Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 5.3k
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Posted

Here's my 2c's:

 

Brailsford who runs Team Sky has a reputation as a obsessive planner from his track cycling days with GB on the international scene. I think that when he started considering creating Team Sky that he had planned then already that he wanted to win the TdF. It helped significantly that the best British racer was Wiggins and since he came from a track background as well Brailsford created the plan that we have become familiar with. Essentially it was a plan centered around hiding Wiggins' inability to do repeated short sharp accelerations on steeper sections of the major climbs. And they have kept that plan since then even though Froome is capable of the short sharp accelerations mostly because it's effective and other teams have shown an unwillingness to find a way to beat it.

 

As others have stated their planning doesn't just revolve around Froome but the rest of the squad. I also think that they have done a tremendous job of removing other contenders by offering big money contracts to guys who are GC capable riders such as Landa, Nieve and Thomas with the promise of being in the TdF team if they solely work for the dedicated leader. Their class helps the plan along nicely.

 

Also their plans takes into account the abilities of their main opponents and they then match their support climbers to those guys, ie Landa and Poels cover Quintana while Nieve and Thomas cover Aru et al. Based on what I've noticed from this year's race it seems that only Porte has trained with the mindset to match and best Sky in the mountains, the others not so much. Personally I think that that is part of the problem. The other is split focus. A few may have other races that they wish to be well prepared for such as the Olympics or World's or the Vuelta. So while in good condition they might not be in best condition and that puts them on the back foot as well. The other is poor planning wrt tactics. Several have given their opinion as to what opposing teams can do yet no one has done it. Clearly Sky can be beaten but it requires two or more teams working together and that seems like too much to ask.

 

 

Sent from my GT-S6790 using Tapatalk

 

Pretty much spot on. There is no other team even near the same level as Sky. 

 

Astana - They sent half their climbers to the Giro - uh... bye bye legs.

 

Movistar - Probably the worst world tour team, the have a 9 prima donnas on the team, if you watch whenever a break goes, instead of closing it down for Quintana, they look around, have a chat, then chase, mostly too late. This has happened 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Think all time lost in first week... 

 

BMC - Co leaders and not stopping to help Richie with puncture...

 

Orica - Nobody to help Yates in the mountains

 

Lampre - Nobody to help Meintjies

 

Tinkoff - Lost a leader

 

Trek - Mollema not really there.

 

Cannondale - Pierre Rolland

 

Katusha - every man for himself.

 

And people wonder why Sky is doing so well. Its a little obvious. This is most obvious by the number of UCI points team sky has before the TDF.

post-11806-0-03410700-1469087920_thumb.jpg

Posted

Pretty much spot on. There is no other team even near the same level as Sky. 

 

Astana - They sent half their climbers to the Giro - uh... bye bye legs.

 

Movistar - Probably the worst world tour team, the have a 9 prima donnas on the team, if you watch whenever a break goes, instead of closing it down for Quintana, they look around, have a chat, then chase, mostly too late. This has happened 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Think all time lost in first week... 

 

BMC - Co leaders and not stopping to help Richie with puncture...

 

Orica - Nobody to help Yates in the mountains

 

Lampre - Nobody to help Meintjies

 

Tinkoff - Lost a leader

 

Trek - Mollema not really there.

 

Cannondale - Pierre Rolland

 

 

Katusha - every man for himself.

 

And people wonder why Sky is doing so well. Its a little obvious. This is most obvious by the number of UCI points team sky has before the TDF.

 

At least TInkoff have a plan B.. whereas other teams just don't.... Majka and the polka-dot.. and of course Sagan and the green jersey.. so if they take both those jerseys to Paris it will be seen as a successful TDF.. if Nairo doesn't get a podium (and I doubt he will) it will be a disastrous tour.  in 2014 when both Froome and Bert crashed out Majka also went on to win the polkda-dot jersey and they got a couple of stage wins.  Cant remember if SKy won a stage that year.. don't think so.

 

If something had to happen to Froome now.. they would at least have options for stage wins..

Posted

All this elite tactic stuff is confusing for me, so can I ask a question? If the rest of the team take turns at just below threshold, and that leaves Froome able to fight it out in the last 1-2 km, why wouldn't a Froome wheel-sucker be able to also fight it out, particularly as they didn't do any work at the front? Is it due to Froome's natural ability ie he may just be better than the wheel-sucker? Or is it because the team are riding specifically around Froome's threshold?

 

That's basically it. Team Sky (for instance) pull Froome and other GC "wheel-suckers" to typically within 2.5km of the final summit. Then it becomes a fight between Froome and the other GC's contenders and Froome seems to be the strongest.

Posted

what do they say.. the Tour is the Tour..the stakes are too high

 

you want to see good balls to the walls GC racing watch the Vuelta. :clap:

 

do with the cycling what they did with Tennis.. the top guys have to compete in all the grand slams (bar injury) and a certain amount of ATP1000 and 500's every year.

 

Don't the Pros have to have a certain number of UCI points from other races before they can take part in the Grand Tour already though? That's why typically the GC's enter races they know they can do well in - max points. 

