[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[Saunders]

A Roche like performance? Do me a favour!

Not sure whether it's just the hot weather getting me all titsy.
Nibs and Porte crashing out.
The usual Sky bollox, or just getting too into the World Cup instead. But I can't remember a TdF I've been more underwhelmed by, and dare I say it, less interested in.

It still wasn't a Roche performance though.

This reminded me of the mountain stage where Roche unexpectedly stayed in the yellow when they lost transmission on a very similar climb battle he didnt win the stage and pretty much won him the tour. I will do you a favour when G wins it. So you are buying into the crying French booing Sky bollocks. These are the same "fans" that punched Eddy Merckx and Froome.

 

[1066familyman]

This reminded me of the mountain stage where Roche unexpectedly stayed in the yellow when they lost transmission on a very similar climb battle he didnt win the stage and pretty much won him the tour. I will do you a favour when G wins it. So you are buying into the crying French booing Sky bollocks. These are the same "fans" that punched Eddy Merckx and Froome.

I know exactly the Roche stage you're talking about. Which is why I'm laughing at comparing G today to that memorable piece of history.

 

[Saunders]

I know exactly the Roche stage you're talking about. Which is why I'm laughing at comparing G today to that memorable piece of history.

As I say laugh when he wins it.

 

[1066familyman]

As I say laugh when he wins it.

I'm not laughing at the suggestion he'll win it. If it doesn't win it now, it'll be surprising.

I'm merely laughing at the stage comparison you made. Nothing more.

 

[Triggaaar]

Just been chatting to the team on Procycling mag and they agree with you. They all said that Yates would never have made it.

He only won it by 15 seconds from Yates, and while towards the end he wouldn't have quite been flat-out, I'd imagine he was closer to his limit than Yates was after the fall. And Yates lost 20 seconds in the fall, so I'm not convinced.

 

[Bedsex]

Has anyone on here bought a bike from ubyk in Sydney Street? If so, what are they like?

I fancy an Orro Venturi in Sussex Blue and they seem to be one of the few stockists of this bike. They also offer interest free credit, which also appeals.

 

[Normal Rob]

He only won it by 15 seconds from Yates, and while towards the end he wouldn't have quite been flat-out, I'd imagine he was closer to his limit than Yates was after the fall. And Yates lost 20 seconds in the fall, so I'm not convinced.

That's one of the beauties of sport isn't it. It's not what you know, it's what you'll never know that intrigues.

 

[Triggaaar]

That's one of the beauties of sport isn't it. It's not what you know, it's what you'll never know that intrigues.

It's a summer of could have beens for the Yates.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Not sure whether it's just the hot weather getting me all titsy.

I think it might be!

 

[Bold Seagull]

He only won it by 15 seconds from Yates, and while towards the end he wouldn't have quite been flat-out, I'd imagine he was closer to his limit than Yates was after the fall. And Yates lost 20 seconds in the fall, so I'm not convinced.

Hypothetical but once Yates went down, Alaphilippe didn't have to go all out after the 1km, in fact he pretty much coasted in. Had he been chasing, who knows, so the time gap to Yates after the fall is pretty much irrelevant to what might have happened had not. I thought he had the form to hang on though too.

 

[Triggaaar]

Hypothetical but once Yates went down, Alaphilippe didn't have to go all out after the 1km, in fact he pretty much coasted in.

He was checking over his shoulder every 5 seconds, and as I said in my post, I agree he wasn't all out, but then Yates wasn't all out for the remainder of the descent or the run-in.

Had he been chasing, who knows

My guess is that he'd have caught Yates by the bottom of the descent, and then they'd have had a sprint finish, and maybe I'm wrong but I fancied Yates for that.

 

[Triggaaar]

For me it wasn't an epic mountains stage in terms of GC competing on the final climb, and (probably like you?) I've seen an awful lot since 80's. Some amazing spectacles in the past of the race leader or thereabouts, before your own eyes breaking his GC competitors.

Forget the drug fuelled freaks of yesteryear, attack after attack after attack is not sustainable for clean athletes.

 

[Triggaaar]

fair point. Only meant it for this Tour, and i'm not certain of that either but don't think he can pull it off. I hope he gives it a shot though, would be fantastic viewing.

He just needs to attack Tom so that there's a back-up plan if G has an accident or similar. Can't see him overhauling G though, and although Chris would obviously love to win in the same years as the Giro, I hope he's happy for a man who's given him so much over recent years.

 

[1066familyman]

I think it might be!

You may well be right

 

[1066familyman]

He was checking over his shoulder every 5 seconds, and as I said in my post, I agree he wasn't all out, but then Yates wasn't all out for the remainder of the descent or the run-in.

My guess is that he'd have caught Yates by the bottom of the descent, and then they'd have had a sprint finish, and maybe I'm wrong but I fancied Yates for that.

You fancied Yates in a sprint with Alaphillipe!

 

[pb21]

Forget the drug fuelled freaks of yesteryear, attack after attack after attack is not sustainable for clean athletes.

This one always makes my chuckle.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6WRqxW9Jyt8

 

[Triggaaar]

Slightly controversial view, but I don't think G has necessarily shown himself to be the strongest rider in the race so far (physically at least) and has benefited greatly from being Froome's team-mate. On several occasions this tour: in particular today and on the two stages he won, he has been able to just follow Dumoulin time-trialing up the mountain for a not inconsiderable amount of time, on each occasion because Dumoulin was either trying to distance or catch up to Froome.

Am not saying Dumoulin has necessarily looked stronger than G, but I don't think we've really been able to tell. Is amazing really that we're just 3 days from Paris and I think I can count on my hand the number of times G hasn't been following the wheel.

Not saying he doesn't deserve it, and teams are obviously a huge part of winning a grand tour but I do feel like the cards have fallen his way slightly.

Well Tom had a mechanical in I think the first hill stage, and down a minute down on G, so he's not had the best luck (same for Froome with the crash) but following a wheel isn't that easy up the mountains and Tom has commented that G is the strongest rider in this year's tour. I'm not saying that makes it definitive by any means, but he's just looked so comfortable in the mountains.

 

[Triggaaar]

Or maybe, just maybe, it's all been pretty dull because Bardet and Quintana have been poor, and Nibs and Porte crashed out. Tom D and Froome doubling up too.

G wins by default. But then I suppose if he stays upright until Paris, then he probably deserves it.

Christ that's harsh. Ok I agree on Tom and Froome, but Bardet and Quintana haven't shown tour winning strength for years, and I don't think Nibs or Porte would be beating G on this form either.

 

[pb21]

Well Tom had a mechanical in I think the first hill stage, and down a minute down on G, so he's not had the best luck (same for Froome with the crash) but following a wheel isn't that easy up the mountains and Tom has commented that G is the strongest rider in this year's tour. I'm not saying that makes it definitive by any means, but he's just looked so comfortable in the mountains.

The hilly TT will tell us who of the GC group is strongest, suspect it will be Thomas.

 

[Triggaaar]

You fancied Yates in a sprint with Alaphillipe!

Would Julian win then? Maybe I've unfairly judged him after seeing him lose a few.