This year's TDF thread

He may as well have stayed at Sky for all the help he's been getting.

The Manx Missile has p*$$ thrown at him today but the ever so hygienic Frenchies.

Cav wins today

The bastards got in my way yesterday. Laval was closed to through traffic from 10:00 to 14:30 and we had a 50 minute diversion with the caravan. Why couldn't they have waited so I could drive across?

What an unexpectedly fantastic days racing today on a flat stage. Contador emerging as the potential real threat. Think Valverde is cooked. A great week and a bit ahead.

What an unexpectedly fantastic days racing today on a flat stage. Contador emerging as the potential real threat. Think Valverde is cooked. A great week and a bit ahead.

Froome looks assured, his team looks a bit frayed at the edges, where was Porte today, isn't he supposed to be the wing man ?

Froome can thank the AGRR mob really, they had no real reason to roll apart from keeping their bloke in the top 10 which won't last much longer anyway and yet they did. Apart from that he could have taken on 2 minutes -2minutes 30. Contador has him sussed now but he'll probably win anyway.

Today should be great. The profile suits Froome and I can see him trying to get some more time out of his rivals on the Ventoux. Rest up tomorrow then get a bit more time in the TT Wednesday. Think the attacking is all at the end of the week.

The Ventoux is a monster mind. I rode it on the Etape in 2009 and its on another planet. Hardest thing I've ever done.

NFP respect for doing Ventoux. It's the one I really want to do. As a kid I remember the tragic black and white footage of Tom Simpson's last moments without really understanding what was going on or why. All I can remember was my mum, a talented rider in her own right in the early 50's in tears. Apart from the 'boys of 66' Tom Simpson was just about my first sporting hero.

Speechless!!!!Froome's just gone vroome!!

That was amazing. What a ride! Chapeau Froomedog!

NFP you are right there. Thought that Quintana was going to have him. According to the comments on the BBC site, the Spanish and Italian forums are full of posters suggesting that Froome can't be clean because that time was quicker than Armstrong's chemically assisted times. Jealously I reckon.

NFP you are right there. Thought that Quintana was going to have him. According to the comments on the BBC site, the Spanish and Italian forums are full of posters suggesting that Froome can't be clean because that time was quicker than Armstrong's chemically assisted times. Jealously I reckon.

Oh the irony of the Spanish and Italians questioning other riders not being clean.

NFP you are right there. Thought that Quintana was going to have him. According to the comments on the BBC site, the Spanish and Italian forums are full of posters suggesting that Froome can't be clean because that time was quicker than Armstrong's chemically assisted times. Jealously I reckon.

Wind behind must have been worth something? From the TV pics it appeared to be blowing right behind them up those long exposed straights.

Awesome performance from Froome but I reckon these whispers won't be going away any time soon. Contador's perf has certainly dropped since he changed his butchers.

Sky coach Tim Kerrison reckons that the doping era had a seriously detrimental effect on coaching standards in road cycling and that Sky are merely exploiting the knowledge gap. He has worked in a number of endurance sports, particularly swimming and was astonished by the lack of structured coaching within the sport when he came into it. It was easier in terms of results to go down a doping route in the 90's and 00s than to invest in this area. With that route increasingly closed off the gaps between those i.e. Sky using 'good science' compared to those who previously relied on 'bad science' widened and may continue to do so. That said, what I saw yesterday didn't look normal. Even Dave Brailsford has said that multiple attacks on mountains were a thing of the past in an era of clean cycling, which is exactly what Froome did so I agree with Sandwich the whispers will not go away. Subjecting the riders data to WADA scrutiny would not breach confidentiality and may be the only thing to halt the whispering campaign

bit of a hairy moment for Froome about 8k from home today. Him and Contador both nearly coming a cropper on the descent.

Was OK in the end, but shows that a small mistake could cost you big time.

Anyone see my Saints flag on today's tour stage? I was at Chateaunerf-de-Chabre.

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Froome takes todays stage.

Won more this year than Cav now.

Dirty Bertie's face was a picture at the end. Can't wait for the double Alpe D'Huez tomorrow. They'd better watch out on the descent of the Sarenne though. Friend of mine went up there from Freney D'Oisans a couple of weeks ago as part of acclimatisation for La Marmotte. Says its very steep and the roads are extremely sketchy at the top. Also rain might be an issue. Can't wait

Dirty Bertie's face was a picture at the end. Can't wait for the double Alpe D'Huez tomorrow. They'd better watch out on the descent of the Sarenne though. Friend of mine went up there from Freney D'Oisans a couple of weeks ago as part of acclimatisation for La Marmotte. Says its very steep and the roads are extremely sketchy at the top. Also rain might be an issue. Can't wait

Ooops accidentally posted again!

Ooops accidentally posted again!

Doesn't matter. You're right the double Alpe stage should be great. However I see Froome saying on the BBC that the organisers should have the guts to cut it short and finish at the top of the Alpe first time if its very wet and dangerous for the descent tomorrow because let's be honest that's where the evil Contador will attack.

