Tour de France 2015 Stage 17: Digne-les-Bains-Pra Loup 161km

[Ruby United]

If Froome really wanted to he could limit Nibs to less than a minute, even with Nibs riding full out and a thunderstorm. To be honest I think people overestimate the gains Nibali can gain over Froome on descents.
Maybe Froome won't wanna risk chasing though, but that's just because Nibali is 8 minutes back.

 

[Taxus4a]

Alloss wanst selective in Dauphine, but I think now is not going to be the same.

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

I see attacks happening on the Col D'Allos, with Nibali head of the list so he can create a gap on the descent.

Sagan and Bardet to be in the breakaway. If he's not in the break Bardet will definitely do something, apparently he trains around there and knows the descent very well as his performance in the Dauphine showed

I don't think Bardet would be allowed in a break, too high in GC

But so long as the break doesn't exceed about eight minutes it's not an issue.

 

[veji11]

Re: Tour de France 2015 Stage 17: Digne-les-Bains-Pra Loup 1

How many riders will be bricking it on the descent of the Col D'Allos if Warren Barguil is in their group

Barguil is actually a good descender -- yesterday's goof notwithstanding. Remember the stage where he dodged the cows? He made up almost a minute's deficit on that descent.

More reckless than good

No good really, yesterday he was taking an unwarranted risk trying to overtake riders, and that meant riding on the edge, when slightly nudged by TVG he went over that edge and bumped Thomas, but this isn't a rider just going straight "by himself" this is a rider going straight after a nudge from another rider. He was taking unnecessary risks, but technically he is a very sound descender.

 

[No_Balls]

Re: Tour de France 2015 Stage 17: Digne-les-Bains-Pra Loup 1

Wrong post

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

I don't think Bardet would be allowed in a break, too high in GC

But so long as the break doesn't exceed about eight minutes it's not an issue.

I disagree. Sky or Movistar might not chase him, but teams counting on lower top10 finish will not want to gift him some minutes.

 

[Angliru]

Re:

We should have a meme here for people who creates race threads so early that others don't even get the chance, yet won't take the time to do more than the bare minimum. It's understandable to only post the profile, if it's late and no one else seems to be doing it, but more than 36h before the start of the stage?

edit: Only the two pictures were posted when I wrote my comment, but it still stands, also in this case.

If someone is unhappy with a race thread and feels that the op left something out in terms of details, what is stopping someone from posting these images, etc...?

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

We should have a meme here for people who creates race threads so early that others don't even get the chance, yet won't take the time to do more than the bare minimum. It's understandable to only post the profile, if it's late and no one else seems to be doing it, but more than 36h before the start of the stage?

edit: Only the two pictures were posted when I wrote my comment, but it still stands, also in this case.

If someone is unhappy with a race thread and feels that the op left something out in terms of details, what is stopping someone from posting these images, etc...?

In the middle of the thread?

 

[Singer01]

i'm a bit ambivalent about this argument, on the one hand i like the quality threads with all the relevant info, on the other it is getting a bit snooty. is there a reason that those that really like to take the time can't create them, and the administrators unlock after the previous stage has finished?

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

We should have a meme here for people who creates race threads so early that others don't even get the chance, yet won't take the time to do more than the bare minimum. It's understandable to only post the profile, if it's late and no one else seems to be doing it, but more than 36h before the start of the stage?

edit: Only the two pictures were posted when I wrote my comment, but it still stands, also in this case.

If someone is unhappy with a race thread and feels that the op left something out in terms of details, what is stopping someone from posting these images, etc...?

In the middle of the thread?

Whenever. Personal message the op with the link to the images that you feel are missing. The op can contact an admin if he/she can't add them to the original post on his/her own. Better this than the constant complaining about the quality of the original post to race threads.

 

[Netserk]

Re:

i'm a bit ambivalent about this argument, on the one hand i like the quality threads with all the relevant info, on the other it is getting a bit snooty. is there a reason that those that really like to take the time can't create them, and the administrators unlock after the previous stage has finished?

Of course threads don't have to be perfect, but a certain standard, especially for a race like the Tour, would be great. Sometimes I do the race thread OP, often others do. Sometimes the race thread has been created before one has time to do it oneself, which is completely fair. However it is puzzling how once in a while a race thread is opened very early, yet only containing the bare minimum, if that.

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

We should have a meme here for people who creates race threads so early that others don't even get the chance, yet won't take the time to do more than the bare minimum. It's understandable to only post the profile, if it's late and no one else seems to be doing it, but more than 36h before the start of the stage?

edit: Only the two pictures were posted when I wrote my comment, but it still stands, also in this case.

If someone is unhappy with a race thread and feels that the op left something out in terms of details, what is stopping someone from posting these images, etc...?

In the middle of the thread?

Whenever. Personal message the op with the link to the images that you feel are missing. The op can contact an admin if he/she can't add them to the original post on his/her own. Better this than the constant complaining about the quality of the original post to race threads.

Sorry, but one doesn't have to get PM'ed a link to an image to post the map of the stage. Just typing something like "tour de france 2015 stage 17 map" in google and you'll get it instantly. It's not like it's some hidden or hard obtainable info that some would like to see in the OP. When it is a sprint finish, a map of the last couple of km would be nice as well. It doesn't take a genius to find that.

