Le Tour 2018 stage 15: Millau - Carcassonne 181,5 km

[wheresmybrakes]

I'm sorry, I ain't no SKY super fan, but a lot of sprinters get away with so much more with headbutts than what Moscon did there. Surely there must be more to it than that! The wife hits me worse than that and we're still married. :lol: Pathetic if he got chucked out for that.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I'd like to know what made him take the swing.

Obviously that is not something you do for no reason.

 

[MuskyOurSaviour]

Headbutting is a relegation. This is expulsion. Right.

 

[spalco]

I'm sorry, I ain't no SKY super fan, but a lot of sprinters get away with so much more with headbutts than what Moscon did there. Surely there must be more to it than that! The wife hits me worse than that and we're still married. :lol: Pathetic if he got chucked out for that.

It's the difference between an intentional late tackle and spitting your opponent in the face in soccer. The former has plausible deniability, the latter doesn't. Leaning against your competitor, changing the line, etc. in a sprint can be really dangerous, and maybe a rules-violation depending on the circumstances, but it's not assault.

How hard Moscon hit there is almost completely irrelevant.

 

[rick james]

I'm sorry, I ain't no SKY super fan, but a lot of sprinters get away with so much more with headbutts than what Moscon did there. Surely there must be more to it than that! The wife hits me worse than that and we're still married. :lol: Pathetic if he got chucked out for that.

It's the difference between an intentional late tackle and spitting your opponent in the face in soccer. The former has plausible deniability, the latter doesn't. Leaning against your competitor, changing the line, etc. in a sprint can be really dangerous, and maybe a rules-violation depending on the circumstances, but it's not assault.

How hard Moscon hit there is almost completely irrelevant.

this is cycling not football...and how can you even bring a late tackle and face spitting into it

 

[Knutsen]

Re: Re:

...but for the other teams they should have had better plans.

Just make the plans and hit the execute-button. Easy-peasy.

 

[spalco]

You can't *** slap another rider in the peloton. That's an expulsion every single time, absolutely.

 

[rick james]

Re:

You can't **** slap another rider in the peloton. That's an expulsion every single time, absolutely.

but you can head butt them in a sprint...


also we have no proof he slaps him

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

You can't **** slap another rider in the peloton. That's an expulsion every single time, absolutely.

I agree, though it should be ‘attempted slap’ as he never made contact with the other rider.

 

[Martinstranger]

Re: Re:

Well, tomorrow's stage won't be any less exciting at least.

This was a pretty good stage, actually.

Ironic?

Uh, no. The first hour was great, we had a lot of action on the climb and a somewhat interesting finale as well.

I agree. I like these medium mountain Tour de France stages, where a big breakaway fights for the win and where there's no chance for the sprinters' teams to strangle the race. A lot of fascinating dynamics in these tactical battles. Not every stage can/will have plenty of GC action.

Agree - I liked this stage a lot, but I'm also Danish

The first hour to form the break was very interesting - I still get impressed of the guys who you expect to be in the break and they actually make it when it's so hard to do. It took a lot longer to form the break, than I anticipated.

Then it was nice and quiet until the mountain (besides Calmejanes waste of power). Then the tactics in the break, where some riders had a keen interest in loosing the sprinters. Astana was busy keeping it going, so they could get rid of Sagan and others had similar interest.
Majka waited until he was told that Sagan was to far behind and then went in for the attack, but it was too late and he couldn't get enough time (he should have stopped right after the top and taken a backseat until the last few km's).
Valgren and Cort were pretty sure he could outsprint the others and a backup plan of Valgren going alone. By the time it was pretty clear that Astana were big favourites for the stage - the only contender in a sprint would have been Skuijns. But in these long races you can never be sure if it is the way it should be

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Some people will defend anything

 

[wheresmybrakes]

I'm sorry, I ain't no SKY super fan, but a lot of sprinters get away with so much more with headbutts than what Moscon did there. Surely there must be more to it than that! The wife hits me worse than that and we're still married. :lol: Pathetic if he got chucked out for that.

It's the difference between an intentional late tackle and spitting your opponent in the face in soccer. The former has plausible deniability, the latter doesn't. Leaning against your competitor, changing the line, etc. in a sprint can be really dangerous, and maybe a rules-violation depending on the circumstances, but it's not assault.

How hard Moscon hit there is almost completely irrelevant.

Didn't realise there was a difference between a headbutt and a punch, apart from one is with the head the other with a fist. Both assault. I ain't defending what he did, which was stupid, but c'mon, ridiculous unless there was more to it.

 

[hazaran]

Uhm of course the sprinters do that intentionally, they want to stay on the wheel. It's not "sorry I bumped into you there bro, let me get out of the way".

 

[rick james]

Re:

Some people will defend anything

its easy to defend a slap that doesn't make contact

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

...but for the other teams they should have had better plans.

Just make the plans and hit the execute-button. Easy-peasy.

No, but at least attempt it

Show some courage

Light up the race

Make the fans love you

It is beyond doubt, that on the big mountain stages, SKY is completely dominating everyone, with 5-6 riders still there, when every domestique has been dropped, and the other teams only have their captains left (if you count Valverde a captain).

So, use the other terrain - at least try it - instead of sitting behind the SKY train like beat dogs.

Nothing is worse, than watching a professional athlete protect a 7th or 9th or 12th spot, instead of possibly bombing out, going for the podium.

It's a rest day tomorrow - and nobody wanted to try anything, except for Martin, in an ill conceived, doomed-to-fail, one-man break?

