Careful now, your teeing me up for my annual cycling is the ultimate egalitarian professional sport post.
I can actually here the others eyes rolling back in their heads.
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The Official 104th Tour de France thread
- Thread starter Pantani
- Start date
I can actually here the others eyes rolling back in their heads.
Wardy
NSC's Benefits Guru
Careful now, your teeing me up for my annual cycling is the ultimate egalitarian professional sport post.
I can actually here the others eyes rolling back in their heads.
To borrow a phrase from Orwell
"All cyclists are created equally, though some are more equal then others."
- Jan 3, 2012
- 17,348
Careful now, your teeing me up for my annual cycling is the ultimate egalitarian professional sport post.
I can actually here the others eyes rolling back in their heads.
After this exchange, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that Cycling is the ultimate egalitarian professional sport. I just wish I could articulate my thoughts about it better........
Stop it.
A lynch mob of oddly shaped lycra clad vigilantes will be roaming Southampton looking for the instigator of such a heinous crime.
- Thread starter
- #205
Stage 5 Review
Vittel to La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
Result:
1 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 3:44:06
2 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:16
3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:20
4 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team
5 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:24
6 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:00:26
7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
9 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:34
10 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:40
General Classification:
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 18:38:59
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:12
3 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:14
4 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:25
5 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:39
6 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:00:43
7 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:47
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:52
9 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:54
10 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:01
I have binned off my GC classification because the real one is the same now.
A proper break went away at the start, featuring some really strong riders; Jan Bakelants (AG2R La Mondiale), Mickael Delage (FDJ), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fortuneo-Oscaro), Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) and Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal). BMC then decided to spend 150km on the front of the pack wasting their energy, or putting the hurt on others, depending on whether you are a rational human being, or Richie Porte. The break was brought back at or near the foot of the climb. Michal Kwiatkowski rode a brutal pace for a large amount of the climb, killing loads of other riders, including much of his own team. Once he dropped off Sky did not really manage to lead the peloton much further. The Aru attacked, all the other big GC guys ignored him, and he got away to the win. Behind there was all sorts of carnage, with Dan Martin sprinting fopr second ahead of Froome with the last bonus seconds and Porte in 4th.
Good Day:
Michal Kwiatkowski, that was seriously impressive. I would love to count back how many riders were dropped during his stint at the front. Must be getting close to 100!
Simon Yates, looked strong. Probably should not have attacked when he did and held tight for the last 300m but he moves in to white.
Rigoberto Uran, nothing spectacular but it has been a while since Uran made it this close to the front on a major GC day in the mountains.
Bad Day:
BMC, that is a lot of work to lose time on your main rival. Incomprehensible tactics, imo.
Quintana and Contador, top 10 at best for these boys this year I think.
Thibaut Pinot, 100% confirmation that he is not going for GC, maybe he is saving his legs for a spectacular mountain raid in the Alps.
Vittel to La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
Result:
1 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 3:44:06
2 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:16
3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:20
4 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team
5 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:24
6 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:00:26
7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
9 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:34
10 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:40
General Classification:
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 18:38:59
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:12
3 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:14
4 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:25
5 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:39
6 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:00:43
7 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:47
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:52
9 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:54
10 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:01
I have binned off my GC classification because the real one is the same now.
A proper break went away at the start, featuring some really strong riders; Jan Bakelants (AG2R La Mondiale), Mickael Delage (FDJ), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fortuneo-Oscaro), Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) and Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal). BMC then decided to spend 150km on the front of the pack wasting their energy, or putting the hurt on others, depending on whether you are a rational human being, or Richie Porte. The break was brought back at or near the foot of the climb. Michal Kwiatkowski rode a brutal pace for a large amount of the climb, killing loads of other riders, including much of his own team. Once he dropped off Sky did not really manage to lead the peloton much further. The Aru attacked, all the other big GC guys ignored him, and he got away to the win. Behind there was all sorts of carnage, with Dan Martin sprinting fopr second ahead of Froome with the last bonus seconds and Porte in 4th.
Good Day:
Michal Kwiatkowski, that was seriously impressive. I would love to count back how many riders were dropped during his stint at the front. Must be getting close to 100!
Simon Yates, looked strong. Probably should not have attacked when he did and held tight for the last 300m but he moves in to white.
Rigoberto Uran, nothing spectacular but it has been a while since Uran made it this close to the front on a major GC day in the mountains.
Bad Day:
BMC, that is a lot of work to lose time on your main rival. Incomprehensible tactics, imo.
Quintana and Contador, top 10 at best for these boys this year I think.
Thibaut Pinot, 100% confirmation that he is not going for GC, maybe he is saving his legs for a spectacular mountain raid in the Alps.
- Thread starter
- #206
Stage 6 Preview
Visoul to Troyes, 216km
Route
Profile
Last 5km
Yawn! Sprinters stage, nothing much to say about it.
Expect:
Rubbish break with wild card team riders. Sprint finish. Tune in for the last ten minutes, or maybe not even that. Watch the cricket or tennis instead
Bets:
Again no value. Kittel is odds on, Demare 5-2. Bouhanni e/w at 11-1 is maybe the best out there. Think we could see Kittel win by a street.
Visoul to Troyes, 216km
Route
Profile
Last 5km
Yawn! Sprinters stage, nothing much to say about it.
Expect:
Rubbish break with wild card team riders. Sprint finish. Tune in for the last ten minutes, or maybe not even that. Watch the cricket or tennis instead
Bets:
Again no value. Kittel is odds on, Demare 5-2. Bouhanni e/w at 11-1 is maybe the best out there. Think we could see Kittel win by a street.
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,233
There is an alternative explanation/theory for what BMC done yesterday, other than the Porte still thinks he's Froome's super Dom explanation
By making it a hard day they had as much influence on the Sky train disintegrating so early as Kwia did. They are trying a template of not letting Sky control the pace all day and then let them run the full Sky train up the climbs. Might just work you know, but probably not in Porte's favour. Yesterday can only be a bad day for BMC whichever way they slice it though as really Porte should have been winning that stage yesterday and taking a bit of time on Froome. Anything else was a failure really at this stage in proceedings.
I'm not sure I'd put Pinot down as a bad day. Said before the stage that he'd do nothing here, despite him being a local to the area, and is saving himself for later on. Having had a good Giro I think a stage win and possibly KoM jersey will be a good Tour for him.
Sagan coming back!
Papa Lazarou
Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Carl?
You mean this isn't the most exciting thing to happen today:-
[tweet]882957740276101120[/tweet]
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
I'm skeptical about that...
Although would seem more likely than t'other Sagan, but nothing would surprise me.
Tyrone Biggums
Well-known member
Sagan threw it.
Tour is just going past our campsite now. Had to make a detour earlier to get here [emoji35].
Sod riding a bike in this temperature, it's currently 34 degrees.
Sod riding a bike in this temperature, it's currently 34 degrees.
A proper fan would have been wearing a mankini, had a stuffed wild boar under his arm, while waving this flag:-
I didn't actually go and watch it! I was swimming in the lake instead. It's just started raining which should cool them down a bit.
It looks a lovely part of France, as usual.
It is. We are just stopping over on the way back from the South but it's very green. Lake was nice and warm too.
Pogue Mahone
Well-known member
- Apr 30, 2011
- 10,946
[MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION] is watching today. He is outside a Mairie where there is a big screen, with beers in the sun.
Wonder if they've flashed past him yet.
Wonder if they've flashed past him yet.