2014 Paris Nice, Stage 7: Mougins - Biot 195.5km

[JRanton]

I'm not sure you can blame that on bad luck for Thomas. He was positioned badly on the descent before the crash and probably took a chance trying to move up.

 

[RedheadDane]

Good to hear that G. Thomas wasn't seriously injured.
Geez, for that brief moment when he was just lying on the ground I got a little scared.

 

[EnacheV]

Very sad about Thomas

but it's some sort of cosmic justice

you just don't send some random guy to the 2nd WT stage race of the season and win it

no pushing it will come back to haunt Brailsford

instead of winning both TA and PN with Froome and Porte they will have nobody on the podium in both.

 

[jaylew]

I don't think Porte would have stood a chance to even podium at PN with that parcours.

 

[del1962]

Good to hear that G. Thomas wasn't seriously injured.
Geez, for that brief moment when he was just lying on the ground I got a little scared.

he did seem to take a while to get back up

 

[Sykhrzon]

Very sad about Thomas

but it's some sort of cosmic justice

you just don't send some random guy to the 2nd WT stage race of the season and win it

no pushing it will come back to haunt Brailsford

instead of winning both TA and PN with Froome and Porte they will have nobody on the podium in both.

Sure about that? I don't think Porte will win the TA, but the podium is within sight. Remember there is a final time trial. I could be wrong but it's pretty close.

 

[EnacheV]

I don't think Porte would have stood a chance to even podium at PN with that parcours.

i don't know

it's just i can't figure anything that Thomas is doing much better than Porte

also, Porte is more experienced, falling of the bike is one of the things that splits winners from losers.

Would have been funny to send your 5th-6th GC guy and win PN (even 2nd place seems to much)

 

[BigMac]

i don't know

it's just i can't figure anything that Thomas is doing much better than Porte

also, Porte is more experienced, falling of the bike is one of the things that splits winners from losers.

Would have been funny to send your 5th-6th GC guy and win PN (even 2nd place seems to much)

You think Porte would not have crashed there?

 

[EnacheV]

You think Porte would not have crashed there?

who knows

sad about Slagter to, without that chain **** happening yesterday would have won this most likely

 

[trevim]

So Thomas can't descend? I'm shocked. Maybe there's a reason why Sky doesn't win classics: when one of your team leaders can't stay on the bike, it gets difficult to win monuments with or without solid tactics.

About Rui Costa, the kid is on a roll

 

[JRanton]

Very sad about Thomas

but it's some sort of cosmic justice

you just don't send some random guy to the 2nd WT stage race of the season and win it

no pushing it will come back to haunt Brailsford

instead of winning both TA and PN with Froome and Porte they will have nobody on the podium in both.

Porte was never going to win this PN. He doesn't have the explosive kick that you need to win on these short climbs/drags like Betancur and Slagter. It made sense to send him to TA but he's not quite able to match the top guys.

 

[Kwibus]

Slagter is an impressive uphill sprinter indeed but Betancur isn't in peak condition yet and he still wins stages. IMO His best is better than Slagter's

Anyway, these two will battling for the part of the next decade in the uphill sprints and FW.

I agree with you. Betancur has shown a lot more than Slagter so far and I think he will show more during his entire career as well, but looking back at yesterday and watching today I can't help but think Slagter was denied another stage win and the overall GC at P-N. Which is a REALLY big deal for a guy like Slagter imo.

Allthough Slagter had a brave reaction to yesterdays bad luck by saying that he ofcourse was dissapointed it happened and he lost his GC, but was looking forward to the next stages. Personally ... if I was him I would've been gutted really.

 

[Kwibus]

Possible but I really don't think so. Slagter didn't have any real separation when he went yesterday and he was still a good ways out. I think Betancur was always going to win that one. A shame about his mechanical though. Without it, today would have been much more interesting.

Slagter has proven to be better at the 5%-7% uphill sprints than the 10% + uphill sprints, but he distanced his rivals on the steeper parts yesterday. I really doubt he would've given away the win yesterday. Afterall he allready had 3 bike lenghts on Costa before his mechanical and the gap was still growing.

 

[pastronef]

Very sad about Thomas

but it's some sort of cosmic justice

you just don't send some random guy to the 2nd WT stage race of the season and win it

no pushing it will come back to haunt Brailsford

instead of winning both TA and PN with Froome and Porte they will have nobody on the podium in both.

wow, I did not know higher forces were involved in bike racing

ps. great win for Slagter!! and baaad luck for Geraint the podium was within reach.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

gonna say it right now, Slagter would've won PN without bad luck. Way stronger than anyone here, even Betancur

 

[trevim]

I am looking forward to see how Slagter does in the Ardennes. Last year he was good in Australia but then he disappeared a bit. Now with more experience, he may come good when it matters the most for a rider like. After that, I would like him to focus in those late season italian races and obviously Lombardia and Canada.

 

[BigMac]

gonna say it right now, Slagter would've won PN without bad luck. Way stronger than anyone here, even Betancur

Clearly he is very strong at the moment. No doubt he would be the current maillot jaune if he had not had that mechanical.

I am looking forward to see how Slagter does in the Ardennes. Last year he was good in Australia but then he disappeared a bit. Now with more experience, he may come good when it matters the most for a rider like. After that, I would like him to focus in those late season italian races and obviously Lombardia and Canada.

Québec and Montréal double would be something.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I am looking forward to see how Slagter does in the Ardennes. Last year he was good in Australia but then he disappeared a bit. Now with more experience, he may come good when it matters the most for a rider like. After that, I would like him to focus in those late season italian races and obviously Lombardia and Canada.

we will see how he handles real distance of classics. I don't think he can

 

[Pippo_San]

Nibbles to go ballistic from afar in a Tirreno 2013 fashion.

 

[trevim]

we will see how he handles real distance of classics. I don't think he can

Yeah that's it basically. At 200km Fleche is still an option though.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Yeah that's it basically. At 200km Fleche is still an option though.

FW is barely a semi classic. Group ride with a small sprint at the end.

 

[trevim]

FW is barely a semi classic. Group ride with a small sprint at the end.

Oh well it's still an Ardennes classic. But yeah it really is no different of a Tour de France sprint stage

 

[jaylew]

I love FW. Actually one of my favorite races even if you know how it will unfold.

 

[jaylew]

Oh well it's still an Ardennes classic. But yeah it really is no different of a Tour de France sprint stage

Blasphemy!

 

[trevim]

Blasphemy!

Ah OK I'll concede that the last km is different