2016 Tour de France

[Gen]

Aaaw cute.. so most teams do a live FB broadcast before the stages start.. jinne there just was this cute little girl (maybe 4 years old) that ran up and hugged Sagan's legs when he came out the bus... as he always does he spends time with the fans especially the kids. [emoji122] [emoji122]

 

Also the UCI were checking bikes..all clear no motors.. good to go[emoji106]

[jcza]

ed zachery....and he did it for about 6 minutes plus if I remember correctly. Poep against thunder. Is it just me or is the GC race(which should be the most exciting part) the most boring...Maybe some guys like watching okes riding tempo...me not so much..

 

Familiar theme, the more things change the more they stay the same.

[N-I-N-J-A]

Any chance we get a new ad for week3?

maybe there's been feedback that okes got over it about 1400km ago.

 

Surely that guy should've learned by now and not get caught using his wife's razor every 5 minutes...

[Vetplant]

So, can we sum up the tactics thus far as follows? (Feel free to add a tactic or team missed)

 

Sky:

Froome to take seconds from GC contenders wherever he can. 

Take ever more time on the TT. 

For the rest of the stages the other Sky riders ride upfront at a pace that Froome and other GC contenders can only barely keep up with, thus eliminating the possibility of any attacking. 

(It is easy for the Sky teamcar to monitor Froome's heartrate and power output realtime and instruct the lead rider to speed up a little or slow down to keep Froome on the limit but not blowing up)

 

Movistar:

Week 1 and 2: Quintana to stay on Froome's wheel as much as possibly, minimise any time losses until week 3. Launch some mock attacks to check the levels of the Sky response and return to the bunch to give Sky a false sense of security. Quintana to use any means necessary to minimise losses, including but not limited to holding onto any vehicle coming past.

Hope Froome experiences a drop in week 3.

Attack in week 3.

Hope that none of the stages in week 3 gets shortened or cancelled. 

 

Team Dimension Data (winners with regards to airtime for their sponsors IMHO):

Allow Cummings to sit at the back and join the attack as and when he sees the potential.

Deliver Cavendish to the end of sprint stages as best they can and then let him do his magic.

Mountain stages: Someone paces Cavendish to make the cutoff. Everyone else takes an opportunity when the legs allow for it.

 

BMC:

We'll have two captains, never mind the old saying "Jack-of-all-trades, master of none"

 

IAM Cycling:

We ain't got no prospects beyond 2016, so go out and thy to impress to get picked up by other teams

 

Tinkoff:

Give Sagan what he needs and he will deliver Green as well as stage wins

 

Lampre - Merida:

"Louis Meintjes?", "Never heard of him.." "Oh, he is our best rider and he is second in the white jersey? Well that's impressive, he is just here to learn, we'll give him some support next year" 

 

Lotto Soudal:

"Andre Greipel, he won 4 stages for us last year, we can bank on him doing it again, or even improve on that"

 

These are the only teams participating at TDF2016. I know there were other teams presented at the start but for the life of me I haven't seen any other team this whole race. 

[rouxtjie]

Familiar theme, the more things change the more they stay the same.

marginal gains oom....and self believe....

[Oxter]

I really disagree with the whole it doesn't suite him bit, to be a serious GC contender you should be able to feel confident enough to try something on any terrain..

 

One wouldn't say a descent attack suits Froome or a break with Sagan on a sprint stage suits Froome.. but as a GC contender and racer he just sent for it and it worked.

 

No doubt Nairo is a very good cyclist and a brilliant climber but he has no plan.. none at all..

 

 

The only plan he has is to hope Sky falter. And letting Sky set the pace for 2 weeks on their own terms isn't exactly a plan either.

Hes plan is sitting on froomes wheel waiting to see if Valverde can do something and then bridge. Stupid plan IMHO and not the plan of a tour winner. Just seems to me that he depends to much on Valverde, Froome also depends heavily on a few of his team mates (GT stands out) but can create something on his own 

[Gen]

Really cute.. he made her day

 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=851253974976576&id=121540094614638

[Gen]

ALAPHILIPPE AND MARTIN

A duo from Etixx-Quick Step, Julian Alaphilippe and Tony Martin, tries to break away at km 13.

Paul Martens (Lotto NL - Jumbo) is chasing, the peloton is at 15 seconds

[Oxter]

It's been a great TDF so far & I think we could be in for an exciting week 3!

