Movistar Tactics

[Dazed and Confused]

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.

Action gets a reaction. Soft group riding as we often see would have achieved nothing except for a sprint and a a neutral GC.

Porte would have come back if Movistar didn't keep the pace. He was gaining time on the group mid race.


So I disagree with your assessment.

 

[Eshnar]

Action gets a reaction. Soft group riding as we often see would have achieved nothing except for a sprint and a a neutral GC.

Porte would have come back if Movistar didn't keep the pace. He was gaining time on the group mid race.


So I disagree with your assessment.

Porte would have been dropped again on the last climbs. Pulling at 130 kms to go is absolutely pointless if you're just gonna ride tempo during the last 80...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Porte would have been dropped again on the last climbs. Pulling at 130 kms to go is absolutely pointless if you're just gonna ride tempo during the last 80...

Its just speculation.

The results shows Porte has been removed from the GC. Thats a major blow to Sky. I credit Garmin and Movistar.

Then add Vasil going otl.

Then consider the cleanup in the GC making things more focused.

So we have to agree to disagree.

 

[Eshnar]

So we have to agree to disagree.

yup. whatever.

 

[wwabbit]

Porte would have been dropped again on the last climbs. Pulling at 130 kms to go is absolutely pointless if you're just gonna ride tempo during the last 80...

Porte being dropped on the last climb would mean he would have been able to limit his losses to put him within striking range of the podium with the ITT and a couple more good MTFs

 

[Eshnar]

Porte being dropped on the last climb would mean he would have been able to limit his losses to put him within striking range of the podium with the ITT and a couple more good MTFs

on the last climbs. not the very last. the last ones.

 

[mopar769]

Movistar continues to impress with aggressive racing.

We will see more from them in the final week.

Agreed,

3 riders now in the top 10, leading the team classification, Porte and Rogers eliminated today. Quintana in white, with Talanski losing big time in that battle.

Whether Valverde, Quintana, or Costa have the form to finish it out or not is up to them, but they are in a great position right now.

 

[hfer07]

Agreed,

3 riders now in the top 10, leading the team classification, Porte and Rogers eliminated today. Quintana in white, with Talanski losing big time in that battle.

Whether Valverde, Quintana, or Costa have the form to finish it out or not is up to them, but they are in a great position right now.

Now with Costa in the top 10- Movistar can send him first to wear down Sky a bit- then Quintana with Valverde to deal directly with Froome.

I do believe tactics are working extremely well IMO. If Froome is Isolated on the Alpe d'Huez with Quintana, Valverde, & Hopefully Purito & Contador together- then there is a chance they'll break him......we'll see

 

[Jelantik]

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.

well no one is going to care. There's no talk about sky 1-2 anymore. Top 10? yeah that's probably what he can shoot from now on. I don't hate porte, but with all his smack talk prior to tour.. he deserved to get his **** kicked so hard by valverde team. This is the tour not some week long stage race. Now time for contador and purito to add the icing on the cake.

 

[_nm___]

i don't know if somebody has already said this, but i think one of the reasons for team sky being tired today is Quintana's attack yesterday

so Quintana's attack yesterday wasn't a bad idea after all

 

[theovaf]

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.

Nairo is building his career. He will ride for his leader and try to get a stage if the occasion permits. Froome will attack the tt;s and defend on most (especially if isolated like today) of the other stages. Movistar, Saxo, Belkin, JRod have to attack. If they won't, it's only Froome's Tour to lose.
Today's stage showed that Froome can be isolated. It was the outcome of the 2 days of hard racing Movistar ignited. Now think of today's situation at stage 19...

 

[karlboss]

There were 2 stages where Sky/Froome could have been upset. This is a major opportunity gone begging and the element of surprise for stage 19 is also gone. Nothing wrong with Movistar's tactics wrong on stage 8. As stated this shook the race up and softened Sky up for today. Their tactics for the first 130km today was also close to perfect dragging Froome up to the leading group on the flat and isolating Saxo was neither here nor there, smarter would have been cooperate to get up, but what ever.

