Is this TdF, a Tour of Blunders?

[murali]

Is this tour the worst tour as far as team tactics go?

 

[Kwibus]

Pffffffffffffffffffffff

 

[murali]

I was trying very hard to figure out whether any team had really come up with good tactics overall.

OPQS split the pelotin in crosswinds, but they had already made blunders in at least 3 stages where Cav should have won.

MOV isolated Froome, and then gave him a free ride.

Saxo have attacked a lot, but have only 1 min to show, which they promptly lost in the very next stage.

Cannondale haven't shown any thing worth while.

Argos and lotto have not taken any initiative worth mentioning. They have gone from one extremem to another extremem while pulling back breaks.

Sky, i don't even want to talk about. Other teams might even be excused for lack of firepower or lack of GC ambitions. Sky just happened to gain most in places where others failed to capitalize, and have some how stumbled to get the MJ.

I don't remember any other team coming to the front. In short, i thought all teams lacked effective tactics.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I was trying very hard to figure out whether any team had really come up with good tactics overall.

OPQS split the pelotin in crosswinds, but they had already made blunders in at least 3 stages where Cav should have won.

MOV isolated Froome, and then gave him a free ride.

Saxo have attacked a lot, but have only 1 min to show, which they promptly lost in the very next stage.

Cannondale haven't shown any thing worth while.

Argos and lotto have not taken any initiative worth mentioning. They have gone from one extremem to another extremem while pulling back breaks.

Sky, i don't even want to talk about. Other teams might even be excused for lack of firepower or lack of GC ambitions. Sky just happened to gain most in places where others failed to capitalize, and have some how stumbled to get the MJ.
I don't remember any other team coming to the front. In short, i thought all teams lacked effective tactics.

I agree with most of what you say but to say Sky have 'stumbled' across the MJ is totally wrong. Froome has been the strongest in the mountains and in the TT's. As of yet nobody has come close to stopping him.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

I was trying very hard to figure out whether any team had really come up with good tactics overall.

OPQS split the pelotin in crosswinds, but they had already made blunders in at least 3 stages where Cav should have won.

MOV isolated Froome, and then gave him a free ride.

Saxo have attacked a lot, but have only 1 min to show, which they promptly lost in the very next stage.

Cannondale haven't shown any thing worth while.

Argos and lotto have not taken any initiative worth mentioning. They have lack of firepower or lack of GC ambitions. Sky just happened to gain most in places where others failed to capitalize, and have some how stumbled to get gone from one extremem to another extremem while pulling back breaks.

Sky, i don't even want to talk about. Other teams might even be excused forthe MJ.

I don't remember any other team coming to the front. In short, i thought all teams lacked effective tactics.

A leadout not working or another sprinter being faster has nothing to do with tactics, so not sure what OPQS could have done better.
MOV on that one stage I agree with, but Valverde probably couldn't go any faster. Tactics are useless if you don't have the legs.
For Saxo, for tactics it doesn't matter if you win time or not, but if the tactics are good. The split in the winds was the best display of team tactics so far this Tour. Winning or losing in the ITT doesn't make the team tactics in that stage any better or worse.
Cannondale rode one great stage where they used their whole team to make sure the other sprinters wouldn't come back.
Argos and lotto are here for the sprints, not sure what tactical greatness you are expecting from them.
Sky has done exactly what it needs to do and nothing more. Not sure what you are expecting there either.

So basically, I have no idea what you are talking about. What tactics could have happened this Tour, but haven't? Except that one stage where Froome was isolated.

 

[SafeBet]

Cannondale has been good so far considering the general lack of talent in their roster. They can't control every stage. They had one goal before the tour started and it's fair to assume they've already achieved that.

 

[karlboss]

Tactics have been stronger this time around than the past few years. Belkin, OPQS, Saxo, working in the crosswinds to achieve their objectives, Movistar to isolate Froome and move into 2nd, cannondale to ensure no other sprinter could contest a sprint and won the stage. Sky have been good tactically and have lacked the legs once, though their tactics are simple. Yes some teams could have done better, but tactically it has been an interesting race.