´"Trump voice on":

SAD

"Trump voice off"

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

You can't **** slap another rider in the peloton. That's an expulsion every single time, absolutely.

but you can head butt them in a sprint...


also we have no proof he slaps him

That's like telling the judge, you need to be set free, because your robbery attempt yielded no value

That Moscon hits like a girl, is besides the point.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Oh, now that the off-topic rest day talk has started anyway:

I just realised, that the only uphill finish left, is the 65 k stage

The two others both end down hill (and I completely forgot the sprinters stage to Pau )

As good as SKY are going down hill, any serious contender needs to attack early from now on - 2 k from the top doesn't work anymore - with time gaps being what they are.

Especially Bardet, Landa, Kruijswijk and Quintana, who all stand to lose additional time to the top 4, on the TT, need to plan attacks further out now, or they never get close to the podium.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Oh, now that the off-topic rest day talk has started anyway:

I just realised, that the only uphill finish left, is the 65 k stage

The two others both end down hill (and I completely forgot the sprinters stage to Pau )

As good as SKY are going down hill, any serious contender needs to attack early from now on - 2 k from the top doesn't work anymore - with time gaps being what they are.

Especially Bardet, Landa, Kruijswijk and Quintana, who all stand to lose additional time to the top 4, on the TT, need to plan attacks further out now, or they never get close to the podium.

With Landa a lot will depend on how his back is doing. I think Kruijskwijk is protecting/helping Rolgic.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

...but for the other teams they should have had better plans.

Just make the plans and hit the execute-button. Easy-peasy.

No, but at least attempt it

Show some courage

Light up the race

Make the fans love you

It is beyond doubt, that on the big mountain stages, SKY is completely dominating everyone, with 5-6 riders still there, when every domestique has been dropped, and the other teams only have their captains left (if you count Valverde a captain).

So, use the other terrain - at least try it - instead of sitting behind the SKY train like beat dogs.

Nothing is worse, than watching a professional athlete protect a 7th or 9th or 12th spot, instead of possibly bombing out, going for the podium.

It's a rest day tomorrow - and nobody wanted to try anything, except for Martin, in an ill conceived, doomed-to-fail, one-man break?

´"Trump voice on":

SAD

"Trump voice off"

Didn't Valverde tried from 50km? Dumoulin? Kruijswijk even further out? Did they gain any? Did they lost? Not much you can do when Sky has 5-6 men on the last climb everytime.

They will try again, Movi with Landa or Quintana, Kruijswijk again probably, maybe someone else, but if that two keeps this form they now have, it's going to be pointless...

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

Oh, now that the off-topic rest day talk has started anyway:

I just realised, that the only uphill finish left, is the 65 k stage

The two others both end down hill (and I completely forgot the sprinters stage to Pau )

As good as SKY are going down hill, any serious contender needs to attack early from now on - 2 k from the top doesn't work anymore - with time gaps being what they are.

Especially Bardet, Landa, Kruijswijk and Quintana, who all stand to lose additional time to the top 4, on the TT, need to plan attacks further out now, or they never get close to the podium.

With Landa a lot will depend on how his back is doing. I think Kruijskwijk is protecting/helping Rolgic.

Yeah, you are probably right

Though, the best way to protect Roglic, is being out in front.

- and yep, I know, wishful thinking

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

...but for the other teams they should have had better plans.

Just make the plans and hit the execute-button. Easy-peasy.

No, but at least attempt it

Show some courage

Light up the race

Make the fans love you

It is beyond doubt, that on the big mountain stages, SKY is completely dominating everyone, with 5-6 riders still there, when every domestique has been dropped, and the other teams only have their captains left (if you count Valverde a captain).

So, use the other terrain - at least try it - instead of sitting behind the SKY train like beat dogs.

Nothing is worse, than watching a professional athlete protect a 7th or 9th or 12th spot, instead of possibly bombing out, going for the podium.

It's a rest day tomorrow - and nobody wanted to try anything, except for Martin, in an ill conceived, doomed-to-fail, one-man break?

´"Trump voice on":

SAD

"Trump voice off"

Didn't Valverde tried from 50km? Dumoulin? Kruijswijk even further out? Did they gain any? Did they lost? Not much you can do when Sky has 5-6 men on the last climb everytime.

They will try again, Movi with Landa or Quintana, Kruijswijk again probably, maybe someone else, but if that two keeps this form they now have, it's going to be pointless...

The debate is about todays stage being a missed opportunity dude.... not what happened on other race days

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I'm no sky fan
Moscon shouldn't be excluded just for what that video shows.

 

[vladimir]

Re:

I'm no sky fan
Moscon shouldn't be excluded just for what that video shows.

So you think it should be allowed to throw punches at other riders without any consequences...??? Maybe you should start following boxing or MMA instead of cycling

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Re: Re:

I'm no sky fan
Moscon shouldn't be excluded just for what that video shows.

So you think it should be allowed to throw punches at other riders without any consequences...??? Maybe you should start following boxing or MMA instead of cycling

But was there a punch thrown?
If yes then okay but I didn't see it

 

[tobydawq]

A little tip if some of you want to absolutely not be able to follow what's happening in the race: Go to the race.

I'm currently in France to follow the race as a spectator and today I walked up to somewhere a little less than half-way up the category 1 climb. There was absolutely no signal for my telephone, and the only things I could see was that Valgren was putting pressure on, Sagan had been dropped, Dan Martin had made a sense-less attack, Sky didn't care and Démare didn't hold on to a car.

Then I had to walk all the way down the climb to finally get a signal and find out that a Dane had won a TdF stage for the first time in nine years. Quite a bummer not being able to follow that. I should just have gone to Carcassonne instead...