The Official 100th Tour de France thread, 2013.

[Pantani]

Will Kittel get over that lump?

Yes, to quote INRNG 'It’s not steep, it’s not long, it’s not narrow. It’s nothing.'

Eddie Boss going home would be a huge blow for Sky if Froome was not already three and a half minutes clear. Not sure the other GC guys are going to attack him, unfortunately.

 

[keaton]

To what extent was last year settled on a TT though. Wiggins was ahead before either of the proper TTs wasn't he and didn't lose any time that I can remember on climbs?
The main thing from the last two years is that Sky seem to have managed to nullify their leader's climbing 'weakness'

 

[teaboy]

I bet Nibali is kicking himself at the moment....

 

[Stat Brother]

Yes, to quote INRNG 'It’s not steep, it’s not long, it’s not narrow. It’s nothing.'

Unlike the almost u-turn dog leg right @ 700 metres to go!

 

[Stat Brother]

This time loss is going to be massive.
To get to 12 seconds but not be able to get back on would be heart breaking for any other rider.
But as it's AVV, it's funny!!

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

OPQS putting in so much work at the front, Cav would want to win this or it'll all have been a waste of energy.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Hope Cav wins it today. To keep up on the pace as it's been all day is a damn good effort for a sprinter in his mould.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

That might be Cav's best ever sprint win given the pressure and speed that was being poured on all day.

I can see a lot or retirements coming up once the mountains start. Been a hectic pace almost every day.

 

[Stat Brother]

Wow what a flat transitional stage that was, I'm not too sure where to being.

Why didn't Froome go with Contador.
He (well we all) could see Saxo massing, it was pretty obvious what was going to happen.
CF seemed to sit up and get on his radio??

Brilliant stuff by OPQS.
Then for Cav to do what CF couldn't, and nail Saxo, great riding.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Froome was smart to not go with the I think.

Saxo and Belkin worked their butts off to get a minute back. Froome sat back and didn't over extend himself and saved his legs for the mountains.

Added he knows he's got another time trial to come he can smash them in.

 

[Stat Brother]

Froome was smart to not go with the I think.

Saxo and Belkin worked their butts off to get a minute back. Froome sat back and didn't over extend himself and saved his legs for the mountains.

Added he knows he's got another time trial to come he can smash them in.

True, but every time Team Sky get smashed apart, he looks increasingly weaker.
Roman K has a big part to play in this race.


Cracking interview with Cav.
Had Ned said 'now run through that wall', I think Cav would have done.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

True, but every time Team Sky get smashed apart, he looks increasingly weaker.
Roman K has a big part to play in this race.


Cracking interview with Cav.
Had Ned said 'now run through that wall', I think Cav would have done.

Cadel Evans won his tour with very little help. His was all about following wheels and marking the right break aways.

The bonus for Froome is that Belkin are doing very well. Saxo can't just team up on Froome because Belikin will also be marking their moves too.

 

[Stat Brother]

Talking of Belkin - that's a cracking bit of business by them &

[tweet]355710349611245568[/tweet]

 

[black & white seagull]

Definitely looked as if Froome took advice over the radio about the breakaway. Without it, he might have put the hammer down and the outcome could have been quite different.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Definitely looked as if Froome took advice over the radio about the breakaway. Without it, he might have put the hammer down and the outcome could have been quite different.

Definitely. It's one of the situations where radios impact on the racing, I'm sure froome's instinct was to jump across the gap.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Win or lose, Cav's post-match interviews are always utterly cringeworthy. The bloke's completely bi-polar

 

[Stat Brother]

Definitely. It's one of the situations where radios impact on the racing, I'm sure froome's instinct was to jump across the gap.

I'm beginning to review that.

If Cav is last man and has just lite the turbo boosters, CF ain't following even if he was on Cav's wheel, which he wasn't.

 

[1066familyman]

Was late settling down to watch the stage tonight and feeling tired so nearly went for just the highlights recording for the first time this Tour. Thankfully I opted for the usual full on live recording instead and bloody hell am I glad I did! Hurray for echelons and teams willing to exploit them! - that was absolutely superb racing today

Brilliant ride by Cav to stay with the Saxo team time trial and so ensure the stage win. Job done by OPQS to drop Kittel but to then go with the GC break and shed Greipel too was a master stroke. Sounds like from his post race interview that Froome just missed the Saxo break and wasn't going to get across even he wanted to. But as Tyrone and Il say, probably told not to even try when he talked on the radio and save some energy for Sunday. Jumping the gun here (as usual) but would absolutely love Mollema to get a podium spot in Paris as Belkin have been solid so far.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I'm beginning to review that.

If Cav is last man and has just lite the turbo boosters, CF ain't following even if he was on Cav's wheel, which he wasn't.

Froome has the TT power to close that gap. He just sat up.

 

[1066familyman]

Froome has the TT power to close that gap. He just sat up.

I'm not so sure he could have you know, but agree that he probably just sat up on team orders. I think instinctively he would have tried to close it though given the choice as he's that sort of aggressive rider.

That was an extremely strong group with some good TT'ers in there and a very committed and strong Saxo team in numbers. From his interview Froome pretty much said that anyone not making the break straight away would just have to be resigned to not getting across. Cav seemed to back this up too in saying that he only just made it as last man on, and it looked like he had to dig pretty deep to stay with it. Rogers was pretty smug about it, and rightly so I suppose as it was a good move, although only time will tell just how good it really was as they may yet pay for that effort.