The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Bold Seagull]

So Sky give into media pressure, rightly probably and release some of Froome's power data. The French 2 claim of 7W per kg seems a wild estimate compared to the actual 5.78W per kg.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/21/team-sky-chris-froome-performance-data-stage-10

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

So Sky give into media pressure, rightly probably and release some of Froome's power data. The French 2 claim of 7W per kg seems a wild estimate compared to the actual 5.78W per kg.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/21/team-sky-chris-froome-performance-data-stage-10

It was the right thing to do and the power output are fairly modest considering the pasting he dished out. Odd that the professional "estimators" are usually very accurate but we're a fair way out on this.

Either way, it backs up the idea that the others really are going badly if they can't out out 5.9w/kg.

 

[1066familyman]

Looking good for rain tomorrow Here's hoping for some GC action on that final descent from the usual three descending suspects, but I wouldn't be surprised if I end up disappointed again.

For those who didn't see it first time around. Here is the Allos descent that Bardet won on in this years Dauphine. Tomorrow's stage is exactly the same as this one from the Dauphine. It's scary stuff!

 

[Stat Brother]

It was the right thing to do and the power output are fairly modest considering the pasting he dished out. Odd that the professional "estimators" are usually very accurate but we're a fair way out on this.

Either way, it backs up the idea that the others really are going badly if they can't out out 5.9w/kg.

One of the podcasts did make a forgotten point.

'Had it not been for the crosswinds Quintana is actually 1 minute behind Froome, in actual racing'.
'That's exactly where everybody would expect him to be, with this Alpine route ahead of the race'.

It's no surprise Nibs and Contador aren't the force we demanded of the 'Quatro Galaticos'.
If anything, if they were, that would have been more of a shock than Froome's lead.

 

[Bold Seagull]

One of the podcasts did make a forgotten point.

'Had it not been for the crosswinds Quintana is actually 1 minute behind Froome, in actual racing'.
'That's exactly where everybody would expect him to be, with this Alpine route ahead of the race'.

It's no surprise Nibs and Contador aren't the force we demanded of the 'Quatro Galaticos'.
If anything, if they were, that would have been more of a shock than Froome's lead.

So the French can stop throwing piss hopefully!

 

[Triggaaar]

So the French can stop throwing piss hopefully!

Don't push it.

Maybe some of those on this thread that have doubted Froome can post an update?

Obviously we don't know 100% that anyone is ever clean, but I don't see a reason to doubt Chris.

 

[wakeytom]

One of the podcasts did make a forgotten point.

'Had it not been for the crosswinds Quintana is actually 1 minute behind Froome, in actual racing'.
'That's exactly where everybody would expect him to be, with this Alpine route ahead of the race'.

It's no surprise Nibs and Contador aren't the force we demanded of the 'Quatro Galaticos'.
If anything, if they were, that would have been more of a shock than Froome's lead.

Which one was that Stat, what is the best podcast so far, I want to listen to one during the final week but only have time for one

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Which one was that Stat, what is the best podcast so far, I want to listen to one during the final week but only have time for one

It was mentioned on the telegraph cycling podcast, don't be put off by the sponsors, its a great listen, they do a 15 minute one in the morning on a subject i.e. crashes, food, sponsors, then a 45 minute one after the race finish (live at 6pm on Wednesdays) what makes it good is they have journalists from Italy and France, they like their food and its a good mix of geek and chat.

I like the velocast but Stat will ban me if I promote it too much, two Scottish guys who cycle around Pebbles and just watch it on telly and tweet a lot. It costs though, but they do more output over the year than any other podcast, Giro, classics, track, world cup etc etc

Then if I have time after those, Hayes and Brotherton on Bespoke the BBC podcast

ITV (especially if Matt Rendell makes an appearance)

If I need a fix dip into

Cycling news

Cycling weekly

 

[Stat Brother]

Which one was that Stat, what is the best podcast so far, I want to listen to one during the final week but only have time for one

As HHI says The Telegraph Cycling Podcast is easily the best, of a good bunch, with Velocast being the exception that proves the rule :spit:

The AM 'Kilometre 0' show isn't time sensitive but still very good.
The PM catch up show is the main listen, sometime before the next stage.
They've comfortably had over 1 million downloads throughout the tour, a fact I think they're a little surprised about.

I also like the ITV show.

I don't bother with any others.
BBC's Bespoke is a little 'dry' when compared to the 2 above.

 

[Stat Brother]

Tour de France 2015 Stage 17: Digne-les-Bains - Pra-Loup, 161 km





Stats & Facts

Pra Loup hosts the Tour for the third time, and the race crosses the Col d’Allos for the third time.
The Col de Colle St Michel, the first significant Alpine climb of the 2015 Tour, appears on the route for the very first time. It’s 11 kilometres long, with an average gradient of 5.2 per cent.
There are three Alpine summit finishes in the 2015 Tour, the most since 1996.

Prognostication

Well here we go.
The race will follow the usual pattern, and split into 3.
Stage win hunters.
GC.
&
Everybody else.

Froome should have enough to make this formulaic, certainly over Nibs, Contador and TJVG.
The chin scratching hangs over AVV.
He's the only man that can change the 'procession', isolate Froome, and set the race up for Quintana.
The question is - will he?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Will be nice to get back to racing after a day of discussing telegraph poles, braking zones, jersey respect, man love, oval chainrings, power data, and finishing second, again.

 

[armchairclubber]

Really been looking forward to todays stage since Bardet attack near summit and hair raising descent of Col d'Allos in the Dauphine. Hoping for a real spectacle.

 

[Triggaaar]

Looking forward to this.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

For those who didn't see it first time around. Here is the Allos descent that Bardet won on in this years Dauphine. Tomorrow's stage is exactly the same as this one from the Dauphine. It's scary stuff!

Scary, insanely fast, incredible bike handling skills, gorgeous scenery. All the things I enjoy most about bike racing....

 

[1066familyman]

Blimey it's all kicking off. Quintana has had a dig already and it's shelling riders out the back rapido. TJVG apparently is one of those dropped.

 

[Triggaaar]

Blimey it's all kicking off. Quintana has had a dig already and it's shelling riders out the back rapido. TJVG apparently is one of those dropped.

TJVG is sick, I don't think it's because of Quintana.

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

This seems to be getting very interesting very early!

Why are two Sky riders in the break?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Why are two Sky riders in the break?

To police such a large break, provide a bridge for Froome later on and have an outside chance of the stage win!

Looks like TJvG's day to go pop is today!

 

[wakeytom]

To police such a large break, provide a bridge for Froome later on and have an outside chance of the stage win!

Looks like TJvG's day to go pop is today!

All done, sad sight to see, he looked in a bad way as he got off the bike, I know its alot of emotions but he almost didnt look there in mind and looked wiped out

 

[strings]

I am starting to like the way that Froome (or at least sky's sponsors) aren't simply assuming he is going to win.

The first day that he was in yellow, he was on a normal bike (Cancellara and Martin yellow had ready-made yellow bikes). The second time he was in yellow, he had his normal bike with a few yellow stickers on, and it took about a week for Pinerello to send out a custom bike.

The same for his bibshorts - he didn't seem to have any ready - he carried on wearing the usual team sky ones for a few days before Rapha sent him some with a yellow stripe on.

Today, I notice that Froome is wearing yellow shoes, having worn 'team sky-blue' shoes for the whole tour.

His sponsors certainly aren't taking anything for granted. I like that.