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

[TourOfSardinia]

Looking at that picture I can't imagine at least a few having their dreams shattered.

Froome has dealt with African lakes so that puddle shouldn't freak him out.

 

[difdauf]

I think, (if no accidents) that, first the main GC contenders will do well and finish together or near, second the climbers of the french teams (Rolland, Pinot, Bardet...) will lose several hours if not days. Finally all the stage will be about Froome.

When you see how he struggled for some bruises in dauphiné, riding a cobble stage with a weakened wrist will be like hell for him. He is one of the worst bike handler of the race and it will be wet if not rainy. If bad luck comes, i am not even sure he will finish the stage.

I bet we will often hear the word "Wiggins" tomorrow.

 

[Dr. Juice]

For a good portion of spice it would be great if Contador and Nibali just handle it fine ( Alberto like 2010 without crash, Nibali good bike ability) , no one of the GC contenders crashes, Froome is not comfortable , takes it easy and loses about 1:30 to them.
Just to make sure he can't rely on the penultimate day.

Others " GC contenders" don't matter (bar Valverde) - they must gain 4 minutes at least, which I don't think will happen.

 

[R0BL4MBT0N]

There is handling and then there is other people's handling.

Cobbled stage = exciting, totally buy in that you should prove that you can deal with this

Wet cobbled stage = potentially ruins the whole race for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Just hoping everyone gets through this okay. Would be nice if there was some agreement not to profit from other's crashes.

Profit by riding faster than your GC rivals, great
Don't profit when your rivals are held up by a crash

I see you Andy, '10

 

[Netserk]

To be honest I think his best chance tomorrow on the cobbles is just head down and pedal his a** off in his usual attacking cadence. It doesn't look good for him though that he's had to go for an x-ray on the wrist, it must be hurting him which is pretty much the worst area to be hurting on those cobbles.

Spinning with a high cadence on cobbles? Hahahahaha

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

For a good portion of spice it would be great if Contador and Nibali just handle it fine ( Alberto like 2010 without crash, Nibali good bike ability) , no one of the GC contenders crashes, Froome is not comfortable , takes it easy and loses about 1:30 to them.
Just to make sure he can't rely on the penultimate day.

Others " GC contenders" don't matter (bar Valverde) - they must gain 4 minutes at least, which I don't think will happen.

Indeed I think Sky will benefit from not getting into yellow so early this year and giving up a couple of minutes to this field shouldn't pose any real problem.

 

[JRanton]

I think, (if no accidents) that, first the main GC contenders will do well and finish together or near, second the climbers of the french teams (Rolland, Pinot, Bardet...) will lose several hours if not days. Finally all the stage will be about Froome.

When you see how he struggled for some bruises in dauphiné, riding a cobble stage with a weakened wrist will be like hell for him. He is one of the worst bike handler of the race and it will be wet if not rainy. If bad luck comes, i am not even sure he will finish the stage.

I bet we will often hear the word "Wiggins" tomorrow.

Why? He'd have been sulking at the back of the peloton if the weather forecast is right.

 

[BeagRigh]

cut... the climbers of the french teams (Rolland, Pinot, Bardet...) will lose several hours if not days. ...cut.

Serious note I wonder if anyone will get time cut tomorrow..

 

[alspacka]

Kwiatkowski to take 6 minutes on Froome/Contador and defend it all the way till Hautacam when CF crushes everybody's hopes and dreams.

 

[SeriousSam]

Would be great for the race if Froome loses a minute to Contador, and Contador loses 2 minutes to Nibali and Valverde

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Wet Roubaix cobbles:

Let the show begin.

 

[Angliru]

See Cancellara's comments :"I've already been asked if I'll ask for the stage to be neutralised if it rains but this is different. I know that it’s not a nice stage for Froome, Contador, Nibali and even our GC riders. But my reply is: so why not take out the climbs to make it easier for us? That never happens, so it's only right we race on the cobbles. It’s a risk for everyone, including me, but we've got to live with it and calculate the risks involved."

Actually his argument is bs. The Tour is ultimately about the gc, the mountains and the battle between the gc contenders for the yellow jersey. The mountains have little if no effect on what Cancellara and riders of his kind want and hope to achieve at the Tour. Unless he has some catastrophic injury or mishap the chances of him not making it in the time limit is quite slim.
The risk is far greater for the gc contenders, the primary reason that the Tour exists. The cobbles are sheer spectacle and the prospect of who's chances could be dashed all to hell on these slippery rocks (among the gc contenders) is the appeal, more so than who ultimately wins the stage.

