Bobbyboy Posted 26 June, 2017 Share Posted 26 June, 2017 With Froome not exactly in the form of his life, could this be the most interesting race in years? Not a lot of summit finishes or time trials. With Quintana having done the Giro and not in amazing form there either, could this be the year for Richie Porte? One last hurrah from Contador? Or even Valverde ignoring team orders and jumping away after having a good Classics campaign? Bardet has to be in with a shout if it's an open race also, and Aru is always a good outside bet. And who knows if we'll see Simon Yates hanging in there... that probably depends on how Chaves is feeling though and who is going to be #1 for Orica. Barring crashes (or even if there are crashes) Sagan wins green, they may as well not have that competition and just send him a bundle of green jerseys in bulk, it would be cheaper. With Cav being out for so long with glandular fever and not really being tested since returning, will he win a stage or two? There's no Bryan Coquard as his management don't like him, and Caleb Ewan isn't there for Orica, but presumably Kittel is going to be on top of his game and Greipel always wins at least one sprint. And Sagan always mixes things up there too. Maybe Dan McLay to come up with something? All in all it's hard to see Cav catching Merckx's stage win record this year, but you never know... there are a lot of potential sprint stages this year. Any other surprises out there? Steve Cummings seems to be in the form of his life so he'll probably try and sneak away for a win here and there, and you just know Voeckler is going to try something on his last tour. I'm thinking Dan Martin has to win as stage sooner or later but can he ever beat Valverde on one of those short, steep climbs that they both seem to like? Whatever happens it'll be something to follow instead of stressing out about if VVD and Bertrand have gone yet or if the Chinese have found enough coins down the back of the sofa to complete the takeover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Alert Posted 1 July, 2017 Share Posted 1 July, 2017 What a day for Team Sky. Not sure they could have wished that first day any better! Has already set up a very interesting week of racing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbyboy Posted 2 July, 2017 Author Share Posted 2 July, 2017 Better take out my predictions about Valverde. That looked as nasty as it turned out to be. Still, never thought of Geraint Thomas as a winner of that opening TT. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. Maybe he's used to that kind of weather? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Kucho Posted 4 July, 2017 Share Posted 4 July, 2017 Nasty crash in the final meters, Cavendish likely to be out of the tour. Wonder what happens to Sagan after he elbowed Cavendish into the barriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Kucho Posted 4 July, 2017 Share Posted 4 July, 2017 Nasty crash in the final meters, Cavendish likely to be out of the tour. Wonder what happens to Sagan after he elbowed Cavendish into the barriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbyboy Posted 4 July, 2017 Author Share Posted 4 July, 2017 That was nasty. Greipel sounding off at Sagan as well. There's tough racing and all that, but that elbow looked pretty deliberate. Not sure what a Premier League ref would have made of it, probably depends which team it was for/against. Same probably applies here since it's Sagan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 4 July, 2017 Share Posted 4 July, 2017 (edited) That was nasty. Greipel sounding off at Sagan as well. There's tough racing and all that, but that elbow looked pretty deliberate. Not sure what a Premier League ref would have made of it, probably depends which team it was for/against. Same probably applies here since it's Sagan. Red card, Sagan expelled from the Tour.. Good move, these wild sprints on flat, uninteresting 200 km + stages need to end anyway. Today the finish was disputed by a handful of guys who'd done absolutely sod all for 5 hours or so. Getting them into to place to do their monkey tricks usually ends in serious riders ending on the deck a couple of times in the last 30km or so. Edited 4 July, 2017 by Window Cleaner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Alert Posted 4 July, 2017 Share Posted 4 July, 2017 The aerial view of the crash does look shocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 4 July, 2017 Share Posted 4 July, 2017 Roger Hammond implying that Sagan was a causative factor in the crash at 1.5Km as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 4 July, 2017 Share Posted 4 July, 2017 Cav out with a broken shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbyboy Posted 5 July, 2017 Author Share Posted 5 July, 2017 Reading a few people saying that Cav was already on his way down when Sagan's elbow went out. Doesn't matter, his elbow went out and made contact and people have been thrown out for similar in the past (thinking about that time they kicked out Mark Renshaw). Opens up the green competition for the first time in years though, esp since there are so many sprint stages this year. At least no sprint crash tomorrow... riding up the board of beautiful girls or whatever that mountain name translates as. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 5 July, 2017 Share Posted 5 July, 2017 It was a sh_it decision to kick Sagan out for what was no more than a racing incident. The elbow coming out was no more than an effort to stay upright himself. AD had moved right to left (head on view) causing chaos to start with. The whole event is now diminished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 5 July, 2017 Share Posted 5 July, 2017 It was a sh_it decision to kick Sagan out for what was no more than a racing incident. The elbow coming out was no more than an effort to stay upright himself. AD had moved right to left (head on view) causing chaos to start with. The whole event is now diminished. Sagan is certainly more than just a flat track sprinter. Bouhanni said Demarre took his ground as well, surprised that Demarre won at all really but that's probably a result of the fall about a mile out when Kittel got blocked I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 5 July, 2017 Share Posted 5 July, 2017 It was a sh_it decision to kick Sagan out for what was no more than a racing incident. The elbow coming out was no more than an effort to stay upright himself. AD had moved right to left (head on view) causing chaos to start with. The whole event is now diminished. Isn't there some regulation about having to keep a straight line in the last 200 metres? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 5 July, 2017 Share Posted 5 July, 2017 (edited) It was a sh_it decision to kick Sagan out for what was no more than a racing incident. The elbow coming out was no more than an effort to stay upright himself. AD had moved right to left (head on view) causing chaos to start with. The whole event is now diminished. Tend to agree. Sagan should not have been DQ'd. Cav had picked up ADs wheel after the last turn when the sprinters and the LB lead out man move to the left hand side of the road David Millar referred to as a stroke of genius by Cavendish on the live ITV4 commentary. With around 250m to go as Griepel's lead out drops off to the right there is a huge space on the right hand side. Cavendish is still on Demare's wheel and they are just about the only riders on the right. Kristoff, Bouhanni and Sagan are line astern on the white line in the centre of the road. At this point Cav still has ADs wheel and Sagan is behind Greipel close to the white line also. I reckon the true culprit was Kristoff who moved right and failed to hold his line when in the lead, Bouhanni tries to get on his wheel and Greipel muscles in and wobbles pushing Bouhanni towards Demare who moves right to avoid him. Cavendish follows Demare, Sagan drifts right as a result of Bouhanni and Griepel's ropy riding and begins to narrow Cav's gap. It doesn't look deliberate on his part, however to state that he didn't know Cav was there is a bit disingenuous as the former had been following Demare for around 150m during which Sagan had either been slightly behind or level with him. With 200m to go Kristoff went further right squeezing the space even more. Within a few pedal strokes Sagan has got on ADs wheel but is still going right and Cavendish is about a foot from the barrier. Demare is already moving right and Cav is leaning into Sagan to keep himself upright. Shortly after the elbow appears to come out as Sagan tries to counter balance appearing to catch Cavendish at the moment he was going down. Unfortunately a racing incident, triggered by Kristoff and exacerbated by Greipel and Bouhanni. If the commissaires need to look at anything it should be what those three were doing and to Demare's crazy switch left. Hardly holding your line in a sprint. Sagan was merely the ball the knocked the Cavendish skittle over not the bowler. Harsh! Edited 5 July, 2017 by Winnersaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherminator Posted 5 July, 2017 Share Posted 5 July, 2017 Harsh on Sagan, but not necessarily wrong. At best he was careless/clumsy. For me, its the cycling equivalent of an unintentional late tackle in the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 5 July, 2017 Share Posted 5 July, 2017 Sagan said that he was aware that Cavendish was there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 