2016 TdF, Stage 9: Vielha → Andorra Arcalis (185km)

[Swiss Tony]

No French victory tonight please.. I've to get up at 5am tomorrow

 

[spalco]

France have been super exciting all tournament. Portugal have won 1 game in the entire tournament. Seeing a cowardly cheat like Pepe win a major tournament is always a sad sight.

Right. I actually kind of like Ronaldo, despite his weird behaviour sometimes, he's a great player and sportsman. But there's a whole bunch of real assholes on that team and they are playing very boring football.

From a neutral point of view France certainly deserves the win more.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Murray a set up

Can this day get any worse?

Oh yea if the french win tonight

I think the French deserve to win tonight

Beat all weak teams and then got lucky vs germany.

And the french doesn't deserve anything, arrogant people. Even the nice french people will admit it.

Meanwhile, Portugal have conquered the best teams in Europe on the way to the final

 

[cineteq]

Re:

Porte and Van Garderen still haven't got any idea how to be aggressive

That's why it's very unlikely they win a GT ever

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Expecting fireworks on the penultimate climb in the first week is way too optimistic.

Expecting something in the next 2 weeks is being in denial

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Basso said it: the train goes at 400w. What are you gonna do - not much, unless you break the tactical approach to climbing that favours the train template?

Yep, it's too late now. They needed to break up and tire the Sky train much earlier in the stage. Still not sure why Movistar pulled Valverde back.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

Expecting fireworks on the penultimate climb in the first week is way too optimistic.

Expecting something in the next 2 weeks is being in denial

Nah, I'm pretty sure that Quintana will try an attack on stage 20.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

i dont understand how can you expect attack from peloton...SKY is riding the pace you cannot attack from,and even if you can you wont be able to sustain it

Well, you'll never find out if you don't attack.

Put guys up the road, then attack. Obviously 1 vs 5 would require a superhuman effort, but if you're feeling good, and have teammates up the road to help, anything is possible

Quite a number of the fringe contenders don't really even have strong enough climbing support to usefully do that. The superteams create an inequality of arms the whole way down the squads.

 

[djpbaltimore]

From the overhead shot, I just counted 32 riders in the Sky-led peloton.

 

[sir fly]

Kirby bamboozled

 

[Miburo]

Look what Portugal has done in the Euro since '00, how do the french deserve it more? xD

At least they beat wales who beat the mighty belgium with tactical genius Wilmots!

 

[saganftw]

Re: Re:

i dont understand how can you expect attack from peloton...SKY is riding the pace you cannot attack from,and even if you can you wont be able to sustain it

Well, you'll never find out if you don't attack.

Put guys up the road, then attack. Obviously 1 vs 5 would require a superhuman effort, but if you're feeling good, and have teammates up the road to help, anything is possible

you can actually calculate it,you dont have to attack to find out that it would require a superhuman effort

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I you want to do anything about this tendency, structural changes are the only thing that matters. 6 man teams could help. Also quit designing routes with an overload of mountain stages in the third week and drop the tendency of having the hardest mountain stage at the end of the week.

 

[Poursuivant]

30-35 left in peloton

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

Expecting fireworks on the penultimate climb in the first week is way too optimistic.

Expecting something in the next 2 weeks is being in denial

Nah, I'm pretty sure that Quintana will try an attack on stage 20.

You got me there mate!

 

[Bavarianrider]

22:55 is the record set by Ullrich in 1997.
Will Froome come close?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

I you want to do anything about this tendency, structural changes are the only thing that matters. 6 man teams could help.

Yes smaller teams. Also a maximum salary limit to stop rich teams from hoarding. Sky and Movistar team rosters for the Tour are vomit inducing.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

i dont understand how can you expect attack from peloton...SKY is riding the pace you cannot attack from,and even if you can you wont be able to sustain it

Well, you'll never find out if you don't attack.

Put guys up the road, then attack. Obviously 1 vs 5 would require a superhuman effort, but if you're feeling good, and have teammates up the road to help, anything is possible

you can actually calculate it,you dont have to attack to find out that it would require a superhuman effort

Exactly. Everyone knows what numbers are sustainable now - it would be a suicide attack at this stage in the race, when teams are still relatively fresh.

Movistar must be hoping to play the long game. Make the early stages as hard as possible and crack Froome later in the race

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

There is a separate thread for discussing the soccer.

 

[Punkan]

Sky have total control. Coming up: Froome attack with 5k to go.

 

[meat puppet]

Re:

I you want to do anything about this tendency, structural changes are the only thing that matters. 6 man teams could help.

I agree, but it wont happen.

Superstars and predictability create narratives, narratives sell stuff.

 

[TomLPC]

Re:

Look what Portugal has done in the Euro since '00, how do the french deserve it more? xD

At least they beat wales who beat the mighty belgium with tactical genius Wilmots!

When you put things on perspective pretty much all of the international outfits are a bit rubbish these days. The decent club teams would've steamrolled this tournament.

Froome dosent actually look too sharp, looks like he has to fight every time he wants the wheel. Though saying that...

 

[Miburo]

Re:

There is a separate thread for discussing the soccer.

There is a seperate thread for ignorant americans calling it soccer

 

[Velolover2]

35 riders in the peloton.

 

[Tom T.]

22:55 is the record set by Ullrich in 1997.
Will Froome come close?

I don't think Froome looks that good.