Who will win 2012 Tour de France

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Since when is descending with the peloton, descending like a brick?

Well, okay, you've got a point; he didn't descend all that crappy, but it was crappy compared to Evans and Nibali who took a minute out of him.

If Nibali and Evans are able to take a minute out of him on a descent like this, Wiggins has a problem in the TDF.

But as I've said; whether this was a fluke or not, we'll know tomorrow with a descent finish after Col de Joux. Hoping Evans and Nibali have the same aggressive attitude tomorrow though, but I suspect them to, if they al ready tried it at this stage, which is way less fit for that aggressive riding than tomorrow's.

 

[Froome19]

Well, okay, you've got a point; he didn't descend all that crappy, but it was crappy compared to Evans and Nibali who took a minute out of him.

If Nibali and Evans are able to take a minute out of him on a descent like this, Wiggins has a problem in the TDF.

But as I've said; whether this was a fluke or not, we'll know tomorrow with a descent finish after Col de Joux. Hoping Evans and Nibali have the same aggressive attitude tomorrow though, but I suspect them to, if they al ready tried it at this stage, which is way less fit for that aggressive riding than tomorrow's.

My point is that this wasnt some sort of mad dash to the finish, but rather it was an attack by Evans and Nibali which Wiggins didnt need to respond to but rather Sky brought them back patiently.
So it cant really show anything about Wiggin's descending skills as maybe he could have followed Evans and Nibali we werent watching so we dont know.

And anyway if Wiggins has his team with him like today then any attacks on descents should be pretty useless even ones into the finish as guys like EBH are superb descenders.

 

[dlwssonic]

I was more amused to watch the best BMC domestiques pulling major pain faces whilst giving up 45 seconds in no time at all.

Great actors, they can't be that weak surely?

lol please.
BMC's domestiques are great at keeping evans on the front and keeping him out of trouble.
So as to avoid crashes and injuries.
Sky are great at that too like last year.
Oh hold on sorry...

 

[The Hitch]

Not as weak as Sky boys at Paris-Roubaix

lol what an obvious troll post.

What does that have to do with anything?

Either way, who cares about Paris Roubaix when you won 3 stages at the Giro, got 2 top 10s, have 2 wt race overall wins and are getting ready to decimate the Tour?

 

[El Pistolero]

lol what an obvious troll post.

What does that have to do with anything?

Either way, who cares about Paris Roubaix when you won 3 stages at the Giro, got 2 top 10s, have 2 wt race overall wins and are getting ready to decimate the Tour?

Obvious troll post gets a troll post back.

Anyway, who cares about the Giro? Even the Ster ZLM Toer has a better sprinting field than that race.

 

[The Hitch]

Obvious troll post gets a troll post back.

Anyway, who cares about the Giro? Even the Ster ZLM Toer has a better sprinting field than that race.

Its not trolling. Everytime you try to hijack a discussion into "bait Sky fans" i will remind you that they have been by far the best team in the peloton this year.

 

[dlwssonic]

These are some descents for nibali, evans and sanchez to gain time.
If its rainy its even better for the trio.

 

[El Pistolero]

Its not trolling. Everytime you try to hijack a discussion into "bait Sky fans" i will remind you that they have been by far the best team in the peloton this year, and it doesn't look like changing with the Tour and Vuelta coming up.

Tell me something. How the hell does BMC have weak domestiques when they just got away with 3 domestiques plus Evans on a descent? The post's only purpose was to troll BMC and BMC fans.

Get off your high horse. It's not hard to be the best team in the world when you just buy a lot of good cyclists. Specialized is about to sign a contract with Sky next year for $6.000.000. That alone probably almost matches the budget of Garmin.

 

[The Hitch]

Tell me something. How the hell does BMC have weak domestiques when they just got away with 3 domestiques plus Evans on a descent? The post's only purpose was to troll BMC and BMC fans.

Get off your high horse.

No, it was an opinion voiced about the subject matter - Tour de France. Look at the thread title.

 

[El Pistolero]

No, it was an opinion voiced about the subject matter - Tour de France. Look at the thread title.

Nope, he was talking about the Dauphiné.

 

[goggalor]

Its not trolling. Everytime you try to hijack a discussion into "bait Sky fans" i will remind you that they have been by far the best team in the peloton this year.

They've been good in the stage races. In the classics they were mediocre as usual. I'd say OPQS has been the best team.

...a little more on-topic, today was their first big test in controlling a mountain stage. They definitely passed, though not with flying colours. Maybe they should let a break go earlier so they don't burn out their gregarios? I imagine they're pretty shot after today.

 

[dlwssonic]

Lol when they really race and the descents are closer to the finish.
Wiggins won't have any more domestiques to shelter him and help him chase back anymore.
If he is climbing well of course.

If he is not, he will have a few in front of him.

