Who will be the most helpful domestique at the 2015 TDF ?

[Pantani Attacks]

It's Sagan so far. Considering he's so prominent in the sprints too, it's him by miles so far.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

It's Sagan so far. Considering he's so prominent in the sprints too, it's him by miles so far.

Contesting the sprint doesn't add to his value as a domestique. It just means he's very strong.

He's certainly been number 1 so far, but we haven't hit the mountains where the traditional super domestiques will surely come to the fore.

 

[BigMac]

Oliveira. Because he does the work of 9 riders.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

G running away with this at the moment, will be interesting to see if he can keep it up in the mountains.

Sagan easily done more for AC than G has for Froome so far in terms of significance

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

G running away with this at the moment, will be interesting to see if he can keep it up in the mountains.

you have to be joking. Without sagan contador would already have lost this tour

 

[qwer]

my bet was right. sagan is the best

 

[deValtos]

Morabito has been pulling Pinot along a ton these past few days, well actually every day so far except the ITT.

 

[rm7]

Surely Sagan as nr 1, but G thomas has been in front with Froome all the time theese days, so he could be the runner up

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

People must be watching a different race to me. Sagan cost Contador 4 seconds on stage 2 by going for the win rather than helping Contador. Not saying it wasn't right for him to go for the win but that hardly makes him a great domestique.

 

[rm7]

The worst one today must be Valverde. He only rode for himself today, and only helped Quintana at the end when he realised he couldn't win the stage.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

People must be watching a different race to me. Sagan cost Contador 4 seconds on stage 2 by going for the win rather than helping Contador. Not saying it wasn't right for him to go for the win but that hardly makes him a great domestique.

If you measure "most helpful" by net seconds gained for his team leader, Sagan is the clear number 1 so far. The fact that not pursuing his own interests at all would be even better for Contador doesn't change that.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

People must be watching a different race to me. Sagan cost Contador 4 seconds on stage 2 by going for the win rather than helping Contador. Not saying it wasn't right for him to go for the win but that hardly makes him a great domestique.

Definitely a different race! I for example saw that Sagan closed that gap in the crosswinds that could cost Contador minutes, and again today saw Sagan guiding Contador whole day across the pave, and again closing the most dangerous move with Froome, Nibali, TJVG and Valverde ahead. But then again, you saw that 4 seconds...

 

[BigMac]

Re:

The worst one today must be Valverde. He only rode for himself today, and only helped Quintana at the end when he realised he couldn't win the stage.

Nobody really expected Valverde to work for Quintana anyway.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

People must be watching a different race to me. Sagan cost Contador 4 seconds on stage 2 by going for the win rather than helping Contador. Not saying it wasn't right for him to go for the win but that hardly makes him a great domestique.

Lol, sure bro. Go look back at this stage, check the second section again. You'll see sagan closes a crucial gap with contador in his wheel.

Not to mention what he did after the last section and then almost won the sprint.

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

People must be watching a different race to me. Sagan cost Contador 4 seconds on stage 2 by going for the win rather than helping Contador. Not saying it wasn't right for him to go for the win but that hardly makes him a great domestique.

Lol, sure bro. Go look back at this stage, check the second section again. You'll see sagan closes a crucial gap with contador in his wheel.

Not to mention what he did after the last section and then almost won the sprint.

4 seconds tho.

 

[mrhender]

Both Thomas and Sagan are, and have been excellent helpers so far...

No one is automatically lesser valuable to their leader, just because the other has been more significant in his overall performance...

Then again., we cannot truly know if the mere precence of Thomas prevented a huge Froome failure..

Hence we have to judge on the pictures shown us, and on that basis I view Sagans performance most remarkable..

In the end though, Thomas may be the deciding factor for Froome winning, more so then Sagan can be for Contador because it is one thing losing time, and another to crash out...

 

[Flamin]

Sagan was super strong today no doubt, but people here are being pretty opportunistic because they saw him closing a small gap on the cobbles and then take a super pull after the last pavé secteur. But why was Contador positioned badly on both occasions in the first place? That didn't happen to Froomey. Heck, Contador started the last secteur almost dead last.

