The Official 104th Tour de France thread

[1066familyman]

So what we going with tomorrow people?, GC or break to take it?

I'll go with break loaded with Frenchies because it's Bastille Day. Calmejane to put up a brave fight but De Marchi to break French hearts.

What I'd really like is Aru, Bardet and Uran to attack on that very steep part near the top of the last climb and meet up with team mates on the descent and take more time out of Froome. Trouble is that descent is long and not very technical. Froome is a good descender these days and has a master descender in Kwiat to help him too. Also a good chance Sky try to get riders in the break as well.

 

[Stat Brother]

So what we going with tomorrow people?, GC or break to take it?

I'll go with break loaded with Frenchies because it's Bastille Day. Calmejane to put up a brave fight but De Marchi to break French hearts.

What I'd really like is Aru, Bardet and Uran to attack on that very steep part near the top of the last climb and meet up with team mates on the descent and take more time out of Froome. Trouble is that descent is long and not very technical. Froome is a good descender these days and has a master descender in Kwiat to help him too. Also a good chance Sky try to get riders in the break as well.

I guess the plan was for Froome to 'win' Le Tour yesterday, and not bother about piffling stages like this one.

Are Sky going to lick their wounds and bide their time for one more GC assault before the ITT, or are they coming out swinging today?

I have no idea, but GT's need more of this is the kind of stage.
Forcing some of that 'different thinking' I was bibbling on about the other day.

It should be fun.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Tour has got interesting now froome has some competition.

 

[Postman Pat]

More controversy as to why Bardet wasn't docked 20 seconds for taking a drink from a spectator when Uran and George Bennett were for the same offence.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vaughters-tour-shouldnt-come-down-to-water-bottles-and-incompetence/

 

[perseus]

ITV4 from about one o'clock cycling up four bloody great mountains without a motor or even drugs. How many inches will the race winner win by and how many seconds in the GC?

 

[Bold Seagull]

More controversy as to why Bardet wasn't docked 20 seconds for taking a drink from a spectator when Uran and George Bennett were for the same offence.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vaughters-tour-shouldnt-come-down-to-water-bottles-and-incompetence/

The rule for taking on additional drinks or food is clear on a mountain stage and shouldn't be done from less than 10km out, Froome had the same penalty if I remember for a gel Porte gave to him after going back to the team car on the double ascent of Alp d'huez although he had plenty of time in hand to take the 20secs on the chin.

So Bardet doesn't get a penalty because apparently it couldn't be seen whether he took a drink from the biden he was given or not...BUT HE TOOK THE FRIGGIN BIDEN!! I'll have to use that with Sussex Police, yes officer, I took the gram of dance powder, but I never used it...that's okay then son, on your way...

Actually, I don't want Bardet penalised, I'd rather Uran and Bennett were given a harsh slap on the wrist, maybe a fine, like a yellow card like system, but given the crap that goes on with spectators and their impact on some of these stages and how close they get, you can understand it, plus how on earth would anyone know whats in the bottle? I dunno, rules is rules, but the Jury in this race appear to want to f*ck it up on their own...

edit: I had a word.

 

[Stat Brother]

The time penalties have been overturned.

[tweet]885785512128253952[/tweet]

 

[Bold Seagull]

ITV4 from about one o'clock cycling up four bloody great mountains without a motor or even drugs. How many inches will the race winner win by and how many seconds in the GC?

Bardet won yesterday by 2 secs, followed by 2 riders, who were then 3 secs ahead of the 4th place rider, who was then 2 secs ahead of 5th, who was 6 secs ahead of 6th, who was 9 secs ahead of 7th.

The 10th place rider finished 1min 28 secs after the winner. The 179th rider came in 37mins 57secs after the winner.

I have no idea what these gaps were in distance, but given it was a steep uphill finish, a 1 sec gap was probably a couple of meters.

 

[Bold Seagull]

The time penalties have been overturned.

[tweet]885785512128253952[/tweet]

Common sense, really!?

 

[Jeep]

I'm all confused. No English commentary available to me. Why is Landa up the road? Does it mean Sky are going for stage wins? I can't remember the time gaps for GC and therefore who is in virtual yellow.
Nice scenery though!

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm all confused. No English commentary available to me. Why is Landa up the road? Does it mean Sky are going for stage wins? I can't remember the time gaps for GC and therefore who is in virtual yellow.
Nice scenery though!

No Sky have padded out the GC putting yet more pressure on Aru, as now not only is he just one man against Team Sky, he's now going to have to mark 2 riders.

 

[1066familyman]

Cracking stage of racing!

Well deserved and fairy tale winner...Chapeau Barguil!

And we have a decent GC race on with a spot of leadership intrigue to boot. Good stuff!

 

[1066familyman]

No Sky have padded out the GC putting yet more pressure on Aru, as now not only is he just one man against Team Sky, he's now going to have to mark 2 riders.

The flip side of that coin is now Aru has allies from other teams that he may not have had so readily before. Still going to be bloody hard for him to defend alone against this Sky team regardless. Cataldo and Fugslang crashing is as gutting as AVV and Porte going.

 

[BNthree]

Think Sky were trying to bluff the top 10 GC guys with Landa up the road but no one believed them. Assume they were thinking the GC guys would attack more which in turn would mean Aru would have to work more but didn't turn out like that.

 

[Stat Brother]

Cracking stage of racing!

Well deserved and fairy tale winner...Chapeau Barguil!

And we have a decent GC race on with a spot of leadership intrigue to boot. Good stuff!

All those of little faith can come back now.

 

[Stat Brother]

Think Sky were trying to bluff the top 10 GC guys with Landa up the road but no one believed them. Assume they were thinking the GC guys would attack more which in turn would mean Aru would have to work more but didn't turn out like that.

As soon as Landa went with Contador Sky knew they were in a win/win situation.

Asked who'll win after the stage Landa replied:-

"Chris of course, if not then me".

With still plenty of meat left on the bone in this race and after an abject failure, Sky seem to be in a stronger position.

 

[1066familyman]

Think Sky were trying to bluff the top 10 GC guys with Landa up the road but no one believed them. Assume they were thinking the GC guys would attack more which in turn would mean Aru would have to work more but didn't turn out like that.

I think Froome was very clever neutralising any Aru and Bardet attack.

Aru and Bardet were happy for UAE and Jumbo ride to protect their GC, but as was said before the stage, the moment for those two attack was 3km or less to go on the final climb when it got steep.
I said to the kids whilst we were watching, watch Aru and/or Bardet go the second they catch Kwia. That way they take him out the race as he can't sit on the back of that group when they're on attack mode. Very cleverly Froome attacks instead which effectively neutralised any Aru and Bardet attacks. Now he had Kwia, demon descender to use tactically all the way down.

Genius move I thought, although quite why Froome and Kwia worked to close Martin and Yates thus reducing Landa's gap is a mystery. Hence leadership gossip to follow.

 

[BNthree]

Yeah it was great to see some Sky tactics in play rather than their usual sit at the front and ride tempo.

 

[Stat Brother]

Genius move I thought, although quite why Froome and Kwia worked to close Martin and Yates thus reducing Landa's gap is a mystery. Hence leadership gossip to follow.

i guess it's 2 less riders Froome and Landa have to be mindful of.
I'm sure they don't see either of them as 'competition' esp as Martin can't stand up

[tweet]885907952519008256[/tweet]

But they're still interested enough in the podium to keep Bardet, Uran and Aru on their toes.

 

[Stat Brother]

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