Tour de France is over

[veji11]

EBH is out, Kyrienka is out, Thomas is injured, Suitsou and Lopez have disappointed, Kennaugh has already fallen once... Lots of pressure on a team far from displaying the same composure and strength as last year. Honestly there is still room for a tactical coup...

If lots of team attack on the flat stage towards the Ventoux, what does Sky do if a group of 15/20 forms up with Talansky/Moreno in it ? Rogers ? do they just fry themselves during 220ks ?

Froome is overwhelming favorite but it isn't won yet.

 

[murali]

saw siutsou pulling for a while in TV. he looked ok to me.

bt you are right. froome is still only an overwhelming fav, not yet a sure winner.

 

[burning]

Froome could somewhat lose the race if all teams form an alliance against him, but nobody is riding for yellow so he will just keep on increasing his lead

 

[rghysens]

If lots of team attack on the flat stage towards the Ventoux, what does Sky do if a group of 15/20 forms up with Talansky/Moreno in it ? Rogers ? do they just fry themselves during 220ks ?

They'll get help from Belkin/Saxo/Movistar/whatever team that feels one of his positions threatened. If Froome had only 30" or 1' advance, tactics may have played a role, with already 3'30, he has this in the bag.
Froome will only not win this tour if:
1) He dies one of the next 10 days
2) he is forced to abandon due to illness or crashes
3) he tests positive

And if he doesn't die, is forced to abandon or tests positive, he'll win the next few too. It's 1999 all over again.

 

[bigcog]

The word 'extraordinary' did not exist in cycling. We can have a better rider, but not extraordinary better. They are all pro with big support. We already see this movie before...

So, for me.. the Clean-GC-Classification is very good until now... very open!

1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:25
2 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:03:37
3 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:03:54
4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:03:57
5 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:04:10
6 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:04:44
7 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team 0:05:18
8 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team 0:05:37
9 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:05:39
10 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha 0:05:48
Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team

Clean hahahaha - you really taking the pee or taking PEDS yourself:

Valverde, Contador confirmed DOPERS

 

[ILovecycling]

Clean hahahaha - you really taking the pee or taking PEDS yourself:

Valverde, Contador confirmed DOPERS

stfu and go to the clinic

 

[bigcog]

stfu and go to the clinic

Best you got, weak...

 

[BigMac]

1 less borg. Gentleman, TDF future is starting to shine again.

 

[erader]

skynesto = boring

 

[Eshnar]

Gentlemen, this is not the Clinic. First and last warning.

 

[The Hitch]

about ventoux stage, the 100k before climb look like they are quite hilly. anyone know if its as up and down as the profile suggests or should we expect 180 riders at the base.

 

[postmanhat]

1 less borg. Gentleman, TDF future is starting to shine again.

Isn't it a risible reflection on the rest of the peleton that they need Sky to be down to 7 to have a chance? It wasn't that great a squad to start with

 

[etymology]

...Contador might attack, but that means he will threaten the position of Valverde and Mollema. So their teams will bring him back. Sky won't even have to do any work in the Alps.

there is no "contador might attack." contador *will* attack. movistar & belkin may well bring him back - and contador will attack again.

wash, rinse, repeat.

contador is not riding in persuit of a podium place because he is not riding for second or third. he is riding to win. one of the reasons i like him so much is that he does not give up no matter how bleak things may seem. one of the elements that make him a true champion is that contador is not afraid to lose.

so for the above (and other) reasons, no, i do not believe for a second the tour is over, that froome has an unbreakable lock on yellow.

 

[rghysens]

about ventoux stage, the 100k before climb look like they are quite hilly. anyone know if its as up and down as the profile suggests or should we expect 180 riders at the base.

Rather long stretches of false flat (2-3%) than real hills. Maybe not 180 riders at the base, but 150 or so.

 

[Pulpstar]

Isn't it a risible reflection on the rest of the peleton that they need Sky to be down to 7 to have a chance? It wasn't that great a squad to start with

I'd call it 6.5 with G's condition.

 

[LongTimeeer]

I hope to eat my words.

 

[DirtyWorks]

there is no "contador might attack." contador *will* attack. movistar & belkin may well bring him back - and contador will attack again.

The peloton, including Contador, need much more power for this to be true.

I think Contador will try to animate the race if circumstances permit it. That much can be said about Contador. IMHO, Evans is similar.

But, they need enough power to do something interesting. Need. More... Power...

 

[auscyclefan94]

I hope other teams adopt this tactic. Obviously BMC will have little effect on the GC but it should be fun if it happens.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bmc-preparing-for-fireworks-on-mont-ventoux

 

[Microchip]

The Tour has a long way to go ... it is unlikely that everyone is going to make it through the next couple of weeks ... a lot still has to go right for Froome to take this without incident.

I reallllllllllly hope so.

From the time he put on that yellow jersey, I stopped being glued to the ticker (can’t watch while at work).

 

[Jelantik]

there is no "contador might attack." contador *will* attack. movistar & belkin may well bring him back - and contador will attack again.

wash, rinse, repeat.

contador is not riding in persuit of a podium place because he is not riding for second or third. he is riding to win. one of the reasons i like him so much is that he does not give up no matter how bleak things may seem. one of the elements that make him a true champion is that contador is not afraid to lose.

so for the above (and other) reasons, no, i do not believe for a second the tour is over, that froome has an unbreakable lock on yellow.

on ventoux will see who's a biggest whoosh? valverde or mollema? They are the type of rider who likes to keep their GC placing. If you ask me, they are the one who will make the race boring, not sky. It's the rest of the contender who must do something about it. Contador got nothing to loose, so does evans. Too bad he doesn't have the leg to tandem with Contador. Contador must attack, other wise forget about even in the podium. First objective leap frog valverde and mollema.

 

[cineteq]

My prediction is still on track, and I wasn't even expecting that Contador put time on Froome today.

 

[180mmCrank]

BUT it shows how fragile some of the positions that people are taking for granted can be ... the race is far from over.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

BUT it shows how fragile some of the positions that people are taking for granted can be ... the race is far from over.

Thank god riders can still make a race.

 

[Afrank]

And we still have a week of mountains to go, Sky is looking weak, contador and Nairito will be ready to do some damage in the alps. Good luck dawg, because this Tour is far from over.

 

[Jelantik]

My prediction is still on track, and I wasn't even expecting that Contador put time on Froome today.

ay... are we all wrong huh? flat stage.. 1 minutes..