 

[Froome19]

Tell me something. How the hell does BMC have weak domestiques when they just got away with 3 domestiques plus Evans on a descent? The post's only purpose was to troll BMC and BMC fans.

Get off your high horse. It's not hard to be the best team in the world when you just buy a lot of good cyclists. Specialized is about to sign a contract with Sky next year for $6.000.000. That alone probably almost matches the budget of Garmin.

Does make them a bad team just because they have money and anyway with what BMC are paying their top riders that is a pretty hypocritical statement.

And anyway one troll post doesnt deserve or require another.

 

[The Hitch]

Nope, he was talking about the Dauphiné.

That response is nowhere near as clever as you think.

 

[El Pistolero]

Does make them a bad team just because they have money and anyway with what BMC are paying their top riders that is a pretty hypocritical statement.

And anyway one troll post doesnt deserve or require another.

I'm not a BMC fan though.

I'm only defending them from an obvious troll who called their performance weak today.

Never said Sky was a bad team by the way. Just don't think it's such a surprise to see them being the best team when they buy all the best cyclists like Cavendish, Wiggins, EBH, etc

Very unfair competition considering they have a higher budget than most other teams.

 

[dlwssonic]

Weak?
BMC owned the **** out of sky on the descents except for EBH of course.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I'm not a BMC fan though.

I'm only defending them from an obvious troll who called their performance weak today.

Their performance was weak today.

They were allowed to ride away on a descent, and when they tried to maintain it on the flat and the climb they were completely incapable of doing so.

Even BMC fans know they are weak. That's why we get these bizzare statements trying to redefine the role of a domestique to just riding near the front on a flat stage.

And you're perfectly aware this is all very relevant to the Tour. TJVG once again proved he makes Richie Porte look like a very good climber.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Very unfair competition considering they have a higher budget than most other teams.

Yes, sorry, forgot BMC were a charity case.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yes, sorry, forgot BMC were a charity case.

They're not, they're just as bad in this case as Sky. Well, even worse considering BMC overpay cyclists like Hushovd. Sky at least buys good cyclists that aren't 600 years old. But it's not really a surprise to see a team with one of the biggest budgets being the best team.

I'm more impressed by Garmin then.

 

[dlwssonic]

Their performance was weak today.

They were allowed to ride away on a descent, and when they tried to maintain it on the flat and the climb they were completely incapable of doing so.

Even BMC fans know they are weak. That's why we get these bizzare statements trying to redefine the role of a domestique to just riding near the front on a flat stage.

And you're perfectly aware this is all very relevant to the Tour. TJVG once again proved he makes Richie Porte look like a very good climber.

Are you sure BMC were allowed to, or sky just sucked on the descents.
A very important part of domestiques is riding on the front and protecting your leader on the flats.
Something which BMC were the most impressive at doing.
Something which Sky couldn't do leading to this

So its not as if sky are the best and BMC are weak.

 

[Froome19]

I'm not a BMC fan though.

I'm only defending them from an obvious troll who called their performance weak today.

Never said Sky was a bad team by the way. Just don't think it's such a surprise to see them being the best team when they buy all the best cyclists like Cavendish, Wiggins, EBH, etc

Very unfair competition considering they have a higher budget than most other teams.

Yes but you cant say that Sky are superior to BMC due to the fact that they have a very large budget when they have very similar budgets.

 

[dlwssonic]

Ok Sky has won more races than BMC thats a fact.
BMC have never been a big winning team.
But BMC won le tour. Nuff said.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yes but you cant say that Sky are superior to BMC due to the fact that they have a very large budget when they have very similar budgets.

Did not make that claim actually. Just saying BMC wasn't weak today like Waterloo is suggesting. The only reason I mentioned Sky's big budget is to put Hitch's claim of "Sky being the best team of the season" in perspective. Feel free to disagree.

To avoid further confusion:

Sky have a better team than BMC for stage races, but that doesn't make BMC's performance of today weak.

 

[Froome19]

Ok Sky has won more races than BMC thats a fact.
BMC have never been a big winning team.
But BMC won le tour.

So you are saying that BMC are better than Sky?

But then what if Sky wins the Tour?
It is certainly a realistic possibility and then would BMC still be better than Sky?

The underlying fact is that Cadel won the Tour for BMC, yet Wiggins can just as well win it for Sky and furthermore Sky have all there other prolific winners to rely upon....

 

[dlwssonic]

So you are saying that BMC are better than Sky?

But then what if Sky wins the Tour?
It is certainly a realistic possibility and then would BMC still be better than Sky?

The underlying fact is that Cadel won the Tour for BMC, yet Wiggins can just as well win it for Sky and furthermore Sky have all there other prolific winners to rely upon....

Yeah BMC winning the tour makes them more successful than sky.
Yeah but the fact is sky haven't won the tour yet, something which a few brit fans have still not realised yet.
If they did of course it will make sky very successful.