Re: Re:
PremierAndrew said:
sir fly said:
He'll keep the jersey tomorrow.
We'll see how much care he'll receive from team on the Saturday. Tomorrow should be everybody for themselves, with domestiques there for TJ and Richie in a case of trouble. The others can gather around GVA after dropping.
But he'll get further than we expect.
Tbh, GVA should be working for TvG and LRP, not for himself to defend the jersey
El Pistolero had a reply to this.
My take is this. Greg was being very selfish yesterday.
In Australia, we got footage with 70km to go (maybe a bit earlier as I tuned in late), so the earlier failed breakaways we did not see. The first footage I saw, was of a breakaway from the main peloton and WOLRD FIRST for me; the main field of GC riders had ALLOWED the yellow jersey to get ahead.
Personally my take it this. Greg did well on stage 5. BMC have to get a result. I've been thinking along El Pistolero's line for months. BMC needed to send their so called leaders to the Giro to PROVE to the RIDERS they can actually get close to a podium in a GT. The Giro is better and their team relative to others WOULD be stronger.
Except BMC have this joke of an idea they should skip that race and take the Tour more seriously. Greg is a good rider, strong and his result on stage 5 is fantastic! But its moronic given BMC CLAIM (note I don't think they have the capacity and they've at least never shown they have it) that a podium or even the win in the Tour is a goal. Why would any GC aspiring team other than Sky want to take YELLOW?
It's so foolish given how Sky lead. So, I saw the breakaway last night and WAS FURIOUS! I don't get angry at cycling anymore. But that annoyed me. Sky and Movistar doing all the pelotons work and BMC being slack. I've thought the past 2 years they get in the road of other teams at the front of the Tour...and when they get yellow, they're not evening willing to pull for a few days!
Is it just me or are they superficially the laziest wannabe GT team in the pro peloton. People have already been saying Porte is Levi Leipheimer's clone; then they get yellow and don't pull. Instead they send Greg up the road! And why do that?
My take was they KNOW their team is weak and him up front negates their having to burn a few matches pulling. They got a stage win and a yellow which is something. It was a guarantee to have an accolade. Porte and Tejay, are going to need as much help as possible, because they're not anywhere near Quintana and Froome's level. That's just their week 2 form...so whilst their strategy looks good, I disliked it because I consider it negative racing and have been critical of their tactics and ambitions for some time.
What happens to Tejay and Richie mentally WHEN the inevitable occurs? It's happened every other time at the Tour...they lose chunks of time or completely blow out! Hence, race another GT as a team and get a team result. Putting all your eggs in the giant basket of the Tour de France is too much of a gamble.
But that's team BMC...team stupid. How was Greg being selfish? Anyone remember 2009 and Cadel Evans, the later stalewart and hero of BMC trying to get into a stage breakaway? Fabian Cancellara yelled at him to leave because they'd all be chased down. Greg being in that breakaway diminished IMO, the odds of it surviving, even if it was 29 riders.
Somehow, they did not chase it down. That's more down to reluctance and Sky and Movistar probably waiting for the remainder of the race. Yes I am suggesting most teams are lazy and don't want to do work when they have to. Let Sky or a sprint team do it all...well then I hope Froome gets time. Because honestly, he'd deserve it.