TDF 2015 GC now ruined, what next?

[nelsonsmen71]

Well must of us knew the TDF was wide open but after today is it a case of damage limitations? With Contador no chance after winning the Giro, which most on here will protest otherwise, but its true, The TDF is now Froomes to lose after just 2 stages. From a GC point of view Nibali's and Quintana's Tour is all but over, as a 3rd place podium is likely his best shot which will not be good enough, Pinot the same thou that will be good enough, Purito and Valverde likewise + a few more. GC after just 2 stages is pretty much between Contador Froome and Van Gardren. I see Pinot possibly turning attention to KOM along with Purito and Rolland ( losing 5 mins ) However as the sport especially TDF is not predictable there are also another 3 weeks to go where as today has proved sh*t happens. The one great saviour in today is it will of course create an incredible free for all of attack attack attack in the mountains with Purito, Pinot, Rolland, Valverde, Nibali,Quintana, Talansky, Mollema, Peraud and Bardet all losing any personal hopes they had on their own GC standings. 10 great climbers all out in day 2 will make the 2015 mountains crazy

 

[Eshnar]

Sad times for cycling when being 1.5 minutes down on GC with 19 stages to go is considered being out of contention...

 

[thehook]

So AC being 12 seconds down on Froome after 2 stages puts it away?

There it is folks we can all shut the TV and go on Holiday.

 

[nelsonsmen71]

Re:

So AC being 12 seconds down on Froome after 2 stages puts it away?

There it is folks we can all shut the TV and go on Holiday.

No , you need to read why i say that, Contador couldnt beat Froome with a 1 min head start let alone giving him 12 seconds, sorry but its true, cant do Giro and TDF in same year

 

[SeriousSam]

You over estimate the impact. Part of the reason it isn't over is because there many more stages to come, with Fortuna possibly rolling the dice once again, *** some of the riders over.

That said, today obviously did have a sizable impact. The bookies have it as follows: Froome now 7% more likely to win than yesterday, and the favourite. Quintana 7% less likely to win, 2nd fav. Contador 6% more likely to win, 3rd fav. Nibali lost 5% and sits at 4th now.

With 35%, 25%, 20% and 11% for the Big 4 respectively, this is still rather open.

 

[BlurryVII]

Wow, just stop watching the Tour then. Ruling out Quintana and Nibali for being barely over a 1 minute behind with the cobbles and all the moutains and steep finishes to go and Contador 'because he won the Giro' when you just have no idea how his form will be over 3 weeks, that's going really far.

 

[nelsonsmen71]

todays events will make for crazy mountain stages thou unless time gaps are reduced in next few days on AC and CF, TTT to come too before mountains will increase the gap in GC on many who lost out today. May shape up for some majestic attacks on attacks on attacks come the mountains

 

[nelsonsmen71]

Re:

Wow, just stop watching the Tour then. Ruling out Quintana and Nibali for being barely over a 1 minute behind with the cobbles and all the moutains and steep finishes to go and Contador 'because he won the Giro' when you just have no idea how his form will be over 3 weeks, that's going really far.

Barely a minute behind , perhaps you should check the GC standings, Nibs 1 min 30 Quin 1min 40 odd, like i say needs a twist of fate on other stages, cobbles froome and AC to lose time would be a leveller!

 

[Orbit501]

Crazy to say GC is over already. A LOT can happen in three weeks.

This is great for the race, opens things up to even more attacking riding now. The organisers and weather have done a great job here.

And to be clear, I speak as a fan of racing, not of any one rider in particular.

 

[TommyGun]

Well must of us knew the TDF was wide open but after today is it a case of damage limitations? With Contador no chance after winning the Giro, which most on here will protest otherwise, but its true, The TDF is now Froomes to lose after just 2 stages. From a GC point of view Nibali's and Quintana's Tour is all but over, as a 3rd place podium is likely his best shot which will not be good enough, Pinot the same thou that will be good enough, Purito and Valverde likewise + a few more. GC after just 2 stages is pretty much between Contador Froome and Van Gardren. I see Pinot possibly turning attention to KOM along with Purito and Rolland ( losing 5 mins ) However as the sport especially TDF is not predictable there are also another 3 weeks to go where as today has proved sh*t happens. The one great saviour in today is it will of course create an incredible free for all of attack attack attack in the mountains with Purito, Pinot, Rolland, Valverde, Nibali,Quintana, Talansky, Mollema, Peraud and Bardet all losing any personal hopes they had on their own GC standings. 10 great climbers all out in day 2 will make the 2015 mountains crazy

It was a great stage today, precisely because some GC contenders lost some time: this is what makes it exciting.
So, if I understand correctly: some people want exciting stages in the first week, but they also want very tight GC times right up to the final stage? This is never going to happen.
An alternative is to propose boring flat stages right until the 3rd week, and they wait in "excitement" for a 2km hilltop race between contenders... I think we had enough of these Tours in the past.
I am very excited by the show the riders have put in today, it has been a great stage, and I am saying this even if I root for Pinot (he will have plenty of opportunities to make up for the lost time, at least for a top 5 or a podium still).

