Tour de France 2017 Stage 18: Briançon - Izoard, 179.5kms

[ruamruam]

Re: Re:

Looks like Froomedawg will join this illustrious list unless he wins the TT later in the week, with the break at 8 minutes.

Interesting that this list only contains some of the lesser TDF winners (and yes, I saw Greg LeMond! He is one of them, IMO). I wouldn't mind seeing Froome in there.

Lemond is in my top 5 GC riders since WW2.
I don't like speaking hypothetically, but without the accident he would have won 5 Tours, imo.

Coppi
Anquetil
Eddy
Hinault
Indurain
Armstrong
Contador

Which of these do you not have?

Top to bottom:
Merckx
Hinault
Anquetil
Coppi
Lemond
Armstrong
Indurain
Bartalli
Contador
(My provisional list, just an opinion. Point is that Lemond is not a lesser GC rider)

Ahead of Contador who has won seven/nine grand tours, Indurain 5 tours, two tour/giros doubles? Don't think so

 

[del1962]

Rowe looks better than Knees

 

[laurensde+]

Re: Re:

Armstromg regularly crushed Ullrich by 5 or 6 mins

* That never happened.

Yeah! I forget how many Tours Ulle's won these days, is it four or five?

 

[deValtos]

Re: Re:

but it is stupid tactic mate, they have nothing to gain, and that pretty damn frusterrating. they are racing for sky right now, and thats annoying. Whats the diffrence between finishing 15 or 16th, not a thing.

I understand why people get annoyed when it benefits Sky and helps them out but this isn't really one of those times. Sky really don't care at all, this is the last mountain stage and they have Rowe and Knees pacing up Vars ...

You have to make a distinction between today and a situation like Formigal where helping out clearly benefits Sky.

I prefer Bora ride because it makes the race more interesting.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Looks like Froomedawg will join this illustrious list unless he wins the TT later in the week, with the break at 8 minutes.

Interesting that this list only contains some of the lesser TDF winners (and yes, I saw Greg LeMond! He is one of them, IMO). I wouldn't mind seeing Froome in there.

Greg won 2 other Tours, the Worlds twice and you call him lesser? He would have won the Tour 5 times if he hadn't been shot

There's plenty of cycling fans who only know LeMond for his long-running feud with LA and his recent media goofiness.

Then like Jon Snow they know nothing!

 

[Ruby United]

Re: Re:

Interesting that this list only contains some of the lesser TDF winners (and yes, I saw Greg LeMond! He is one of them, IMO). I wouldn't mind seeing Froome in there.

Lemond is in my top 5 GC riders since WW2.
I don't like speaking hypothetically, but without the accident he would have won 5 Tours, imo.

Coppi
Anquetil
Eddy
Hinault
Indurain
Armstrong
Contador

Which of these do you not have?

Top to bottom:
Merckx
Hinault
Anquetil
Coppi
Lemond
Armstrong
Indurain
Bartalli
Contador
(My provisional list, just an opinion. Point is that Lemond is not a lesser GC rider)

While I agree that Lemond isn't lesser, and it is of course your opinion, I don't see how Indurain can be below Lemond. He won 2 giro tour doubles. If we count worlds, then he won the tt and he gave a worlds to Olano that he could have won himself.

Also for me Armstrong would be above Lemond. Lemond won a tour by 13 seconds. Armstromg regularly crushed Ullrich by 5 or 6 mins

I hear your point.
Also, I don't have time to check, but I'm pretty sure it was 8 seconds.

 

[spalco]

Re: Re:

Yeah! I forget how many Tours Ulle's won these days, is it four or five?

One more than Armstrong.

 

[ontheroad]

The pace in the front group must be fairly sedate, most of the riders are still hanging on. The winner will definitely come from the front group as the stronger riders will push on when they get to the Izoard.

 

[Frankschleck]

Re: Re:

but it is stupid tactic mate, they have nothing to gain, and that pretty damn frusterrating. they are racing for sky right now, and thats annoying. Whats the diffrence between finishing 15 or 16th, not a thing.

