The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[strings]

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

Yes, it is sad, but let's look at the important issue here... G is up to 5th!!

 

[wakeytom]

Yes, it is sad, but let's look at the important issue here... G is up to 5th!!

That is a good point, would love to see him on the podium in Paris

 

[Official Old Man]

Toilet break. Around 13:35 Le Tour went through what is designated a 'toilet break' area. Loads of the riders lined a wall letting it all hang out, except that a train was stopped full of passengers getting what must have been quite an eyeful.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Good ride from Talansky today....and a few more points gathered for my fantasy team! Hope he can do some more in the last few days as he's been pretty anonymous so far this tour.

 

[Triggaaar]

Yes, it is sad, but let's look at the important issue here... G is up to 5th!!

That is a good point, would love to see him on the podium in Paris

Make that 4th.

 

[Postman Pat]

Is AVV going to have to try something mad to attempt to break Froome and help Qintana, thus putting his 3rd place at risk or will Movistar be happy with 2&3?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Is AVV going to have to try something mad to attempt to break Froome and help Qintana, thus putting his 3rd place at risk or will Movistar be happy with 2&3?

Ha, I think it's killing valverde that there's a movistar above him on gc - no way he's risking it for quintana!

 

[1066familyman]

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

I was reading the live ticker from the start of the race as I like to see how the break forms and who's doing what as we often don't get live pictures from the very start of each stage. At that point it was the usual fast paced chaos as breaks were trying to form and at one point Quintana attacked as well, shelling a lot of riders in the process. It wasn't known at that point that TJVG was sick.

I feel for TJVG as at one point he did actually get back onto the GC group. He's had a really good Tour up to now so it's even more of a shame for him to go out like this, but to be brutally honest I don't think he was ever going to podium as he always has a bad day in the mountains and loses a lot of time.

Brilliant stage to watch today. Very nice win for Geschke with a nice move from a fair way out - very worthy winner. Comical to see Pinot lose any chance of a stage win on that descent. I thought he was supposed to have worked on his fear of descending, but even before that little off, which couldn't have done his confidence any good, it was clear he still has a lot of work to do in that department.

Shame for Bert to crash and lose time like that, but the upside is it just means he'll be attacking from even further out that usual in the next few days now. Good to see some GC digs going on but it just looks like no one is going to gap Froome unless he can be isolated very early on. Top ride by Froome today to stay with Nibs on that descent, and covered every attack that he needed to going uphill when he was more isolated than he's been all Tour. Chapeau for that.

 

[Stat Brother]

Re TJVG it's all the more ironic that BMC have now signed Porte - Are they praying the bad days will cancel each other out?

Cracking stage again.
Other than Roache staying in no mans land Sky did a pretty decent job.
I can't believe how much of a trademark G's shades were, now he's not wearing them he looks weird.
Froome looked like a yellow jersey wearer should for the up down and up again.
Loving CF's now usual attack in the last 100m, a proper f*** you.

I really felt for Pinot.
Sure we all knew it was going to happen, then it did.
You'd have to be wired a little bit wrong to then carry on as if nothing had happened.

I know I promised I wouldn't but I have to have a P & P grumble.
Froome hanging onto the team car, talking tactics.
We would have heard every word if Liggett wasn't bibbling on about something completely inane.

FFS.

 

[1066familyman]

Re TJVG it's all the more ironic that BMC have now signed Porte - Are they praying the bad days will cancel each other out?

Cracking stage again.
Other than Roache staying in no mans land Sky did a pretty decent job.
I can't believe how much of a trademark G's shades were, now he's not wearing them he looks weird.
Froome looked like a yellow jersey wearer should for the up down and up again.
Loving CF's now usual attack in the last 100m, a proper f*** you.

I really felt for Pinot.
Sure we all knew it was going to happen, then it did.
You'd have to be wired a little bit wrong to then carry on as if nothing had happened.

I know I promised I wouldn't but I have to have a P & P grumble.
Froome hanging onto the team car, talking tactics.
We would have heard every word if Liggett wasn't bibbling on about something completely inane.

FFS.

I think BMC might find themselves with quite a few one week stage race wins from now on. If they were to sign Simon Spilak as well they could totally clean up in that department

Not sure if they have any plans to actually sign a proper GT contender at any point.