 

With NQ not having done much to date, is it because he hasn't been able to or has he been holding back for the last 3 remaining mountain stages? I do think he will need to show his game plan on Wednesday, if indeed he has one...

 

I'm not completely discounting any other possible Froome threats, but I feel NQ is the only real threat this week. Right or wrong, I'm going enjoy watching events unfold!

with what happened on Mont Ventoux, i think the first statement.  I do not think any GC contender will give up time on purpose on a climb like that

[Plentipotential]

It's a loooong way to and pass many mountain beacons before the Champs Elysees

 

GO QUINTANAAAA

 

Give the guy a break, he's going. Everywhere Froome goes, so goes Quintana. Froome's shadow. Movistar's plan is to attack Sky when Froome weakens in the 3rd week. I hope they have a better plan than that because Sky would have looked at last years 3rd week and said we need to improve there.

[Oxter]

Anyone saw this?/

 

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-de-france/adam-yates-hit-fan-mont-ventoux-261414

[Gen]

Anyone saw this?/

 

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-de-france/adam-yates-hit-fan-mont-ventoux-261414

That's all bad.. shees..

[shaper]

So, can we sum up the tactics thus far as follows? (Feel free to add a tactic or team missed)

 

Sky:

Froome to take seconds from GC contenders wherever he can. 

Take ever more time on the TT. 

For the rest of the stages the other Sky riders ride upfront at a pace that Froome and other GC contenders can only barely keep up with, thus eliminating the possibility of any attacking. 

(It is easy for the Sky teamcar to monitor Froome's heartrate and power output realtime and instruct the lead rider to speed up a little or slow down to keep Froome on the limit but not blowing up)

 

Movistar:

Week 1 and 2: Quintana to stay on Froome's wheel as much as possibly, minimise any time losses until week 3. Launch some mock attacks to check the levels of the Sky response and return to the bunch to give Sky a false sense of security. Quintana to use any means necessary to minimise losses, including but not limited to holding onto any vehicle coming past.

Hope Froome experiences a drop in week 3.

Attack in week 3.

Hope that none of the stages in week 3 gets shortened or cancelled. 

 

Team Dimension Data (winners with regards to airtime for their sponsors IMHO):

Allow Cummings to sit at the back and join the attack as and when he sees the potential.

Deliver Cavendish to the end of sprint stages as best they can and then let him do his magic.

Mountain stages: Someone paces Cavendish to make the cutoff. Everyone else takes an opportunity when the legs allow for it.

 

BMC:

We'll have two captains, never mind the old saying "Jack-of-all-trades, master of none"

 

IAM Cycling:

We ain't got no prospects beyond 2016, so go out and thy to impress to get picked up by other teams

 

Tinkoff:

Give Sagan what he needs and he will deliver Green as well as stage wins

 

Lampre - Merida:

"Louis Meintjes?", "Never heard of him.." "Oh, he is our best rider and he is second in the white jersey? Well that's impressive, he is just here to learn, we'll give him some support next year" 

 

Lotto Soudal:

"Andre Greipel, he won 4 stages for us last year, we can bank on him doing it again, or even improve on that"

 

These are the only teams participating at TDF2016. I know there were other teams presented at the start but for the life of me I haven't seen any other team this whole race. 

You misted out Astana

 

Multiple bike changes, brake adjustments and sticky bottles for marginal gains... and occasionally trying to put the hammer down on the front only for Sky to giggle and wait a couple of kms until they have blown up...

[shaper]

Anyone saw this?/

 

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-de-france/adam-yates-hit-fan-mont-ventoux-261414

Was all over the uk press just after ventoux http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2016/07/17/british-rider-adam-yates-hit-by-fan-at-tour-de-france-2016/

 

Yates did not make an issue of it, which I think says a lot about his character.

[rouxtjie]

You misted out Astana

 

Multiple bike changes, brake adjustments and sticky bottles for marginal gains... and occasionally trying to put the hammer down on the front only for Sky to giggle and wait a couple of kms until they have blown up...

been the same story of all attacks thusfar....someone attacks...sky rides hard tempo and catches them in X meters...they don't even react 

[Vetplant]

13:50

PÉRICHON REELED IN

Tony Martin and Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx - Quick Step) are the only riders ahead of the peloton with a gap of 1'20 at km 42.

 

This could turn out to be an interesting move...