Tour de France 2015 stage 20: Modane - Alpe d'Huez

[Richeypen]

I dont understand why many people write stuff like "froome was just the strongest this year"
As it was already written, without the 2nd stage NQ would have been in front of froome. Of course you can argue that Froome would have gotten more time in the pyrenees if he had to but I wouldn't say quintana was stronger too anywasys. I think its fair to say that they were even.

Because the tour was 3 weeks long not 2 days. CF was consistently better than NQ until the last few days. Stage 2 was a stage for the strongmen and NQ was strong enough.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Wow..Jungels in front of Contador,Mollema,Nibali on Alpe

He could actually be a good gc rider in some years, if his climbing improves even more, combined with his TT abilities

Not sure, he's a damned good rider, but he also won the under 23 Paris-Roubaix, so he could very well end up focusing on that. I see him as more of a Cancellara type rider if anything, great on the cobbles, great TT, pretty good over the hills and decent in the mountains when he tries. But not good enough to focus on GT's.

If I remember correctly he and the team decided to focus on stage races for the time being last year.

Amazing last week by him though.

Correct. That was after he did some pavé and the team realized he just isn't suited to it at all. In u-23 and juniors there's very little pavé so it's not perfectly indicative of future potential. As Guercilena said, Jungels did well simply because he had so much power.

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

Froome won the Tour in Zeeland, without it he would have been 9 seconds behind

This. The team saved his **s. Many times during this tour.

yep, no guts to say 'bravo froomie'

 

[Opalius]

Chapeau to Froome, deserved win. Well played by Sky as a team - even though I was rooting for my man Contador. Oh well.

Movistar could definitely have lit up this race a bit more. Will be interesting in the coming years as Quintana will get stronger and stronger, where Froome, Contador & Nibali will get weaker. Although this is cycling, so you never really know...

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Good grief, the vuelta is shaping up to be one heck of a battle.

But who is going?

Froome strongly linked as well as Quintana and Valverde.

Landa and Aru

I wonder if Nibali goes as well, since he-s getting form late, probably not. Froome and Quintana will be dead tired I fear, though.

Brailsford will want Froome to ride the Vuelta as it's now Sky philosophy. TDF winner in 2012, 2013, 2014 and now 2015 all rode the Vuelta before.

 

[greenedge]

Re:

Chris froome was sick and still your 2015 tour de france champion he is awesome./

Was he

 

[Ramira]

Wow..Jungels in front of Contador,Mollema,Nibali on Alpe

He could actually be a good gc rider in some years, if his climbing improves even more, combined with his TT abilities

Not sure, he's a damned good rider, but he also won the under 23 Paris-Roubaix, so he could very well end up focusing on that. I see him as more of a Cancellara type rider if anything, great on the cobbles, great TT, pretty good over the hills and decent in the mountains when he tries. But not good enough to focus on GT's.

If I remember correctly he and the team decided to focus on stage races for the time being last year.

Amazing last week by him though.

Could be, would be interesting to see. Though I still feel he has more of a spring classics build.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

Movistar threw the TdF away in the echelons it seems. Well done to Sky they were really strong everywhere, but then again that's to be expected from the by far richest team in the peloton.

Tinkoff and BMC are richer.

No way, team budget of Sky is the highest by far.

Do we have any numbers?

In 2011, Trek and BMC were on 15 mil euros, while Sky were on 10, but Sky went up to 15 in 2012. Got nothing more recent than that

 

[fungusbear]

I dont understand why many people write stuff like "froome was just the strongest this year"
As it was already written, without the 2nd stage NQ would have been in front of froome. Of course you can argue that Froome would have gotten more time in the pyrenees if he had to but I wouldn't say quintana was stronger too anywasys. I think its fair to say that they were even.

Froome has been the strongest this year. He and his team were great in the crosswinds, he rode a good starting TT and was amazing in the TTT, brilliant on the cobbles (if it had rained or been harder, Nairo would have lost buckets of time to Froome and Nibali), fastest GC man on the mur de Huy, best climber in the pyrnees and although Nairo was stronger in the alps, Froome covered him for all but the last two stages.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re: Re:

Movistar threw the TdF away in the echelons it seems. Well done to Sky they were really strong everywhere, but then again that's to be expected from the by far richest team in the peloton.

Tinkoff and BMC are richer.

No way, team budget of Sky is the highest by far.

Do we have any numbers?

In 2011, Trek and BMC were on 15 mil euros, while Sky were on 10, but Sky went up to 15 in 2012. Got nothing more recent than that

31.1 for 2014

http://inrng.com/medias/images/teamskyincomestatement2014.png

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

Chris froome was sick and still your 2015 tour de france champion he is awesome./

Was he

Well, his nose seemed blocked to me in a couple of his interviews in the last couple of days, which could make sense given a few sky riders have been ill recently during the tour (Kennaugh, Stannard, LRP).

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Movistar threw the TdF away in the echelons it seems. Well done to Sky they were really strong everywhere, but then again that's to be expected from the by far richest team in the peloton.

Tinkoff and BMC are richer.

No way, team budget of Sky is the highest by far.

Do we have any numbers?

In 2011, Trek and BMC were on 15 mil euros, while Sky were on 10, but Sky went up to 15 in 2012. Got nothing more recent than that

I've been searching, but can't find so mea culpa, for something I read that said Tinkoff are at a million more than Sky, both around 25m.

