Stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienn - La Toussuire-Les Sybelle

[TMP402]

Contador and Valverde have to really work just to stay in Quintana's wheel.

 

[Jim2784]

Re: Re:

People give out about Sky, but Movistar has ruined this tour, Valverde should F off to another team if he wants to be a GC leader and won't do a bit of DOMing. In any case Quintana has been a joke...

What has ruined the GC spectacle is Froome being miles stronger than everyone else. Quintana has tried, but hasn't got close to dropping him. Valverde isn't strong enough on the hardest climbs to put in a meaningful attack, he is just trying to hang on. Even Contador now is trying to protect 4th/5th position, while 6th-10th have been doing the same throughout the last two weeks.

Froome's strength has made everyone re-assess their goals from the race.

Quintana could at least try, to just accept second is disappointing....Not Froome's fault that Contador took in the Giro to have an excuse. It also proves that Nibali won a soft TDF last year (surely people still aren't disputing that one)...so much for an Andy Schlek type ride from Quintana

 

[Vino's Mum]

Re:

Attacks pending... now?

Last attack on this climb was Froome on Wiggins.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

The French Eurosport guys say Samu's name as Samuel "Sans Chaise".

LOL.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Valverde looks close to cracking

 

[gazr99]

Re: Re:

Someone needs to attack, Majka looks like he is about to break and can't see Pouels having too much left in the tank

I think only Froome and maybe Condator/Quintana has anything left.

Agreed plus Valverde but he does look like he's struggling. But they're the ones who need to attack to put pressure on Froome

 

[Jelantik]

hope froome is dropping quitana today... lol

 

[Climbing]

Re:

Contador and Valverde have to really work just to stay in Quintana's wheel.

Both looks really struggling.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

Nibali deserves the podium.

Not even remotely.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Re:

chapeau Nibali.. for winning the stage. No one is going to bridge 2 minutes. Congrats froome for winning the tour. Quintana Meh.. Overrated.

I think the team car may have spent too much time worrying about Valverde's podium instead of going all in for Nairito.

 

[TMP402]

Re:

Is this the worst stage ever to have been ridden in the history of the sport?

No.

 

[AICA ribonucleotide]

Another racist comment from Kirby.

 

[franic]

Re:

The commentators sound so bored. No excitation in their voice, so strange for the last climb of a queen stage..

You are not watching Magrini on Italian Eurosport...

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

Someone needs to attack, Majka looks like he is about to break and can't see Pouels having too much left in the tank

I think only Froome and maybe Condator/Quintana has anything left.

Poels looks fairly fresh.

 

[Simurgh]

Re:

Another racist comment from Kirby.

What did he say?

 

[The Hitch]

Re: Re:

People give out about Sky, but Movistar has ruined this tour, Valverde should F off to another team if he wants to be a GC leader and won't do a bit of DOMing. In any case Quintana has been a joke...

What has ruined the GC spectacle is Froome being miles stronger than everyone else. Quintana has tried, but hasn't got close to dropping him. Valverde isn't strong enough on the hardest climbs to put in a meaningful attack, he is just trying to hang on. Even Contador now is trying to protect 4th/5th position, while 6th-10th have been doing the same throughout the last two weeks.

Froome's strength has made everyone re-assess their goals from the race.

Well said. Quintana has done his homework, turns out he simply isn't good enough. Contador turned up in aweful shape, overestimating either himself or underestimating the competition. Nibali has somehow **** up his preparation.

When everyone is completely inferior to the strongest rider with the strongest team and sound tactics, GC will be boring.

Imagine if Contador had taken that attitude to Murito in the 2012 Vuelta.

No one was criticising Movistar on PSM or PDB. There we could see Sky were indeed stronger.

The last few days however they haven't. Both Froome's best domestiques have dropped. Contador has been attacking giving them a platform to jump onto. They haven't had to create anything, the opportunities have been given to them. They haven't even tried.

Its the equivalent of a team losing 2-0 with 30 minutes to go, the other team gets a red card, but instead of trying to fight back, they just put on extra defenders to try and protect their goal difference.

 

[TMP402]

Re:

Another racist comment from Kirby.

Can you summarise?

 

[SuperBesse]

Re:

The French Eurosport guys say Samu's name as Samuel "Sans Chaise".

LOL.

romain bar-day

 

[Kwibus]

Just going to drop a quick comment: Quintana is boring and Valverde a coward.

 

[46&twoWheels]

DAi Nibali!!!!!!!!!!

(apologize for the fanboyness but this is so epic)

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Sky took the battery out of Thomas and put it into Poels today.

 

[franic]

Re: Re:

Nibali deserves the podium.

Not even remotely.

Deserves probably yes. But it's almost impossible

 

[AICA ribonucleotide]

Re: Re:

Another racist comment from Kirby.

What did he say?

Described the spectators as Americans indians with their 'whooping noises'.

 

[Irondan]

Re: Re:

Another racist comment from Kirby.

Can you summarise?

Please don't

 

[SuperBesse]

you know the racing is dull if nibali rides away and nobody cares