2014 Santos Tour Down Under - *Spoilers*

ocdupalais
ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
edited January 2014 in Pro race
«1345678

Comments

  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    Sky's tactics were questionable. Bossing it on the front, making the catch, lining it out, only to get swamped. Lotto and Greipel will be kicking themselves as well but Kittel was simply too strong.
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,879
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2DiJb8CZfo

    Kittel is the man to beat this year.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639
    Thats a very decent finish from Kittel. Looking ominous!
  • kittel came from a long way back, good win. Shame Cav isn't there but I'm sure it will be a good year for the bunch sprints harder to call than they have been for a long time
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993
    Renshaw quite high up which bodes well for Cav.
  • phil s wrote:
    Sky's tactics were questionable. Bossing it on the front, making the catch, lining it out, only to get swamped. Lotto and Greipel will be kicking themselves as well but Kittel was simply too strong.


    Working for Sutton, and also keeping G and Philip Deignan at the best place to avoid crashes - at the front. G and Deignan are going to be the 2 key wingmen for Porte this week.

    Standout performance for me today was young Caleb Ewan - an outstanding ride there at the finish.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    First day of racing of the season and it only took until post count number 2 ... Well done all involved ...

    It's going to be a looooong season ...
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,879
    First day of racing of the season and it only took until post count number 2 ... Well done all involved ...

    It's going to be a looooong season ...


    What's up Crankie?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • gpreeves
    gpreeves Posts: 454
    phil s wrote:
    Sky's tactics were questionable. Bossing it on the front, making the catch, lining it out, only to get swamped. Lotto and Greipel will be kicking themselves as well but Kittel was simply too strong.


    Working for Sutton, and also keeping G and Philip Deignan at the best place to avoid crashes - at the front. G and Deignan are going to be the 2 key wingmen for Porte this week.

    Standout performance for me today was young Caleb Ewan - an outstanding ride there at the finish.

    Great performance from Ewan, after he claimed that it was "a bit disappointing not to win" - I think we can forgive a 19 year old for not beating Kittel and Greipel.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,879
    phil s wrote:
    Sky's tactics were questionable. Bossing it on the front, making the catch, lining it out, only to get swamped. Lotto and Greipel will be kicking themselves as well but Kittel was simply too strong.

    Working for Sutton, and also keeping G and Philip Deignan at the best place to avoid crashes - at the front. G and Deignan are going to be the 2 key wingmen for Porte this week.

    Standout performance for me today was young Caleb Ewan - an outstanding ride there at the finish.


    I quite fancy Deignan to do well here. Used to riding in stupid temperatures - did well in California

    UK Cycling Expert ‏@ukcyclingexpert 3h
    Great to see Cadel Ewans in the top 3 there, too! Maybe an Indian summer for the last non-Brit to win the Le Tour!
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • gpreeves wrote:
    phil s wrote:
    Sky's tactics were questionable. Bossing it on the front, making the catch, lining it out, only to get swamped. Lotto and Greipel will be kicking themselves as well but Kittel was simply too strong.


    Working for Sutton, and also keeping G and Philip Deignan at the best place to avoid crashes - at the front. G and Deignan are going to be the 2 key wingmen for Porte this week.

    Standout performance for me today was young Caleb Ewan - an outstanding ride there at the finish.

    Great performance from Ewan, after he claimed that it was "a bit disappointing not to win" - I think we can forgive a 19 year old for not beating Kittel and Greipel.


    Too right! He had no team mates to help at the end and put himself in contention at that last corner. Talk about making the most of your debut at TDU/warm-up....
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    First day of racing of the season and it only took until post count number 2 ... Well done all involved ...

    It's going to be a looooong season ...


    What's up Crankie?

    Just the usual ... those peSKY kids are at it already ...
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    I think it was the Mormonic Happy Shiny People reek that initially turned my stomach when thinking about Marcel, JD & the gang. I now see that as the blind irrational prejudice it was and look forward to more swashbuckling wins.

    But poor Griepel: first he had to deal with Cav, now Marcel. Hope he wins his fair share.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • Macaloon wrote:
    I think it was the Mormonic Happy Shiny People reek that initially turned my stomach when thinking about Marcel, JD & the gang. I now see that as the blind irrational prejudice it was and look forward to more swashbuckling wins.

    But poor Griepel: first he had to deal with Cav, now Marcel. Hope he wins his fair share.