 

Edit:

 

The only reason I don't ride in Le Tour is I'm too busy to compete in other races during the year to get enough points to be allowed. . . . there was another reason as well but I can't remember it . . .  :-)

Posted

Don't the Pros have to have a certain number of UCI points from other races before they can take part in the Grand Tour already though? That's why typically the GC's enter races they know they can do well in - max points. 

 

Edit:

 

The only reason I don't ride in Le Tour is I'm too busy to compete in other races during the year to get enough points to be allowed. . . . there was another reason as well but I can't remember it . . .  :-)

no idea hey

But I'll take your word for it.

Posted

Speaking of points.. have you guys read up on the changes the UCI want to bring in.. will work on points and a relegation- promotion system..


Will this help that riders get longer contracts and teams sending their big riders to more important races?

 

As it stands rider's take their points with them when they leave.

Posted

I think they made changes in 2014 and then reversed them in 2015 didn't they?

 

Edit:

Actually it sounds a bit like Formula 1. Constantly tweaking the rules to try and reduce a monopoly by the very rich teams.

Posted

I think they made changes in 2014 and then reversed them in 2015 didn't they?

 

Edit:

Actually it sounds a bit like Formula 1. Constantly tweaking the rules to try and reduce a monopoly by the very rich teams.

 

 

Nope.... the UCI and ASO just before the tour started came to a compromise regarding the changes..  lemme go find the article.

 

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/06/civil-war-averted-uci-aso-reach-agreement-over-worldtour-reforms/

 

current team standings

 

Rank Prev. Team (Code) Nat. + Birthdate Country Points 1 1 TINKOFF (TNK)   RUS 890 2 2 MOVISTAR TEAM (MOV)   ESP 858 3 3 BMC RACING TEAM (BMC)   USA 751 4 4 TEAM SKY (SKY)   GBR 714 5 5 ETIXX - QUICK STEP (EQS)   BEL 619 6 6 ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE (OBE)   AUS 523 7 7 TEAM KATUSHA (KAT)   RUS 510 8 8 FDJ (FDJ)   FRA 434 9 9 ASTANA PRO TEAM (AST)   KAZ 426 10 10 TEAM LOTTO NL - JUMBO (TLJ)   NED 392 11 15 LOTTO SOUDAL (LTS)   BEL 368 12 12 TREK - SEGAFREDO (TFS)   USA 351 13 14 CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM (CDT)   USA 306 14 11 LAMPRE - MERIDA (LAM)   ITA 283 15 13 TEAM GIANT - ALPECIN (TGA)   GER 243 16 16 AG2R LA MONDIALE (ALM)   FRA 216 17 17 IAM CYCLING (IAM)   SUI 211 18 18 TEAM DIMENSION DATA (DDD)   RSA 128

 

Posted

Pretty much spot on. There is no other team even near the same level as Sky. 

 

Astana - They sent half their climbers to the Giro - uh... bye bye legs.

 

Movistar - Probably the worst world tour team, the have a 9 prima donnas on the team, if you watch whenever a break goes, instead of closing it down for Quintana, they look around, have a chat, then chase, mostly too late. This has happened 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Think all time lost in first week... 

 

BMC - Co leaders and not stopping to help Richie with puncture...

 

Orica - Nobody to help Yates in the mountains

 

Lampre - Nobody to help Meintjies

 

Tinkoff - Lost a leader

 

Trek - Mollema not really there.

 

Cannondale - Pierre Rolland

 

Katusha - every man for himself.

 

And people wonder why Sky is doing so well. Its a little obvious. This is most obvious by the number of UCI points team sky has before the TDF.

How does the UCI point thing work? Majority of the guys in the top 10 have been nowhere near winning a race recently.

Posted

How does the UCI point thing work? Majority of the guys in the top 10 have been nowhere near winning a race recently.

 

 

it is updated every week. or I think after a stage race is completed then those points are awarded.. I think

 

there are loads of races all the time.. lots of riders racing all over almost all of the time.

 

Not sure how exactly it works.. you have your different ranking races and points awarded accordingly.

 

if you want you can follow this link and then go and select a rider and see what races he scored points for.

 

http://www.uci.ch/road/ranking/

Posted

Damn, yesterday's stage was boring and a relief for the Froome fans.

If it was not for the scenery I would have fallen asleep much sooner, luckily I had it on the pvr and could rewind to see what happened at the finish line.

 

Seriously, to many mountain climbs are making the racing boring.... A little less climbing and the racing will be much better.

Posted

Damn, yesterday's stage was boring and a relief for the Froome fans.

If it was not for the scenery I would have fallen asleep much sooner, luckily I had it on the pvr and could rewind to see what happened at the finish line.

 

Seriously, to many mountain climbs are making the racing boring.... A little less climbing and the racing will be much better.

 

 

I vote for a 3week spring classic type route TDF or a Hilly (not mountainous) route.

 

there were a few exciting parts..

 

1.. Sagan pulling Majka over mountains

2.. Sagan descending down mountains

3... Sagan getting more points

4.  Majka getting more points

5.. the battle for the stage win.. it was good

6... Sagan sorting his shirt out while climbing - no hands

7... Sagan visiting a camper for a no 2

8... Sagan still in green

9.. Meintjes dropping Nairo  :clap:

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Settings My Forum Content My Followed Content Forum Settings Ad Messages My Ads My Favourites My Saved Alerts My Pay Deals Help Logout