I understand why people get annoyed when it benefits Sky and helps them out but this isn't really one of those times. Sky really don't care at all, this is the last mountain stage and they have Rowe and Knees pacing up Vars ...

You have to make a distinction between today and a situation like Formigal where helping out clearly benefits Sky.

I prefer Bora ride because it makes the race more interesting.

it makes it more interesting, yeah, but why ride when you have nothing to benieft from it? it makes no sense, when they should be resting riders to go in the break the following days.

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

Armstromg regularly crushed Ullrich by 5 or 6 mins

* That never happened.

Yeah! I forget how many Tours Ulle's won these days, is it four or five?

Wait, I thought he is on the same page as Lance, so Vino won the 2003 Tour.

Seriously, I really hate when people say "That never happened", then trying to rewrite the history however they want. It did happen and he won those Tours, I don't care what happens after they cross the finish line, it's a done deal.

And this guy is saying that Ulle won a Tour and Lance won 0, at least be consistent and say that Ulle won 4-5 Tours, that makes your point of view completely hilarious.

 

[Benotti69]

Yvon Sanquer must have something big on the owners of Cofodis! How they keep sponsoring a team that does so little at big races......

 

[Samamba]

Cummings already dropped?

 

[Popchu]

Re:

Cummings already dropped?

Yes, together with De Gendt.

 

[DanielSong39]

Now or never for Dan Martin (and perhaps Aru).

If he doesn't go for it, it means he simply doesn't have the legs.

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

Yvon Sanquer must have something big on the owners of Cofodis! How they keep sponsoring a team that does so little at big races......

The reason is because they are in the big races.

 

[deValtos]

Re: Re:

it makes it more interesting, yeah, but why ride when you have nothing to benieft from it? it makes no sense, when they should be resting riders to go in the break the following days.

Well there's only serious one stage to get in the break and for the flat guys who would do that riding 10km on the front today and resting will make no difference to their legs tomorrow. Ok for the climbers that ride and push all the way yea they won't recover aswell but for the others there is no difference so they may aswell ride. Plus they didn't even use Bodnar who is their best chance. Also they get on TV when this will be one of the most watched stages. It's the Tour, I don't see why not.

 

[wouterkaas]

Why do the Astana riders keep attacking in the front group? Wouldn't they be better off saving energy to help Aru later?

 

[markene2]

Allez Lutsy

 

[Frankschleck]

Re: Re:

it makes it more interesting, yeah, but why ride when you have nothing to benieft from it? it makes no sense, when they should be resting riders to go in the break the following days.

Well there's only serious one stage to get in the break and for the flat guys who would do that riding 10km on the front today and resting will make no difference to their legs tomorrow. Ok for the climbers that ride and push all the way yea they won't recover aswell but for the others there is no difference so they may aswell ride. Plus they didn't even use Bodnar who is their best chance. Also they get on TV when this will be one of the most watched stages. It's the Tour, I don't see why not.

i understand your arguement, but i am pretty sure we'll never agree about this.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

Do Ag2r realise that having riders who can't win the stage in the break and are too far ahead of the peloton to be helpful is a complete waste of time?

 

[bassano]

What a boring stage again, I do not know if Bardet think that he can do more then 100s on Froome on Izoard with such slow pace on Vars
he is riding for 2nd place again, he is not real player, it is pitty that Aru form is not such good anymore, he is one which would have try it

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

Why do the Astana riders keep attacking in the front group? Wouldn't they be better off saving energy to help Aru later?

Looks like they are more interested in the stage.
Can't blame them.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Tour de France 2017 Stage 18: Briançon - Izoard, 179.5km

I know I shouldn't have expected anything more but I'm still a bit disappointed the peloton is still led by Rowe and Knees.

 

[MartinGT]

AG2R goto the front

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

They are destroying the use of the stage. Damn.