SeriousSam said:
Incredibly unlucky. Any remote chance for victory now gone through now fault of his own. When that happens on day 2, that's got to hurt and Richie is liable to just giving up and mailing it in.
I hope he doesn't because he can still make he podium
What on earth are you speaking of?
In what world is Richie Porte, other than the Clinic and a retrace of Floyd 2006 for Phonak (who are BMC) is that possible?
Seriously people run the podium numbers for me.
Sky - 6 or 7 podiums between Froome and Landa. Froome finishes the race, his lowest GC position post 2011 has been 4th place. Its normally 2nd or 1st.
Movistar - Valverde has 8 podiums in GT's along with two 4th and 5th places. Quintana has a Giro win, two second places in the Tour and a 4th in the Vuelta. So that's 11 podium places and Valverde is not riding for podium this time.
Astana - Nibali has 8 podium places in GT's. He's riding for Aru who has 3 podium places and one 5th place in GT's. Astana have won the last two GT's. That's 11 podium places across the team. Richie's team mate couldn't beat the 4th best Astana rider in Switzerland.
Tinkoff Saxo - Alberto has won 9 GT's. He's finished 4th once and 5th twice. His 4th was the only time he could be seen to have under performed. In every GT post 2006 he has ridden fresh, apart from the 2014 Tour, he has finished in first place.
And BMC have what? Lets look at age. Richie is 31. Froome is a year younger. Only Nibali and Contador are older. Tejay is 28 a fortnight after the end of the Tour in early/mid August. Every single on of their rivals at 25-26, had a GC result in the top 10.
You're expecting something neither has proven they can deliver.
The same thing happened last year in the Giro. The Aussie press and SBS had a field day. "Richie is going to win." "Richie is doing so well."
Then reality hits home. Richie gets to day 10-12 and fatigues. Subsequently he loses huge chunks of time. Its a pattern. It will repeat unless something changed. What changed?
I don't believe in over hyping ANYONE. As an Aussie, I find it deplorable people do this Down Under. Not being mean or rude but don't over hype the man at 31 who has no GC results other than a break away assisted 7th in the Giro. It does not count.
Want proof? Sky purchased Landa! Who was on fire in the Giro Porte was given to lead by Sky!!
Now the hard part. Stage 2 BMC rode very poorly.
How many people here have heard Peter Sagan's comments about GC teams getting in the road of sprinters teams? I remember BMC have a bad habit of doing this. They did it last year in the Tour and their hope bonked post second rest day AGAIN. It is within reason it could happen again. I watched last year knowing it could repeat and it did...it just got worse. Back to the stage, why, after the first climb at 7.5km did BMC go to the front?
Why would any team that claimed they could win, do that for Greg van Avermaet? He was only going to be a minor placing below 5th at best on his very best day! That's common knowledge. I picked the top 5. I got one position wrong...Valverde and Alhaphillipe were around different than I expected. So why were BMC at the front when Tejay should have had two riders shielding him and the same for Richie?
If anyone here believes Richie can top 10, let claim he can PODIUM (which is really pushing the outer limits of delusions of grandeur), what are the opinions on his team? They did this in last years Giro as well. No support. Is it his personality? Or incompetence? Maybe just bad timing?
Anyway back to stage 2. I was annoyed with BMC and vocally expressed my dislike to the person I was viewing with.
With 5km to go I said "it would serve BMC right if Porte got a flat."
A whole whopping 1km later, the camera pans back to show a red BMC jersey getting off his bike. Now, I had a good laugh because what I said occurred, but the man doesn't deserve to be left alone.
I know I have not been on this forum in like 3-4 years, but this is ridiculous. Treat Richie as he is, not as the fanboys want him to be. At his age, Cadel Evans had two second places in the Tour and two top 10 positions as well. There was progress. There is hope, at 34 in the 2006 Tour Cadel's biggest domestique was Chris Horner...so maybe there is time to peak as a GC rider.
I don't mind Porte, but intellect wise, he's lacking. Too many Aussies talk him up. SBS stalewart and a man renowned for his lack of intelligence, Mike Tomolaris cannot stop talking Porte up. He's been at it for years. Matthew Keenan is almost as bad. But ask Robbie McEwen or Henk Vogels and they're honest when Porte has not performed...like in last years Giro. They allow the others to 'over hype' Porte, because it's rude to just shut the fanboys down on national television, but this is not that place.
Porte is not beating any of those riders I mentioned on those 4 teams. Any of them.
Then there is Bardet who is on fire. Pinot. They're on home soil and can perform. Mollema, Rollande and Kelderman could all do a strong top 10. I don't see people over hyping Dan Martin, but he actually had fire power in the Dauphine and has finally departed the long running Garmin/Cannondale joke of a team...
Porte is a fine stage racer. He did well last year and this year. 7-9 days, he's fine. As soon as it hits day 10 though, things change. And that's perfectly fine. Just don't add to the man dramas like those idiots running BMC have by making him into the next Bjarne Riis as a plus 30 year old first time GC performer.
Who here honestly thinks it's fair to label someone a winner until they do? If Tejay or Porte end up in Kruisjwijk's position, as he was in the Giro, then and ONLY then should they be considered capable of being on the podium and in Porte's case, top 10.
I apologise if this sounds harsh, that's not my intention. Stopping lunacy is the aim. Keep it real people...