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Tour de France 2015 Stage 16: Bourg-de-Péage-Gap 201km

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Re: Re:

TMP402 said:
Eagle said:
TMP402 said:
If Froome wins this - with yellow jersey pressure early on, negative media, negative actions by stupid fans, a team where his main mountain helpers Porte, Roche, Koenig and Poels have been absent often, and now apparently sickness in the Sky team - that has to be a more deserved/embattled/respected battle than any of the past three Tours I would say.
His team have been great so far

In the sense that he hasn't lost time yes, but it doesn't feel like 2013 or 2012.
I think 2013 was a pretty crappy team, even though they had their dose of bad luck there too, with Thomas crashing, Boasson Hagen crashing out, Kiryienka going so deep he missed the time cut and rather unimpressive climbers apart from Porte and Kennaugh too.
 
Re:

TMP402 said:
If Froome wins this - with yellow jersey pressure early on, negative media, negative actions by stupid fans, a team where his main mountain helpers Porte, Roche, Koenig and Poels have been absent often, and now apparently sickness in the Sky team - that has to be a more deserved/embattled/respected battle than any of the past three Tours I would say.
and against the strongest for the last 5 years field. i fear we won't see all the titans in the tour in the coming years
 
Mar 13, 2015
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Re: Re:

TMP402 said:
Eagle said:
TMP402 said:
Eagle said:
TMP402 said:
If Froome wins this - with yellow jersey pressure early on, negative media, negative actions by stupid fans, a team where his main mountain helpers Porte, Roche, Koenig and Poels have been absent often, and now apparently sickness in the Sky team - that has to be a more deserved/embattled/respected battle than any of the past three Tours I would say.
His team have been great so far

In the sense that he hasn't lost time yes, but it doesn't feel like 2013 or 2012.
Did you not see plateau de beille, Porte dropped everyone but Quintana and the took the time bouns off him

This is true, but Porte being distanced on the climb today, unless planned (which I find hard to believe since Poels looked tired and I would have thought Porte was the better descender than Thomas) doesn't point towards him being able to repeat that kind of perfomance in the Alps where it matters.
They might be weak in the Alps, but they might also be stronger than they were in the Pyrenees. Far too early to say they have been a liability
 
Clock's ticking louder and louder for the GC boys. I know I would have considered going earlier today to get some free seconds on the descent.

The only prayer they have is that someone goes really early and goes into solo hero mode. If it doesn't work on Day 1, try again on Day 2. Froome can't follow for two days straight for a few hours.

Normal attacks are not going to do it.
 
Mar 13, 2015
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pastronef said:
rides of the day

1 Sagan the STRONGEST
2 Plaza stage win
3 Poels (stays with the front group until almost the entire final climb, loses a few meters at the top, rejoins the front, at the end of the dowhnill check if Froome is ok, slows down to help Thomas)
Why did Sagan not follow Plaza if he was the strongest?
 
Re: Re:

SeriousSam said:
franic said:
Nibali is still the most spectacular among GC contenders. Thank God he’s in the Tour, otherwise another boring stage in the peloton of the maillot jaune
A guy many minutes down does some meaningless descending for a meaningless gain of meaningless seconds. So exciting!

Nibali could have provided more entertainment by showing up in good shape.

Have you any idea of what Sport Psychology is,what motivation,redemption are???
but apart from that
meaningless to who?? to Nibali certainly not

His goal consist in gaining as many seconds as possible,to the rider ahead of him (gesink)
If you think he attacked to gain seconds on Froome you don't understand race dynamics

Nibali's goals have changed.
Rather one of his attacks than watcihng 3 entire weeks of Froome's drills
 
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G Thomas interview hilarious! P****d at Barguil for riding like a maniac, but more concerned about his time loss than his injury. Whatta strongman. Gotta give him credit.
 
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Re: Re:

46&twoWheels said:
SeriousSam said:
franic said:
Nibali is still the most spectacular among GC contenders. Thank God he’s in the Tour, otherwise another boring stage in the peloton of the maillot jaune
A guy many minutes down does some meaningless descending for a meaningless gain of meaningless seconds. So exciting!

Nibali could have provided more entertainment by showing up in good shape.

Have you any idea of what Sport Psychology is,what motivation,redemption are???
but apart from that
meaningless to who?? to Nibali certainly not

His goal consist in gaining as many seconds as possible,to the rider ahead of him (gesink)
If you think he attacked to gain seconds on Froome you don't understand race dynamics

Nibali's goals have changed.
Rather one of his attacks than watcihng 3 entire weeks of Froome's drills

Oh ok then, if you find the 3 time GT winner battling it out with Robert Gesink for 7th exciting, I won't stop you.
 