5 July, 2017 Share Posted 5 July, 2017 Sagan said that he was aware that Cavendish was there. "It's the sprint. I just didn't know that Mark is behind me, he's coming from the right side," Sagan added. "Mark was coming pretty fast from the back and after I just didn't have time to react, to go left, and he just came (into) me and after into the fence." On the one hand he says he didn't know Cav was there, but then implies he knew that he was coming up from behind. Can't have it both ways. Still very harsh. Sagans' deviations were the result of poor riding by others in the sprint which forced him so far right that Cavendish was squeezed out eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 6 July, 2017 Share Posted 6 July, 2017 Going to be a fair old drag today. 216 km with hardly a bump in the road to liven it up a bit. Guess we can look forward to a couple of crashes in the last 20 km or so, other than that a totally uninteresting stage, rest day on wheels for the GC riders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbyboy Posted 6 July, 2017 Author Share Posted 6 July, 2017 It's a measure of how much British success we have had when you we've got a Brit in yellow, another in white and so far the yellow has ONLY been on British shoulders in the race... and we're thinking it's a dull day. I remember in 1994 when Sean Yates got the yellow for ONE day and it was super exciting, or when Chris Boardman would win a Prologue... But it is all a bit boring out there today. Most exciting thing over here in the US is that the coverage on NBC is different this year... the 'ad free' streaming service that you can pay for is NOT featuring Liggett and Sherwen this year for the first time - they're doing the main NBC Sports channel coverage, but not the streaming one, where we've got the Aussie commentary from Matthew Keenan and Robbie McEwan (arguably a great improvement!). lots of moaning from subscribers though, so much so that as of today they've changed the streaming options and you can now choose if you want ad-free aussie commentary or Phil, Paul and their suitcase of courage (and lots and LOTS of adverts). We're coming over to the UK next week and it'll be quite a relief. Is it Ned Boulton and David Millar doing ITV4 again this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lets B Avenue Posted 6 July, 2017 Share Posted 6 July, 2017 We're coming over to the UK next week and it'll be quite a relief. Is it Ned Boulton and David Millar doing ITV4 again this year? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 6 July, 2017 Share Posted 6 July, 2017 I tend to have days like today on simply as background noise and only pay attention in the last 10km. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 6 July, 2017 Share Posted 6 July, 2017 I tend to have days like today on simply as background noise and only pay attention in the last 10km. Very wise, you could even stretch it out to the last 3km today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 7 July, 2017 Share Posted 7 July, 2017 Another long 200k of flatness today with yet another bunch sprint at the end - unless a big breakaway can manage to stay out! Another rest day for the GC contenders. Can Dan McLay get a win under his belt today??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 7 July, 2017 Share Posted 7 July, 2017 Another long 200k of flatness today with yet another bunch sprint at the end - unless a big breakaway can manage to stay out! Another rest day for the GC contenders. Can Dan McLay get a win under his belt today??? Yawn! Mind you I quite enjoy a journey through France from the air. Saw the Foret d'Orient signposted last weekend on the way back from the Alps as we headed from Troyes. Didn't realise it was so big, just looked like a few trees from the A26. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 7 July, 2017 Share Posted 7 July, 2017 Burgundy looked lovely today, I certainly mine a trip there. As for the race, that's the tightest finish I've ever seen. 0.0003 of a second or 6mm if you prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 8 July, 2017 Share Posted 8 July, 2017 Lots going on today with attacks from everywhere. Can't help but feel the coverage on ITV4 is being spoilt horrendously by all the adverts though! Every time something is happening, which today was most of the time, we went off for another ad break! It's like living in America! Looking forward to tomorrow with the three HCs. Will the race be neutralised with the break allowed to go on to the finish and Sky marking all the other teams out of the equation or will we see some cohones [sp] and some serious attacks on the hills? