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I don't know how likely but I think he has a chance of holding it tomorrow. The GC riders and teams are playing extremely conservatively... if they continue that tomorrow then he should be okay. If this was 5-15 years ago then I'd say no way.
- Aug 12, 2009
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Re: Re:
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.
PremierAndrew said:
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.
- May 25, 2010
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That's a long rant about a team, while it was GVA himself that decided to join the break to secure his yellow jersey and to release his team from working.
So you made a long post for pretty much nothing. It's ridiculous as well. Even if BMC made the call to GVa to join the break it would've been a brilliant move from them. Now it was a brilliant move by GVA.
I have no affinity with BMC before you accuse me of something, but your post makes no sense.
So you made a long post for pretty much nothing. It's ridiculous as well. Even if BMC made the call to GVa to join the break it would've been a brilliant move from them. Now it was a brilliant move by GVA.
I have no affinity with BMC before you accuse me of something, but your post makes no sense.
- Aug 12, 2009
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Re:
BMC and Tejay and Richie have been force fed to Aussies for YEARS. YEARS AND YEARS.
All we hear on the tv is Richie and Richie and Richie.
Trust me, hearing that ad nausuem is revolting. Seeing Tejay talked up for years, and then him bonking in successive years is bad. He had no result on GC since 2014, in a very weak Tour. Richie had NOTHING.
So what sense does it make to send BMC to the BIGGEST and HARDEST race competition wise with two untested riders? None. The wise maneuver would have been, and I said it ages back, but you couldn't know that, was to try the Giro, like that Dutch rider you might have heard of called Steven Kruisjwijk did with Lotto and get a RESULT. Anything, but a top 10 was needed for the riders confidence. Then try the Vuelta the same year with aiming for the win, because it's often the least fought GT. What to do during the Tour? Stage hunt.
Which is ironically what Greg did. So he played his card. As I said, we don't get the whole stage in Australia broadcast. I'll take it Greg actually attacked with the breakaway, because his team were fading...which is my point. BMC are weak and have two UNTESTED and SUSPECT GC leaders...they may come good but odds are not in that favour. Would Sky or Movistar or Etixx or AG2R send their STRONGEST domestique out in the break?
No they didn't. Which just proves one thing...BMC are not sure they have it for the third week. Which means exploit as much as Greg can, because he is the strongest rider BMC have. That's fine IMO. However to clarify your confusion, why then do they rant non stop in the media in Australia and I am guessing America, English speaking nations, as thought they can win the race? If they wanted to race, why not actually have a proper plan and some darn results so when a fight occurs, they're not running blind? Every other team, Sky, Tinkoff, Movistar and Astana have put riders on a podium in the past year. Sometimes multiple riders in a race. They know HOW to do it. Do BMC? That's my point...they're bluffing out there and it's pretty obvious by the way Greg raced.
Not his fault, it's too his credit...but his team are vulnerable. And I can't wait to see them crack...why? Because the press Down Under have over hyped them for YEARS!!
Basically the smartest way to get those two leaders INTO leaders, to convert POTENTIAL into FORM, was not to send them to the Tour, but the other two grand tours this year and THEN next season rethink and aim for the Tour. Basically do what Astana did with Aru last year and this year. That's SMART.
Kwibus said:
BMC and Tejay and Richie have been force fed to Aussies for YEARS. YEARS AND YEARS.
All we hear on the tv is Richie and Richie and Richie.
Trust me, hearing that ad nausuem is revolting. Seeing Tejay talked up for years, and then him bonking in successive years is bad. He had no result on GC since 2014, in a very weak Tour. Richie had NOTHING.
So what sense does it make to send BMC to the BIGGEST and HARDEST race competition wise with two untested riders? None. The wise maneuver would have been, and I said it ages back, but you couldn't know that, was to try the Giro, like that Dutch rider you might have heard of called Steven Kruisjwijk did with Lotto and get a RESULT. Anything, but a top 10 was needed for the riders confidence. Then try the Vuelta the same year with aiming for the win, because it's often the least fought GT. What to do during the Tour? Stage hunt.
Which is ironically what Greg did. So he played his card. As I said, we don't get the whole stage in Australia broadcast. I'll take it Greg actually attacked with the breakaway, because his team were fading...which is my point. BMC are weak and have two UNTESTED and SUSPECT GC leaders...they may come good but odds are not in that favour. Would Sky or Movistar or Etixx or AG2R send their STRONGEST domestique out in the break?
No they didn't. Which just proves one thing...BMC are not sure they have it for the third week. Which means exploit as much as Greg can, because he is the strongest rider BMC have. That's fine IMO. However to clarify your confusion, why then do they rant non stop in the media in Australia and I am guessing America, English speaking nations, as thought they can win the race? If they wanted to race, why not actually have a proper plan and some darn results so when a fight occurs, they're not running blind? Every other team, Sky, Tinkoff, Movistar and Astana have put riders on a podium in the past year. Sometimes multiple riders in a race. They know HOW to do it. Do BMC? That's my point...they're bluffing out there and it's pretty obvious by the way Greg raced.
Not his fault, it's too his credit...but his team are vulnerable. And I can't wait to see them crack...why? Because the press Down Under have over hyped them for YEARS!!
Basically the smartest way to get those two leaders INTO leaders, to convert POTENTIAL into FORM, was not to send them to the Tour, but the other two grand tours this year and THEN next season rethink and aim for the Tour. Basically do what Astana did with Aru last year and this year. That's SMART.
- Aug 5, 2009
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Re:
If you think that's a rant have a look at the Richie Porte thread ! GVA's move was not going to make any difference to what is going to happen in the next few days but on the stage it worked well for BMC. GVA has had a few good days in yellow and now he will go back to domestique duties as expected.
Kwibus said:
If you think that's a rant have a look at the Richie Porte thread ! GVA's move was not going to make any difference to what is going to happen in the next few days but on the stage it worked well for BMC. GVA has had a few good days in yellow and now he will go back to domestique duties as expected.
- Aug 12, 2009
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And I get to laugh a lot at BMC...
They are good for lols.
Wait till you start hearing the bottle jokes...
Because BMC are pretty much in that category.
But, anytime a leader rides off the front, attempting to get into a breakaway, it can hinder the chances of success. Some Tours breakaways fail. Others lots work. But if the breakaway don't tell a rider to back off, then ultimately he has every right to be there. Which Greg did.
movingtarget said:
And I get to laugh a lot at BMC...
They are good for lols.
Wait till you start hearing the bottle jokes...
Because BMC are pretty much in that category.
But, anytime a leader rides off the front, attempting to get into a breakaway, it can hinder the chances of success. Some Tours breakaways fail. Others lots work. But if the breakaway don't tell a rider to back off, then ultimately he has every right to be there. Which Greg did.
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Red Rick
Moderator
- Feb 20, 2012
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According to Belgian interviews, De Weert had advised GVA to go for silver after Majka had 24 seconds. http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/matchcenter/mc_wielrennen/Comp_olympische_spelen_2016/1.2730279
- Jan 27, 2012
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Re:
I wouldn't be surprised, but luckily GVA is one of the few riders in today's peloton who often takes risk and rides to win.
If there was a way to mute the DSs and advisers when the athletes are doing their job it would be great.
Red Rick said:
I wouldn't be surprised, but luckily GVA is one of the few riders in today's peloton who often takes risk and rides to win.
If there was a way to mute the DSs and advisers when the athletes are doing their job it would be great.
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