They don't take the climbs out to make it easier for you Fabian, because you aren't the focal point of the Tour. When they are promoting the Tour they aren't showing huge pictures of Cancellara and speaking on his battles for stage wins or ITT victories with other riders. The focus is on the gc contenders, with everything else as pretty much the sideshow.

I recognize that they have to introduce the cobbles into the Tour occasionally to keep it fresh but Cancellara I think has over-inflated ego and a false sense of his importance if he really expects anyone to take his words seriously.

 

[rhubroma]

I really hope we get a big shake up in the GC tomorrow with at least one guy losing time. People moan about flat, boring stages, this should be exactly what people want to see.

I don't agree. Cycling today has changed, for better or for worse, but it has changed.

Perhaps it would be better for the Tour to see Cancellara win the whole shabang?

By now Roubaix is for pure specialists romantically (and we love them for it) engaged in an archaic rite.

I don't think Roubaix has its place in a contemporary Tour. If so then we should put the Tourmalet in Roubaix, which isn't possible.

 

[Dr. Juice]

Kwiatkowski to take 6 minutes on Froome/Contador and defend it all the way till Hautacam when CF crushes everybody's hopes and dreams.

Or Riis 1996 ghost takes possession of Contador

 

[SeriousSam]

Or Riis 1996 ghost takes possession of Contador

lol. contador would win the tour with 5+ minutes

 

[SKSemtex]

I hope that peloton will be cut to pieces. Sagan, Kwiatko or Terpstra ftw.

 

[R0BL4MBT0N]

I'm not sure I support stages where the discussion is on who is going to lose rather than who is going to win.

The whole thing seems to be working from the wrong angle.

Saying that I don't think cobbles should fall into that "who is going to lose mentality", its there for people to go out and win on.

Wet cobbles... different story

 

[L'OgreDeRostock]

I can't imagine someone crossing alone the finish line in tomorrow's stage. Paved sections aren't tough enough to make big differences between all the specialists in my opinion.
I would rather think of a group of about 10-15 riders for the victory, and in these conditions my favorite would be either John Degenkolb or Arnaud Demare.

As for Froome, of course he isn't the real cobblestone specialist. Today I saw a short movie of him riding over cobblestone sections. He looked like bouncing on each one of them... I'm a little bit afraid for him. But I suppose that both Nibali and Condator are going to struggle as much as him.

I wish good luck to everybody.

 

[Vino's Mum]

Wet Roubaix cobbles:

Let the show begin.

If only some of today's GC riders were professional badasses like Sean. He'd have loved tomorrow.

 

[Tank Engine]

I was initially thinking Degenkolb vs Demare vs Sagan in a radically reduced sprint, but with fairly strong winds and rain, I think someone will get away. My head says Spartacus (he'll be given more freedom), my heart says Vanmarcke (I have the feeling he'll be caught out in the GC battle by driving TGBM to gain time on favourable terrain).

Go Micheal Flowers!! and may the gaps be based on skill and speed rather than luck (although of course that won't be the whole story).

 

[Arredondo]

I can see Valverde as the 'Andy Schleck of 2014'. But, this Tour the level of the teams is so high, and there are so many cobbled specialist who are going to sacrifice themself for their team leader, that the big GC guys all have a chance to conclude as the winner of the day. All is about positioning, of course. Froome will be the big loser tomorrow. With his small wrist problems, and the rain, he will crash or lose big time.

Terpstra or Sagan for the stage. Or Degenkolb. Or Vanmarcke. Or Cancellara. Or Langeveld... A, **** IT, lets race!

 

[Dr. Juice]

I think every TdF should have a cobbled stage. No exceptions.
GC contenders would come to RVV and P-R at least once in 2 years.
No one knows who might be an underlying talent on cobbles. We recently discovered Wiggins is quite good.

But most important thing: Every GC rider would learn to ride decently on them. Less crashes, less insecurities, battling among them - not only "surviving".

And GT champions fighting in P-R like in the good old times.

 

[Jagartrott]

Who else managed to score a day off work tomorrow?

I'm "working from home", which means I'll do the work tonight and tomorrow before the start of the race

 

[MBotero]

This stage could be the end of GC dreams for a lot of guys.The only bad thing about this one is that crashing are imminent,let's hope nobody is forced out by injuries.Valverde could be the man to surprise everybody here.

 

[Warhawk]

I don't agree. Cycling today has changed, for better or for worse, but it has changed.

Perhaps it would be better for the Tour to see Cancellara win the whole shabang?

By now Roubaix is for pure specialists romantically (and we love them for it) engaged in an archaic rite.

I don't think Roubaix has its place in a contemporary Tour. If so then we should put the Tourmalet in Roubaix, which isn't possible.

I disagree, I think the Tour ought to be as representative of the sport as a whole as possible.