I'd say Thomas was at least as impressive, constantly fighting to stay near the front and sheltering Froome from the wind for the last 45k.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

People must be watching a different race to me. Sagan cost Contador 4 seconds on stage 2 by going for the win rather than helping Contador. Not saying it wasn't right for him to go for the win but that hardly makes him a great domestique.

Definitely a different race! I for example saw that Sagan closed that gap in the crosswinds that could cost Contador minutes, and again today saw Sagan guiding Contador whole day across the pave, and again closing the most dangerous move with Froome, Nibali, TJVG and Valverde ahead. But then again, you saw that 4 seconds...

Don't make stuff up. Sagan was chilling in the middle/at the back of the pack for quite some time actually.

 

[l.Harm]

Contador was on Sagan's wheel several times... he was leading him through the sections.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Sagan was super strong today no doubt, but people here are being pretty opportunistic because they saw him closing a small gap on the cobbles and then take a super pull after the last pavé secteur. But why was Contador positioned badly on both occasions in the first place? That didn't happen to Froomey. Heck, Contador started the last secteur almost dead last.

I'd say Thomas was at least as impressive, constantly fighting to stay near the front and sheltering Froome from the wind for the last 45k.

Because he and a teammate overcooked a corner.

Sagan prevented a loss of minutes on stage 2, and again today. Contador would have been in Pinot's position without Sagan.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

Sagan was super strong today no doubt, but people here are being pretty opportunistic because they saw him closing a small gap on the cobbles and then take a super pull after the last pavé secteur. But why was Contador positioned badly on both occasions in the first place? That didn't happen to Froomey. Heck, Contador started the last secteur almost dead last.

I'd say Thomas was at least as impressive, constantly fighting to stay near the front and sheltering Froome from the wind for the last 45k.

The scope for domestiques to be of help is obviously greater when the leader needs it. Froome was well positioned throughout, Contador wasn't. Thomas might have been as useful, had Froome needed him to close gaps, but he didn't, so he wasn't.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Contador was on Sagan's wheel several times... he was leading him through the sections.

Indeed, and Sagan must've looked around for Contador like 100 times and even went back to get him on his wheel at some point, there were 3 Tinkoff at the front + Sagan, but Contador wasn't in his wheel, heck he wasn't even in the camera shot so he was way way back, and Sagan was looking around and dropped back to get him.
He was the perfect teammate today.

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Re:

The worst one today must be Valverde. He only rode for himself today, and only helped Quintana at the end when he realised he couldn't win the stage.

Valverde is not really a domestique though, he is plan b and free to ride for himself without any support?

 

[rm7]

Re: Re:

People must be watching a different race to me. Sagan cost Contador 4 seconds on stage 2 by going for the win rather than helping Contador. Not saying it wasn't right for him to go for the win but that hardly makes him a great domestique.

Definitely a different race! I for example saw that Sagan closed that gap in the crosswinds that could cost Contador minutes, and again today saw Sagan guiding Contador whole day across the pave, and again closing the most dangerous move with Froome, Nibali, TJVG and Valverde ahead. But then again, you saw that 4 seconds...

Don't make stuff up. Sagan was chilling in the middle/at the back of the pack for quite some time actually.

That was obvious team tactics, because Benatti and Kreuziger were at the front with Contador, so they kept one man behind him if he was dropping back. Benatti was also at the back sometimes. No need to have 3 guys around him on the pave.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

Sagan was super strong today no doubt, but people here are being pretty opportunistic because they saw him closing a small gap on the cobbles and then take a super pull after the last pavé secteur. But why was Contador positioned badly on both occasions in the first place? That didn't happen to Froomey. Heck, Contador started the last secteur almost dead last.

I'd say Thomas was at least as impressive, constantly fighting to stay near the front and sheltering Froome from the wind for the last 45k.

Because he and a teammate overcooked a corner.

Sagan prevented a loss of minutes on stage 2, and again today. Contador would have been in Pinot's position without Sagan.

I'll have to watch it back because I didn't see it, but Sagan and Contador were sitting far back before that already.

So did Thomas yesterday then. And that gap was clearly bigger.