Stage 5 Châteauneuf-du-Pape -> La Montagne de Lure 176 km, Friday 8th March

[Miburo]

So this "Sky Train" strategy thingy seems to work out well. Just wondering why if it's that great why isn't everyone doing it?

Go to the clinic if you want to have an answer

 

[Gloin22]

So this "Sky Train" strategy thingy seems to work out well. Just wondering why if it's that great why isn't everyone doing it?

There was no train today really

...

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

So this "Sky Train" strategy thingy seems to work out well. Just wondering why if it's that great why isn't everyone doing it?

Because it particularly helps certain sort of climbers, and you need sufficient quality of domestique to make it anything other than a pathetic gesture in the first 500m of a climb (which plenty of teams including Sky have done on several occasions).

Anyhow.

Ian Boswell - is he getting through lots of work before the cameras roll - regularly coming is right near the back, even behind the main grupetto today.

 

[jens_attacks]

strong performance by richie .great delivery by sivtsov and david lopez. it was a dull ascent most of it but that is not's sky's fault. step up in the arms race or go and cry home

quintana i was right, he's not in great form. disappointed by westra though,very

again,congrats to richie porte(about him, i said on this forums years ago that he will win grand tours). he's top quality no doubt

for statistics fans, that's how fast richie went today compared to alberto:

http://climbing-records.blogspot.ro/

 

[Gloin22]

Because it particularly helps certain sort of climbers, and you need sufficient quality of domestique to make it anything other than a pathetic gesture in the first 500m of a climb (which plenty of teams including Sky have done on several occasions).

Anyhow.

Ian Boswell - is he getting through lots of work before the cameras roll - regularly coming is right near the back, even behind the main grupetto today.

Yep, he had pretty nasty crash twice in two stages before here but is still fighting on.

 

[Froome19]

So this "Sky Train" strategy thingy seems to work out well. Just wondering why if it's that great why isn't everyone doing it?

Because you need to have good riders for starters.

(see Saxo, Vuelta 2012)

 

[El Pistolero]

Because it particularly helps certain sort of climbers, and you need sufficient quality of domestique to make it anything other than a pathetic gesture in the first 500m of a climb (which plenty of teams including Sky have done on several occasions).

Anyhow.

Ian Boswell - is he getting through lots of work before the cameras roll - regularly coming is right near the back, even behind the main grupetto today.

The problem people have with Sky is their domestiques were mostly worthless before joining Sky(their leaders as well). Rogers for example hadn't climbed like that anymore since 2006.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

So this "Sky Train" strategy thingy seems to work out well. Just wondering why if it's that great why isn't everyone doing it?

what are you talking about? what we saw today from sky is what we see in every mountainstage for the past many years. one team takes control and that is it

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

The problem people have with Sky is their domestiques were mostly worthless before joining Sky(their leaders as well). Rogers for example hadn't climbed like that anymore since 2006.

Yes, I know there is a lively debate on that topic in the clinic, but it's really not a view I would subscribe to given that most of the worthless riders have done a top 10 GT GC at some point or other (and yes, I know the counter argument, and it is not for this forum).

 

[Kwibus]

strong performance by richie .great delivery by sivtsov and david lopez. it was a dull ascent most of it but that is not's sky's fault. step up in the arms race or go and cry home

quintana i was right, he's not in great form. disappointed by westra though,very

again,congrats to richie porte(about him, i said on this forums years ago that he will win grand tours). he's top quality no doubt

for statistics fans, that's how fast richie went today compared to alberto:

http://climbing-records.blogspot.ro/

Seeing this time I can kind of live with it.
Sky is getting on my nerves though. Almost every rider that goes there seems to greatly improve their performances.
I even start to think that if I decide to start cycling tomorrow and go to Sky right away I can win a stage race in a year.....

 

[barmaher]

That was a ****e stage. Quintana was very disappointing to me at least.

 

[theyoungest]

Seeing this time I can kind of live with it.
Sky is getting on my nerves though. Almost every rider that goes there seems to greatly improve their performances.
I even start to think that if I decide to start cycling tomorrow and go to Sky right away I can win a stage race in a year.....

At least Sky seem to know what they're doing, Clinic issues aside. The Dutch teams seem to have no plan and no idea behind their training. Or the wrong idea.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

That was a ****e stage. Quintana was very disappointing to me at least.

Quintana didn't look good yesterday. Could barely follow wheels today.
Lets see what he can do in the uphill TT.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

At least Sky seem to know what they're doing, Clinic issues aside. The Dutch teams seem to have no plan and no idea behind their training. Or the wrong idea.

they said the same about Rabobank beginning of 1996. This is the exactly the reason why it goes wrong

 

[maltiv]

At least Sky seem to know what they're doing, Clinic issues aside. The Dutch teams seem to have no plan and no idea behind their training. Or the wrong idea.

Yes, their training is still a joke imo. For example they told Nordhaug to focus his training on improving his sprint this year. No wonder they collapse in the big races

Anyway, great and gutsy performance by Talansky today. Didn't like his ride when he won the other day, but today he rode like a true champion.

 

[maltiv]

they said the same about Rabobank beginning of 1996. This is the exactly the reason why it goes wrong

With the exception of Porte, they rode up that climb quite slowly today. A talented clean rider would be able to keep up with those guys, no doubt. I mean, most of the attacks lasted max 3 seconds, didn't exactly look like the good old EPO-days.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, their training is still a joke imo. For example they told Nordhaug to focus his training on improving his sprint this year. No wonder they collapse in the big races

Anyway, great and gutsy performance by Talansky today. Didn't like his ride when he won the other day, but today he rode like a true champion.

Let me guess, you really love Fabian then.

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, their training is still a joke imo. For example they told Nordhaug to focus his training on improving his sprint this year. No wonder they collapse in the big races

They have Argos' former trainer on board now, so it's no wonder they can all sprint, and can't climb anymore

they said the same about Rabobank beginning of 1996. This is the exactly the reason why it goes wrong

Well, whatever the rest are taking, just take it. The team won't exist next year anyway.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Overly strange move from Gesink. Wouldn't it be easier to drop at once? I'm worried about his Giro perspectives.

What perspectives? He was never a Giro contender to begin with, like I've been saying for months now. He's not the same guy he once was. It just seems that the transformation into a different type of rider wasn't complete. I mean, his prologue was very impressive. A first for him.

But yeah, I was like WTF when he put in that "attack." I knew he'd get dropped hard, but this was just sad.

 

[maltiv]

Let me guess, you really love Fabian then.

Yes, of course.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, of course.

Colour me surprised

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

So, Gesink lost 4 minutes in 4 kilometers? Must be a new record?

 

[theyoungest]

Gesink is sick after all.

"Didn't feel good at all at today's last climb, looks like I'm riding around with a bit more than just a bad cough. Thanks for supporting!"

 

[Angliru]

The problem people have with Sky is their domestiques were mostly worthless before joining Sky(their leaders as well). Rogers for example hadn't climbed like that anymore since 2006.

I think the major problem people have with Sky is their similarity in stage racing tactics to an infamous anglo team from the sport's recent past.That and their announced goal of domination.

 

[pastronef]

Gesink is sick after all.

"Didn't feel good at all at today's last climb, looks like I'm riding around with a bit more than just a bad cough. Thanks for supporting!"

all right, a reason to be in bad shape.

when I saw him attacking today, I knew he would lose time later, and I knew everybody on the forum would throw mud at him.
I don't like to spit on the riders like some of us armchair team managers sometimes do