The 100th Edition Of The Tour de France: Chirps, Opinions, News, Updates.

[Andrew Steer]

He did (and won) the Tour of California, not the Giro. I think he was just over confident in the beginning but he was shapin up towards the end, Almost won a stage (and what a stage that was).

Sorry, was talking about Cadel, not Tejay... he's still young, we'll have to wait and see to what level he can rise, he's obviously a massive talent.

[Andrew Steer]

BMC is certainly less that the sum of it parts.

Yes, I see Lelangue has left the team for "personal reasons"

[Wyatt Earp]

I agree - BMC does not have a scientific approach like Sky or Garmin. They look at a riders that have won races and sign them unlike the top teams that use quantitive analysis to hire specific riders for specific purposes. Sky is leading the way in this, no not just leading but miles ahead of anyone else.

 

In regard to find talent.

That is where Sky did well ,in particular with Froome.

I know a couple of clowns are touting the doping train and throwing first class tickets his way, but he is a raw discovered talent.

 

He was brought in to the British development academy after they saw some of his results, after some tests and some time spent not being a superstar, Froome and Sky worked hard at getting him to the max of his ability.

They seem to have achieved succes.

 

Winners and heroes aren't born overnight.

I always say, it starts with what your mamma and pappa gave you ,from there the scientific approach with a big heart and a huge hunger is the only way yo success.

[Tumbleweed]

Just watching the highlights now - missed it last night - who was the rider who abandoned on the last day? That must suck.

[rouxtjie]

Just watching the highlights now - missed it last night - who was the rider who abandoned on the last day? That must suck.

some radioshack okie...name I have forgotten

[nochain]

BMC budget is estimated to be 15m Euros per year of which 3-4m goes to Evans.

The sad part is he's podium at the Giro is probably their best result so far this year...loads of big names on that team getting no results at all.

Also not so sure that TJ is the way to go but he will get better...but a Grand tour winner I don't know.

They need fresh blood and lots of it...stop buying riders based on the past years results and start building a team of young guys that can win classics and tours.

Imagine Vaughters at Garmin with a budget like that!

[jcza]

In regard to find talent.

That is where Sky did well ,in particular with Froome.

I know a couple of clowns are touting the doping train and throwing first class tickets his way, but he is a raw discovered talent.

 

He was brought in to the British development academy after they saw some of his results, after some tests and some time spent not being a superstar, Froome and Sky worked hard at getting him to the max of his ability.

They seem to have achieved succes.

 

Winners and heroes aren't born overnight.

I always say, it starts with what your mamma and pappa gave you ,from there the scientific approach with a big heart and a huge hunger is the only way yo success.

 

Wasn't the UCI Academy in Switzerland his first stop after South Africa?

[Wyatt Earp]

Wasn't the UCI Academy in Switzerland his first stop after South Africa?

 

Lucky for him he wasn't there long.

[vaalkol]

some radioshack okie...name I have forgotten

Westra

[jcza]

Lucky for him he wasn't there long.

 

Hahaha I was going to say that the UCI is not totally useless!

[Tumbleweed]

Westra

 

Thanks!

[rock]

Contador shouldn't have even been there, as a rider back from suspension with a TdF title stripped, don't know how he is welcome back......

[TiBones]

@ Wyatt, i think you being a harsh on Sagan, he is still a youngster i think we all showboated a bit when we where younger? i know that is where a lot of my scares came from! cant say i have seen anything in the media to conclude that he is arrogant, i must say that i had that opinion about Cavendish till i followed him on Twitter during the tour, he seems to be a lot more humble that what i thought or should i say than what i saw in the media.

 

i think the Tour has always had riders with "personality" and IMO Sagan is no different

 

PS. Sagan is a MTBer thats got to count for something

 

Did PnP tell you that p'raps?

[SwissVan]

Contador shouldn't have even been there, as a rider back from suspension with a TdF title stripped, don't know how he is welcome back......

 

He's a life time member of the silent club, they don't turn their backs on each other unless your an outcast like LA....

[Daideron]

If I can just weigh in on this Cadel Evans debate...personally I am not a fan. He has never shown initiative like other great champions. In my eyes he almost seems to panic the second he see's the front of the race in the mountains. He always looks reluctant to pace, can follow wheels better than anyone and never seems to really commit to any attack.

That said, the only year he never did any of these things I have just mentioned, he won the Tour. He rode aggressive and tactically. He actually took control and led the charge and forced the pace on the relevant mountain stages.

Since the 2011 Tour, he almost seems like a weaker more frail rider. And I agree that from BMC's side, hiring all the big guns was not the way to go. Gilbert this year voiced up and spoke of his unhappiness at BMC. And rightly so, because he is a true champion. Why should he be left waiting at the finish of a stage because Evans is more important? Their (BMC) approach to their riders is sad.

Tejay needs to get dropped on the mountains, have stages stolen from him in the last kilometer and suffer bad days. Because thats the only way he will learn and develop a hunger to be a decisive and dominant winner. Was the Alpe D'Huez stolen from him? No. Because that will never happen to him again because he will never let it happen, and it was a great lesson for him.

The biggest lesson for BMC is that a big budget and fancy names does not guarantee a Tour win. They didnt even win a stage. Argos, AG2R and other small budget teams where the riders are valued and praised succeeded because of this very fact. Orica have this "matemanship" approach, and look how well it worked. Daryl extended his contract when he could have demanded a higher wage somewhere else. Gerrans' gesture of making sure Impey wore yellow was astounding! Would Evans have done the same for a teammate as a gesture? I think not.

 

Nobody can criticise SKY for making the most of what they have been given. The got every pence worth of their budget if you ask me.

 

My 2c

[Chro Mo]

In regard to find talent.

That is where Sky did well ,in particular with Froome.

I know a couple of clowns are touting the doping train and throwing first class tickets his way, but he is a raw discovered talent.

 

He was brought in to the British development academy after they saw some of his results, after some tests and some time spent not being a superstar, Froome and Sky worked hard at getting him to the max of his ability.

They seem to have achieved succes.

 

Winners and heroes aren't born overnight.

I always say, it starts with what your mamma and pappa gave you ,from there the scientific approach with a big heart and a huge hunger is the only way yo success.

I agree with this.

 

I believe his talent has been nurtured in a way that has caused it to flower.

 

I was thinking last night that John Lee Augustyn must have had potential approaching that of Froome's. His particular problems have stopped what I believe could have been a similar trajectory.