Tony Martin

[SlickMongoose]

Re: Re:

Has he ever done anything on cobbles?

No, says he doesn't like them iirc.

Too bad, I think he could do very well with experience.

Well I guess now is a good time to start!

 

[thequestionmark]

Re:

Has he ever done anything on cobbles?

He has never ridden Paris Roubaix. Last year during the cobbled stage, he was in the break. He finished 17th.

He has specifically trained for this stage.

I think he will do better than Froome on the cobbles.

 

[SeriousSam]

All he needs is a gap on Froome and for no one else close in GC to get away. Froome will not fight to preserve the MJ this early into the race, on a stage that is about just getting through it for him.

He should get team support for that, with Cavendish assigned domestique duties.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Re:

All he needs is a gap on Froome and for no one else close in GC to get away. Froome will not fight to preserve the MJ this early into the race, on a stage that is about just getting through it for him.

He should get team support for that, with Cavendish assigned domestique duties.

I guess Van Avermaet, Sagan and Stybar will be the main threats.

 

[SeriousSam]

I don't think Sagan will be allowed to ride away from Contador on such a dangerous stage.

 

[SlickMongoose]

And Stybar is on the same team (doh!), so Van Avermaet is probably the one to watch.

 

[thequestionmark]

If the cobbles are dry, a group will sprint for victory. The only question is how many riders will be in this group. If the group isn't too small, I expect Tony to finish in the first group.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Re:

All he needs is a gap on Froome and for no one else close in GC to get away. Froome will not fight to preserve the MJ this early into the race, on a stage that is about just getting through it for him.

He should get team support for that, with Cavendish assigned domestique duties.

For how long? The first 1.2 km of the race?

 

[MellowJohnny]

Good to see Kwiatkowski work for Martin today, Cavendish take note.

It would be beneficial surely for Martin to take the the Yellow Jersey from Froome soon, though I suspect many will nip in again tomorrow.

With regards Tony Martin as a rider, I see him as a pure TT rider, he's not as adaptable like Cancellera or even Wiggins but I think some of Tony's best work goes unnoticed, as a lead out man for Cavendish and the like and also to power the pack on the front. I don't know if he has it to become a classic rider in the future.

As for Quickstep they must surely be thinking of next year, with Cavendish, Renshaw, Boonen and Uran all out of contract, Maybe it is time for them to shift focus. Certainly to the young Colombian sprinter and Terpstra, Sybar and Kwiatkowski (if he stays). Some of Quicksteps tactics have been plain awful this year, just look at what Yogi Stannard did to them.

 

[krinaman]

While I would of loved to see Martin in yellow Cavendish isn't on the team to get other people yellow Jerseys. He's there for one reason and one reason only, to win sprint stages. Everybody knows that going in.

 

[Jagartrott]

Re:

While I would of loved to see Martin in yellow Cavendish isn't on the team to get other people yellow Jerseys. He's there for one reason and one reason only, to win sprint stages. Everybody knows that going in.

Greipel is also a sprinter, and he works for his teammates when they need him (seen Tour of Flanders this year?). I can understand it physically hurts Cavendish when he has to work for someone else, giving him all kind of allergic reactions as his body cannot take being altruistic for once.

 

[del1962]

Re: Re:

While I would of loved to see Martin in yellow Cavendish isn't on the team to get other people yellow Jerseys. He's there for one reason and one reason only, to win sprint stages. Everybody knows that going in.

Greipel is also a sprinter, and he works for his teammates when they need him (seen Tour of Flanders this year?). I can understand it physically hurts Cavendish when he has to work for someone else, giving him all kind of allergic reactions as his body cannot take being altruistic for once.

He did work on the front for WIggo in 2012 though

 

[Jagartrott]

And was so pissed off with that Tour he changed teams...

 

[Cance > TheRest]

The really sad part is, that Tony should've had the yellow today, as Froome lost 1sec to Rodriguez yesterday (and somehow (???) got s.t.).

 

[Walkman]

Re:

The really sad part is, that Tony should've had the yellow today, as Froome lost 1sec to Rodriguez yesterday (and somehow (???) got s.t.).

Actually, he did not. Tony Martin himself said that his team asked the organizer about that and they responded, saying the different between J-Rods back wheel and Froomes front wheel was 0.93 seconds. And I don't think ASO would make that up just to get Froome in yellow.

And, for the record, I would have liked to see Tony in yellow and I hope he can nib a few seconds of Froome today and get it!

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

The really sad part is, that Tony should've had the yellow today, as Froome lost 1sec to Rodriguez yesterday (and somehow (???) got s.t.).

Actually, he did not. Tony Martin himself said that his team asked the organizer about that and they responded, saying the different between J-Rods back wheel and Froomes front wheel was 0.93 seconds. And I don't think ASO would make that up just to get Froome in yellow.

And, for the record, I would have liked to see Tony in yellow and I hope he can nib a few seconds of Froome today and get it!

True, I wasn't aware that's how they timed the deficits/gaps between riders, because in any other case, it should have been +1sec. In any case, I hope Tony will take yellow today.

 

[gregrowlerson]

This has been a ridiculous run of oh so closeness for Tony; feel a little for him (especially being a Kloden fan, and the only yellow jersey that either German has worn so far is at Paris-Nice), and hope that he gets yellow after stage 4.

Dennis does the fastest time trial ever. Cancellara outsprints Cavendish. Rodriguez sits up after having had a clear time gap on Froome. So much ridiculousness!

 

[Catwhoorg]

Re: Re:

The really sad part is, that Tony should've had the yellow today, as Froome lost 1sec to Rodriguez yesterday (and somehow (???) got s.t.).

Actually, he did not. Tony Martin himself said that his team asked the organizer about that and they responded, saying the different between J-Rods back wheel and Froomes front wheel was 0.93 seconds. And I don't think ASO would make that up just to get Froome in yellow.

And, for the record, I would have liked to see Tony in yellow and I hope he can nib a few seconds of Froome today and get it!

Had J rod not celebrated before the line, Tony would be in Yellow.
It was that close...

 

[MellowJohnny]

Re: Re:

While I would of loved to see Martin in yellow Cavendish isn't on the team to get other people yellow Jerseys. He's there for one reason and one reason only, to win sprint stages. Everybody knows that going in.

Greipel is also a sprinter, and he works for his teammates when they need him (seen Tour of Flanders this year?). I can understand it physically hurts Cavendish when he has to work for someone else, giving him all kind of allergic reactions as his body cannot take being altruistic for once.

He did work on the front for WIggo in 2012 though

He did but he didn't have much choice with that in 12.

Quicksteps tactics have been awful this year, Stannard beat 3 of them in Omloop and they messed up in California for the overall for Alaphillipe.

 

[thequestionmark]

If Tony Martin gets the yellow jersey today, he has worn all 4 jerseys of the tour at some point (albeit he wore the green only as a replacement). Who else has achieved this yet?

 

[SeriousSam]

Eddy.

 

[Tommy79]

I really hope Martin ends up in yellow today.... but.... part of me is fascinated to see to see how Etixx are going to *** this up.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

Yay!!!!

Fourth time lucky

 

[Taxus4a]

Congrats! great victory!

Clever attack with ambition.

He deserves it and now is his moment

 

[Carols]

Well this old woman actually had tears in her eyes when Tony won that stage! Chapeau sir, wear Yellow well