Disappointments of the tour 2017

kleinstroker
kleinstroker Posts: 2,133
edited July 2017 in Pro race
I think it's fair to say that this year has been an odd one, the early departure of Cav & Sagan has meant the flat stages became tedious & predictable, nobody really challenged Kittel.
The mountain stages never really lit up as they were not enough mtf's in my opinion. There were a few great stages some unexpectedly good, but disappointments there were many

To name a few..

GVA- not a patch on other years, I hardly saw him
Kristoff - same as above, what was wrong with them?

But my biggest gripe by far has been the French! Booing the yellow jersey out on the road and in the stadium in Marseille is just petulant childish BS.

Glad I got that off my chest.
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Comments

  • ExCyclist
    ExCyclist Posts: 336
    SKY's 'dominance' and Froome - both bore the crap out of me. No excitement, like putting Bromide in tea.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,932
    GVA

    This is the guy people were pointing at in the spring and asking 'why everyone loved Sagan so much'
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    Quintana is an obvious one. I'd also put Greipel and Bouhanni alongside Kristoff.

    There were more big name casualties than usual (rivalling 2014).

    The commissaires had a shocker, getting both Sagan and the water bottle decisions wrong.

    I think you may be being harsh on GVA. He was there to support Porte. He came 4th, 2nd and 4th on the stages that suited him - beaten by proper sprinters.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    Lack of crosswinds.
    _
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Lack of crosswinds.
    Tell Dan Martin that
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    Biggest disappointment was knowing I'd have to watch the hairy man with a watch, pedal slowly and put his wheel back in the wrong way round, every time ITV went to the adverts. After an initial strong showing what happened to the KP elephant? UCI throw him off the Tour along with Sagan?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    RichN95 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Lack of crosswinds.
    Tell Dan Martin that

    Those flat stages would have been mega.
    _
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Have I told you that I miss LRP?
    Correlation is not causation.
  • kleinstroker
    kleinstroker Posts: 2,133
    RichN95 wrote:
    Quintana is an obvious one. I'd also put Greipel and Bouhanni alongside Kristoff.

    There were more big name casualties than usual (rivalling 2014).

    The commissaires had a shocker, getting both Sagan and the water bottle decisions wrong.

    I think you may be being harsh on GVA. He was there to support Porte. He came 4th, 2nd and 4th on the stages that suited him - beaten by proper sprinters.

    Do you not think he could have challenged for the green jersey, he seems the perfect one to have gone for it
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    kleinstroker wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Quintana is an obvious one. I'd also put Greipel and Bouhanni alongside Kristoff.

    There were more big name casualties than usual (rivalling 2014).

    The commissaires had a shocker, getting both Sagan and the water bottle decisions wrong.

    I think you may be being harsh on GVA. He was there to support Porte. He came 4th, 2nd and 4th on the stages that suited him - beaten by proper sprinters.

    Do you not think he could have challenged for the green jersey, he seems the perfect one to have gone for it
    Van Avermaet? Not really. He's not going to be coming in the top ten in flat sprint stages. Matthews had eight top tens - I can't see GVA doing that.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • dolan_driver
    dolan_driver Posts: 831
    Got to agree with the assessment on the French crowd. I'm not sure if it is because they dislike Froome in particular, SKY (probably), the English in general or if, this year, it is a reaction to Brexit. Whatever their issue is, it is poor form. It has traditionally been a feature of the sport that fans respect all riders, regardless of who your favourite rider is. You cheer for your favourite the loudest. Another cycling tradition that is slowly dying off.

    The commissairres weren't great either.

    DD.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    Dolan Driver wrote:
    Got to agree with the assessment on the French crowd. I'm not sure if it is because they dislike Froome in particular, SKY (probably), the English in general or if, this year, it is a reaction to Brexit. Whatever their issue is, it is poor form. It has traditionally been a feature of the sport that fans respect all riders, regardless of who your favourite rider is. You cheer for your favourite the loudest. Another cycling tradition that is slowly dying off.


    DD.

    You know the French crowd boo'd Armstrong, Anquetil, Hinault, Merckx in the past too, right?

    They like booing, and they don't confine irrational partisanship to ball sports.

