Pre Tour de France-thread

[tobydawq]

Re:

Aside from Contador coming out of retirement "Tolansky" must also be coming out of retirement.

And Voeckler.

 

[RedheadDane]

Same for Voeckler.
And "Fortuned-Vital Concept" must have done a mid-season transfer to get McClay back. (Was he even their "star man" last year, or is he just the one being picked because he's British?)

 

[Koronin]

We could come up with a really nice team of recently retired riders to field for this year's Tour.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Same for Voeckler.
And "Fortuned-Vital Concept" must have done a mid-season transfer to get McClay back. (Was he even their "star man" last year, or is he just the one being picked because he's British?)

It was between him and Sepúlveda, so not too extreme of a nomination.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

They were spot on about Mikel Landa riding for Mikel Landa though.

I dont get why he has gotten that reputation.

Most riders would have continued and won as Sestriere, but he chpse to wait. Waited much longer than he should have had at Mortirolo as well. Yes, he ripped his ear pieces out in the queen stage for La Vuelta the same year, but bloody hell, I would have blamed him had he given more stage wins up to Fabio Aru. After that, he played the role of the loyal domestique and without him, Aru wouldnt have won that Vuelta. WIthout him, Aru had no finished 2nd in the Giro either (3rd) and would have won zero stages - instead he won the two last stages.

Last year playing the perfect domestique-role of Froomey. Sure he says a lot of *** off the bike, but he has actually been alot more loyal than he should have been so far.

 

[Parker]

Are you all seriously still talking about that Daily Mirror preview? I read it and was 99.9% sure that's just something someone wrote to mock the Daily Mirror and wasn't actually published by them. Does anyone have any prove this is real?

Edit: I looked it up and holy s*it that was actually real? I'm not able to put into words what I'm thinking right now. It's just completely ridiculous.

To be fair to the Mirror, someone obviously accidently published last year's preview by mistake.

 

[DNP-Old]

Re: Re:

They were spot on about Mikel Landa riding for Mikel Landa though.

I dont get why he has gotten that reputation.

Most riders would have continued and won as Sestriere, but he chpse to wait. Waited much longer than he should have had at Mortirolo as well. Yes, he ripped his ear pieces out in the queen stage for La Vuelta the same year, but bloody hell, I would have blamed him had he given more stage wins up to Fabio Aru. After that, he played the role of the loyal domestique and without him, Aru wouldnt have won that Vuelta. WIthout him, Aru had no finished 2nd in the Giro either (3rd) and would have won zero stages - instead he won the two last stages.

Last year playing the perfect domestique-role of Froomey. Sure he says a lot of **** off the bike, but he has actually been alot more loyal than he should have been so far.

Because he said as much himself lol.

 

[tobydawq]

Are you all seriously still talking about that Daily Mirror preview? I read it and was 99.9% sure that's just something someone wrote to mock the Daily Mirror and wasn't actually published by them. Does anyone have any prove this is real?

Edit: I looked it up and holy s*it that was actually real? I'm not able to put into words what I'm thinking right now. It's just completely ridiculous.

To be fair to the Mirror, someone obviously accidently published last year's preview by mistake.

No, then they wouldn't talk about Yates having led the Giro.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

They were spot on about Mikel Landa riding for Mikel Landa though.

I dont get why he has gotten that reputation.

Most riders would have continued and won as Sestriere, but he chpse to wait. Waited much longer than he should have had at Mortirolo as well. Yes, he ripped his ear pieces out in the queen stage for La Vuelta the same year, but bloody hell, I would have blamed him had he given more stage wins up to Fabio Aru. After that, he played the role of the loyal domestique and without him, Aru wouldnt have won that Vuelta. WIthout him, Aru had no finished 2nd in the Giro either (3rd) and would have won zero stages - instead he won the two last stages.

Last year playing the perfect domestique-role of Froomey. Sure he says a lot of **** off the bike, but he has actually been alot more loyal than he should have been so far.

Because he said as much himself lol.

You are implying he is all about himself which he isnt

 

[DNP-Old]

Re: Re:

They were spot on about Mikel Landa riding for Mikel Landa though.

I dont get why he has gotten that reputation.

Most riders would have continued and won as Sestriere, but he chpse to wait. Waited much longer than he should have had at Mortirolo as well. Yes, he ripped his ear pieces out in the queen stage for La Vuelta the same year, but bloody hell, I would have blamed him had he given more stage wins up to Fabio Aru. After that, he played the role of the loyal domestique and without him, Aru wouldnt have won that Vuelta. WIthout him, Aru had no finished 2nd in the Giro either (3rd) and would have won zero stages - instead he won the two last stages.

Last year playing the perfect domestique-role of Froomey. Sure he says a lot of **** off the bike, but he has actually been alot more loyal than he should have been so far.

Because he said as much himself lol.

You are implying he is all about himself which he isnt

His own comments beg to differ: ''This can't happen to me again. I will not go back to being a number two'', ''If I'm being told to wait, I will not do it'', ''The time of being a helper are over, it's about me now''. The list with these kind of remarks go on and on. Do I disagree with him? No. But Landa is very much about himself now. The fact that news, albeit a rumor, has broken out that he is unhappy at Movistar, only supports this.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

They were spot on about Mikel Landa riding for Mikel Landa though.

