Le Tour 2018 stage 17: BDL to Saint-Lary-Soulan 65k

[DFA123]

Re:

If someone else than Sky is working:
"Why do the teams just burn off their own riders?"

If someone from Sky is working:
"Why do they let Sky to do all the work?"

It's pretty straight forward. You shouldnt be trying to out-work the Sky train. You should be trying to attack it.

 

[SKSemtex]

Demare lost only 7 min from top of the first climb till now :lol:

 

[staubsauger]

It's hard for Froome to attack Thomas when others don't...

One might get the impression their plan to defeat Froome is to let Thomas win!

 

[Scarponi]

Lol
Only 20 pages for this thread. Zero interest in cycling these days

 

[therhodeo]

It most certainly wasn't.

This team is insane and has all parts covered, especially the mountains.

And yet it's not clear whether Sky actually has the strongest rider in the race.

Nope, they have the 4 strongest riders in the race.

 

[DFA123]

Demare lost only 7 min from top of the first climb till now :lol:

Not that ridiculous is it? In such a short stage where Kangert has ridden the quickest up to now.

 

[spalco]

Come on, Dawg, take what belongs to you!

 

[skippo12]

Froome will be the biggest loser today.

 

[MuskyOurSaviour]

Re:

Lol
Only 20 pages for this thread. Zero interest in cycling these days

Forums are dying. Reddit is far more active

 

[woodburn]

Majka going to try and wheelsuck his way to stage.

 

[ontheroad]

Froome's hopes of yellow fading away unless someone attacks shortly.

 

[Scarponi]

Re: Re:

Lol
Only 20 pages for this thread. Zero interest in cycling these days

Forums are dying. Reddit is far more active

Don't know how ,Reddit is the worst user interface I've ever seen

 

[Oliwright]

Dumoulin has to attack, there is not other options as he needs to gain about 1 min on Thomas. He's riding for 2nd place.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Martin is coming back towards Quintana. That plus Majka holding his wheel implies that Quintana isn’t going all that fast right now.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Majka going to try and wheelsuck his way to stage.

That would be a great accomplishment if he can do it.

 

[Billie]

Re:

Lol
Only 20 pages for this thread. Zero interest in cycling these days

one for every 3 kms which is not bad

 

[spalco]

Nope, they have the 4 strongest riders in the race.

They clearly do not. Roglic and Dumoulin are rightfully in the top 4, and they might be #1 and #2 in the end, we don't know yet.

 

[damian13ster]

Re:

Majka going to try and wheelsuck his way to stage.

The only tactic that makes sense for him. Afraid Quintana is too strong though

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

the last climb is way too hard (16km at 9%) to have your leader attack alone vs sky train on first climb.

Exactly this. Why would Dumoulin exhaust himself to disrupt the Sky riders at the expense of his own chances in GC because that is what he would do.

None of these riders are going to be exhausted by a two hour stage.

The Sky train has controlled and constricted the race for 7 years now. If you want to win you have to disrupt it somehow - and this short stage, with the grid start and immediate climbing, has offered a unique opportunity. Yet those best placed in the GC have tried nothing.

They probably can't do much about it.

Probably not, but they should at least try when the opportunity presents itself. Who knows how Sky would have reacted if Dumoulin had shot up off the road and their domestiques were still stuck in the grid? At least ask them the question.

They would let him sit out there, stewing in his own juices, keeping him at a reasonable distance, then slowly reel him, drop him and ruin his Tour....and ours (or at least mine!).

 

[DFA123]

A surprising turn of form for little stoneface. At least Quintana has form for trying something spectacular from long range, so could provide some entertainment on the Tourmalet. Rather than seeing a procession of 70kg robots leaving it until the last 5km to neutralize each other.

 

[PremierAndrew]

If only Dan Martin had a bit more high mountain climbing talent, the only GC guy with any cojones

 

[SKSemtex]

Re: Re:

If someone else than Sky is working:
"Why do the teams just burn off their own riders?"

If someone from Sky is working:
"Why do they let Sky to do all the work?"

It's pretty straight forward. You shouldnt be trying to out-work the Sky train. You should be trying to attack it.

Attack will not help. They know the numbers. ASO should ban the radios and the power meters if they want to do something with Sky train.

 

[ontheroad]

4 sky out of 9

 

[rick james]

Froome struggling

 

[woodburn]

Froome now going to ride on wheels of Dumoulin and Roglic.