TDF 2018, Stage 10: Annecy > Le Grand-Bornand 17/07/2018 - 158,5 km *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles

Boulting runs through his full repertoire of Alaphillipe adjectives.

pottssteve

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Boulting runs through his full repertoire of Alaphillipe adjectives.

Yes, impressive.

blazing_saddles

Rick Chasey wrote:

You gotta say, like ever year, the tactics do work for sky but holy moly they are dull as sh!t.

You could point the finger at everyone else, but why would they bother turning it into a race when they'd just get hoovered up 3km later.

The truth is that with three hard mountain stages, back to back, nobody was in the least bit interested.
Nobody forced them into line. They had the whole stage to send riders up the road or wotnot.
Sheep is sheep.

salsiccia1

There's an argument for saying Sky have perfected GT riding. It is up to the other teams to do something about it, but what that is, I don't know.

Edit: it is only the first mountain stage though.

rick_chasey

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

You gotta say, like ever year, the tactics do work for sky but holy moly they are dull as sh!t.

You could point the finger at everyone else, but why would they bother turning it into a race when they'd just get hoovered up 3km later.

The truth is that with three hard mountain stages, back to back, nobody was in the least bit interested.
Nobody forced them into line. They had the whole stage to send riders up the road or wotnot.
Sheep is sheep.

Aye; the line up is intimidating though.

They have the numbers and talent to control the stage from cradle to grave if it's less than 200km.

You can go as nuts as you want, you'll just be pooped.

This is my argument for longer stages; they're harder to control, so the final 30 mins or so might actually be more selective.

FocusZing

Rick Chasey wrote:

You gotta say, like ever year, the tactics do work for sky but holy moly they are dull as sh!t.

You could point the finger at everyone else, but why would they bother turning it into a race when they'd just get hoovered up 3km later.

The same as Groenewegen sprint days. No!

bigmat

You have to feel for Uran - all on his own, and dressed like that...

above_the_cows

Uran some 5+ minutes down.

pottssteve

Off to bed, it's tomorrow already...

salsiccia1

Is Uran feeling the effects of his crash on the cobbles?

FocusZing

rick_chasey

All this 'when was the last time we saw the yellow jersey in the break'

Wasn't it last year when GvA did the same?

knedlicky

1 JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE 101 QUICK - STEP FLOORS 04H 25' 27'' -
2 JON IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI 55 BAHRAIN - MERIDA 04H 27' 01'' + 00H 01' 34''
3 REIN TAARAMÄE 188 DIRECT ENERGIE 04H 27' 07'' + 00H 01' 40''
4 GREG VAN AVERMAET 87 BMC RACING TEAM 04H 27' 11'' + 00H 01' 44''
5 SERGE PAUWELS 134 TEAM DIMENSION DATA 04H 27' 11'' + 00H 01' 44''
6 LILIAN CALMEJANE 181 DIRECT ENERGIE 04H 27' 51'' + 00H 02' 24''
7 DANIEL MARTIN 91 UAE TEAM EMIRATES 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
8 PRIMOŽ ROGLIC 166 TEAM LOTTO NL - JUMBO 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
9 DAVID GAUDU 152 GROUPAMA - FDJ 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
10 GERAINT THOMAS 8 TEAM SKY 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
11 ROMAIN BARDET 21 AG2R LA MONDIALE 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
12 STEVEN KRUIJSWIJK 161 TEAM LOTTO NL - JUMBO 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
13 ADAM YATES 61 MITCHELTON - SCOTT 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
14 JAKOB FUGLSANG 121 ASTANA PRO TEAM 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
15 CHRIS FROOME 1 TEAM SKY 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
16 TOM DUMOULIN 32 TEAM SUNWEB 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
17 ALEJANDRO VALVERDE 78 MOVISTAR TEAM 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
18 NAIRO QUINTANA 71 MOVISTAR TEAM 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
19 VINCENZO NIBALI 51 BAHRAIN - MERIDA 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''
20 MIKEL LANDA MEANA 75 MOVISTAR TEAM 04H 28' 50'' + 00H 03' 23''

squired

My disappointment is that for all we know Thomas/Froome/Quintana/Nibali/Yates/etc weren't feeling good. Some aggressive riding might have dislodged some of the main favourites. By riding so conservatively people missed an opportunity. Even if you were caught back, the effort will have tested the legs of people who weren't good after the rest day.

Would the stage have been ridden differently had it finished at the top of the climb, rather than in the valley?

onyourright

As Thomas Voeckler said on French TV, we’ll have to see whether Movistar will try something early this year or wait until the last possible chance and then publicly regret not having tried earlier … as they do every year.

Usually when Sky is attacked by a GC guy with good legs, the train goes to bits in short order. Thereafter everyone else takes heart, the attacks come thick and fast, and almost as often as not, Froome loses time.

The problem is that some of the others also lose time, and that’s what scares them out of trying. It makes for excruciatingly boring stages like today’s.