 

[fungusbear]

Re: Re:

Movistar threw the TdF away in the echelons it seems. Well done to Sky they were really strong everywhere, but then again that's to be expected from the by far richest team in the peloton.

Tinkoff and BMC are richer.

No way, team budget of Sky is the highest by far.

Do we have any numbers?

In 2011, Trek and BMC were on 15 mil euros, while Sky were on 10, but Sky went up to 15 in 2012. Got nothing more recent than that

That was with the schleck brothers bossing the Tour/Ardennes though I think (for Trek). Astana might have a big budget as they are owned by the Kazikstan government I think!?

 

[rzombie1988]

I dont understand why many people write stuff like "froome was just the strongest this year"
As it was already written, without the 2nd stage NQ would have been in front of froome. Of course you can argue that Froome would have gotten more time in the pyrenees if he had to but I wouldn't say quintana was stronger too anywasys. I think its fair to say that they were even.

Froome has been the strongest this year. He and his team were great in the crosswinds, he rode a good starting TT and was amazing in the TTT, brilliant on the cobbles (if it had rained or been harder, Nairo would have lost buckets of time to Froome and Nibali), fastest GC man on the mur de Huy, best climber in the pyrnees and although Nairo was stronger in the alps, Froome covered him for all but the last two stages.

Froome was the strongest because he was good enough to get dropped on the last day and still be a minute ahead.

 

[Scarponi]

Anyone got info on where Sammy sanchez finished?

 

[whittashau]

Re: Re:

Good grief, the vuelta is shaping up to be one heck of a battle.

But who is going?

Froome strongly linked as well as Quintana and Valverde.

Landa and Aru

I wonder if Nibali goes as well, since he-s getting form late, probably not. Froome and Quintana will be dead tired I fear, though.

People keep claiming that, but I think it isn't true. Nibs won the Italian championships the week before, and was strong in the first week, then he crashed and struggled for about a week. Then came right again.

I think without the crash he would have been easily third

 

[MatParker117]

Final GC:

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 81:58:33
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 00:01:12
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 00:05:25
4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 00:08:36
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 00:09:48
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 00:10:47
7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing 00:15:14
8 Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling 00:15:39
9 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 00:16:00
10 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 00:17:30

 

[Climbing]

I dont understand why many people write stuff like "froome was just the strongest this year"
As it was already written, without the 2nd stage NQ would have been in front of froome. Of course you can argue that Froome would have gotten more time in the pyrenees if he had to but I wouldn't say quintana was stronger too anywasys. I think its fair to say that they were even.

Froome has been the strongest this year. He and his team were great in the crosswinds, he rode a good starting TT and was amazing in the TTT, brilliant on the cobbles (if it had rained or been harder, Nairo would have lost buckets of time to Froome and Nibali), fastest GC man on the mur de Huy, best climber in the pyrnees and although Nairo was stronger in the alps, Froome covered him for all but the last two stages.

It-s easier than this long explanation *which I agree with anyway*: who wears yellow in Paris is the strongest.

 

[TI-Raleigh]

29 career days in yellow for Chris Froome. Ties him for first among active riders with Cancellara. For reference, Contador has 11.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

29 career days in yellow for Chris Froome. Ties him for first among active riders with Cancellara. For reference, Contador has 11.

11 excluding 2010, right?

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re: Re:

I've been searching, but can't find so mea culpa, for something I read that said Tinkoff are at a million more than Sky, both around 25m.

Look up, I posted Sky's financial statement for 2014. 31m.
On Tinkoff, have this quote from inrrng:

Tinkoff-Saxo have a large budget but it’s not at BMC, Sky or Etixx-Quick Step levels, but it is bringing few results.

 

[Squirbos_19]

The Tour really would have been interesting if Valverde had rode as a pure domestique. That's one thing Froome has got, a team that is completely dedicated to him. but either way the strongest rider won the Tour this year.

 

[fungusbear]

I hope Nibali goes to the vuelta.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Cool stage in the end. Froome got saved today by the strength of his team. Froome was probably the best rider, but he definitely had the best team.
Quintana will be back, and if he gets a Tour without PSM level temperatures, I'd say he's more likely to win one than not.

This tour was made for him though.

Yes and no. Many mountain stages, but no real long with lots of at high altitude mountains. Yesterday was decent, but short and it really lacked the real high mountains and tbh all mountain stages were really poor. So yes there were many, but no real good ones.

Also the first 8 stages certainly didn't suit Quintana. Allthough many thought they didn't suit Froome as well they were proven wrong by Froome. Quintana was lucky not to lose time on the cobbles.

In the end if if Quintana didn't lose the time lost in the stage to Neeltje Jans(echelons) he would've won the TdF. So reality is that Quintana did win it in the mountains, but lost it on the flat.
A long flat ITT would've probably lost him more time, allthough this years Froomes TT wasn't that great.

 

[carton]

Re:

Also, Movistar's risk-weighted priorities clearly: Podium>Stage>Jaune

Just wanted to eat some public crow. Great stage by Movistar, they went for broke, played the bridge game as well as can be played, and gave us a truly fantastic stage.

Anyway, chapeau to Thibaut Pinot and Chris Froome!