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 9 July, 2017 Share Posted 9 July, 2017 Wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 9 July, 2017 Share Posted 9 July, 2017 And to think the tour used to be won or lost on the big climbs, now it's on the descents that time is gained or lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 9 July, 2017 Share Posted 9 July, 2017 FdeJ lose 4 riders to time-out after leaving 3 behind to try to chaperone Demare through the stage, as AG2R blow the race apart, but ultimately for zero gain. Porte's crash looked particularly nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 9 July, 2017 Share Posted 9 July, 2017 F_uck. A. Duck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 11 July, 2017 Share Posted 11 July, 2017 Wow, feel for Barguil. As for Richie Porte, what can you say? Horrible crash. Medical people at BMC reckon 4 weeks before he's back on the bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 11 July, 2017 Share Posted 11 July, 2017 Wow, feel for Barguil. As for Richie Porte, what can you say? Horrible crash. Medical people at BMC reckon 4 weeks before he's back on the bike. 4 weeks sounds well short to me. Collarbone is usually fairly quick but the pelvic injury could take a while to heal. Porte says he hopes to be back in the bunch "by the end of the year". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 11 July, 2017 Share Posted 11 July, 2017 FdeJ lose 4 riders to time-out after leaving 3 behind to try to chaperone Demare through the stage, as AG2R blow the race apart, but ultimately for zero gain. Porte's crash looked particularly nasty. FDJ's tour group this year is as intriguing as their attitude; They put out a way out of condidition Pinot who just seemed to be there for the ride and the public effect. Demare won his stage and got green but then just fell away. Commentators suggested lack of sleep on a hot night in a hotel with no air conditioning but that just sounds like a palliative excuse to me. Something very wrong with the FDJ this tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 13 July, 2017 Share Posted 13 July, 2017 Froome is blown out of yellow in the slowest sprint finish you will ever see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 14 July, 2017 Share Posted 14 July, 2017 Excellent little stage today. If I were Froome and Aru I'd not have let Quintana go like that (if they had any choice that is). He's a 3rd week rider and there are a couple of big, big stages to come next week. Given that Sky don't want Landa any more I'd be wary of him as well. Movistar will snap him up and he might just give them a little advance on his next year's contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 19 July, 2017 Share Posted 19 July, 2017 Looking forward to tomorrow. They are riding roads I was on three weeks back. Down the Ornon towards Bourg d'Oisans then left along the the D1091 to Rochetaille before going right to Allemont. Up the dam (Love the dam climb) over the lake and past the Vaujany turn and the EDF HEP station before hitting the Glandon/Croix de Fer. I have unfinished business with the D926! Descent off the CdF will be sketchy, but valley road from St Jean du Maurienne should bring it back if any GC gets away. Telegraphe will be neutral but expect Bardet and Aru to kick it off on the Galibier. The drop to the Lauteret and from there to Serre Chavalier could be crucial. It's the sort of descent where if one rider gets away they could stay away. Hold on it's going to be a great afternoon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 19 July, 2017 Share Posted 19 July, 2017 Contador up the road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Kucho Posted 24 July, 2017 Share Posted 24 July, 2017 Can't help but feel a little underwhelmed with this years tour. Saw to few battle for the yellow jersey and Froome rode very conservative. Hope to see the return of the team time trial next year and more mountain stages. If Yates can work on his time trials he could be a contender for the podium next year. Just a few years ago David Millar was the only British rider, now we have contenders for the yellow and green jersey, with some talented riders coming through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 24 July, 2017 Share Posted 24 July, 2017 Can't help but feel a little underwhelmed with this years tour. Saw to few battle for the yellow jersey and Froome rode very conservative. Hope to see the return of the team time trial next year and more mountain stages. If Yates can work on his time trials he could be a contender for the podium next year. Just a few years ago David Millar was the only British rider, now we have contenders for the yellow and green jersey, with some talented riders coming through. Too many riders eliminated or diminished by crashes due to overexcitement in the bunch and crappy