, he was busy cycling though as well as being the designated team leader.

    All watchable and entertaining today.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    iainf72 wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:

    By getting Kwia to give him an armchair ride?

    I understand the short attacks on the last climb/descent, but not the Kwia motorpacing at the end.

    To make sure Sky don't take back yellow and leave it to Aru for a bit longer?

    You give him too much credit.

    Landa will be fuming
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Aru looks like Dr Teeth
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Timoid. wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:

    By getting Kwia to give him an armchair ride?

    I understand the short attacks on the last climb/descent, but not the Kwia motorpacing at the end.

    To make sure Sky don't take back yellow and leave it to Aru for a bit longer?

    You give him too much credit.

    Landa will be fuming
    Why? The chasers should have gained a minute or more back in the last 25km. They caught back two seconds.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Having reflected on that, Froome probably right to keep the gap sensible - Quintana is within 2 minutes, with the Alps to come. He's been quiet until today, but he's still a threat.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    RichN95 wrote:
    Surely a lot of what Froome and Kwiatkowski were doing was breaking up any rhythm to the chase. Landa's lead at the finish was the same as it was at 25km to go. As the larger group, the chasers should have caught back more. Froome made a couple of attacks to see what would happen, but that disrupts things as well.

    *Oh come on* gif

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