 

[Fernandez]

WOW, what a ***** topic. These are bike races. Anything can happen everyday. The race is far from being over. More than that, its great that every stage counts for the GC fight.

 

[Irondan]

The racing has just begun. Considering that nobody can be assured that they'll finish the race, I'd say it's still wide open.

 

[djpbaltimore]

All you have to do is look back to 2013 where one of the big losers in the echelon stage was Froome. Additionally, Contador dropped time in the echelon stage in 2009 and cobble stage in 2010. All three times the loss did not prevent the rider from standing on the top step in Paris. And as we saw in the Giro, fortune tends to even out over the course of a 3 week stage race.

 

[jmdirt]

Awesome stage!

Over already?! Who's to say that they same thing can't happen again and again with different riders?

 

[gunara]

Re:

Yeah, took sometimes to realize. Pinot hype was almost cool, but contradicting melodramas about whether the tour is predictable or not between two threads reveal the true intention.

 

[meat puppet]

could a mod please make this thread sticky so that there is no need for the next one?

 

[Punkan]

You presume that Froome is in 2013 climbing shape. That we don't know yet.

 

[bikinggirl]

Well must of us knew the TDF was wide open but after today is it a case of damage limitations? With Contador no chance after winning the Giro, which most on here will protest otherwise, but its true, The TDF is now Froomes to lose after just 2 stages. From a GC point of view Nibali's and Quintana's Tour is all but over, as a 3rd place podium is likely his best shot which will not be good enough, Pinot the same thou that will be good enough, Purito and Valverde likewise + a few more. GC after just 2 stages is pretty much between Contador Froome and Van Gardren. I see Pinot possibly turning attention to KOM along with Purito and Rolland ( losing 5 mins ) However as the sport especially TDF is not predictable there are also another 3 weeks to go where as today has proved sh*t happens. The one great saviour in today is it will of course create an incredible free for all of attack attack attack in the mountains with Purito, Pinot, Rolland, Valverde, Nibali,Quintana, Talansky, Mollema, Peraud and Bardet all losing any personal hopes they had on their own GC standings. 10 great climbers all out in day 2 will make the 2015 mountains crazy

What a bunch of rubbish..

 

[etymology]

Re:

Awesome stage!

Over already?! Who's to say that they same thing can't happen again and again with different riders?

an awesome stage, indeed!

what will be MORE awesome: watching a not to be named rider safely navigate cobblestones while starting at his stem!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Froome can still lose heaps of minutes or even the Tour on the cobblestones

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Froome can still lose heaps of minutes or even the Tour on the cobblestones

So can Contador or Quintana.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Froome can still lose heaps of minutes or even the Tour on the cobblestones

You think nibali can ride away froome on the mountains? Not a troll question, i personally think it's possible.

 

[TMP402]

I happen to think Froome will gain time on the next two stages. #YOLO

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Froome can still lose heaps of minutes or even the Tour on the cobblestones

So can Contador or Quintana.

uhh ofcourse, but that's not the point.

sky fans... sometimes not understandable

 

[Jspear]

Well must of us knew the TDF was wide open but after today is it a case of damage limitations? With Contador no chance after winning the Giro, which most on here will protest otherwise, but its true, The TDF is now Froomes to lose after just 2 stages. From a GC point of view Nibali's and Quintana's Tour is all but over, as a 3rd place podium is likely his best shot which will not be good enough, Pinot the same thou that will be good enough, Purito and Valverde likewise + a few more. GC after just 2 stages is pretty much between Contador Froome and Van Gardren. I see Pinot possibly turning attention to KOM along with Purito and Rolland ( losing 5 mins ) However as the sport especially TDF is not predictable there are also another 3 weeks to go where as today has proved sh*t happens. The one great saviour in today is it will of course create an incredible free for all of attack attack attack in the mountains with Purito, Pinot, Rolland, Valverde, Nibali,Quintana, Talansky, Mollema, Peraud and Bardet all losing any personal hopes they had on their own GC standings. 10 great climbers all out in day 2 will make the 2015 mountains crazy

Don't you get it? This is cycling. Things aren't so black and white. The same thing that happened to Nibbes, Pinot, and Quintana can happen to Froome and AC later on. Nothing is over for anyone. The race has just started. Are you joking or do you really think that all the riders you mentioned have no hope to win the overall?