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

[ILovecycling]

This is the race we was hoping for

 

[SantiBotero]

Astana has to push now

 

[cineteq]

Astana pressing the pace.

No doubt who's in change!

 

[mastermind]

I love this!

 

[Rollthedice]

I can't understand who doubts Nibali. He'll put the hammer down on the last pave section.

 

[Ramira]

I don't have the feeling many people are cheering here

Same, I don't think many people are happy Froome is out. Now a few might feel a bit of pleasure at Brailsford getting kicked in the n**s over forcing Wiggins out of the Tour squad, but Froome losing the tour like this sucks.

 

[burning]

Astana and Garmin will destroy Contador at this rate

 

[Publicus]

hopefully Contador can make it back, but he's far back

 

[gustienordic]

How far back is Contador from Nibali right now?

 

[roosters76]

Literally 4 minutes of commercial and then they came for less than a minute before cutting away again.

Exactly. Poor things, they would force commercial even on World Cup final.

 

[Squirbos19]

Contador seems to be taking it a bit too safely, he's a fair way back from Nibali now.

 

[ggusta]

It's not his fault Froome crashed multiple times.

1st there's still a heluva long way to go
2nd Froome 2014 hasn't seemed like 2013 Froome to me whatsoever.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Nibali will win major time today

staying in Yellow with a tinge of muddy brown.

Where's TGBM?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Nibali has dropped Contador.

 

[PirazziAttacksVino]

Nibali is amazing! **** Contador, **** Froome! This man can do anything! If cobbles and crazy descents were part of every GT, he would be the best GC rider bin the world by far.

 

[l.Harm]

Belkin tactics.... omg

 

[Afrank]

I can't understand who doubts Nibali. He'll put the hammer down on the last pave section.

Hmm, Nibali to pull a Cancellara type solo on the pave? I'd like that.

 

[ILovecycling]

How far back is Contador from Nibali right now?

Estimated on 35 secs



Where is Piti?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Astana 1 - Contador 0

 

[webvan]

Weird, Astana not really drilling it, did Contador have a fall/mechanical and they're waiting?

 

[TANK91]

Contador will destroy Nibali in mountains though.

 

[purcell]

I'd say it was both, considering that the cobbles didn't necessarily have to be the physical cause, but the anxiety they caused probably derailed him mentally.

Then he isn't a professional. Period.

 

[kingjr]

It could have happened, though saying Froome wouldn't have dropped Contador after he dropped him like a bad habit everytime they went up a mountain the last time Froome rode a race he prepared for (that would be last years tour) is making quite an assumption about the level of Contador and Froome.

Again I could be wrong, Contador has been quite good, but I tend to favour stability over sudden change, and Contador making such a huge jump (from at best the 4th best climber to equal best) since last year seems to much. Especially considering Contador has always been the master of peaking early in the season, his level in smaller stage races has always been incredible.

So in conclusion I think the gap between Contador and Nibali/Valverde won't be bigger than between Froome and Contador. So I'm expecting more spectacle than if Froome had stayed in and controlled the Tour with his Sky team. But I guess we'll never know.

Well I think we'll have to agree to disagree here, but I hope you're right

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Contador is in trouble.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Belkin tactics.... omg

Why that? Mollema isn't there, so Boom and Vanmarcke not riding.