 

[TheBean]

This being Quintana's first TdF, I would think he is vary happy to be in white and is less concerned (if at all) about GC.

It's great that he gets to attack all he wants AND have it benefit Valverde, his team's designated leader.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he tries in the alps.

Also looking forward to see what kind of motor he has at 130 lbs (give or take a few) in the flat TT.

 

[coinneach]

Team tactics are all very well, but you still need the riders to execute them.

Trouble for Movistar today was Valverde wasn't up for it.....looking more and more like Evans of last year when BMC put all their eggs in his basket instead of TJ/Quintana

Mind you, thats only one third over

 

[karlboss]

Team tactics are all very well, but you still need the riders to execute them.

Trouble for Movistar today was Valverde wasn't up for it.....looking more and more like Evans of last year when BMC put all their eggs in his basket instead of TJ/Quintana

Mind you, thats only one third over

This is unzue and valverde, just like armstrong and bruyneel.

 

[RiccoDinko]

I can't wait for Nairo to close some time back on Ventoux. He'll also ride a stronger TT than Valverde, proving he should be team lead. It's possible Froome will blow up in the Alps

 

[cineteq]

This is why is wrong to blame Movistar:

"A missed opportunity? Well, maybe, but it’s not easy to work all day and then attack at the end. Quintana tried but Froome held it together and controlled everything all day. The stage wasn’t ideal for taking time on him. There was a moment between the Col de Menté and the Peyresourde when it looked really interesting, with about eight riders at the front, but then Saxo and teams that weren’t represented closed the gap and that was the stage finished."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quintana-we-showed-the-world-sky-also-has-weaknesses

 

[Miburo]

This is why is wrong to blame Movistar:

"A missed opportunity? Well, maybe, but it’s not easy to work all day and then attack at the end. Quintana tried but Froome held it together and controlled everything all day. The stage wasn’t ideal for taking time on him. There was a moment between the Col de Menté and the Peyresourde when it looked really interesting, with about eight riders at the front, but then Saxo and teams that weren’t represented closed the gap and that was the stage finished."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quintana-we-showed-the-world-sky-also-has-weaknesses

That's our point. Why did they still work at 60km? It was obvious that Porte was cooked then.

 

[cineteq]

That's our point. Why did they still work at 60km? It was obvious that Porte was cooked then.

It's all good then. But, they still have to try with whatever they have left in the tank.

 

[TheBean]

It's all guesswork after the stage is over, but if Quintana and Valverde had traded attacks Froome would have been possibly placed into a bit of difficulty.

What good is isolating a leader if attacks aren't dished out with superior numbers?

If nothing else, Froome could have been given quite a headache.

 

[Rollthedice]

It's all guesswork after the stage is over, but if Quintana and Valverde had traded attacks Froome would have been possibly placed into a bit of difficulty.

What good is isolating a leader if attacks aren't dished out with superior numbers?

If nothing else, Froome could have been given quite a headache.

Valverde can't attack Froome. That's it. And Quitana can't ride away from his leader. The attacks should have come from the other guys, Contador in particular. We shouldn't forget the last col was 30Km to the finish. Not much you can do really.

 

[RiccoDinko]

Wow, strike 2!!

 

[Parrulo]

I think sending Costa back was a terrible decision.

Valverde was about to return, if he was going to be able to return he would have done it with or without Costa. This way not only did they ruined Costa's GC placement but they also left Quintana alone in the peloton, during a cross winds stage, for over 60k!!!!!

Thankfully Quintana managed to keep up and avoid any troubles, but they could have just as easily ruined his GC placing effectively ending their tour GC wise.

 

[cineteq]

I think sending Costa back was a terrible decision.

In hindsight, as usual, it's easy to talk. It was the right decision at the time.

 

[RiccoDinko]

Well banking on Valverde instead of Nairo was the biggest what if. They should light it up in the Alps, can't wait.