Grand Départ Covid Countdown: General Chat and Info thread.
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I rode up it last autumn, very nasty after MeribelDorset_Boy said:Col de la Loze - that's going to be interesting, especially if it's a bad weather day. Some seriously tough sections above the top of the village.
Great off piste from there though, so long as there's enough snow and it hasn't been baked by the sun.
https://youtu.be/Zg0bGb9LEWc
Not sure I'd want to do off-piste on a road bike myself.BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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I think you are looking at this decision with a bit too much pessimism just now.RichN95. said:blazing_saddles said:
However, as for no racing for Froome to get into better shape he has:
Coppi e Bartali, Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour de Luxembourg, BinckBank Tour and the Ardennes races to choose from.
The first two will be done by the Giro team. The rest don't have a mountain between them and, Ardennes aside, will be done by the classics squad. You can't build form with just a sprint up the Muur de Huy.
After all, Ineos aren't exactly stacked with climbing talent these days.
They will work out a programme."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
rick_chasey said:
You've still got Thomas to gun for the cobbled races, Rich.
Not all is lost
Those races all clash with the Giro.Twitter: @RichN950 -
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I'd expect the official line to be he is "a" leader although in Brailsford's plan you may well be right that he wont be the one they expect to be supporting in the final week.rick_chasey said:Froome will have to improve quite a lot from where he is now if he wants to compete for the overall.
Would not assume he's leader at all.
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I'd say the Ineos team is pretty strong, all three leaders capable of getting a podium but maybe on Bernal of winning.
Sure will be an interesting race, when was the last time a tour didn't have Froome or Thomas at least in it. Proper changing of the guard time at Ineos. Wonder if it has anything to do with another British team being rumoured and some talent leaving for that.0 -
Reflecting upon this selection, now they can only ride with a single leader, no?
Otherwise, I would say they have selected one rouleur too many and are light on climbing support.
I suppose TGH has been a little sub par too.
Not sure how Carapaz feels about giving up his Giro title defence, to become co-chief water boy with Sivakov.
Maybe he will become the Vuelta winner of which Rich speaks......."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
They could easily end up with 7 riders at 5k to go but only 1 at 3k to go. A lot of similar riders in thereblazing_saddles said:Reflecting upon this selection, now they can only ride with a single leader, no?
Otherwise, I would say they have selected one rouleur too many and are light on climbing support.
I suppose TGH has been a little sub par too.
Not sure how Carapaz feels about giving up his Giro title defence, to become co-chief water boy with Sivakov."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0 -
Like Thomas did?RichN95. said:Looking at the Tour more generally, the GC two riders who can really contest a TT with Roglic and Dumoulin are gone (maybe Pogacar can), so their Dauphine tactics of shutting everything down until the the last 500m become a lot more viable.
I think Jumbo will struggle to be as dominant as Sky in their pomp but let's see.0 -
rick_chasey said:
Like Thomas did?RichN95. said:Looking at the Tour more generally, the GC two riders who can really contest a TT with Roglic and Dumoulin are gone (maybe Pogacar can), so their Dauphine tactics of shutting everything down until the the last 500m become a lot more viable.
I think Jumbo will struggle to be as dominant as Sky in their pomp but let's see.
You remember 2018 differently to me. I don't remember groups of ten or more getting to the flamme rouge on MTFsTwitter: @RichN950 -
More like groups of 6 riders, with half of them being from Sky.RichN95. said:rick_chasey said:
Like Thomas did?RichN95. said:Looking at the Tour more generally, the GC two riders who can really contest a TT with Roglic and Dumoulin are gone (maybe Pogacar can), so their Dauphine tactics of shutting everything down until the the last 500m become a lot more viable.
I think Jumbo will struggle to be as dominant as Sky in their pomp but let's see.
You remember 2018 differently to me. I don't remember groups of ten or more getting to the flamme rouge on MTFs0 -
I don't think it matters if there's 10 or 4. It's the same tacticRichN95. said:rick_chasey said:
Like Thomas did?RichN95. said:Looking at the Tour more generally, the GC two riders who can really contest a TT with Roglic and Dumoulin are gone (maybe Pogacar can), so their Dauphine tactics of shutting everything down until the the last 500m become a lot more viable.
I think Jumbo will struggle to be as dominant as Sky in their pomp but let's see.
You remember 2018 differently to me. I don't remember groups of ten or more getting to the flamme rouge on MTFs"Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0 -
On an MTF, Thomas et whatever teammate he fancied would arrive at the final KM and Thomas would FLY off the front, I mean, ridiculous speed for the end of an MTF and stick in 20 seconds right there.RichN95. said:rick_chasey said:
Like Thomas did?RichN95. said:Looking at the Tour more generally, the GC two riders who can really contest a TT with Roglic and Dumoulin are gone (maybe Pogacar can), so their Dauphine tactics of shutting everything down until the the last 500m become a lot more viable.
I think Jumbo will struggle to be as dominant as Sky in their pomp but let's see.
You remember 2018 differently to me. I don't remember groups of ten or more getting to the flamme rouge on MTFs
He'd then back it up with a decent TT. Bosh, Tour winner.
(obviously more complicated than that but that's where he made the race winning time).0 -
Yeah Sivakov on the last day of the dauphine looked so naff (4th on an epic stage, having kissed asphalt earlier on) .. and as for Crapapaz jeez your pessimism is depressinggsk82 said:
They could easily end up with 7 riders at 5k to go but only 1 at 3k to go. A lot of similar riders in thereblazing_saddles said:Reflecting upon this selection, now they can only ride with a single leader, no?