    After all, the Tour's a circus.
    _
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Dolan Driver wrote:
    Got to agree with the assessment on the French crowd. I'm not sure if it is because they dislike Froome in particular, SKY (probably), the English in general or if, this year, it is a reaction to Brexit. Whatever their issue is, it is poor form. It has traditionally been a feature of the sport that fans respect all riders, regardless of who your favourite rider is. You cheer for your favourite the loudest. Another cycling tradition that is slowly dying off.


    DD.

    You know the French crowd boo'd Armstrong, Anquetil, Hinault, Merckx in the past too, right?

    They like booing, and they don't confine irrational partisanship to ball sports.

    After all, the Tour's a circus.
    They're particularly nasty about it at the French Open. Especially towards women
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    The booing is just panto villain stuff isn't it though ? They booed on the climb because he was closing down a French rider, they booed in Marseille (which I missed) well I don't think Brits are that popular down there for a number of reasons. They seemed to be cheering in Paris for him.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    For me it's how everytime Contador attack loads of people seemed to get a jones about it. It wasn't exciting, it was borderline tragic.

    Quick.Step, who I lurve generally, for leaving Dan Martin alone too much. I know Kittel was in trouble on the day of the wind but they could've left him with a couple of bodyguards.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    It was great. It is the TdF.
    Next edition will be different, for good or better. You will hate it, love it, or say "meh" in your cool dude attitude.
    It will roll on. Bring it on. The best race and sporting spectacle in the world.
    It is great.
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,932
    iainf72 wrote:
    For me it's how everytime Contador attack loads of people seemed to get a jones about it. It wasn't exciting, it was borderline tragic.

    Froome: People should know when they're conquered.

    Kwiatkowski: Would you, Chris? Would I?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    iainf72 wrote:
    Quick.Step, who I lurve generally, for leaving Dan Martin alone too much. I know Kittel was in trouble on the day of the wind but they could've left him with a couple of bodyguards.

    I don't think they were so much shepherding Kittel as being ill and riding at his rather slow pace, no?
    _
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,932
    To be to fair to the Tour, it lost a lot of big names and talent along the way.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,932
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Quick.Step, who I lurve generally, for leaving Dan Martin alone too much. I know Kittel was in trouble on the day of the wind but they could've left him with a couple of bodyguards.

    I don't think they were so much shepherding Kittel as being ill and riding at his rather slow pace, no?

    Wind was the least of their issues.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    I was trying to think of a pun but my powers failed. Fair play.
    _
  • hypster
    hypster Posts: 1,229
    Losing Thomas, Porte, Cav, Sagan and Kittel affected so many stages, not least the last which definitely lost its usual sparkle. On the upside though we did see some new names come to the fore.
  • twotoebenny
    twotoebenny Posts: 1,432
    I think you can add Valverde to that
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,339
    Greipel.

    Quick Step won 5 stages on 1 sprinter. Regardless of not being able to serve 2 masters (Martin & Kidl), they can hardly be considered a disappointment.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • hypster
    hypster Posts: 1,229
    TwoToeBenny wrote:
    I think you can add Valverde to that

    I forgot about Valverde. Had he been in there it might have been even more embarrassing for Quintana because Valverde wouldn't have hung around waiting for him. I think the way things have finished and his form this year he could have easily finished on the podium. He's going to rue his impetuous wet TT I think with what might have been.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    Alright I'm just gonna say it.


    Thomas de Gendt.


    Come on mate; you've got double the talent of Voeckler or Voigt. At least finish one of the bloody breaks off.
    _
  • cyclingsheep
    cyclingsheep Posts: 640
    yourpaceormine wrote:
    Biggest disappointment was knowing I'd have to watch the hairy man with a watch, pedal slowly and put his wheel back in the wrong way round, every time ITV went to the adverts.

    So much this.....could they not afford a decent camera, film at real speed then slow it in editing? Drove me nuts every time.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    Imagine Chris will be disappointed with the quality of his kit.
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    As a slightly different take, Kwiato missing out on winning the TT by a second. If ever a rider deserved a stage win.

    Dan Martin losing that time in the crash and struggling through injury on many of the mountain stages. Also, losing Porte as I think that pair were most likely to attack.

    The poor form of many of the out-and-out sprinters meaning Kittel dominated the flat sprints even more than Cav at his best.
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    Biggest disappointment for me was Kittel going out. (Felt a bit sorry for G too).

    It wasn't a bad year, nothing iconic happened of note apart from crashes and their consequences. I'd never expect a classic TDF, it would be daft to as not many turn out to be.

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