What another great day's racing. First time we've seen any trouble for Froome. Just great to see it worse for Contador. And another big day tomorrow. Sky will just be glad he's got that time in the bank.

Anyone see that tweet from the guy who had a mechanical today and rode the second climb of the Alpe in the big ring! Incredible.

Super days cycling. Froome did show signs of weakness but so did his nearest rivals and like last year when Wiggins was lucky enough to have someone of the quality of Froome support him, Froome was lucky to have Porte guide him up the second climb.

Really good to see Quintana do well. I really like the guy and is a future GC contender (as is Porte)

According to Twitter, and repeated on the BBC, the 24th abandonment was Jack Bauer.

( Nasty one - looks like he went into a barbed wire fence ).

Finalish comment. Great race - more exciting than last year. Froome fantastic Porte outstanding. Thomas a hero. Quintana a real talent but this could be the first of three for Froomie. Sadly how many more stages will we see Cav win?

I see that next year's "Grande Depart" is in Yorkshire.

This year's Tour never stopped giving, from the bus in Bastia to the Champs Elysee at dusk. Can't believe it's over. Roll on it's smaller Spanish brother at the end of August. I agree with NFP that Froome may well dominate for a few years. Quintana strikes me more as a Giro/Vuelta winner in years to come. He's out of contract with Movistar. Wonder if DB will make a move to bring him to Sky to replace the likely to depart Rigoberto Uran As far as Cav is concerned too much was left at the Giro. That said if he'd had the lead out Kittel had he'd have won. QPQS didn't give him anything like the tow that Wiggins and EBH gave into the last corner. Steegmans was dropping off in the Place De La Concorde. Head to head Cav on form is probably at least as fast as Kittel if not a smidge faster, but the train simply wasn't up to it. Will be interesting if as predited Mark Renshaw is at OPQS next year how much better he will fare. Oh yes bring on Yorkshire!

Finalish comment. Great race - more exciting than last year. Froome fantastic Porte outstanding. Thomas a hero. Quintana a real talent but this could be the first of three for Froomie. Sadly how many more stages will we see Cav win?

I still think he's got some good tours ahead of him. His lead out train let him down again and had to tack onto the wheel of one of the Germans (can't remember if it was Kittel or Griepel). OPQ alway seem to go too early and burn themselves out leaving Cav to freelance for the last 500m. He's only been beaten once this year when he's had a great lead out (when Kittel took him).

There are now rumours are that Renshaw will be joining Cav at OPQ I think they will be much more of a threat (the two Aussies in Goss & Renshaw were so crucial to Cav's success at HTC). Renshaw was always his final lead-out so I'm hoping it will give him some extra pace in the final 500m.

I still think he's got some good tours ahead of him. His lead out train let him down again and had to tack onto the wheel of one of the Germans (can't remember if it was Kittel or Griepel). OPQ alway seem to go too early and burn themselves out leaving Cav to freelance for the last 500m. He's only been beaten once this year when he's had a great lead out (when Kittel took him).

 

There are now rumours are that Renshaw will be joining Cav at OPQ I think they will be much more of a threat (the two Aussies in Goss & Renshaw were so crucial to Cav's success at HTC). Renshaw was always his final lead-out so I'm hoping it will give him some extra pace in the final 500m.

I think he also misses Bernie Eisel more than people let on. This was his first tour without him. Bernie didn't even get picked, may be wondering why he stayed at Sky. If they get Eisel along with Petacchi and Renshaw that would be a scary train...

Or maybe Kittel is just better now.

why no quotes from Wiggins congratulating Froome on his success.

why no quotes from Wiggins congratulating Froome on his success.

Thought I'd read something on the Sky ticker yesterday. soemthing along the lines of @Va Va Vroome. Kenya's first TdF winner

I think he also misses Bernie Eisel more than people let on. This was his first tour without him. Bernie didn't even get picked, may be wondering why he stayed at Sky. If they get Eisel along with Petacchi and Renshaw that would be a scary train...

 

Or maybe Kittel is just better now.

I think you're right, he does miss Eisel.

I'm not convinced yet that Kittel is better. Cav had to come from a whole bike length behind him and Greipel in the final sprint and only finished 1/2 a wheel behind. What Kittel does possess is a much better lead out.

I think that OPQ just don't have the pace in the final 1km to put Cav in a winning position on enough occasions. It's pretty exciting for Cav to be teaming up with Renshaw and Petacchi and as you say if somehow they are able get Eisel that would indeed be scary train (especially when you consider the other team members such as Tony Martin).

I see hariet Harman has written to the tour organisers to allow women to have their tour de france race next year at the same time as the men.

Not sure if this has anything to do with her.

On second thoughts let them join the mens race. If she thinks women are as good as men . then let them prove it.

Vuelta a Espana already on Stage 5. Nibali in red. Love this race as the parcours is usually less predictable than TdF with some seriously silly climbs. Angliru anyone?

http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=Angliru---Gamonal&MountainID=18

From 2011. Wiggins and Froome v Cobo. Funny how the latter is nothing but an also ran now!!!