2016 TdF, Stage 11: Carcassonne → Montpellier (163km)

[winkybiker]

I don't get it. We complain when the racing is calculated, boring and tactical, then complain (or at least criticize) some more when it's brave and entertaining.

1) Froome will be fine. A little 15 minute team TT is not going to hurt him.
2) Sagan is most of what is exciting about cycling these days. If he doesn't win, he fails heroically. That's all we can ask. He's one of the few that delivers on this. Cowardly riders like Matthews and Gerrans aren't in the same league.

 

[Kokoso]

I have never thought I would tell this: I bacome a Froome fan.

Have you bacon a Froome fan?

 

[rick james]

If Froome isn't in good form and feeling strong then he wouldn't have even tried todays jump

 

[johnymax]

I was indifferent to Froome. Still I liked him more than Quintana because of his more entertaining/attacking riding style. But now I'm almost becoming a fan. I really want him to win this Tour. What a fantastic rider he has become.

And Sagan simply showing the World once again who is the best cyclist on the planet. Phenomenal work from Bodnar and Thomas, too. I really enjoyed the stage.

 

[SKSemtex]

Re:

Wow, what a stage!
Awesome racing by Sagan and Froome. Kudos to both of them.
Too bad Bodnar did not get the win. That would be just epic for all the work he is doing for Sagan.

I looked like Sagan wanted the win for Bodnar, but after seeing Froome to accelerate he has just went for it

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

Quintana used a fair bit of energy too let's not forget - I saw him on his own on the wrong side of the wind quite a few times in the run in.

Exactly, people here (especially clueless Quintana fans) have pretty much no idea about racing in crosswinds.

Have you ever ridden in a peloton in crosswinds? There is still a massive benefit to being in the middle of a peloton - compared with taking several long pulls as part of a four man break. Even more so when you're tiny and are surrounded by sprinters and classics specialists.

Yep. Any group but especially in crosswinds as it's not just taking a pull, it's being aware to what's going on around you, holding your position, sprinting/pushing hard to close gaps etc.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Froome would be so much more popular if he wasn't the biggest rival to the super popular Contador

 

[DFA123]

Re:

you guys should get your act together... literally dozens of pages around the tour being boring. now something happend and you say ghey should save energy ....!!!???

I don't think people see things as black and white as you are making out. It's possible to acknowledge it was great entertainment and fun racing, whilst still being sceptical whether or not it was a wise decision in the grand scheme of things. A bit like when Contador tries to go solo about 60km out when he's behind in races.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

12 minutes of hard riding is not a big issue, with regards to "wasting energy."

Especially with how easy the Tour has been so far.

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

Quintana used a fair bit of energy too let's not forget - I saw him on his own on the wrong side of the wind quite a few times in the run in.

Exactly, people here (especially clueless Quintana fans) have pretty much no idea about racing in crosswinds.

Have you ever ridden in a peloton in crosswinds? There is still a massive benefit to being in the middle of a peloton - compared with taking several long pulls as part of a four man break. Even more so when you're tiny and are surrounded by sprinters and classics specialists.

Yep. Any group but especially in crosswinds as it's not just taking a pull, it's being aware to what's going on around you, holding your position, sprinting/pushing hard to close gaps etc.

Exactly, I am pretty sure that Quintana spend a lot of energy as well and that would hurt his 40 kg body much more compared to Froome

 

[dgodave]

I hear KC and the Sunshine Band in the background. Nice!

 

[Kokoso]

Fantastic four can kind of thank Cancellara. He was probably main force which caused the split.

 

[MacBAir]

Re: Re:

That's about the 657th race this year when Kristoff loses a WT win due to an absolutely absurd late breakaway staying away.

Well, If he and his team at least tried to make races and win them instead of being a bunch of wheelsuckers...

So even Kristoff is getting called a wheelsucker now? Don't like the guy, but I advise you to go and watch last year's RVV

Yeah, last year. We are talking about this year. In fact, if you forget last year's anomaly, what do you have supporting him?

