The Cycling Thread
- Thread starter aussiespursguy
- Start date
aussiespursguy
Well-Known Member
- Mar 21, 2015
- 3,444
- 6,702
- Thread starter
- #42
What a finish to the Dauphine last night! Fair play to Fuglsand. Time bonus made the difference.
Ritchie Porte looking good going into the Tour from an Aussie point of view. Froome doesn't look himself at the moment.
I think this will be the most interesting Tour for years. No clear cut favourite for me.
Ritchie Porte looking good going into the Tour from an Aussie point of view. Froome doesn't look himself at the moment.
I think this will be the most interesting Tour for years. No clear cut favourite for me.
nightgoat
Well-Known Member
- Sep 12, 2005
- 24,604
- 21,898
Shorter stages are the way forward! Loads of attacking riding, from Aru and Valverde early on, then everyone else riding away from Porte, Porte riding everyone down and Fuglsang going for the win.
Froome didn't look on great form at any point in the race, but that was only his 27th day's racing this year. I think he's putting too much emphasis on training and not enough on racing. Porte's riding well, but Froome will still go into the Tour as favourite simply because he'll have the strongest team around him. Poels should be back from injury, Thomas will ride and apparently Landa might as well, that's three ridiculously strong domestiques. Way better than anything BMC can put up.
Riding the Giro will probably count against Quintana, and it depends which Contador turns up. Bardet and Pinot won't win simply by being French. I think Chaves is well worth a shout as an outside bet, although he didn't have a great Dauphiné.
Froome didn't look on great form at any point in the race, but that was only his 27th day's racing this year. I think he's putting too much emphasis on training and not enough on racing. Porte's riding well, but Froome will still go into the Tour as favourite simply because he'll have the strongest team around him. Poels should be back from injury, Thomas will ride and apparently Landa might as well, that's three ridiculously strong domestiques. Way better than anything BMC can put up.
Riding the Giro will probably count against Quintana, and it depends which Contador turns up. Bardet and Pinot won't win simply by being French. I think Chaves is well worth a shout as an outside bet, although he didn't have a great Dauphiné.
onthetwo
Well-Known Member
- May 19, 2006
- 4,583
- 3,407
Agree, cant remember being as excited about the Tour as for this years version. Re Froome, im guessing hes being cute with his training to give himself a better chance of a Tour/Vuelta double but nonetheless, Porte taking more than 30 seconds out of him on a flattish TT will have put the fear of God into TeamSky. Roll on July!
nightgoat
Well-Known Member
- Sep 12, 2005
- 24,604
- 21,898
Teams for the Tour confirmed all bar Quickstep...
http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_de_France_2017_Startlist
http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_de_France_2017_Startlist
aussiespursguy
Well-Known Member
- Mar 21, 2015
- 3,444
- 6,702
- Thread starter
- #46
A really strong lineup from all the teams as expected. This will be more than just a battle for the GC. 10 or 11 possible sprint finishes as well. With Dimension Data's sprint team I expect Cav to add to his list of wins. Should be an amazing 2 weeks.
nightgoat
Well-Known Member
- Sep 12, 2005
- 24,604
- 21,898
Remains to be seen what Cav's fitness level is, he's kind of rushing back from glandular fever to make the Tour.
aussiespursguy
Well-Known Member
- Mar 21, 2015
- 3,444
- 6,702
- Thread starter
- #48
Great start in very tricky conditions. Well done to Thomas. Great ride.
Really sad to see Valverde out already. He went down really hard. Movistar under the pump before getting on their road bikes.
Froome making an early statement to the GC contenders.
This in going to be a fantastic race.
Really sad to see Valverde out already. He went down really hard. Movistar under the pump before getting on their road bikes.
Froome making an early statement to the GC contenders.
This in going to be a fantastic race.
Lo Amo Speroni
Only been in match thread once.
- Aug 9, 2010
- 1,995
- 5,662
I am chuffed to bits for G. Wonder if Sky will defend it with Froome well up in GC already.
nightgoat
Well-Known Member
- Sep 12, 2005
- 24,604
- 21,898
Great ride from G, especially nice for him after the way his Giro ended. Also great to see Taylor Phinney riding well again after the last few years he's had.
