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Eish, I was rooting for Stevo yesterday (even if it was just to prove me right in my prediction, once in my life  :whistling:  :ph34r: ) but alas, it was one hill too far. :D

Kudos to him for trying, though.  :thumbup:

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Eish, I was rooting for Stevo yesterday (even if it was just to prove me right in my prediction, once in my life  :whistling:  :ph34r: ) but alas, it was one hill too far. :D

Kudos to him for trying, though.  :thumbup:

He'll take today as a recovery ride and then I am pretty sure tomorrow will be another opportunity for him

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Yes we failed in our attempt, BUT we damn well TRIED.

 

 

 

like Steve yesterday! 10/10 for a gallant effort....but he was broken. I saw he came in 11 minutes later!

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Is the answer then to do nothing?

 

Team Sky have followed the same tactics since 2012, and since then the other teams have just not been able to find a way of combating these tactics and beating them. In that time Sky has grown even stronger, bigger budget, with support riders to CF probably capable of being the leader if they were in the other WT teams and CF has become an even better rider. Sky's tactics are so obvious yet nobody seems to be able to find a way to beat them.

 

A couple of years ago, a few mates and I had the opportunity to enjoy a ride with a SA pro. We followed his career on the local circuit and knew his strengths and weaknesses. There was no way any of us was going to be able to beat him in a flat out race. That did however not mean that we didn't try. And nearly died trying, if I might add :D .

As a group we each took turns, nasty yes in know, to attack, to try and tire him, to try and break him in some fashion. We failed.

It was a pointless exercise; at the end of the day it just highlighted the difference between a professional and the rest of us, good amateurs and weekend warriors.

Yes we failed in our attempt, BUT we damn well TRIED.

 

I think that's what most of us want, someone to at least give it a go.

 

Another theory also was that perhaps at that point Sky was pushing the pace at the front so hard that everyone was just relieved to take a break and wait for Sky.

 

OR

 

There was not a single rider willing to take up the pace and lets face it - I don't think any of the other guys would have worked together at that point - they all too used to riding the Sky-train.

 

Today will be a real tell if Astana's bunch of individuals can pull together and assist Aru? I don't see them doing what sky does for Froome and once the rest of the team has all dropped like Flies what is Aru going to do? Maybe it is lucky its a downhill finish.

 

AG2R will be shaking the peloton apart today with their descending skills... the final 13km may just be too flat for them to stay away if they do create a gap.

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So Meintjes to be in yellow in 2-3 years?

 

I don't think so, not unless he signs for a super team like Sky or Trek etc.

 

I see he may be going back to DD but I don't think the team has what it takes to go for GC

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Another theory also was that perhaps at that point Sky was pushing the pace at the front so hard that everyone was just relieved to take a break and wait for Sky.

 

OR

 

There was not a single rider willing to take up the pace and lets face it - I don't think any of the other guys would have worked together at that point - they all too used to riding the Sky-train.

 

Today will be a real tell if Astana's bunch of individuals can pull together and assist Aru? I don't see them doing what sky does for Froome and once the rest of the team has all dropped like Flies what is Aru going to do? Maybe it is lucky its a downhill finish.

 

AG2R will be shaking the peloton apart today with their descending skills... the final 13km may just be too flat for them to stay away if they do create a gap.

Question. .will Froome be able to stick with his team tough.. they so strong they could break him????????

 

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A good tactic for sky would be to send Landa up the road. The other teams will have to do some work then.

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I only watched the stage late last night,

 

Stoked that Bardet took the win after his unfruitful efforts the other day.

 

Uran is looking very strong to me, If he didn't have to go around Aru he might have taken the stage win too. I reckon with his ITT abilities he's well on track to podium( The tour is unpredictable, if Froome crashes out for example - he can win it IMO)

 

I also agree that Landa could not really to anything to assist Froome in the final 200m and was going for the stage. That being said I'm extremely happy Froome lost yellow..

Froome will try and take yellow back as soon as today already.

 

Sky has one move, and it works but they can't implement the same control without leading the race. I expect to see AG2R and Astana to grasp the opportunity and Try and do the controlling.. Damn I wish Porte was still there.

 

Meintjes did great too, I just wish he would stop hanging on the back like Cummings.

 

Landa also has the Giro in his legs, just like Pinot and Quintana so I really think he'll drop out of the top 10 next week.

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A good tactic for sky would be to send Landa up the road. The other teams will have to do some work then.

I think that's exactly whats going to happen.

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Question. .will Froome be able to stick with his team tough.. they so strong they could break him

 

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That final wall is the only type of climb where the contenders will take time on CF. 

 

Landa could well be the next leader, but his TT abilities are not what they need to be. He was 1m08 down on Gerraint Thomas. SKY is built around a bunch of guys that can TT very well and they basically just drive it just at that point where everybody is at their limits to just hang on.

 

On a wall finish, it comes down to the pure climbers. 

 

Froome is fine, won't stress about yesterday. 

 

If the contenders want to stand a chance they will need to attack him where is TT team can't help him: On the hectic inclines and the descents...

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Not unless he learns to attack.

And TT[emoji6]

 

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No fans allowed on the Mur de Peguere.

 

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So Meintjes to be in yellow in 2-3 years?

 

We can hope... Think we are all rooting for him... He needs a more supportive team with a bit more depth to support him further through the stages.

 

He is a very smart rider and with the right support is definitely heading for yellow...

 

 

Question. .will Froome be able to stick with his team tough.. they so strong they could break him

 

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Well if they don't pull together none of them will get there themselves...

 

2c - IMO - Landa >>> Dropped the pace once he was left to do the work. Now I don't know if that was instruction or him playing a game for himself, then hanging Froome out to dry? Surely at that point Landa (if playing for the team effort and to keep Froome in yellow) should have gone all in and peeled off totally spent as his team mates did but instead kept some reserve.

 

Fact is we don't know what the instruction or team tactic was at that point but Sky got it wrong yesterday... I hope they have not sent their normal sky colours home yet... they going to need different helmets now 

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