Tour de France 2012

[Cyclewizz]

 

Also if you a threat and have a mechanical don't think Contador will have sympathy the way Wiggins did with Evans.

 

But the question was if Wiggins was 2 - 3mins behind Evans would he have waited ?????

Suppose we'll never know.

[Zook]

Contador at his best would do that on his own. Nibali lacked the fire power yesterday, but he killed everyone but the two skyguys. So who is this attacker he would work in concert with?

 

I think there are definitely riders in the peleton who could go faster but aren't because they're happy to just survive the day. See anyone who drags themselves through in the peleton, and then the next day rides a monster breakaway over mountains.

 

Ok, junior strategist here, but this is what I think. When a team is this dominant you can't attack on the final climb. You have to hit them when they aren't expecting it. Attack on the previous climb so you weed it out down to Froome and Wiggins, and have guys ready to help you in the breakaway. Have multiple teams attacking - one on each climb, make Sky work for every inch rather than just defending on the one dead-obvious place everybody expects.

 

Why don't people help across teams? Have two guys from another team help you selflessly, then pay them back on another day or in another race. Would create great TV exposure for both and would be much harder to predict.

[Tumbleweed]

But the question was if Wiggins was 2 - 3mins behind Evans would he have waited ?????

Suppose we'll never know.

 

Shades of Lance and Jan on the Luz Ardiden…

[_C50_]

The year Contador won and Armstrong was 3rd. Contador found himself up front with the 2 Schlecks brothers, Contador must really have had a painful neck the way he was rubber necking looking for Armstrong to catch up (which Armstrong did). WHY, surely he could have easily rode away from them.

 

Also if you a threat and have a mechanical don't think Contador will have sympathy the way Wiggins did with Evans.

 

Much have been said about the "chain-gate" saga. Thing is, Menchov was the first person to attack, and he was sitting 3rd on GC at that point. So Contador was supposed to sit up and wait for mAndy because she can't change gears properly, while Menchow rides off into the sunset?

 

Cry me a river...

[petatodd]

Why not Zook? Indeed why not?

 

Because you either race for GC or you race for stages, ie the GC guys let you win.

 

And as we saw yesterday, no one is strong enough to drop Twiggo AND front up again the next day.

[Tubehunter]

Also have the feeling that I'm left wanting more somehow. The Sagan and Voekler rides have been incredible to watch, but the race for yellow has been a complete procession. Someone needs to take a monster risk and shake things up, attacking from more than just the last climb or descent, but it seems like the GC riders have been ridden into submission and they're simply happy to suck onto the Sky train for a trip around France, maintaining the status quo.

 

Imagine someone in the top 10 goes from the second mountain out, having sent some team mates up the road in an earlier break and these sit up and wait to pace him to the last climb with sky having to chase down! (edit: see Zook and I share the same thought)

Edited July 19, 2012 by Tubehunter

[Zook]

Why not Zook? Indeed why not?

 

Because you either race for GC or you race for stages, ie the GC guys let you win.

 

And as we saw yesterday, no one is strong enough to drop Twiggo AND front up again the next day.

 

The reason the GC guys let you win is because they're also playing their calculated game. Energy expenditure vs overall goal. So 200km comes down to a predictable 2km attack that is definitely going to fail if they attempt the same thing today, because everyone is playing the obvious calculation.

 

Nibali attacking by himself when there are two able to work together behind him, is silly. He obviously doesn't have the energy to do it. Imagine van Garderen being allowed to get 100m on Wiggins, and then have Nibali attack, jump across and the two of them work together. It'd have at least a fighting chance of success.

[The Pirate]

How can a rider have negative points for the Green Jersey ? One rider has -2 and another one -15 ?

[petatodd]

How can a rider have negative points for the Green Jersey ? One rider has -2 and another one -15 ?

Normally when they fail to make the time cut-off on a stage, can stay in the race but with a points penalty.

 

Tyler Farrah lost the Lattern Rouge yesterday to a guy who missed the cut-off by 4 seconds. Due to the difficulty of the satge and the heat and that he fell asleep waiting for someone to attack sky, he was allowed to continue today.

 

Paul Sherwin claim to fame: Twice missed the cut-off riding alone but was allowed to continue. Once he fell in the 1st km of a mountain stage and rode alone for 6 hours up 4 mountain passes, accompanied only by a motorbike outrider. Missed the cut-off by 23 minutes but they had mercy on him and made him start the next day.

 

Pity it didn't improve his commentary.

Edited July 19, 2012 by petatodd

[SwissVan]

How can a rider have negative points for the Green Jersey ? One rider has -2 and another one -15 ?

 

Is one of them Voekler?

Maybe they deducted points from him for riding and not lookinf where he is going?

Nutter does spend a lot of time looking behind him, one day he's going to T bone someone or something...mark my words ye all

['Dale]

Cray-zee fans.

The dude is not even PRO - look at his socks.

 

Tell these dudes the Tour's been "boring".

 

http://cyclingtipscontent.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Tour-de-France-2012-stage16-1-2.jpg

['Dale]

Where Wiggo will finally crack and Froome Dog is unleashed...

 

 

 

http://cyclingtipscontent.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TDF12-ETAPE-17-port-de-bales_Peyragudes.jpeg

[petatodd]

Imagine someone in the top 10 goes from the second mountain out, having sent some team mates up the road in an earlier break and these sit up and wait to pace him to the last climb with sky having to chase down!

I used to dream of Jan being able to do this, with Vino and Andreas, year after year against the Texan. Then in 2006 the tour was set up for Jan, Tex had retired. And what happened? Operación Puerto exploded and Jan was pulled from the tour on the Friday before the start....

 

Marco Pantani was the last great attacker and that was in 1998. His subsequent efforts came to nought, he blew well before the end.

 

But in 2008 Carlos Sastre rode away from everyone on the Alpe. One attack and he got yellow. Never forget the comments made by PnP, what are CSC doing, their tactics are nowhere etc. I'll find the clip. Since then AC has been able to but he is a doper so it doesn't count.

[T-Bob]

Paul Sherwin claim to fame: Twice missed the cut-off riding alone but was allowed to continue. Once he fell in the 1st km of a mountain stage and rode alone for 6 hours up 4 mountain passes, accompanied only by a motorbike outrider. Missed the cut-off by 23 minutes but they had mercy on him and made him start the next day. Pity it didn't improve his commentary.

 

PnP are annoying but to the average punter who drops in to the tour once a year they love them. Articles all over the place (Guardian, news.com.au etc) in the last week about how they make the tour great, the scenery and the racing etc. Link

 

His attempts as a pro bike rider to prove he was Flandrain, despite his birth certificate and limited talent, allows me to let the crazy go by a bit.

 

Just check this shot... Pave, no helmet, no gloves and a decent amount of sh*tty weather. In fact I reckon he ripped the lazy lever off just to prove he was capable of burying the pin deep and long!

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2309/5707196970_071e6424ec.jpg

[petatodd]

Yeah, he rode 7 more tours than I did! Even if he only finished 5 more than I did. And won the GB Nationals.

 

I suppose after being exposed to David Duffield (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duffield_(sports_commentator)) and Stephen Roche any other commentary seems mundane.

 

Thank goodness for streaming. Otherwise Cav et al would not be able to compare the current borefest to the giro and vuelta as StupidSport would rather waste my money on golf, tennis and rugby.

Edited July 19, 2012 by petatodd

[Cyclewizz]

And they off (on SS6).