 

[Pulpstar]

Tactics:

Winners:

OPQS (Cav should have had 1 more stage win and be on 3, not Kittel) (Crosswind++)

Saxo (Have not taken th front and are not playing for podium spots. Despite this Kreuziger and Contador (Who has been below his best) are on 2 and 3 place)

Cannondale (Executed their plan and the green jersey is theirs.)

Orica - Getting Gerrans jersey was a great coup.



Neutral:

Sky (Caught out a couple of times but they executed Ventoux/AX-3 brilliantly. Poor in x-winds and stage after AX-3) - 2 good stages, 2 bad.
Froome being so strong makes this hard to judge)

Lotto (Good sprint train, have had alot of misfortune though)

Losers:

Movistar (They have had some good tactics, and won a stage so not complete fail but for GC overall they have not made the most of what they could have had)

Europcar (How to not make friends and influence noone)

BMC (Should have gone for a stage much, much earlier - Plans have been a mess this Tour)

Argos-Shimano (Kittel being an absolute beast has made them look better than they are)

Belkin (Should have pushed the crosswind harder 2nd split alot harder, could have gained alot more time due to the Froome group giving up earlier when it is clear the remaining sprint team Lotto won't take a turn). I am kind of glad they are not on the podium now, if they'd have played to win more they'd have a bigger gap over Quintana and so forth. Had a golden opportunity and did not take full advantage.

 

[Pulpstar]

Argos and lotto are here for the sprints, not sure what tactical greatness you are expecting from them.

One can judge the sprint teams though. Both Cannondale and OPQS through fair means have put their rivals out of the race (Through fair means) before the sprint. OPQS also gave Cav a perfect leadout in the stage he was pipped by Kittel. If Kittel had had as good a leadout as that that day Cav would have not got round him and the victory would have been by more.

The last stage Kittel won - well OPQS had the best tactics here even though they did not win. Argos could also have got Kittel in a better place in the crosswind stage and not got caught out.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Winners:

OPQS (Cav should have had 1 more stage win and be on 3, not Kittel) (Crosswind++)

Saxo (Have not taken th front and are not playing for podium spots. Despite this Kreuziger and Contador (Who has been below his best) are on 2 and 3 place)

Cannondale (Executed their plan and the green jersey is theirs.)

Orica - Getting Gerrans jersey was a great coup.



Neutral:

Sky (Caught out a couple of times but they executed Ventoux/AX-3 brilliantly. Poor in x-winds and stage after AX-3) - 2 good stages, 2 bad.
Froome being so strong makes this hard to judge)

Lotto (Good sprint train, have had alot of misfortune though)

Losers:

Movistar (They have had some good tactics, and won a stage so not complete fail but for GC overall they have not made the most of what they could have had)

Europcar (How to not make friends and influence noone)

BMC (Should have gone for a stage much, much earlier - Plans have been a mess this Tour)

Argos-Shimano (Kittel being an absolute beast has made them look better than they are)

Belkin (Should have pushed the crosswind harder 2nd split alot harder, could have gained alot more time due to the Froome group giving up earlier when it is clear the remaining sprint team Lotto won't take a turn). I am kind of glad they are not on the podium now, if they'd have played to win more they'd have a bigger gap over Quintana and so forth. Had a golden opportunity and did not take full advantage.

So Argos comes into the Tour with a sprint team and picks up three stage wins and they are rated losers?

I thought sports was about winning.

 

[jens_attacks]

let manolo saiz in, god damn it

 

[Pulpstar]

Hasn't Kittel won 2 of those 3 by being on another team's train. I know he was on the OPQS one, not sure about the Greipel sprint. I think they have got the train right once and didn't protect him in the crosswinds.

Like Froome to Sky, Kittel has outperformed his team.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Hasn't Kittel won 2 of those 3 by being on another team's train. I know he was on the OPQS one, not sure about the Greipel sprint. I think they have got the train right once and didn't protect him in the crosswinds.

Like Froome to Sky, Kittel has outperformed his team.

Argos.
the team gotta get Kittel upfront in the key stages with energy intact and without hitting the deck. I highly doubt Kittel would win 3 stages without a solid team behind him considering the competition we have here.

Sky.
certain parts of the team doesn't work, but some parts (Porte, Kennaug and Stannard) looks pretty damn good imo.

But I agree the mid part of Sky's train is MIA.

Lets see how they handle the next few stages.