Movistar Tactics

[Jelantik]

Nairo is at the Tour as a helper. He did his job nicely as he made Sky work early and could still help his leader up the last climb. Gesink actually tried to do the very same thing. To me Sky duo were the winners, when Belkin duo were good, Roman was good and Movistar were impressive. The tactics by Movistar is what the others have to follow now.
on wishfull thinking mode: Movistar, Belkin and Saxo can send their second best (ten dam, nairo or roman) on the attack early in the hard stages to come (maybe some stage hunters of the now many do follow). Then sky boys have to work. Then 3rd week comes...

yeah good theory. today we saw their number two is better than their number one. If they sent them to attack sky early, the number 1 will all falter, by the time sky reach number 2, all number 2 run out gas as well. I would just wheelsucked sky and banking on who got more left in the tank. This is the new cycling, attacking is overrated now. Wheelsucking is the new hip.

 

[Ferminal]

Quintana will keep attacking, that is all they can do (with Valverde riding an invisible 3rd or 4th). Sky will accommodate him to an extent, so depending on how today goes he could win KoM (it's between him and Froome).

 

[Escarabajo]

http://www.revistamundociclistico.c...a-fenomenal-etapa-y-lider-de-los-jovenes.html

Nairo Quintana: "La verdad es que tenía bastantes dudas porque antes de venir al Tour llevaba dos meses sin competir y los dos últimos días había tenido dos caídas que me había afectado a las rodillas. Por eso no sabía cómo iba a encontrarme en la montaña, pero ya me he demostrado que estoy bien. Habíamos hablado por la mañana de atacar en Pailhères. Alejandro me ha dicho de arrancar, pero he esperado un poco más para que se hiciera más selección en el grupo. Mi idea era irme con alguien más para hacer bien la bajada y el llano entre los puertos, pero he subido fuerte y nadie ha podido seguir mi rueda. Tenía unos segundos abajo del puerto final, pero Sky venía muy fuerte y he guardado un puntito para cuando me alcanzaran. Luego ha atacado Froome y todo se ha roto definitivamente. He podido aguantarle unos metros pero él iba muy fuerte y yo ya llevaba mucho desgaste. Sin ese esfuerzo anterior, quizá podría haberle aguantado o al menos hubiera tenido más difícil dejarme.

Sí que he pensado que podía ganar la etapa porque pensaba que Sky se lo iba a pensar más y no llevar a rueda a todos los favoritos, pero han demostrado que están muy fuertes. De todas maneras, estoy muy satisfecho porque partíamos con la idea de posicionar bien a Alejandro y lo hemos conseguido. Hemos atacado para desgastar a los rivales y acercarle al podio y en el primer día importante lo hemos conseguido. Vestirme con el maillot blanco en todo un Tour de Francia es un gran orgullo para mí y espero poder mantenerlo hasta Paris. Sinceramente, sí que había pensado en este premio porque sabía que si estaba cerca de Alejandro, pocos jóvenes podrían estar ahí.

Mañana va a ser un día muy complicado, esperamos mantener al menos lo que tenemos y si vemos alguna debilidad de Froome hacerle difícil la carrera. El apoyo y los mensajes de toda mi familia, mi novia, mis amigos y de toda Colombia me ha ayudado mucho y dedicado para ellos va la etapa de hoy".

According to Quintana it was all part of a plan. Valverde even wanted him to go earlier. He wanted to go with somebody else but nobody could hold his wheel. And pretty much all attackers were going very bad. He wanted to minimize losses in the descent and flat by going with somebody else but all that part of the plan failed.

He even thought that if he had not attacked he could have held Froome's wheel longer than what he did.

Any questions?

 

[Jelantik]

http://www.revistamundociclistico.c...a-fenomenal-etapa-y-lider-de-los-jovenes.html



According to Quintana it was all part of a plan. Valverde even wanted him to go earlier. He wanted to go with somebody else but nobody could hold his wheel. And pretty much all attackers were going very bad. He wanted to minimize losses in the descent and flat by going with somebody else but all that part of the plan failed.

He even thought that if he had not attacked he could have held Froome's wheel longer than what he did.

Any questions?

Not sure if that's a good tactic .. sure valverde got to third. But now, movistar just eliminated the only threat that could give headache to sky since quintana is down 2 minutes on GC.

 

[Afrank]

I think their tactics weren't too bad. If he had waited to attack then he may have been higher on GC now. But by attacking early he helped to put the other guys (including the other white jersey contenders) under more pressure which probably benefited him and Valverde. Plus we got to see exactly what he could do. Overall I'd say it was effective for Valverde's podium hopes. Now hopefully we see Quintana fully unleashed on Ventoux and the Alpe and he is able to make up some of the time lost today.