downhillers where leading riders were trying to steal a couple of seconds. Not enough summit finishes. Unequal judging, not enough time trialling. Tour was made for Bardet but he didn't have the level needed to attack 10-15 km out on the big final climbs. Valverde's elimination after 5 minutes or so weighed heavily on the tour, not much over 2000 metres so he would have attacked pretty often. Unequal teams didn't help either, Contador wasn't really on song but his team were of no real help to him either. Idem Quintana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 25 July, 2017 Share Posted 25 July, 2017 (edited) Agree with the consensus that this despite being the closest race for years was one of the most boring. ASO tried to gerrymander a Bardet victory but failed. Course design was so blatantly geared that way. The only stages that stood out for me were Planche de Belle Filles and Peyregudes. Too many long ones for sprinters and no Tom Demoulin. Will be interesting next year, Froome will be 33. Indurain was 31 when he won his fifth Tour, Hinault and Anquetil were 30 and Mercx 29. The only older rider to win a post war yellow jersey was Cadel Evans in a race where Wiggins was pretty much nailed on until he crashed out.This race was effectively decided in Dusseldorf and bookended in Marseille. Edited 25 July, 2017 by Winnersaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 25 July, 2017 Share Posted 25 July, 2017 AG2R rode a good race on a course designed for them bit the other teams are just too weak to challenge an uber professional Team Sky and bar Badet, the leaders are mentally too weak to challenge Froome. I'll always prefer the one day racing in the heartlands. Proper racing with proper racers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Kucho Posted 25 July, 2017 Share Posted 25 July, 2017 AG2R rode a good race on a course designed for them bit the other teams are just too weak to challenge an uber professional Team Sky and bar Badet, the leaders are mentally too weak to challenge Froome. I'll always prefer the one day racing in the heartlands. Proper racing with proper racers. Sky do have by far the biggest budget of all teams. Riders like Landa, Thomas and Kwiatkowski would be the main rider at any of the other teams. I am hugely impressed with how professional Sky are and how they work on the smallest detail. Sky's team time trials are amazing, how well they ride and inch perfect. Sky must be by far the best place for a rider to develop his skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 25 July, 2017 Share Posted 25 July, 2017 AG2R rode a good race on a course designed for them bit the other teams are just too weak to challenge an uber professional Team Sky and bar Badet, the leaders are mentally too weak to challenge Froome. I'll always prefer the one day racing in the heartlands. Proper racing with proper racers. Concur, real cycling season is from Omloop to LBL. Always liked the Vuelta though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 25 July, 2017 Share Posted 25 July, 2017 Sky's team time trials are amazing, how well they ride and inch perfect. But BMC, Orica, and Quick Step tend to beat them in the UCI events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 25 July, 2017 Share Posted 25 July, 2017 My Doris and I are heading over to Holland and Belgium to watch the ENICO tour, or at least some of it. Always fast and furious until they hit the hills and with Sagan and the other World Tour big hitters there it's always a good fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 10 September, 2017 Share Posted 10 September, 2017 So, with the tour and now the vuelta under his belt, will Froome finally get the recognition he deserves, particularly from the British public? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 10 September, 2017 Share Posted 10 September, 2017 So, with the tour and now the vuelta under his belt, will Froome finally get the recognition he deserves, particularly from the British public? If he lived here for a bit he might, at least Wiggo grew up in London and now lives near Chorley. Froome was effecively Kenyan until he ws 23. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 10 September, 2017 Share Posted 10 September, 2017 So, with the tour and now the vuelta under his belt, will Froome finally get the recognition he deserves, particularly from the British public? Hope so! really does put him right up their with the greats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 12 September, 2017 Share Posted 12 September, 2017 World Champs fast approaching and I'm going for Sagan to make it 3 in a row. He looked awesome in Quebec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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