    The Gorilla's train ran out of stokers - missing Henderson?
  • phil s wrote:
    Sky's tactics were questionable. Bossing it on the front, making the catch, lining it out, only to get swamped. Lotto and Greipel will be kicking themselves as well but Kittel was simply too strong.

    Working for Sutton, and also keeping G and Philip Deignan at the best place to avoid crashes - at the front. G and Deignan are going to be the 2 key wingmen for Porte this week.

    Standout performance for me today was young Caleb Ewan - an outstanding ride there at the finish.


    I quite fancy Deignan to do well here. Used to riding in stupid temperatures - did well in California

    UK Cycling Expert ‏@ukcyclingexpert 3h
    Great to see Cadel Ewans in the top 3 there, too! Maybe an Indian summer for the last non-Brit to win the Le Tour!

    http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/news/234-2012-jayco-bay-cycling-classic-results

    he is going to have a massive career he was winning in the bay crits at 17!
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784

    Just the usual ... those peSKY kids are at it already ...

    Oh, man who spends actual real live time with Sky makes comment about them and this is a bad thing?
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    iainf72 wrote:

    Just the usual ... those peSKY kids are at it already ...

    Oh, man who spends actual real live time with Sky makes comment about them and this is a bad thing?

    Folks are free to comment on what they wish ... But it was the 2nd post of the racing season ... Just gets a bit tired ...
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    iainf72 wrote:

    Just the usual ... those peSKY kids are at it already ...

    Oh, man who spends actual real live time with Sky makes comment about them and this is a bad thing?

    Folks are free to comment on what they wish ... But it was the 2nd post of the racing season ... Just gets a bit tired ...

    To be fair it's not the usual comment, haven't watched it yet but seems they did the stuff the do good (huge pulls on the front) but as we've seen before they forgot they can't actually do a proper sprint train.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    iainf72 wrote:

    Just the usual ... those peSKY kids are at it already ...

    Oh, man who spends actual real live time with Sky makes comment about them and this is a bad thing?

    Folks are free to comment on what they wish ... But it was the 2nd post of the racing season ... Just gets a bit tired ...

    To be fair it's not the usual comment, haven't watched it yet but seems they did the stuff the do good (huge pulls on the front) but as we've seen before they forgot they can't actually do a proper sprint train.


    Is Renshaw riding here just because its in Aus? I thought he would be with Cav from the word go.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Only saw the 4 min highlights but not sure there's much to be made of it...

    *Sky still can't form a lead out train

    *Lotto-Bellisol in the red with Greipel in ze national colours at the back certainly look ominous even if I think there may be a new German Sprint king

    *Kittel is the aforementioned Sprint King

    However it's the first race of the season, and hardly a monument so all the above is totally meaningless really....
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Visconti broke his tibia in the people's classic...huge shame for him. Seems to crash a decent amount and has had his share of injuries already.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Caleb tiny and eating his stem. Kittel and Greipel...some power...will make for some brilliant photos this year
    CTIPStducritpc_31.jpg

    Legs
    CTIPStducritpc_38.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    That hat is useless without corks...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    2014-tour-down-under-peoples-20140119-104353-845.jpg

    2014-tour-down-under-peoples-20140119-103113-315.jpg

    Superb:
    2014-tour-down-under-peoples-20140119-100624-355.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Frenchie, re pic of Caleb Ewan 'eating his stem'...I read a while back that Ewan's modelled his sprinting style on Cav, and we know how low profile he gets...

    but Ewan needs to keep his head up not down...*


    *I'll be offering sprint masterclasses this season
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,879
    Caleb tiny

    Tiny, or far away? [/Fr Ted]
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Frenchie, re pic of Caleb Ewan 'eating his stem'...I read a while back that Ewan's modelled his sprinting style on Cav, and we know how low profile he gets...

    but Ewan needs to keep his head up not down...*


    *I'll be offering sprint masterclasses this season

    Gotcha, nothing wrong with it in my book - its good he is copying from the best. I suppose he needs to ensure he doesnt crash by doing that though!
    Contador is the Greatest
  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639
    Surprised Orica were no where to be seen at the finish.
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    I was about to post how remarkably similar Caleb's sprint position is to Cav's but RR beat me to it. The kid looks sensational.
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    Caleb tiny and eating his stem. Kittel and Greipel...some power...will make for some brilliant photos this year
    CTIPStducritpc_31.jpg

    Somewhere tonight after seeing this photo, a small Manx man has refused his second helping of crumble and hit the rollers...