Otherwise, I would say they have selected one rouleur too many and are light on climbing support.
I suppose TGH has been a little sub par too.
Not sure how Carapaz feels about giving up his Giro title defence, to become co-chief water boy with Sivakov.
'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'0 -
Do you think this is because there’s been less racing and therefore people won’t be completely cream crackered coming out if the tour which would normally dent a Vuelta bid?RichN95. said:Well I'm surprised. Also I'm not sure what racing there is for Froome to find form before the Vuelta. That race will we won by someone who does the Tour. He'd have been better off at the Giro.
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kingstongraham said:
More like groups of 6 riders, with half of them being from Sky.RichN95. said:rick_chasey said:
Like Thomas did?RichN95. said:Looking at the Tour more generally, the GC two riders who can really contest a TT with Roglic and Dumoulin are gone (maybe Pogacar can), so their Dauphine tactics of shutting everything down until the the last 500m become a lot more viable.
I think Jumbo will struggle to be as dominant as Sky in their pomp but let's see.
You remember 2018 differently to me. I don't remember groups of ten or more getting to the flamme rouge on MTFs
Is 2 a half of 6 these days?
Bernal finished the race in 15th, almost half an hour down.
However it's true that half of that half a dozen of which you speak are all in Jumbo's tour line up, which I think proves the point Rich was making.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
"It's definitely a readjustment for me – moving the goalposts from the Tour de France to the Vuelta a España – but I think, given where I've come from through the last year, I've had an incredible recovery from the big crash I had last year, and I'm in a very fortunate position to be back racing now already.
But I'm not confident that I can really fulfil the necessary job that would be needed from me at this year's Tour de France, and I think it's a lot more realistic targeting the Vuelta a España, and it gives me a chance to really get stuck in to something that's deliverable, really.”
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-im-not-confident-i-could-fulfil-the-necessary-job-at-tour-de-france/
"It's nice to finally have a firm plan in place and to know exactly what I'm doing and, yeah, try and get some sort of positive out of this year."
said Thomas with a hint of despondency in a video released by Team Ineos.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
robnewcastle said:
Do you think this is because there’s been less racing and therefore people won’t be completely cream crackered coming out if the tour which would normally dent a Vuelta bid?RichN95. said:Well I'm surprised. Also I'm not sure what racing there is for Froome to find form before the Vuelta. That race will we won by someone who does the Tour. He'd have been better off at the Giro.
Just the teams that will have to be picked as the Giro, Vuelta and Roubaix are all on the same day and the lack of suitable racing to rival having done the Tour (maybe not at full gas) as Vuelta prep.Twitter: @RichN950 -
I was remembering Bernal being there a bit longer than he actually was on the final climbs maybe.blazing_saddles said:kingstongraham said:
More like groups of 6 riders, with half of them being from Sky.RichN95. said:rick_chasey said:
Like Thomas did?RichN95. said:Looking at the Tour more generally, the GC two riders who can really contest a TT with Roglic and Dumoulin are gone (maybe Pogacar can), so their Dauphine tactics of shutting everything down until the the last 500m become a lot more viable.
I think Jumbo will struggle to be as dominant as Sky in their pomp but let's see.
You remember 2018 differently to me. I don't remember groups of ten or more getting to the flamme rouge on MTFs
Is 2 a half of 6 these days?
Bernal finished the race in 15th, almost half an hour down.
However it's true that half of that half a dozen of which you speak are all in Jumbo's tour line up, which I think proves the point Rich was making.0 -
He was always seemed to be nearby on the big climbs , if i remember correctly after doing his turn . Helped froome back on the stage roglic won. Any way sad to see Froome and Thomas out and as others have said , end of an era , maybe for British cycling too . First post after lurking on and off for years1
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Barring any complications arising from his accident that we don't know about, I think there is a very good chance that Froome will win the Vuelta. Two months is sufficient time to get himself into decent shape. I'm not convinced that the lack of actual racing will be a major issue.
Likewise, I think Thomas is capable of doing really well in the Giro and even winning it. He has slightly less time to get himself fit but he looks to be starting from a better place.
I'd certainly not write either of them off.0 -
Shame they've lost their two lead riders and have to settle for the current Tour and Giro champions.0
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He seemed a bit quiet about the idea at the start of the video, but eventually came round to the prospect of the Giro.blazing_saddles said:"It's definitely a readjustment for me – moving the goalposts from the Tour de France to the Vuelta a España – but I think, given where I've come from through the last year, I've had an incredible recovery from the big crash I had last year, and I'm in a very fortunate position to be back racing now already.
But I'm not confident that I can really fulfil the necessary job that would be needed from me at this year's Tour de France, and I think it's a lot more realistic targeting the Vuelta a España, and it gives me a chance to really get stuck in to something that's deliverable, really.”
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-im-not-confident-i-could-fulfil-the-necessary-job-at-tour-de-france/
"It's nice to finally have a firm plan in place and to know exactly what I'm doing and, yeah, try and get some sort of positive out of this year."
said Thomas with a hint of despondency in a video released by Team Ineos.0 -
He's not thrilled, is he.It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.0
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'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'0
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kingstongraham said:
Shame they've lost their two lead riders and have to settle for the current Tour and Giro champions.
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Welcome! Nice to have you with us!Matti66 said:He was always seemed to be nearby on the big climbs , if i remember correctly after doing his turn . Helped froome back on the stage roglic won. Any way sad to see Froome and Thomas out and as others have said , end of an era , maybe for British cycling too . First post after lurking on and off for years
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20231 -
Thanks MRM👍1