 

[Afrank]

http://www.revistamundociclistico.c...a-fenomenal-etapa-y-lider-de-los-jovenes.html



According to Quintana it was all part of a plan. Valverde even wanted him to go earlier. He wanted to go with somebody else but nobody could hold his wheel. And pretty much all attackers were going very bad. He wanted to minimize losses in the descent and flat by going with somebody else but all that part of the plan failed.

He even thought that if he had not attacked he could have held Froome's wheel longer than what he did.

Any questions?

I like that Valverde wanted him to attack. Shows that he won't be a total slave to Valverde in the mountains and may be able to take his own chances as well.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

It makes no difference what they do, unless you mean tactics to ensure they get 3rd place.

 

[RiccoDinko]

It makes no difference what they do, unless you mean tactics to ensure they get 3rd place.

I disagree, if Nairo rode wheels to the last climb, he may have hung with Froome, certainly Porte. He could be sitting seconds down on Froome, instead of minutes.

 

[Punter]

I disagree, if Nairo rode wheels to the last climb, he may have hung with Froome, certainly Porte. He could be sitting seconds down on Froome, instead of minutes.

Perhaps but the previous climb would probably have been ridden very differently without him in front and the main contenders would not have been so spent. Would have been a totally different final climb and time differences would have been less.

I love the fact that he was prepared to go early

 

[movingtarget]

It only would have worked if he had strong riders to ride with and if that happened, Sky would have reacted quicker. Those moves usually only work for riders way down on GC and on easier stages.

 

[movingtarget]

I disagree, if Nairo rode wheels to the last climb, he may have hung with Froome, certainly Porte. He could be sitting seconds down on Froome, instead of minutes.

Yes it could have backfired for Movistar especially if Quintana continues to ride better than Valverde. The gamble was a bit too optimistic. Depending on how the rest of the race goes it could cost them a podium.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I never said that would not have happened. He just would have fared a lot better. Maybe around Porte's performance or even drag Valverde closer to the Sky duo.

Don't you think he would have been closer to Froome???

Yes, Quintana would have been closer to Froome (hopefully not better than +1 minute), but it wouldn't have been a race winning initiative. Movistar had the right tactic, wheelsucking the Sky train would never get anybody a serious win.

Again the Spanish armada was simply too weak, especially Contador and J-Rod.

I hope Movistar will continue the aggressive racing style. It is the right thing to do. Placement racing is just dull and inherently achieves very little.

 

[Gloin22]

http://movistartactics.tumblr.com/

 

[Forunculo]

At the end Movistar started a war with Saxo between the second and the third climb and Froome as a passanger


Meh

 

[SetonHallPirate]

I don't know how many times I shouted at my computer screen during the Peyresourde climb that either Quintana or Kreuzinger should attack (or, better yet, together), to make Froome work to chase them down, and soften him up for a Valverde/Contador attack later. Sadly, my voice apparently didn't carry into either of their race radios...

 

[movingtarget]

Success for moving Valverde into second but Froome looked pretty comfortable at the end. In a way having Porte out of contention now does not hurt Sky. He only has to hang with Froome as long as possible and he can take it easy riding to the finish. Expect to see Porte bounce back in the TT and the next mountain stage. Movistar did not have enough firepower left for Valverde to take the stage but they can thank Garmin for helping them make the stage a hard one and getting rid of Porte.

 

[roundabout]

TT should be a rest day for Porte unless his alien master needs split times

And being dropped by 40 people today is bad sign. Sick?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Movistar continues to impress with aggressive racing.

We will see more from them in the final week.

And of course Movistar should send a thank you note to Garmin.

 

[roundabout]

Garmin were aggressive.

Vomistar?

Uh, uh. Nice move on the flat, I suppose.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Garmin were aggressive.

Vomistar?

Uh, uh. Nice move on the flat, I suppose.

You are dreaming of the old days methinks.

 

[roundabout]

I still think that not even trying after Luchon apart from Quintana mini-attacks was wrong.

 

[Pippo_San]

Aaaaaaaaand this shows again why the spaniards can't win the Worlds and get always schooled (except when Freire did his magic...alone).

Tactics. What are they?

 

[Eshnar]

Movistar continues to impress with aggressive racing.

We will see more from them in the final week.

you mean they'll replace Sky in pulling Froome all the way to the finish? Cool.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

you mean they'll replace Sky in pulling Froome all the way to the finish? Cool.

sorry, gotta look at the bigger picture.
Correct move, but we can discuss further deep into week three. I will gladly admit my mistake if everything ends in placement racing at the end.

 

[Eshnar]

sorry, gotta look at the bigger picture.
Correct move, but we can discuss further deep into week three. I will gladly admit my mistake if everything ends in placement racing at the end.

If I look at the big picture then I have to ask why they didn't take the opportunity to attack Froome during probably the best moment they're gonna have in the whole Tour. If they're racing for second, than I have to ask why none of the three big guys of Movistar attacked before the last climb, looking to breakaway from the bunch regardless of Froome's behavior. If they're looking at stage wins, well....

Today Porte eliminated himself. Movistar or not.