2016 Tour de France, Stage 4: Saumur → Limoges (238km)

[DFA123]

Interesting change of approach by Etixx today. After some abysmal positioning in the previous days having tried to control from 5km out, today they were absolutely anonymous until about 2km to go - then managed to deliver Kittel into a great position. Superb finishing from him of course as well - would have probably had three stage wins already if his team had been even slightly competent on stages 1&3.

 

[robin440]

Re: Re:

Kittel definitely won't make it and I don't think that Cav & Greipel will win here.

And all the other haters.

KITTEL = KING

 

[BigMac]

As predicted, when it isn't pancake flat Cavendish and Greipel fade away and versatile sprinter Kittel wins.

Yet people will complain how Kittel is worse than either on hilly stuff. Some prejudices will never go away.

He was until last year, to be fair. And to me it just seems like Kittel is able to use his raw power to do well on these kind of finishes. Put a sequence of slightly inclined ramps throughout the stage and I think Cavendish and Greipel will do better than Marcel. My that's just über-prejudiced me talking.

There's difference between acknowledging that Kittel can cope with a single hill and not view him as some sort of one dimensional rider that is 1000% worse than Cav or Greipel vs constantly say how **** of a cyclist he is Some people here make him as such (even though yesterday it was clear his leadout messed up hence why I added ''prejudice'' in my first post), as shown yesterday, and on his day he truly isn't.

I guess that's true, I admit I'm prejudiced towards him as a rider overall and sometimes that prevents me from appreciating how good a sprinter he is. Doesn't mean I'll start to like him though.

 

[carton]

Re:

Sagan not that strong as everyone thought.

Sagan's been in the top four in the first four stages, won his first stage in years, and is currently in yellow and green. I mean, if you thought he was going to consume his rivals with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his behind, then you might be disappointed. But I think he has to be happy with his form at the moment.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Gerrans 10th
Matthews 14th

I bet they raced against each other. Again.

 

[Squirbos_19]

Re:

Gerrans 10th
Matthews 14th

I bet they raced against each other. Again.

It certainly looked that way. Impey was leading out Gerrans in the finale, while Matthews was initially behind Gerrans but went off on his own.

 

[Poursuivant]

Majka and Cummings ship over 6 minutes, I wonder what stage they're targetting.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Craddock 13th!

 

[MikeTichondrius]

Re:

Majka and Cummings ship over 6 minutes, I wonder what stage they're targetting.

Cummings could be going for something like the Revel stage. Or into Lioran tomorrow. Majka definitely ain't saving himself for Contador either

 

[BigMac]

Re:

Craddock 13th!

:surprised:

Lawson will win the Tour. :lol:

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Majka and Cummings ship over 6 minutes, I wonder what stage they're targetting.

Obvious Pau-Luchon stage is obvious (for Majka).

 

[pablohidalgo7]

LOL Groenewegen sprinting from the 500 ms mark, and vanmarcke on his own to achieve a top 15 spot

 

[yaco]

Seems like OBE are keeping Gerrans and Matthews close to Sagan in the GC in case they get lucky tomorrow and try to grab the yellow jersey.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Seems like OBE are keeping Gerrans and Matthews close to Sagan in the GC in case they get lucky tomorrow and try to grab the yellow jersey.

Not sure how that would be any justification for sprinting against each other. They'd both have finished on the same time anyway if one would have worked for the other.

 

[HelloDolly]

I am wondering what stages Orica have a chance of winning at this Tour with Sagan, Coquard , Allaphillipe , Valverde, D Martin etc in the way

 

[IndianCyclist]

Re:

Interesting change of approach by Etixx today. After some abysmal positioning in the previous days having tried to control from 5km out, today they were absolutely anonymous until about 2km to go - then managed to deliver Kittel into a great position. Superb finishing from him of course as well - would have probably had three stage wins already if his team had been even slightly competent on stages 1&3.

The 5 k stuff woks with Terpstra, Boonen, Martin, Kwia in the train. The current train does not have that kind of firepower.

 

[cunavalos]

Re:

I am wondering what stages Orica have a chance of winning at this Tour with Sagan, Coquard , Allaphillipe , Valverde, D Martin etc in the way

Breakaway with Albasini or Hayman

 

[IndianCyclist]

As predicted, when it isn't pancake flat Cavendish and Greipel fade away and versatile sprinter Kittel wins.

Yet people will complain how Kittel is worse than either on hilly stuff. Some prejudices will never go away.

Disagree there. Kittel does not even participate in MSR ( 1 Cav win) and Flanders (decent performances by Greipel)

 

[dusty red roads]

Majka probably also shipping time because he's doubling up from Giro so taking it easy. Not just so he can get away later.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

I've learned my lesson!! I'ld never picked Kittel for today's stage sprint. I guess it comes down to positioning/train and wake-up in a good day. I mean, the differences between 1st and 2nd today and yesterday were so close that is hard to analyse who was "dominant"...

 

[yaco]

Re:

I am wondering what stages Orica have a chance of winning at this Tour with Sagan, Coquard , Allaphillipe , Valverde, D Martin etc in the way

You have nailed it - They seem to be resting Albasini to get in a breakaway - They will hope A.Yates can get a breakthrough and win a mountain stage - My guess is they will win a stage.

 

[gunara]

Re: Re:

I am wondering what stages Orica have a chance of winning at this Tour with Sagan, Coquard , Allaphillipe , Valverde, D Martin etc in the way

Breakaway with Albasini or Hayman

I can see Albasini, but not Hayman. I don't really see any stage that will give his engine advantage over better climbers or better sprinters in the same breaks with him.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

Seems like OBE are keeping Gerrans and Matthews close to Sagan in the GC in case they get lucky tomorrow and try to grab the yellow jersey.

Not sure how that would be any justification for sprinting against each other. They'd both have finished on the same time anyway if one would have worked for the other.

For what reason - neither can win a sprint like the last two days - It's stages like tomorrow where you work together - Tomorrow's stage is too tough for Matthews and probably Gerrans - Theu could both be domestiques tomorrow.

 

[Zoophonic]

Really really pleased for Marcel today and one in the eye for those yesterday who were saying he was out of from or at least one saying he was a "poor" cyclist. This despite his second on stage 1 and a poor lead out yesterday.

 

[WildspokeJoe]

Re: Re:

Gerrans 10th
Matthews 14th

I bet they raced against each other. Again.

It certainly looked that way. Impey was leading out Gerrans in the finale, while Matthews was initially behind Gerrans but went off on his own.

I was thinking this as well but if Mathews was on Gerrans wheel then maybe it's not as bad as I thought it was. It always looks bad when every team has a dedicated sprinter and then OBE has two riders in a middling position.