TDF 2017:16th July - Stage 15 - Laissac-Sévérac l'Église - Le Puy-en-Velay 189.5kms *Spoilers*

ridgerider

So what...That's what I look like when I get off my bike after my Saturday morning ride.

Richmond Racer 2

Ridgerider wrote:

So what...That's what I look like when I get off my bike after my Saturday morning ride.

I'll put you down for a LBL win against a panda then, Ridge

inseine

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

impressed with AG2R and Sunweb this Tour

Fraction of Sky's budget but both giving it welly, and in AG2R's case trying to put on pressure

Agreed. Haven't seen much of Orica Scott. Because Yates is in white I'm always surprised when I see an Orica Scott jersey, especially since it's usually Chaves sliding out the back.

philwint

inseine wrote:

Haven't seen much of Orica Scott. Because Yates is in white I'm always surprised when I see an Orica Scott jersey, especially since it's usually Chaves sliding out the back.

True, but their backstage passes continue to entertain

I wonder why other teams don't do the same kind of thing

larkim

Accepting that Froome could / should be good in both the TT and on at least one of the high mountain stages remaining, it does feel a bit like he might take the Tour without winning a stage this year. That'd be joining a fairly small club of riders (6).

Richmond Racer 2

philwint wrote:

inseine wrote:

Haven't seen much of Orica Scott. Because Yates is in white I'm always surprised when I see an Orica Scott jersey, especially since it's usually Chaves sliding out the back.

True, but their backstage passes continue to entertain

I wonder why other teams don't do the same kind of thing

Part budget (Dan Jones is full-time for Orica-Scott on this), part simply not a priority

EnacheV

So Dan Martin says they were all in red when Froome come back. While Froome rides the climb 41 seconds faster than them...

RichN95.

It's also worth noting that cycling is on in the middle of the night for Australians, so few watch live. They are used to watching highlights and clips. So Back Stage Pass fits well for Orica's core audience.

imatfaal

At the end of the Giro (I think) Brailsford was interviewed about the race and in more general terms and - iirc - of his own accord mentioned the riders going for a double and how it was the next step up and how he would love to see one done and more importantly that it would be team sky doing it. I wouldn't have expected Sky to change their previous winning formula - but I think they were seriously planning a three tour slam / tour vuelta double (landa/thomas, froome, froome). One police motorbike scuppered giro - but the tour vuelta double is still on. Brailsford does not just want to run a winning team - he wants to run (one of) the best in the history of the sport. Froome is also that ambitious and driven

RichN95.

EnacheV wrote:

So Dan Martin says they were all in red when Froome come back. While Froome rides the climb 41 seconds faster than them...

They were lead up by the likes of Matthias Frank and Cyril Gautier. And none of the contenders got dropped (maybe Bennett a little bit). I would suggest Martin may be embellishing a little.

imatfaal

RichN95 wrote:

EnacheV wrote:

So Dan Martin says they were all in red when Froome come back. While Froome rides the climb 41 seconds faster than them...

They were lead up by the likes of Matthias Frank and Cyril Gautier. And none of the contenders got dropped (maybe Bennett a little bit). I would suggest Martin may be embellishing a little.

I thought Dan Martin said they were in the red when Froome punctured/had a mechanical - and frankly it looked as it they were; there were gaps (other than Froome with a problem) opening in a line of riders on the flat - that is a fast pace. A bit more confidence from team leaders and they (ie not Frank and Gautier) would have drilled it up the hill and Froome would not have been able to be 41 secs quicker. But from all accounts the leaders were afraid that the person who made the break would be overhauled and also dropped - so they played safe and rode at a good but not great pace

tailwindhome

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

People see the vid of Dan Martin climbing off his bike outside the bus? Ouchy

Interviewed by Bespoke reckons he's back to 90-95% after the injury

RichN95.

imatfaal wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

EnacheV wrote:

So Dan Martin says they were all in red when Froome come back. While Froome rides the climb 41 seconds faster than them...

They were lead up by the likes of Matthias Frank and Cyril Gautier. And none of the contenders got dropped (maybe Bennett a little bit). I would suggest Martin may be embellishing a little.

I thought Dan Martin said they were in the red when Froome punctured/had a mechanical - and frankly it looked as it they were; there were gaps (other than Froome with a problem) opening in a line of riders on the flat - that is a fast pace. A bit more confidence from team leaders and they (ie not Frank and Gautier) would have drilled it up the hill and Froome would not have been able to be 41 secs quicker. But from all accounts the leaders were afraid that the person who made the break would be overhauled and also dropped - so they played safe and rode at a good but not great pace

Yeah that makes more sense. Froome didn't catch any time up until they started going uphill, despite sitting behind a world TT champion.

Richmond Racer 2

TailWindHome wrote:

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

People see the vid of Dan Martin climbing off his bike outside the bus? Ouchy

Interviewed by Bespoke reckons he's back to 90-95% after the injury

Much admiration for Dan, given he's giving it the beans and not 'just' sitting in and trying to survive

rick_chasey

I'm still revelling in Bauke's win.


So he actually miss the original break, Trek controlled the gap, he went full gas on the first big climb to make the break.


Was a big old attack - they weren't nobodies chasing and they were organised.

Phwoooaaar.

rick_chasey

Especially since, like all other GC Giro riders, he was basically crap this Tour. He's really had to dig deep and found a new reservoir of energy to make such a big attack.

Ooof.

qpp

RichN95 wrote:

It's also worth noting that cycling is on in the middle of the night for Australians, so few watch live. They are used to watching highlights and clips. So Back Stage Pass fits well for Orica's core audience.

We all have PDRs though, so most of us juggle staying up as late as we think we dare before getting the "nag of doom" from upstairs telling us to get to bed, coupled with getting up an hour early to catch the end of what we missed before daring to look at the internet. Short, exciting stages on a weekend like the one into Foix are manna from heaven

Cycling coverage is actually really good here, public service channel SBS covers all UCI World Tour races live and in full, provided the organisers haven't sold the TV rights exclusively to pay TV (like the Giro this year)

Not much Orica obsession in evidence this year, actually the commentators have been pretty even handed until Saturday when we got subjected to Matthews Mania. They didn't even try to blame LRP's crash on anyone else

DeVlaeminck

Rick Chasey wrote:

I'm still revelling in Bauke's win.


So he actually miss the original break, Trek controlled the gap, he went full gas on the first big climb to make the break.


Was a big old attack - they weren't nobodies chasing and they were organised.

Phwoooaaar.

Initially I think the plan was for Contador who had bridged across and Mollema was driving the break up the climb with a big group behind him. Sky were chasing though and Contador dropped back to the GC group to allow Mollema et al to get away and catch the Barguil group further up the road.

mamil314

Has The Kenyan used up much more than he'd planned and everyone gives credit for?
''screw this, tomorrow is a rest day, i'ma burn it''

inseine

mamil314 wrote:

Has The Kenyan used up much more than he'd planned and everyone gives credit for?
''screw this, tomorrow is a rest day, i'ma burn it''

If you're talking about Froome after his mechanical, then yes it was a do or die moment and he had to show his hand. In theory the stages to come are even more of his liking so he's in a very strong position. Unpredictable race though.