Nice ride by Alaphilippe.

knedlicky

knedlicky wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Favourites 10th stage 2018 Tour de France
** Thomas De Gendt
* Lilian Calmejane

With two MTFs to follow, some GC contenders may be prepared to allow a break succeed (presumably, as well as being possibly polka-dot claimants, why De Gendt and Calmejane are among the favs - to which maybe add often-breakaway-er Alaphilippe ?)

Well done Alaphilippe, very well deserved for his efforts the whole day long, starting with no bluff attacks on the Bluffy.

(But think I ought to start listening to my own perusings before making my PTP choice. :? )

RichN95.

Rick Chasey wrote:

All this 'when was the last time we saw the yellow jersey in the break'

Wasn't it last year when GvA did the same?

Two years ago, giving us a hint of what would happen at Olympics

Pross

Great ride by Alaphilippe and really impressed by GVA's determination to hold onto yellow as long as possible but that was one tedious stage. I'm not working from home tomorrow so I think we can guarantee that to be the pick of the Alpine stages (the Pyrenees will be a classic as I'm away camping in France so probably won't get to see much of that either).

Pross

RichN95 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

All this 'when was the last time we saw the yellow jersey in the break'

Wasn't it last year when GvA did the same?

Two years ago, giving us a hint of what would happen at Olympics

Sunday

Pross

Has anyone commented on how unreal it was for a puncheur to go solo for 30km and barely lose any time to the marauding Sky machine or for a cobble specialist to hold on over 4 major climbs and increase their yellow jersey lead by the way? No? Thought not

pat1cp

Has Cav been swept up yet ?

above_the_cows

Pross wrote:

Has anyone commented on how unreal it was for a puncheur to go solo for 30km and barely lose any time to the marauding Sky machine or for a cobble specialist to hold on over 4 major climbs and increase their yellow jersey lead by the way? No? Thought not

BUT HIS INHALER!

above_the_cows

Meanwhile Wiggins bites the hand that fed him...

Bradley Wiggins wrote:

Wiggins continued, describing the Team Sky principal, Dave Brailsford, as “divisive” and “self-serving.” He said: “Does Dave B come in and do his usual and be quite divisive and get in each other’s ear and kind of keep them both motivated for the same goal and there be a natural selection?

“Dave will be telling them they can both win it, as a way of motivating them, as a way of playing these cards deep in to the race. He’s quite self-serving. For him it’s about the team winning, it’s not about the individuals or the characters. He will always be in those riders’ ears constantly, and he has been, up till now as you can see.”

And Jeremy Whittle laps it up.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/16/bradley-wiggins-stirs-pot-warning-danger-rift-team-sky

FocusZing

Above The Cows wrote:

Meanwhile Wiggins bites the hand that fed him...

Bradley Wiggins wrote:

Wiggins continued, describing the Team Sky principal, Dave Brailsford, as “divisive” and “self-serving.” He said: “Does Dave B come in and do his usual and be quite divisive and get in each other’s ear and kind of keep them both motivated for the same goal and there be a natural selection?

“Dave will be telling them they can both win it, as a way of motivating them, as a way of playing these cards deep in to the race. He’s quite self-serving. For him it’s about the team winning, it’s not about the individuals or the characters. He will always be in those riders’ ears constantly, and he has been, up till now as you can see.”

And Jeremy Whittle laps it up.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/16/bradley-wiggins-stirs-pot-warning-danger-rift-team-sky

Wiggins is on itv4 Saturday. See his side of it.

Pross

Should be interesting having Brad on, shame I'll be away. Matt Rowe will probably be entertaining on Friday too when he's on with Dani.

milton50

I thought Nibali, Yates, and Kruijswijk looked pretty good.

Plus literally everyone wearing a Sky jersey.

above_the_cows

FocusZing wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

Meanwhile Wiggins bites the hand that fed him...

Bradley Wiggins wrote:

Wiggins continued, describing the Team Sky principal, Dave Brailsford, as “divisive” and “self-serving.” He said: “Does Dave B come in and do his usual and be quite divisive and get in each other’s ear and kind of keep them both motivated for the same goal and there be a natural selection?

“Dave will be telling them they can both win it, as a way of motivating them, as a way of playing these cards deep in to the race. He’s quite self-serving. For him it’s about the team winning, it’s not about the individuals or the characters. He will always be in those riders’ ears constantly, and he has been, up till now as you can see.”

And Jeremy Whittle laps it up.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/16/bradley-wiggins-stirs-pot-warning-danger-rift-team-sky

Wiggins is on itv4 Saturday. See his side of it.

Sadly I can't as I don't live in the UK.

FocusZing

@shauny_boy

above_the_cows

The facial hair is just. Ugh. No. Looks like a sleazy leg humper in a camp site disco.

gweeds

FocusZing wrote:

www.manspreading.com