TdF 2017: Stage 17 La Mure - Serre-Chevalier 183kms *Spoilers*

mfin

No tA Doctor wrote:

mfin wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Froome's thanking his awesome team speech is really wearing thin.
He's happy going into the TT with the current gaps

At least they are wholly deserving of his thanks. I cringe when sprinters thank their teams just because it's the done thing.

Damn right, like that Cav tw*t.

Jesus, can we not even have a third week mountain stage, in a tour Cav has gone out of in the first week, without this stuff? We know you don't like him, no need to be so in your face about it everywhere.

ok (to the first bit, not to the second bit)

above_the_cows

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

Brexit

When did Pierrick Fédrigo become the President of France! :shock:

RonB

Sun Dodger wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

I see Henao rolled in with the bus.
Would have been better off bringing little Pete.

Pierre Latour in the bus, too, which is a surprise.

Froome's thanking his awesome team speech is really wearing thin.
He's happy going into the TT with the current gaps

Pete K or Poels on form would have made a big difference. I thought Sky might be saving Henao for this week - seems not. Kwiato has been awesome - makes you wonder if he could contend in a GT...?

Poels on form would make a massive difference. Maybe not to time gaps, but I think Froome would trust him more than Landa & Nieve at the sharp end after his performance last yr.

hypster

Isn't it funny the way the yellow jersey awarded on the podium is a baggy, long sleeve affair that does up at the back? Does the winner give it back in the morning for the next day to save the organisers money?

gsk82

Does Louis meintjes deliberately base his look on Chris's horner?

Richmond Racer 2

gsk82 wrote:

Does Louis meintjes deliberately base his look on Chris's horner?

That's a horrid thing to say. HORRID. :shock:

above_the_cows

gsk82 wrote:

Does Louis meintjes deliberately base his look on Chris's horner?

OMG that is it! I couldn't figure out who he reminded me of but that's it, Pappy! :shock:

above_the_cows

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

Does Louis meintjes deliberately base his look on Chris's horner?

That's a horrid thing to say. HORRID. :shock:

But accurate.

Poor Louis. Should someone tell him?

blazing_saddles

Above The Cows wrote:

Have I told you I miss LRP?

blazing_saddles

Above The Cows wrote:

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

Brexit

When did Pierrick Fédrigo become the President of France! :shock:

Nobody nose.

Pross

Decent stage again, at least riders tried even if they just haven't got that power to get away. Uran seems the one who is really strong but keeping his powder dry. Is he prepared to risk dropping back to third in return for trying to take the lead tomorrow? If he sits with Bardet I assume he'll finish above him on Saturday. That said Bardet has a Tour second to his name already so it has to be worthwhile going all out tomorrow surely? Froome is starting to look like his old self a bit now though so gaining anything will be a struggle.

I'm really excited for GC racing over the next few years. Hopefully Froome's dominance will wane and then we have Bardet, Barguil, Roglic, Landa, Mientjes both Yates, Chaves, possibly Bennett and presumably Quintana regaining his form. I know we regularly get excited only to find the anticipated battles don't develop but I can't recall a time with so many riders coming into their peak with solid GC results behind them. Then there's there's the other promising riders who haven't been through their inductions yet. With luck these will get spread over a good range of teams.

There's been a few dud stages in this Tour but it has certainly created a race, a see more MTF and TT light Tours ahead with hopefully more time in areas like the Ardennes, Vosges and Massif Central.

jam1e

Dirty Bertie doing a lot of work even after the stage had long gone. It's almost as if all the bollocks about it being win or bust is just that...

Not a big fan of Aru but to give him his due he doesn't give up, even if he does look terrible on the bike!

I think Froome is looking good, I can see Landa going off the front for him to bridge to later in the stage tomorrow because 30 seconds over Uran isn't all that much if Uran has a decent ride.

iainf72

I wonder if the Izoard will end up without much happening. if the wind is blowing, it will be hard for any kind of attacks.

Froome, Uran and Bardet should be the podium. Probably in that order too. Froome looked pretty good today I thought.

Not sure about all the Contador lurve though - It's like everyone desperately wanting him to be like old skool Bert, rather than just mountain break fodder that never survives.

above_the_cows

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

Brexit

When did Pierrick Fédrigo become the President of France! :shock:

Nobody nose.

