The Official, 103rd Tour de France, thread

[1066familyman]

Think someone needs to have a serious word at Cofidis. A team good only for breakaways now and yet they still haven't had a single rider in a break yet if I'm remembering right.

Think they need a few tips from Bora Argon.

 

[Pantani]

Worth noting that we start Stage 6 with all 198 riders still in the race. The last time this happened that Stage 6 was started with all the riders was 2000.

I think if we get all the way through today, that is the furthest ever without any abandons.

 

[Pantani]

Think someone needs to have a serious word at Cofidis. A team good only for breakaways now and yet they still haven't had a single rider in a break yet if I'm remembering right.

Think they need a few tips from Bora Argon.

Indeed impressive stuff from Bora Argon. Cofidis and Lampre really need to pull their collective fingers out.

 

[pb21]

That is worth noting because, as you say, it's very rare to get to this stage without abandons. Massive reapect must go to Sam Bennett and Michael Morkov who are clearly suffering badly after that stage one horrendous crash yet refuse to give up, despite hanging off the back of the peloton every day since.

The fact Morkov is still in the race is very impressive, hopefully he will make it to Paris and win the Lanterne Rouge!

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Think someone needs to have a serious word at Cofidis. A team good only for breakaways now and yet they still haven't had a single rider in a break yet if I'm remembering right.

Think they need a few tips from Bora Argon.

Cofidis have been pretty poor for a while now. Looking at their results over the last few years it appears that the last stages they won at the TDF were both in 2008 with Sylvain Chavanel & Samuel Dumoulin? Apart from winning a couple of mountain classifications in the Vuelta since then, and a handful of stage wins in shorter races by Bouhanni over the last couple of years, they've haven't done a whole lot else.
If they weren't French they probably wouldn't even get an invite to the Grand Depart each year.

 

[Stat Brother]

Bunch sprint it is then, another quiet stage, back in 2 hours.



Cofidis were 'lucky' to pick up Boohoo when they did, they must have worn out even Le Tour's patience prior to that.
The fact they've regressed straight back to the norm, is amazing. .

 

[Bold Seagull]

.

!!boom!!

 

[Bozza]

Very impressive from Cav again - made it look very easy.

 

[Stat Brother]

Yep another great ride, he really is spoiling us.

Chapeau Cav.


I didn't realise Dan McLay (125/1 this morning) was the fella that did that epic sprint earlier in the season.

http://video.eurosport.fr/cyclisme/gp-de-denain/2016/gp-denain-mclay-a-sa-main_vid667804/video.shtml

 

[Pantani]

Cav is just faster than Kittel. The earlier stages left you under some doubt about whether it was timing and tactics. This time it is clear, Cav has the fastest kick in the race. He could easily get three more stages before the end of this Tour, providing he wants to ride it all.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Cav is just faster than Kittel. The earlier stages left you under some doubt about whether it was timing and tactics. This time it is clear, Cav has the fastest kick in the race. He could easily get three more stages before the end of this Tour, providing he wants to ride it all.

He's just said he should have put a bigger gear on as he max'd out as it was!

That was just out and out sensational sprinting, he had it all to do and smashed it. Honestly didn't think we'd see him back beating Kittel and Griepel, but he is taking them apart. It's like the clocks have gone back 5 years!

 

[pb21]

Cav is just faster than Kittel. The earlier stages left you under some doubt about whether it was timing and tactics. This time it is clear, Cav has the fastest kick in the race. He could easily get three more stages before the end of this Tour, providing he wants to ride it all.

Cavendish has got the better of Kittel for sure, but I'm not so sure he is faster, Mclay looked quickest to me. Cavendish timed and positioned his sprint perfectly to get the win.

 

[1066familyman]

Loving this Cav renaissance

We really are being treated to some great sprint finishes here from all the sprinters.

Big chapeau to Dan McLay! Actually mixing it with the big boys already after looking really good in small races this season.

There's a young British climbing equivalent this season. It's Hugh Carthy riding for Caja Rural. If he gets selected for the Vuelta this year then be very excited indeed!

 

[perseus]

Cavendish has got the better of Kittel for sure, but I'm not so sure he is faster, Mclay looked quickest to me. Cavendish timed and positioned his sprint perfectly to get the win.

Cav was maxed out (he said). A higher gear and he may have won more easily?

 

[Stat Brother]

1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data 4:43:48
2 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step
3 Daniel Mclay (GBr) Fortuneo - Vital Concept
4 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
5 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
6 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
7 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
8 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
9 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie
10 Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Argon 18

The other end of GC

189 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 0:43:01
190 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha 0:43:17
191 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data 0:43:48
192 Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Argon 18 0:43:52
193 Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:44:40
194 Leigh Howard (Aus) IAM Cycling 0:45:42
195 Natnael Berhane (Eri) Dimension Data 0:45:59
196 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal 0:58:36
197 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18 1:02:31
198 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha 1:16:47

 

[1066familyman]

18/1 on Bardet for tomorrow.

Seems like great value to me. Assuming of course GC don't decide it's a good idea to give the break SIXTEEN bloody minutes again.

 

[Motogull]

That was superb from Cav. Such a top fella too.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 7: L'Isle-Jourdain - Lac de Payolle, 162 km

Here we go - seconds out - round 1.
So far Le Tour has been FF-France, and at times even on X30 they've looked at little pedestrian.
Even now it looks like the riders are being eased into the Pyrenees, as once again the day is heavily back loaded.
I predict a few green jersey chancers will slope off while GC men look at each other for 140kms.
Then through collateral damage the riders currently placed from 5th to 30th will have a third culled out of GC contention, but we still learn very little about Froome and Quintana.

 

[Pantani]

Stage 7: L'Isle-Jourdain - Lac de Payolle, 162 km

Here we go - seconds out - round 1.
So far Le Tour has been FF-France, and at times even on X30 they've looked at little pedestrian.
Even now it looks like the riders are being eased into the Pyrenees, as once again the day is heavily back loaded.
I predict a few green jersey chancers will slope off while GC men look at each other for 140kms.
Then through collateral damage the riders currently placed from 5th to 30th will have a third culled out of GC contention, but we still learn very little about Froome and Quintana.

I'm not sure about today. Think the make up of the breakaway will decide what happens. I'm erring on the side of it all coming back together on the final climb. With that in mind, my bets for today are Dan Martin 16-1 and Richie Porte 50-1 both each way.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm not sure about today. Think the make up of the breakaway will decide what happens. I'm erring on the side of it all coming back together on the final climb. With that in mind, my bets for today are Dan Martin 16-1 and Richie Porte 50-1 both each way.

Sorry to ruin your day, but I think Dan Martin is a decent shout.
Betting wise I'm keeping my powder dry for Sunday.

I'm still a little miffed by yesterday's non-event.
This years tour has become a 2 week race, and I'm wondering if the riders are now locked into this tempo.

Perhaps now that the racing has to be a little more 'conservative', more teams think they're in with a chance of the podium so are just riding an 8 man defense.