Re: Re:

Miburo said:
Flamin said:
Miburo said:
You've riders like kruiswijk who ride offensive an entire GT and then you've guys like Gesink :eek:. Was already 5th i think in the tour and now he's chasing nibali who will destroy gesink anyways in the next days.

Then why did Kruijswijk almost all the work on Mortirolo and Aprica?

What did he do before that? Attacking the whole time. And he was with the best trying to gain major time on many guys in that stage.

It was only nibali, why the hell would he chase nibali? He'll get destroyed by nibali, jesus.

Duh, he lost a lot of time in the first week. Totally different situation.
 
Re:

TI-Raleigh said:
G Thomas interview hilarious! P****d at Barguil for riding like a maniac, but more concerned about his time loss than his injury. Whatta strongman. Gotta give him credit.
Alberto leading the 'sprint' to the line of the GC group
shows he is still concerned that Super G will overtake
him in the Alps.
 
Re: Re:

SeriousSam said:
46&twoWheels said:
SeriousSam said:
franic said:
Nibali is still the most spectacular among GC contenders. Thank God he’s in the Tour, otherwise another boring stage in the peloton of the maillot jaune
A guy many minutes down does some meaningless descending for a meaningless gain of meaningless seconds. So exciting!

Nibali could have provided more entertainment by showing up in good shape.

Have you any idea of what Sport Psychology is,what motivation,redemption are???
but apart from that
meaningless to who?? to Nibali certainly not

His goal consist in gaining as many seconds as possible,to the rider ahead of him (gesink)
If you think he attacked to gain seconds on Froome you don't understand race dynamics

Nibali's goals have changed.
Rather one of his attacks than watcihng 3 entire weeks of Froome's drills

Oh ok then, if you find the 3 time GT winner battling it out with Robert Gesink for 7th exciting, I won't stop you.

I'm not excited,but I find it right for him. I would do the same thing
he has no choice but to honour the tour finishing as good as possible in the GC and trying to win a stage.He has nothing to lose. What are the alternatives to this "meaningless attack"? sitting in the peloton doing nothing? :rolleyes:
Between fighting and giving up he chose fighting even if he looks powerless and humiliated.
 
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Re: Re:

LaFlorecita said:
b.broadhurst said:
The Vuelta is just 4 weeks after the Tour this year, is that normal?

Can't see Froomey doubling up.
Yes, that's normal.

WIth Quintana, Valverde and probably Nibali all going to the vuelta, a lot of Froome's biggest rivals will not be fresh (although Aru and Landa will be raring to go I am sure).
 
Re:

classicomano said:
Lol at all the hate for Robert, why shouldnt he protect his GC spot? Nibali is his rival now. Froome doesnt give two shits about Nibali anymore, hes not gonna chase after him for 1 second.
+1.

So it was Ok for Nibali to perform a meaningless attack on the descend because we like the guy but it was not OK for Gesink to defend his position after putting together a very consistent Tour performance since forever!
 
Re: Re:

Escarabajo said:
classicomano said:
Lol at all the hate for Robert, why shouldnt he protect his GC spot? Nibali is his rival now. Froome doesnt give two shits about Nibali anymore, hes not gonna chase after him for 1 second.
+1.

So it was Ok for Nibali to perform a meaningless attack on the descend because we like the guy but it was not OK for Gesink to defend his position after putting together a very consistent Tour performance since forever!
People like the Hitch and Miburo just take their frustration of no GC excitement out on Robert because he dared to ride the last 2km. Some people handle emotions badly.
Like not riding would really affect anything.. then it would just be Valverde instead of Valverde & Gesink, and Nibali would have won 10 seconds more. Yes that's going to make a difference being 7 minutes behind already..
 
Re: Re:

fungusbear said:
LaFlorecita said:
b.broadhurst said:
The Vuelta is just 4 weeks after the Tour this year, is that normal?

Can't see Froomey doubling up.
Yes, that's normal.

WIth Quintana, Valverde and probably Nibali all going to the vuelta, a lot of Froome's biggest rivals will not be fresh (although Aru and Landa will be raring to go I am sure).

Quintana going too? Interesting.
 
Actually, it's more because of the opinion that racing for ultimately meaningless GC positions is largely what's killing the spectacle. Gesink's actions today were just a reminder.

You don't need to agree, of course, but don't misrepresent the opposing opinion either.
 

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