Très bien!

Pross

Why is it so many people dislike(d) Matthews? I've not really paid him much attention until this race but he certainly races hard and from his post-race interview game across as a decent bloke with what seemed genuine concern for Kittel.

Also, where did Barguil lose his time? I know he came into the race from an injury but he seems to have been right up there on many of the key stages, holding on after getting into the break. From memory he lost a load of time on the early uphill sprint stage, I'm wondering if he could have been challenging the podium despite that injury and did he give up that time purely to chase the spotty jersey?

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

Why is it so many people dislike(d) Matthews? I've not really paid him much attention until this race but he certainly races hard and from his post-race interview game across as a decent bloke with what seemed genuine concern for Kittel.

One word. Bling. It takes a lot of time to overcome that.

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

Also, where did Barguil lose his time? I know he came into the race from an injury but he seems to have been right up there on many of the key stages, holding on after getting into the break. From memory he lost a load of time on the early uphill sprint stage, I'm wondering if he could have been challenging the podium despite that injury and did he give up that time purely to chase the spotty jersey?

Four minutes on stage 5, eight on stage 8

tailwindhome

iainf72 wrote:

Not sure about all the Contador lurve though - It's like everyone desperately wanting him to be like old skool Bert, rather than just mountain break fodder that never survives.

One for the road.

blazing_saddles

iainf72 wrote:

I wonder if the Izoard will end up without much happening. if the wind is blowing, it will be hard for any kind of attacks.

Froome, Uran and Bardet should be the podium. Probably in that order too. Froome looked pretty good today I thought.

Not sure about all the Contador lurve though - It's like everyone desperately wanting him to be like old skool Bert, rather than just mountain break fodder that never survives.

Tailwind tomorrow.
So that could make it good for 3 or 4 kms of action, instead of 2.

above_the_cows

LRP's been working hard.

Lanterne_Rogue

Above The Cows wrote:

LRP's been working hard.

Told you he was small. That's a regular bar.

salsiccia1

Hat

bobmcstuff

Pross wrote:

Decent stage again, at least riders tried even if they just haven't got that power to get away. Uran seems the one who is really strong but keeping his powder dry.

Froome is looking ominous. Uran does look good though.

Lanterne_Rogue

iainf72 wrote:

Not sure about all the Contador lurve though - It's like everyone desperately wanting him to be like old skool Bert, rather than just mountain break fodder that never survives.

It's easier to understand if you think of him as a sort of superior Tommy V without the faces.

bobmcstuff

One thing that confuses me about the watchfinder advert, why does a man who can afford a Submariner* ride a bike which apparently only has Sora? Pretty sure if you were that image obsessed you would be on a Di2 Dogma or something.

*albeit second hand - still an £8k+ watch!

Vino'sGhost

Theres a lot of hate coming out today, it betrays those who present themselves as arbitars of good taste.

Lets enjoy great racing. And thank the lord for Contador.

Pross

bobmcstuff wrote:

One thing that confuses me about the watchfinder advert, why does a man who can afford a Submariner* ride a bike which apparently only has Sora? Pretty sure if you were that image obsessed you would be on a Di2 Dogma or something.

*albeit second hand - still an £8k+ watch!

He's probably new to it and hasn't read the upgrade threads on Road Beginners yet, give him time. He probably got into watch collecting first and has done the 'What Secondhand (sorry, pre-owned) Rolex for Under £10k' thread on Watch Radar though. I suspect there's a top of the range set of Callaway golf clubs gathering dust in his garage next to a half renovated classic car. Hopefully his next craze will be personal grooming at he'll get those legs waxed.

joncomelately

bobmcstuff wrote:

...why does a man who can afford a Submariner* ride a bike which apparently only has Sora?

Maybe he blew all his money on a stupid watch?

bobmcstuff

Joncomelately wrote:

bobmcstuff wrote:

...why does a man who can afford a Submariner* ride a bike which apparently only has Sora?

Maybe he blew all his money on a stupid watch?

I'd have spent £4k on a nice Carrera and £4k on a nice Bianchi.





Actually that's entirely untrue, I would have spent all of it on bikes.

joncomelately

I can understand a nice GPS watch, but that still leaves at least £7.5k to play with. You could probably still get a nice bike AND a domestique for that?