 

[veji11]

Re: Re:

I don't think Bardet would be allowed in a break, too high in GC

But so long as the break doesn't exceed about eight minutes it's not an issue.

I disagree. Sky or Movistar might not chase him, but teams counting on lower top10 finish will not want to gift him some minutes.

Teams are getting very tired, if a Bardet or a Gallopin or a Rolland fight hard to be in the breakaway, chasing teams except the biggest ones (Sky, Saxo, Astana and Movistar) will soon lack riders to chase efficiently. I can't see Trek or Lotto Jumbo pulling back a breakaway of 20 riders with many good riders who just happened to have GC problems with their tired and limited gregarii.

THe matter is different if one of the big 4 teams wants to control the breakaway, than they can do it, but this stage isn't ideal for controlling a breakaway : good climbers could still win the stage if they save 1mn30 a top Allos and say have 2 mn at the bottom of Pra Loup.

 

[TommyPlus]

Mick Rogers to win from the break

 

[Poursuivant]

Nibali to attack at top a la Bardet, then hammer it on the way down with Contador, and put 1:45 into the rest.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Mick Rogers to win from the break

Good call! Contador said the team wants to win another stage this TDF, so you can count on them being present in the breaks.

Kreuziger is also a good descender.

 

[The Hitch]

Re: Tour de France 2015 Stage 17: Digne-les-Bains-Pra Loup 1

This looks like a fantastic profile. Would be better if it were 60k longer, but its ok.
Its good because the hardest climb is 2nd to last, with a much easier climb to finish.

So, like Mortirolo Aprica 2010 or Finnestre Stelvio 2015/ 2005, you can get the proceedings started 40k before the end.

I hope Sky aren't as strong as they have been so far, and if they are, I hope they diminish the group to about 10 halfway up the climb.

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Re: Re:

We should have a meme here for people who creates race threads so early that others don't even get the chance, yet won't take the time to do more than the bare minimum. It's understandable to only post the profile, if it's late and no one else seems to be doing it, but more than 36h before the start of the stage?

edit: Only the two pictures were posted when I wrote my comment, but it still stands, also in this case.

If someone is unhappy with a race thread and feels that the op left something out in terms of details, what is stopping someone from posting these images, etc...?

In the middle of the thread?

The second post of the thread is not the middle of the thread.

 

[wwabbit]

Re: Re:

As good as Froome looks, I can't forget how he looked just as dominant in 2013 on AX3 and Ventoux, but by the end of the Tour Quintana was clearly the stronger, particularly on Alpe D'Huez where he took more than a minute off him.

At 2013 Alpe d'Huez the Sky Team car suffered a mechanical on the way up the first climb, so Froome was unable to get energy gels until halfway up the final climb with Purito, Quintana and Porte when the car got back into position and Froome and Porte dropped back to get the energy gels and sucked up a 20 second penalty. That, and being close to hitting the wall before recovering accounted for the time loss. Without the mechanical, Froome would have stuck with Quintana in all probabilities.

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

We should have a meme here for people who creates race threads so early that others don't even get the chance, yet won't take the time to do more than the bare minimum. It's understandable to only post the profile, if it's late and no one else seems to be doing it, but more than 36h before the start of the stage?

edit: Only the two pictures were posted when I wrote my comment, but it still stands, also in this case.

If someone is unhappy with a race thread and feels that the op left something out in terms of details, what is stopping someone from posting these images, etc...?

In the middle of the thread?

Whenever. Personal message the op with the link to the images that you feel are missing. The op can contact an admin if he/she can't add them to the original post on his/her own. Better this than the constant complaining about the quality of the original post to race threads.

Sorry, but one doesn't have to get PM'ed a link to an image to post the map of the stage. Just typing something like "tour de france 2015 stage 17 map" in google and you'll get it instantly. It's not like it's some hidden or hard obtainable info that some would like to see in the OP. When it is a sprint finish, a map of the last couple of km would be nice as well. It doesn't take a genius to find that.

As a former moderator I would think that you would have insight into how to approach an issue like this, other than constantly complaining about it. I was mistaken. My apologies.

 

[Netserk]

Re: Tour de France 2015 Stage 17: Digne-les-Bains-Pra Loup 1

This looks like a fantastic profile. Would be better if it were 60k longer, but its ok.
Its good because the hardest climb is 2nd to last, with a much easier climb to finish.

So, like Mortirolo Aprica 2010 or Finnestre Stelvio 2015/ 2005, you can get the proceedings started 40k before the end.

I hope Sky aren't as strong as they have been so far, and if they are, I hope they diminish the group to about 10 halfway up the climb.

I think you are overestimating Allos.

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

As a former moderator I would think that you would have insight into how to approach an issue like this, other than constantly complaining about it. I was mistaken. My apologies.

Sometimes, something are best changed when it is discussed out in the open. Especially when it's not about a few posters, but a general trend.

 

[Afrank]

Netserk does bring up a good point, it can be useful for some stages to have more then just the basic info. If anybody does have additional info that they think would be good to be included in the OP, they should feel free to PM to a mod. I'd be happy to add it.

 

[Jspear]

Maybe the mods can have a sticky thread with everything Netserk wants in a stage thread so we keep him happy?

 

[Campervan man]

Weather has just blown up a huge storm in Die in 20 minutes strong winds and rain. I expect something epic tomorrow please...