 

[Pantani]

On the P&P note, we get them here in the states as well. Makes me wonder how it works as they do all sorts of channel specific stuff

I think they get cut off before the adverts on ITV, then Imlach or someone says something or they do a little feature. During that time they are doing the American channel stuff. If they could just save the AMGEN Tour of California and SANTOS Tour Down Under chat for the Americans/Aussies that would be fantastic too.

 

[Pantani]

I think BMC might find themselves with quite a few one week stage race wins from now on. If they were to sign Simon Spilak as well they could totally clean up in that department

Not sure if they have any plans to actually sign a proper GT contender at any point.

Maybe sign Rui Costa for the Tour de Suisse as well. Just let him go before he has a chance to win any proper races...

Though Nibali is rumoured to be moving, BMC would be a little bit of a leap but who else could afford him?

 

[1066familyman]

Maybe sign Rui Costa for the Tour de Suisse as well. Just let him go before he has a chance to win any proper races...

Though Nibali is rumoured to be moving, BMC would be a little bit of a leap but who else could afford him?

That would indeed be the one week stage race dream team. How many times has Rui Costa won Tour de Suisse now, 4 or 5 already isn't it? Probably only didn't win it this year because he chose to ride the Dauphine instead Spilak, Porte & TJ can draw lots over the rest while Rui goes stage hunting.

I thought that Vino invite to Nibali to do one has now been withdrawn?

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 17 result

1 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 4:12:17
2 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:32
3 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:01:01
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:01:36
5 Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:01:40
6 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:02:27
7 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky 0:03:02
8 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:04
9 Serge Pauwels (Bel) MTN - Qhubeka 0:03:05
10 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge 0:03:21
11 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:04:26
12 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka 0:04:50
13 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:04:54
14 Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka 0:05:55
15 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:05:58
16 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:06:06
17 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Team Europcar 0:06:55
18 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:07:16
19 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Lampre-Merida
20 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky

Teams It'll be rude not to join the love-in.

1 MTN - Qhubeka 12:50:41
2 Movistar Team 0:03:53
3 Team Sky 0:04:46

General classification after stage 17

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 69:06:49
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:03:10
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:09
4 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:06:34
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:06:40

 

[Pantani]

That would indeed be the one week stage race dream team. How many times has Rui Costa won Tour de Suisse now, 4 or 5 already isn't it? Probably only didn't win it this year because he chose to ride the Dauphine instead Spilak, Porte & TJ can draw lots over the rest while Rui goes stage hunting.

I thought that Vino invite to Nibali to do one has now been withdrawn?

Maybe so, but if you are Nibali would you stay there after all this? Vino balling him out because he is not on top form, whilst they send a much much stronger team to the Giro to support Aru. Plus all the doping whispers, I would be gone like a shot if I was Nibali.

 

[Stat Brother]

Maybe so, but if you are Nibali would you stay there after all this? Vino balling him out because he is not on top form, whilst they send a much much stronger team to the Giro to support Aru. Plus all the doping whispers, I would be gone like a shot if I was Nibali.

Sky wanted him before he went to Astana.

QuickStep could be looking for a change of focus if they don't resign Cav, and Uran heads back to Sky.
That would certainly free up enough cash.

 

[wakeytom]

Sky wanted him before he went to Astana.

QuickStep could be looking for a change of focus if they don't resign Cav, and Uran heads back to Sky.
That would certainly free up enough cash.

Is there not a chance of Froome moving on now a la Wiggins, if so though would that just mean that someone like G would become the main rider or would they bring someone else in like Nibs?

 

[Triggaaar]

Is there not a chance of Froome moving on now a la Wiggins, if so though would that just mean that someone like G would become the main rider or would they bring someone else in like Nibs?

Wiggins moved on because Froome became the number one, and didn't want Wiggins there. Why would Froome move on?

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Thomas will replace Porte and become Sky's #1 in the Giro.

 

[Stat Brother]

Is there not a chance of Froome moving on now a la Wiggins, if so though would that just mean that someone like G would become the main rider or would they bring someone else in like Nibs?

In a word NO!

Even if he doesn't win this tour Froome's a bona fide grand tour winner, irrespective of the course.
The same couldn't have been said of Wiggins.

With only 1 year age wise, between G & CF, their could be some Tour ego 'issues' in the future.
I guess that would depend on all the stuff that happens behind closed doors.



Apparently G nearly left Sky last year. (the rumour might have been BMC, I can't quite remember)