2014 Tour de France, Stage 5: Ypres – Arenberg Porte du Hainaut: 156km

[Jagartrott]

To those who think Fuglsang & Nibali could win P-R - while their performance was superb today, remember that P-R is over 100 km longer. That's something very different.

 

[MartinGT]

I hope this hasnt taken a lot out of Nibbles

 

[Dazed and Confused]

To those who think Fuglsang & Nibali could win P-R - while their performance was superb today, remember that P-R is over 100 km longer. That's something very different.

Nibali won't be factor in P-R, but I think he could go well in RVV.

 

[trevim]

First of all, the best thing about this stage was that the GC riders were separated by their ability to ride on the cobbles and not because of a stupid crash like in 2010.

Biggest winners:
+ Nibali and his entire Astana team who did an amazing job. Hats off.
+ Porte getting leadership status and starting it by gaining time in everybody except Nibali; good job from Thomas there.
+ Belkin/Boom: I'm glad they trade the opportunity to give Mollema a minute or so in GC for a stage win. Right choice in my book.

Biggest losers:
- Every GC contender not named Nibali. Specially Contador because he's the only one who will not be satisfied with a podium finish. That's a good result for every other GC rider there.
- Cancellara/Sagan: it's amazing how they prefer to lose the race for anyone else as long as they don't work with each other. So much love between those two.
- Vanmarcke: Simply because it will be a few years until he gets an opportunity to get a Tour stage win.
- Froome.

 

[Walkman]

Nibali quote:



Truer words rarely spoken.

That's funny.

When Froome drops everyone on the mountains he is "mutant" and "going full ***", but when a 60 kg Nibali drops Sagan and Cancellara, while sitting down, it's all praise…..

 

[Arredondo]

Valverde doesn't look to unhappy about his time loss

 

[red_flanders]

Well Froome could have not crashed out and finished another 3 mins behind Contador. That would have been perfect!

The bike racers are still in it. Froome/Sky/Postal tactics make the race a crushing bore. He didn't want to race from behind anyway.

Better bike race for it IMO. At least Porte can ride.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Hard not to be a Nibali fan, really. The guy doesn't give any reasons to dislike him. He's a quiet champion. Reminds me of Indurain.

 

[go crazy]

That's funny.

When Froome drops everyone on the mountains he is "mutant" and "going full ***", but when a 60 kg Nibali drops Sagan and Cancellara, while sitting down, it's all praise…..

Please enlighten us more with your ignorance.

 

[Arredondo]

Hard not to be a Nibali fan, really. The guy doesn't give any reasons to dislike him. He's a quiet champion. Reminds me of Indurain.

Just in the quiet way i suppose?

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Booom !

Amazing ride by Boom and Astana today. I'm rooting for Nibali to win this race now. Though I might change my mind if Contador goes bananas in the mountains. (his team has a banana color, so maybe he's trying to give a message?)

Vanmarcke had bad luck and Thomas had to babysit his captains because he rides for a crappy team, but the rest of the specialists were very disappointing.

With Cavendish out and this result for Kwiatkowski, I'm starting to have just a little bit of a belief that there might be a chance that he does something in the GC.

 

[King Boonen]

Nibali quote:

"I know how to ride a bike."

Truer words rarely spoken.

That's going in my sig.

 

[Squirbos19]

Its perfect for both riders. Nobody wants to win a GT with limited competition.

To be honest if Purito won a GT he wouldn't care less who he beat, he'd be so relieved to have finally won one.
But it is true I'm sure he would rather win against tough competition. But at the start of the year he had things going his way, with only Quintana at the Giro then tired tour riders and some Giro riders to contend the Vuelta.

 

[go crazy]

Hard not to be a Nibali fan, really. The guy doesn't give any reasons to dislike him. He's a quiet champion. Reminds me of Indurain.

Except not a glowing hot radioactive pile of EPO?

 

[No_Balls]

I hope this hasnt taken a lot out of Nibbles

To be fair to Chris Froome people (my self included) started to whine that he should save his energy for the "bigger picture" when "attacking" on Jenkin Road and started to chase Fuglsang.

Wonder how this stage five effects works on Nibalis bigger picture

 

[Red Lobster]

Is because they don't let him touch the lady models anymore.

LOL!

But in all seriousness, ASO needs to think twice before including stages like this in the Tour. Sure we all love the drama created by a roundabout stage, but look at all the crashes those roundabouts caused. At least a dozen riders down on roundabouts ... Do we want a race or a lottery? Hopefully this little experiment has run its course and next year all stages will be roundabout-free.

 

[the sceptic]

will Kirby ever get over this loss? what a moron.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

That's going in my sig.

Its mine
I've been spreading the quote for days already

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Boom wasn't kidding earlier this year when he wished for a wet PR.

What a ride by Nibali and the whole Astana team. Also Lemoine is having a great start to the Tour by his standard.

Also, at this rate, the Vuelta will have the best field of all 3 GTs this year with Rodriguez, Contador, Quintana, Valverde and now probably Froome too.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

That's funny.

When Froome drops everyone on the mountains he is "mutant" and "going full ***", but when a 60 kg Nibali drops Sagan and Cancellara, while sitting down, it's all praise…..

They're riding cobbles. You think he should be standing?

Astana attacked at the right time and gapped Sagan and Cancellara while each waited for the other to close the gap.

Nibali can ride a bike. Froome can't even look straight ahead.

 

[Eclipse]

That's funny.

When Froome drops everyone on the mountains he is "mutant" and "going full ***", but when a 60 kg Nibali drops Sagan and Cancellara, while sitting down, it's all praise…..

While I am spectacularly biased, the split happened only because of Kwiatkowski having a mechanical (Boom thought it was a flat in his interview) right behind the Astana riders who were sitting on the front. That's what caused the gaps and it was easy enough for Boom to get across, Sagan and Cancellara either gambled poorly or didn't have the legs (wouldn't be surprised, they've both been in crashes the last 2 days)

 

[go crazy]

Valverde doesn't look to unhappy about his time loss

That's actually pretty cool. After a stage like this, glad to see them so relaxed. I don't think AC and his boys are going to be posting a pic like that

 

[go crazy]

LOL!

But in all seriousness, ASO needs to think twice before including stages like this in the Tour. Sure we all love the drama created by a roundabout stage, but look at all the crashes those roundabouts caused. At least a dozen riders down on roundabouts ... Do we want a race or a lottery? Hopefully this little experiment has run its course and next year all stages will be roundabout-free.

I see what you did there.

But in all actual seriousness...if you want a roundabout free race, bring the Tour de France to America, we hate roundabouts!

 

[Taxus4a]

In the mood with a short stage, Boom is the best.

Nibali is strong and he has a big gap. He is now the big favourite to win.

 

[murali]

My biggest takeaway from this race:

we will actually get to see a GT with Quintana, Contador and Froome as tour leaders.

fireworks in Veulta!!