Eldron Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 A lot of the sprinters will tell you it is sometimes not easy getting there before cut off.. But let's agree to disagree on this one[emoji1303] I would like to see more classic stage in the TDF.. where is it written that it must be a climber - TT specialist that wins it.[emoji6] Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk For me it comes down to the best man winning versus luck of the draw. Mountains are "best man" but cobbles for me is more "luck of the draw". Cobbles are super exciting but it leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth... "Best man" is a relative term of course! The TdF sure can do with more excitement - the sprinters stage are pretty formulaic. Judging by the social media content generated per stage the cobbles definitely worked! I'm keen to see if the team reduction will have an effect on the mountains or the hilly stages. 8 is still too much in my opinion. 5 man teams will mean less control and more exciting racing. Less Sky/Postal style strangulation will up the excitement I reckon.
Gen Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 Sprinters have their days, Classic specialists have whole races to themselves, shouldn't the skinny climbers and TT specialists also have their days too?They do..every almost every GT is determined by the GC rider that can TT Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
HappyMartin Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 Not often they race on the Cobbles. Looking at the photo on this thread Froome seemed to be in high spirits. I enjoyed it. We all have bad days. I want to watch the first mountain stage tomorrow but I have another bloody model casting day. Let’s ban that stuff as well.
Jase619 Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 They do..every almost every GT is determined by the GC rider that can TT Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk That's the thing, if you take that away from them what would they then have left?
Gen Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 That's the thing, if you take that away from them what would they then have left?And that is a bad nothing how [emoji48] Come man shake it up change it up a bit.. change the route lets have a route where anyone can win it [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] can you imagine how awesome the racing will be not just 3 guys playing follow a yellow leader.. Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Eldron Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 And that is a bad nothing how [emoji48] Come man shake it up change it up a bit.. change the route lets have a route where anyone can win it [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] can you imagine how awesome the racing will be not just 3 guys playing follow a yellow leader.. Sent from my SM-G950F using TapatalkTo be fair the hardmen have a whole spring classics season to themselves. Maybe we should vote to add some Cat 1 and 2 mountains to Paris-Roubaix? I like that within a racing year there is something for everyone. Leave the GCing to the skinny okes I reckon.
Thor Buttox Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 And that is a bad nothing how [emoji48] Come man shake it up change it up a bit.. change the route lets have a route where anyone can win it [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] can you imagine how awesome the racing will be not just 3 guys playing follow a yellow leader.. Sent from my SM-G950F using TapatalkActually I think that is a great idea. I would love something me one like Sagz having an outside chance to win it. If the world champs can have done different courses to benefit different riders, so can a GT. The one day classics are what they are. Not so long ago people were bleating when Spartacus neutralised a stage due to rain. Porte crashed out on a downhill last year, as did Beefsteak a few years ago. Froomey crashed out on normal tarmac before reaching the cobbles, and I thought it was a bad idea then - wonder why? It isn't the cobbles that did the damage yesterday, but the thought of cobbles. And no, I wouldn't want to ride them but they cyclists themselves seem to think it was a good idea to liven things up. There's a gravel section at the top of one of the mountains coming up... The last one they did in the Giro led to the stage of the year. The only thing I agree on Eldron is maybe reducing team sizes and increasing team numbers might be far more exciting, but also far more brutal, and it's hard enough as it is.
Gen Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 Did anyone seethe Porte crash, it happened off air so no idea where in the bunch he was at the time? Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Eldron Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 Actually I think that is a great idea. I would love something me one like Sagz having an outside chance to win it. If the world champs can have done different courses to benefit different riders, so can a GT. Having someone like Sagz winning a stage race would be a travesty. The guy is an awesome one trick pony but Froome and the rest of the GCers have a much better all round game than Sagz. Sagz can sprint, smash the shorter steeper climbs and is harder than diamonds but GCers can TT, climb AND survive cobbles (all of the main GCers finished within 10 seconds of Sagan yesterday). If we add climbs to the classics, cobbles to the stage racing then we end up with a single kind of racing - I like the current season where every body type, size and mentality has a chance to shine.
dev null Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 I read that the French fans are unhappy that Sky attacked while Bardet was off the back with a mechanical, does that mean that there should have been no attacking throughout the day or only no attacking by Sky? because Bardet was forever off the back with bike problems. In fact he was well off the back when the winning group went away. Did Bardet leave his yellow jacket in the hotel room by mistake?
lechatnoir Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 With all the crashing yesterday, no reporting coming in of slice-and-dice because of disc brakes...?
lechatnoir Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 Having someone like Sagz winning a stage race would be a travesty. The guy is an awesome one trick pony but Froome and the rest of the GCers have a much better all round game than Sagz. One-trick pony? Really? Sagz can sprint, smash the shorter steeper climbs and is harder than diamonds but GCers can TT, climb AND survive cobbles (all of the main GCers finished within 10 seconds of Sagan yesterday). Oh, so NOT a one-trick pony then... but you DID say... oh well, save it for Friday If we add climbs to the classics, cobbles to the stage racing then we end up with a single kind of racing - I like the current season where every body type, size and mentality has a chance to shine. Good to find something we agree on
Gen Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 I think out of all of the sky guys only Thomas and Poels didn't have a tumble. Kwaito, Rowe, Moscon, Bernal, Froome all went down at some point.. Any news on injuries (besides Bernal's injuries)? Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Danger Dassie Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 Did anyone seethe Porte crash, it happened off air so no idea where in the bunch he was at the time? Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk No footage anywhere, apparently connected with a spectator.
Gen Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 No footage anywhere, apparently connected with a spectator. Aye.. Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Underachiever Posted July 16, 2018 Posted July 16, 2018 Having someone like Sagz winning a stage race would be a travesty. The guy is an awesome one trick pony but Froome and the rest of the GCers have a much better all round game than Sagz. Sagz can sprint, smash the shorter steeper climbs and is harder than diamonds but GCers can TT, climb AND survive cobbles (all of the main GCers finished within 10 seconds of Sagan yesterday). If we add climbs to the classics, cobbles to the stage racing then we end up with a single kind of racing - I like the current season where every body type, size and mentality has a chance to shine.More than often the GT GC riders are the real ponies methinks. The Grand Tours favour the climbers/TT guys. So 2 tricks. Nibali, Valverde, Sagan, Allaphilipe, are more towards the real all rounder.
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