Some pretty big gaps in GC for such a short TT, although the conditions will have had a big impact on that, some riders playing it safe. Quintana will be pretty happy to be gaining time on the likes of Bardet, Pinot and Contador, while only losing a second to Porte.
Usually the Tour starts with almost a week of flat stages, but there's a little kick up at the end of tomorrow's stage that could shuffle things up a bit (that would have certainly been a Valverde type finish), or at least sift out some of the non-GC contenders from the top.
Some pretty big gaps in GC for such a short TT, although the conditions will have had a big impact on that, some riders playing it safe. Quintana will be pretty happy to be gaining time on the likes of Bardet, Pinot and Contador, while only losing a second to Porte.
Usually the Tour starts with almost a week of flat stages, but there's a little kick up at the end of tomorrow's stage that could shuffle things up a bit (that would have certainly been a Valverde type finish), or at least sift out some of the non-GC contenders from the top.
nightgoat
Well-Known Member
- Sep 12, 2005
- 24,604
- 21,898
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-team-sky-accusations-skin-suit-against-rules
And so it begins... Funny how none of the teams complained about the skinsuit during the Giro when Thomas and Landa were out of contention.
And so it begins... Funny how none of the teams complained about the skinsuit during the Giro when Thomas and Landa were out of contention.
aussiespursguy
Well-Known Member
- Mar 21, 2015
- 3,444
- 6,702
- Thread starter
- #53
This stage had Sagan written all over it. He is amazing. The most complete rider in the world today.
Marty
Audere est farce
- Mar 10, 2005
- 40,137
- 63,713
Very disappointed with most of the GC contenders after the TT, but that means that Porte et al really need to go all out up La Planche des Belles Filles tomorrow to put pressure on Froome. Should be a cracker.
Sagan was immense yesterday, it shouldn't be possible to regain the momentum to win after unclipping. One of the all-time greats already and can go on for ten more years if he wants to.
Sagan was immense yesterday, it shouldn't be possible to regain the momentum to win after unclipping. One of the all-time greats already and can go on for ten more years if he wants to.
tototoner
Staying Alert
- Mar 21, 2004
- 29,401
- 34,109
he was a bit naughty today, elbowing Cavendish into the barrier on final sprint
Marty
Audere est farce
- Mar 10, 2005
- 40,137
- 63,713
Not just a bit, that looked really nasty. Cav's tour is surely over, he looked really despondent when he met the press outside the team bus just now. Wonder what the jury will do with Sagan...
nightgoat
Well-Known Member
- Sep 12, 2005
- 24,604
- 21,898
Gutted for Cav, broken shoulder. But that's a really odd disqualification. Sagan's elbow, whilst the movement of it is questionable, clearly does not cause the crash as Cav is already on the way down. Yet Demare cut across Bouhanni to far greater extent than Sagan did Cav, yet he has had no punishment whatsoever.
The elbow is perhaps unsportsmanlike, but if they're going with the endangering another rider line they've got the incident mixed up. Seems like the initial demotion to the back of the field and a 30" penalty was ample punishment, but it's wholly inconsistent that the French stage winner receives nothing for what is ultimately the same offence.
It's not known yet whether Degenkolb will be able to start tomorrow, he had a nasty looking crash as he was behind Cav and went straight over the bars. Hopefully he'll be ok.
The elbow is perhaps unsportsmanlike, but if they're going with the endangering another rider line they've got the incident mixed up. Seems like the initial demotion to the back of the field and a 30" penalty was ample punishment, but it's wholly inconsistent that the French stage winner receives nothing for what is ultimately the same offence.
It's not known yet whether Degenkolb will be able to start tomorrow, he had a nasty looking crash as he was behind Cav and went straight over the bars. Hopefully he'll be ok.
He should be, IMO. Disgusting. Race clean, ffs. So fucked up. No need to throw an elbow whatsoever.
Cavendish was only competing for stage wins and the green jersey. Sagan is a GC contender at this point.
