Tour de France 2017 Stage 12: Pau > Peyragudes 214.5km

[Valv.Piti]

This was really just a better version of Fléche Wallone. And I just figured out I really don't like Meintjens that much.

 

[Breh]

Well, this stage was exactly like the two previous ones

 

[fauniera]

Re:

And I just figured out I really don't like Meintjens that much.

Why not?

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re: Re:

And I just figured out I really don't like Meintjens that much.

Why not?

The only reason to dislike him is the jersey.

 

[hrotha]

I can't think of any reason to like him, unless he's, like, super funny in interviews or something.

 

[Ikbengodniet]

Meintjes is just above ninja level.

 

[slosada]

Bardet's internet defense says he didn't drink (whatever the second clip would show), Bennett official appeal says he didn't drink. I just wonder if there is footage of Uran drinking from that bottle... and swallowing it.

 

[May0maniac]

I have to say that the guys at Sunweb are great team players, yesterday Barguil worked for Matthews durning the final part of the stage and today Matthews went for KoM points to protect Barguil's jersey.
Meintjes is a bit like post 2010 Basso without a strong team.

 

[JetSet]

Just curious, so Uran gets a 20 second penalty but is allowed to keep his bonus seconds and mountain points? What happens in one day races if someone gets an illegal feed and wins the race? Are there different rules in place?

Pete

 

[Poursuivant]

Re:

Did ITV show video from the front moto?

Yes

 

[Arnout]

This is what happens if the man who supposedly never attacks isn't in the form to attack.

No-one deserves to win this Tour now. Worst stage for years.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

I can't think of any reason to like him, unless he's, like, super funny in interviews or something.

He is the definition of a follower, like Adam Yates.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I disagree. He follows because he is on the limit already.

He attack on La Planche actually. He was one of the few to do so even.
Adam Yates attacked when he could as well.

However, if you already have nothing left, it's kinda hard to attack.

Also funny, this criticism coming from the guy who worships a rider who almost wrote the definition of following. Alejandro Valverde

 

[Valv.Piti]

Valverde follows because he has the most feared kick in the world when people are on the limit. And people can't do nothing about it.

 

[deValtos]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vaughters-tour-shouldnt-come-down-to-water-bottles-and-incompetence/

Assuming those phone calls happened to what JV said I think the UCI jury need to be DQ'd.

They really are making it up as they go along.

Sad for the sport to have such a bunch of muppets in control of it honestly.

 

[alspacka]

Re:

Just curious, so Uran gets a 20 second penalty but is allowed to keep his bonus seconds and mountain points? What happens in one day races if someone gets an illegal feed and wins the race? Are there different rules in place?

Pete

"Unauthorised refreshments" in a one day race is just a fine, no further action. Bigger fine though, 1000 swiss francs.

 

[Poursuivant]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWfuMaEB8-3/

Apparently Bardet told journalists he didn't take any bottle but that shows different.

 

[JetSet]

Re: Re:

Just curious, so Uran gets a 20 second penalty but is allowed to keep his bonus seconds and mountain points? What happens in one day races if someone gets an illegal feed and wins the race? Are there different rules in place?

Pete

"Unauthorised refreshments" in a one day race is just a fine, no further action. Bigger fine though, 1000 swiss francs.

Cheers,

Pete

 

[Escarabajo]

Does the UCI has photo or video of Bennet or Uran drinking?

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWfuMaEB8-3/

Apparently Bardet told journalists he didn't take any bottle but that shows different.

LOL. He is clearly drinking!!!!
Busted.

 

[alspacka]

Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vaughters-tour-shouldnt-come-down-to-water-bottles-and-incompetence/

Assuming those phone calls happened to what JV said I think the UCI jury need to be DQ'd.

They really are making it up as they go along.

Sad for the sport to have such a bunch of muppets in control of it honestly.

Must be worried about incurring the wrath of the French public after hitting Nacer with that ruthless GC time penalty.

 

[carton]

Re:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWfuMaEB8-3/

Apparently Bardet told journalists he didn't take any bottle but that shows different.

Charm, intelligence and eloquence are no markers of honesty. Cycling fans should be well acquainted to that fact. To the rest, "to the world of men, Welcome".

 

[skidmark]

Just reading through this thread now - I definitely was right there with most of the sentiment in yelling at my screen up the last climb(s) for people to do something; in a results-oriented way, the ending was very satisfying, but in a real-time viewing way, that shouldn't wash away the fact that if the same thing had happened but Froome hadn't cracked, it would have been unequivocally awful (in the 'it's predictable' sense, not saying anything personal about the guy) to watch him win after his mountain sprint train set him up.

That said, I don't know if I can fault the tactics of the riders. Yes, froome lost a lot of time in a short time, and the most basic deduction would suggest that he might have lost more in a longer, but I can think of three distinct reasons for what happened at the end:

1. He got dropped from the change of pace as he often does in, say, the Vuelta, and simply didn't have time to yo-yo his way back up. If this was the case, they were right to wait until the end, rather than attacking earlier. Don't give him time to recover.

2. He got dropped because he's not in top form (which kinda overlaps with #1, I guess - if he's in top form he doesn't get dropped even temporarily). If this was the case, it wasn't necessarily right, but was probably fine, to wait until the end. The Peyresourde is a pretty soft climb, so there's nowhere to really go without the Sky train pegging you back anyway, and in my opinion the risk is higher than the reward. Let's say Bardet attacks with 5k to go on the Peyresourde - he might get 30 seconds, and then be more tired by the time they get to Peyragudes, so he could either not increase that, or get caught and dropped, or whatever. There are other big climbs to go, and the Izoard in particular is one where alot of time could be bled. If he's simply not as good at climbing as the rest, they can take advantage in the future, and will be emboldened by this result. Of course maybe, just maybe, if someone had attacked on the Peyresourde it would've blown it apart and he would have lost minutes, but not likely with Nieve and Landa on a pretty shallow climb where drafting helps. The spent energy vs. gained time cost-benefit analysis is in the eye of the beholder, but in my eyes it comes out negative for attacking earlier.

3. He had a jour sans. If that's the case, then yeah, they wasted it, and could have gotten more.

So I dunno, on the balance of things, I don't think it was idiotic to play the waiting game.

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Re:

I can't think of any reason to like him, unless he's, like, super funny in interviews or something.

He is the definition of a follower, like Adam Yates.

What more could he really do? He's a step below the very best and I doubt he has the legs to attack, he's here for a good GC and the Youth comp and he's doing pretty well so far.

 

[perico]

Re:

Meintjes is just above ninja level.

But you always see him. He's the Tortoise. Always on the back, never working or attacking. The new Leipy