 

[Zoophonic]

Re:

Another boring stage, and now they are...? This Tour is being pffffff

How wrong were you?

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Re: Re:

you guys should get your act together... literally dozens of pages around the tour being boring. now something happend and you say ghey should save energy ....!!!???

I don't think people see things as black and white as you are making out. It's possible to acknowledge it was great entertainment and fun racing, whilst still being sceptical whether or not it was a wise decision in the grand scheme of things. A bit like when Contador tries to go solo about 60km out when he's behind in races.

Right, suddenly a 60k mountain ambush is the same energy as a 10k breakaway to finish a stage.

 

[AlexNYC]

Froome is working hard for every little second he can get, which suggests that he is at least a little concerned about being able to keep up with Quintana in the Alps. Regardless, this has been his best Tour so far, so chapeau to him.

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

Quintana used a fair bit of energy too let's not forget - I saw him on his own on the wrong side of the wind quite a few times in the run in.

Exactly, people here (especially clueless Quintana fans) have pretty much no idea about racing in crosswinds.

Have you ever ridden in a peloton in crosswinds? There is still a massive benefit to being in the middle of a peloton - compared with taking several long pulls as part of a four man break. Even more so when you're tiny and are surrounded by sprinters and classics specialists.

Yep. Any group but especially in crosswinds as it's not just taking a pull, it's being aware to what's going on around you, holding your position, sprinting/pushing hard to close gaps etc.

Exactly, I am pretty sure that Quintana spend a lot of energy as well and that would hurt his 40 kg body much more compared to Froome

possibly, possibly not, as it was too hard to judge what he had to do. It did look like he was working a fair bit when we saw him, but I still think Froome will have spent more. Whether it makes a difference in the coming days none of us will really know. Fun to speculate though

 

[winkybiker]

Re: Re:

Can't imagine anything else apart from Froome being worried about the mountains.

Another interpretation is that Froome is super strong.

Yep, he's having fun with it. Great to see the conventional "wisdom" and calculated tactical racing taking a back seat. He's still pretty ugly on the bike, but carries himself with class. He's gained a lot of fans on this tour, methinks.

 

[Cervelo77]

That was a fun one. Sagan wins in so many different ways.
Well played by Froome.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Froome is working hard for every little second he can get, which suggests that he is at least a little concerned about being able to keep up with Quintana in the Alps.

Possibly yes, but the power Froome is showing suggests he can take a fair amount of time on Fridays TT. Quintana will have to make his move soon

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

you guys should get your act together... literally dozens of pages around the tour being boring. now something happend and you say ghey should save energy ....!!!???

I don't think people see things as black and white as you are making out. It's possible to acknowledge it was great entertainment and fun racing, whilst still being sceptical whether or not it was a wise decision in the grand scheme of things. A bit like when Contador tries to go solo about 60km out when he's behind in races.

Right, suddenly a 60k mountain ambush is the same energy as a 10k breakaway to finish a stage.

Well, it's the same in the respect that, while it's highly entertaning, it might not be the best move tactically.

But, of course, I mentioned Contador, so his fanboys feel the need to jump on that and distance him from anything Froome does immediately.

 

[RattaKuningas]

The energy talk is nonsense because he didn't go alone. It was definitely worth it because it was such a short distance on flat.
If Froome gets dropped by Quintana or anyone then it is definitely not because of this. But it will be hard to drop him considering his strength today but Sagan played a big role in it too.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Re: Re:

Wow, what a stage!
Awesome racing by Sagan and Froome. Kudos to both of them.
Too bad Bodnar did not get the win. That would be just epic for all the work he is doing for Sagan.

I looked like Sagan wanted the win for Bodnar, but after seeing Froome to accelerate he has just went for it

Sagan was never going to give those 50 points away.

 

[MacBAir]

Re:

Well, who was expecting that?

When I saw Fabian putting the hammer down I knew that Sagan was going to attack. What I didn't imagine was that it wasn't going to be Fabian + Tony + Degenkolb + (Orica and katusha wheelsuckers) with him, but Froome. What a stage.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Deja vu for Valverde ?