I dont get why he has gotten that reputation.

Most riders would have continued and won as Sestriere, but he chpse to wait. Waited much longer than he should have had at Mortirolo as well. Yes, he ripped his ear pieces out in the queen stage for La Vuelta the same year, but bloody hell, I would have blamed him had he given more stage wins up to Fabio Aru. After that, he played the role of the loyal domestique and without him, Aru wouldnt have won that Vuelta. WIthout him, Aru had no finished 2nd in the Giro either (3rd) and would have won zero stages - instead he won the two last stages.

Last year playing the perfect domestique-role of Froomey. Sure he says a lot of **** off the bike, but he has actually been alot more loyal than he should have been so far.

Because he said as much himself lol.

He also likes to talk and he'll say pretty much anything he's thinking. However, in some circumstances he's proven to be a good teammate. This year at the Ardennes he was a very loyal teammate to Valverde.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

If, as some people on this forum are definitely hoping for (in fact even stating openly they would get involved in it) Froome was to be interfered with by a spectator, does anybody not think that the racing has to stop while he gets back on? Or is it still a case of 'its a race not a trip to the shops'.

Have people really been wishing for that to happen? If so, that’s pathetic.

Of course other riders should wait if a rider is assaulted. It should go without saying whatever your views about things like mechanicals that a rider getting hit by some clown is not a racing incident.

I think it's more an possibility this could happen and if it does many wouldn't exactly be surprised.

Chris the running man part two ? Those sorts of incidents are rare. More chance of Froome being mocked by a road runner as Contador was by people with fake needles and surgeon's masks. Hopefully there are no belligerent drunks wandering onto the road although these days it's usually fans taking selfies that forget where they are or people watching the camera bike and not the riders.

LOL.

We will be comparing differences in punches among all of them:

Ah yes the good old days when riders didn't hold their punches and road runners had more creativity than letting their uncovered butt wobble up and down the road...........

 

[Robert5091]

https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentr...oome-fined-after-punching-dangerous-spectator
Froome has already been fined for punching a spectator - 2016, 200 Swiss Francs. The way he treated the Trex at the Giro, I'm surprised PETA has n't gone after him.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

It will be interesting to hear the crowd at the teams presentation tonight, could be a few empty beer bottles thrown on that stage when SKY appear.

 

[Robert5091]

Weather wise, the first week seems to be sunny and dry, so no crosswind problems - set the phasers to snooze, Mr Sulu!

Stage 9 might have showers, so it could be 2014 all over again.

 

[Savant12]

Re:

https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentr...oome-fined-after-punching-dangerous-spectator
Froome has already been fined for punching a spectator - 2016, 200 Swiss Francs. The way he treated the Trex at the Giro, I'm surprised PETA has n't gone after him.

The urine that gets thrown at him might not be human.

 

[Laplaz]

Someone knows if the Roadbook is already out? Is there also a PDF version?

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentr...oome-fined-after-punching-dangerous-spectator
Froome has already been fined for punching a spectator - 2016, 200 Swiss Francs. The way he treated the Trex at the Giro, I'm surprised PETA has n't gone after him.

Very intense man that Froome. That threatening persona, those evil looks at journalists. If he plays guitar I bet he turns it up to 11...........

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentr...oome-fined-after-punching-dangerous-spectator
Froome has already been fined for punching a spectator - 2016, 200 Swiss Francs. The way he treated the Trex at the Giro, I'm surprised PETA has n't gone after him.

The urine that gets thrown at him might not be human.

Now why wasn't that brought up at his hearing ? Side effects from an off planet virus ?

 

[Robert5091]

Someone knows if the Roadbook is already out? Is there also a PDF version?

TdF 2018 rules from https://www.letour.fr/en/the-race/sporting-stakes

at http://netstorage.lequipe.fr/ASO/cycling_tdf/tdf2018-reglement.pdf
French first. English from page 20

All stage details at https://www.letour.fr/en/ under Route 2018 or Parcours 2018

 

[bajbar]

I am hoping for a nice Team presentation today. The one in 2011 in Vendee was the best one I can remember. Hopefully, they throw something simillar again.

 

[fantomas]

Someone knows if the Roadbook is already out? Is there also a PDF version?

https://aso.wetransfer.com/downloads/329785e13bc264de5ccdc15f752e78b720180605105814/a53188

 

[Laplaz]

Thank you Robert5091 and fantomas!

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Can't wait for the first week to start!

Day 1: 80 % of the stage on the Atlantic coast (wind is a factor)
Day 2: The big sprinters duke it out
Day 3: TTT
Day 4: First polka dots awarded and the sprinters go at it again
Day 5: Mini Amstel
Day 6: Mur de Bretagne and the first indication of the GC candidates climbing form.
Day 7: Sprinters
Day 8: Sprinters
Day 9: Mini Roubaix

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

I am hoping for a nice Team presentation today. The one in 2011 in Vendee was the best one I can remember. Hopefully, they throw something simillar again.

You think any team could top Garmin in terms of weirdness?