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

[Asero831]

Purito & Meintjes losing time

Hope Purito will chase the KOM.
Imagine the battle between Pinot, Majka, Purito and Dumuolin

 

[Lance Armstrong]

How come that Fabian missed the split? I need to watch it again. He was the main force that unleashed Sagan.

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

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

Obviously Froome spend more as he was at the front but Quintana had a close a few gaps and eat a lot of wind with his small frame, I am just saying that he did not chill during that 12 minutes.

 

[TomasC]

Does anyone have a video of the attack?

 

[RattaKuningas]

It seems like Kreuziger lost a lot of time today

He didnt. My bad.

 

[PremierAndrew]

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?

Much harder to attack when you're not in good form. Not making suicidal attacks is not being a wheelsucker, it's being smart

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

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

Another interpretation is that Froome is super strong.

Or that he's attacker and loves racing.

 

[Kokoso]

Re:

It seems like Kreuziger lost a lot of time today.

Six seconds is a lot?

 

[Cycling1984]

The way Quintana is riding/hiding in this tour, expect Froome to have a lot more followers than him come Paris. Okay Quintana is a mountain goat but he is not an exciting GC contender in the same way Froome, Contador and Nibali are(he's actually quiet boring zzzz)...oh and he never will be!!!

 

[HelloDolly]

Vlverde saying he knew where Quintana was and Quintana knew where he was ....well that is alright then

 

[doperhopper]

Re:

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.

and that's the 5 mega marketing value - today nobody remembers who won yesterday, only that Sagan narrowly lost it (while gaining back green)

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

How come that Fabian missed the split? I need to watch it again. He was the main force that unleashed Sagan.

He was working for Mollema and when Froome attacked it was a Giant rider who opened the gap so Fabian was neither directly on Froome's wheel nor could he chase him because he had to watch for other riders.

 

[MacBAir]

Re:

Froome is truly surprising us in every stage with new abilities He seemed to have picked up some skills from the cycling arsenal & taken them to a whole new level

gotta say this: Quintana better show some Pantani legs and drop the life out of Froome in the mountains with panache if he wants to outdo what the Kenyan has done so far - and yes - I'm cheering for Nairito- but Froome is doing the right things to earn the title ....

Why? Because he looks like a child?

 

[StuyvenFan]

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

I am afraid that I have to agree with you. Froome has really put on a couple of entertaining performances this tour.

 

[doperhopper]

Re:

Vlverde saying he knew where Quintana was and Quintana knew where he was ....well that is alright then

deep in the sheeet!

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Kristoff tried to jump onto the 5-man train and, unfortunately for Froome, failed.

 

[Jancouver]

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.

Not sure about that statement. I think that he already got it in the bag and if he got the memo about Cav getting dropped, 2nd place would still give him a bunch of points.

 

[Rick Deckard]

Huge respect to Sagan and Froome. This is bike racing as I love to see it!

Also Valgren, his pull blew everything apart, future looking good for this young guy.

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

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

Another interpretation is that Froome is super strong.

Or that he's attacker and loves racing.

Agreed. It's time we stop being cynical and acknowledge it.

I've been gladly proven wrong.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

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

Another interpretation is that Froome is super strong.

Or that he's attacker and loves racing.

This is the first Tour when he took his eyes off the powermeter in two stages.

 

[hrotha]

I don't think Froome had to spend that much energy today in the great scheme of things, and hey, these "pointless attacks" have already netted him 35 seconds, which is starting to look like a quite good payoff.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

There is no way they will run a full course tomorrow.

http://www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo-montagne/mont-ventoux-mont-serein/84410

70mph gusts

 

[burning]

Re:

I don't think Froome had to spend that much energy today in the great scheme of things, and hey, these "pointless attacks" have already netted him 35 seconds, which is starting to look like a quite good payoff.

Nono, Quintana is racing this correctly and he is the smartest by doing nothing and losing time here and there. If you question his great tactical skills, his legion of fans will just swarm you and prove that he is the smartest rider eder.

 

[saneguy]

Super stage. Quite entertaining. Froome is definitely catching everyone especially Quintana off guard - making moves that no one predicts - least of all Quintana. Froome is going to open up a lot of gap in Friday's TT. Dont know about tomorrow though.

I hope Nairo strikes back tomorrow - else its almost curtains down on his Tour!

 

[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?

Much harder to attack when you're not in good form. Not making suicidal attacks is not being a wheelsucker, it's being smart

Sho he is being smart all year? I mean, do you lose races if you don't even try to win them?