Tour de France 2018 stage 9: Arras > Roubaix 156,5 km

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Froome has a saddle sore.

Source?
Because if true his rivals will smell blood.

Very unpleasant image about where they have their noses will be difficult to dislodge from my mind.

Haha now I see it too! Oh God that's horrible.

 

[Poursuivant]

I think Landa will lose out today.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

I would guess that routes are announced along with road closures in areas, towns etc. Well in advance so locals can work around them if needed. I don’t know much about the surrounding area but where I currently am in Poitou-Charentes there is a lot of harvesting going on. Suddenly shifting timings by an hour or two is probably a big deal and maybe without an actual, logistical, reason on the road, it’s something they can’t do?

Yeah, but the WC schedule was known for a long time, and they even said they are planning the Tour to avoid conflict with the WC, and now France is playing for the title and the sunday Roubaix stage will probably still overlap.

That would mean they have to average <40 km/h, which is never going to happen.

 

[Salvarani]

Re:

I think Landa will lose out today.

It is a lottery who will lose....

Hopefully time loss will just be due to not being comfortable riding on the cobbles and that it wont be due to a crash or injuring himself. That if he loose 2-3 min he will still be ready to go for the mountain stages...

 

[Brullnux]

It's awkard for sky because Thomas is a much better cobbles rider than Kwiatkowski who is supposed to be a helper for today. Moscon and Rowe will help, but I don't see how Kwiatkowski can help Thomas. Anyway, common thought is that Froome, Nibali Thomas and Bala are the best equipped for this stage, and it's hard to disagree. The main thing that can change this is both sky riders' increidble ability to crash at random, seemingly innocuous, moments.

 

[silvergrenade]

Re:

It's awkard for sky because Thomas is a much better cobbles rider than Kwiatkowski who is supposed to be a helper for today. Moscon and Rowe will help, but I don't see how Kwiatkowski can help Thomas

By riding on the front?

 

[Ataraxus]

Here we go!

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Re: Re:

Sky plan to have six to seven wheels waiting at each sector along the route, on all 15 sectors of pavé
Three bikes per rider brought in just for the Roubaix stage mounted with aluminum handlebars

https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/to...g-full-on-roubaix-approach-for-cobbles_472276

I hate this team so much

...(intervening quotes deleted: there is a limit)
I responded to that relating to what I said, but what I commented also goes deeper than what I commented on.

Is your questioning relating to anything in the thread? Because you can PM me instead with this and not bother anyone else.

Just seemed an odd response to the information that they were preparing for the predictable risks of the day.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

It's awkard for sky because Thomas is a much better cobbles rider than Kwiatkowski who is supposed to be a helper for today. Moscon and Rowe will help, but I don't see how Kwiatkowski can help Thomas

By riding on the front?

Thomas is better off following other wheels than kwiat imo. Quickstep are going to ride on the front to win the stage, and Thomas is strong enough to follow them directly

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Poor Craddock already drifting off the back.

Dan Martin's position makes it look like he might be a stage hunter after today.

 

[Ataraxus]

Astana with one man in the break.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

It's awkard for sky because Thomas is a much better cobbles rider than Kwiatkowski who is supposed to be a helper for today. Moscon and Rowe will help, but I don't see how Kwiatkowski can help Thomas. Anyway, common thought is that Froome, Nibali Thomas and Bala are the best equipped for this stage, and it's hard to disagree. The main thing that can change this is both sky riders' increidble ability to crash at random, seemingly innocuous, moments.

Depends on if we consider Jungels relevant for GC.

I think that's the big difference compare to previous cobbled stages that there's one dominant cobbles team that's easily best equipped for the stage and that will want to create havoc today.

 

[Salvarani]

Re: Re:

Sky plan to have six to seven wheels waiting at each sector along the route, on all 15 sectors of pavé
Three bikes per rider brought in just for the Roubaix stage mounted with aluminum handlebars

https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/to...g-full-on-roubaix-approach-for-cobbles_472276

I hate this team so much

...(intervening quotes deleted: there is a limit)
I responded to that relating to what I said, but what I commented also goes deeper than what I commented on.

Is your questioning relating to anything in the thread? Because you can PM me instead with this and not bother anyone else.

Just seemed an odd response to the information that they were preparing for the predictable risks of the day.

Obviously it was something that put me over the edge. Now continue in the PM:s. Let everyone enjoy the stage.

 

[Salvarani]

Riche Porte out

 

[tobydawq]

Oh, Richie.

 

[silvergrenade]

***

 

[Eclipse]

The end for Richie One Week

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

WTF

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I was right, Porte already fallen

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Cobbled stage always delivers.

 

[jsem94]

Mate, you can't crash every damn year.

 

[Ataraxus]

Richie down

 

[Vasilis]

Re:

Oh, Richie.

This is exactly what I thought

 

[silvergrenade]

Please god, let Richie be okay

 

[bigcog]

Porte out ? Damn so unlucky.