Tour de France 2017

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:30 pm

What an afternoon of Sport - Froome's effort may (not quite sure) have even eclipsed Federer's 8th Wimbledon - certainly eclipsed Lewis who wins his 5th British Grand Prix and his 5th Chelem - won't talk about the cricket

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:36 pm

79/4

Croft gone!!!

Pstotto · Post by **Pstotto** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:36 pm

What about a team helping their G.C. rider? Couldn't one get any team to work for any rider that latches on?

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:43 pm

Pstotto it all comes to personal/shared interest - in 2015 on a flat day the crosswinds played havoc - Froome with Thomas and Peter Sagan with a Team mate broke away with over 10km to go they worked together - Sagan won the stage and Green jersey points - Froome managed to gain over 40 seconds on his rivals plus 6 bonus seconds for 2nd place

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:51 pm

You are seeing Dan Martin benefitting now as well

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:56 pm

Froome leads all the GC contenders bar Martin across the line - I think he scared them today when he managed to get back to them

billyhamilton82 · Post by **billyhamilton82** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:00 pm

What a shame.

In that half hour segment of racing that encompasses what TDF is all about in what can only be described as the best piece of recovery riding in recent years and Froome gets booed?!

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:03 pm

I thought that billyh... they really don't like him so they?

Froome brilliant!

billyhamilton82 · Post by **billyhamilton82** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:09 pm

If he actually required any further motivation it was there for him in abundance.

Top rider, true champion.

Stevie2112 · Post by **Stevie2112** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:10 pm

Pity about the boos,but brilliant riding from Froome and Landa to recover what could have been a terrible situation.

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:15 pm

The French fans think he is a grade A pr*ck. Whether that is deserved or not I would expect people on this board to be able to empathise with that feeling ala Tim Sherwood et al

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:20 pm

Expect nothing less from the French - as I said previously they hate Sky and Froome, there has been a vendetta in their press since sky formed with their huge budget and instant success - some of it is understandable (see Armstrong/US Postal and Indurain/Banesto). Surprised Bardet didn't go on the Attack at the front himself, would have commited Landa to protect himself rather than go back to Froome

Stevie2112 · Post by **Stevie2112** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:25 pm

Indurain? What has he done?

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:56 pm

Stevie it was the Banesto team domination over the peleton that US Postal took to it's zenith and Sky have aped - French don't like being dominated in their own race. Remember they haven't won it since 85. Think of Liverpool and league titles quite similar really - they think it is theirs and no one elses

Stevie2112 · Post by **Stevie2112** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:03 pm

Sorry,thought you were comparing Armstrong and Indurain in person,not teams.I totally understand where you are coming from.

billyhamilton82 · Post by **billyhamilton82** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:20 pm

Indurain another class act.

Got a pic of him in TDF 1990 when he made a break on Alpe d'Huez.

I took it on the steepest section with my Canon Sureshot and he was going that fast they were all blurred.

Gutted.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:33 pm

The French have long thought Wiggo and Froome are druggies. Wiggo might be suspicious, I don't agree with TUEs, but Froome has never failed a drug test and his tests from a young man have all lined up as natural.
This is more ironic as two of Frances TdF heroes, Jalabert and Virenque, were both proven druggies.

BTW that was a totally awesome stage and thank god he caught them before the summit or he could have been cooked.
He'll welcome the rest day tomorrow, as will his team.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:37 pm

Stevie2112 wrote:Sorry,thought you were comparing Armstrong and Indurain in person,not teams.I totally understand where you are coming from.

Never would dream of that

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:40 pm

Jacques anquetil was another druggie too - though that was a different era - same as our own Tom Simpson

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:12 pm

chapeau to Romain Bardet for calling out the French fans for booing Froome.
He described him as a great champion. In the heat of battle that takes some doing.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:32 pm

The next 4 days are going to be full on - really looking forward to some dramatic racing

billyhamilton82 · Post by **billyhamilton82** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:06 am

Four massive climbs to come on Wednesday and Thursday, all over 2k in altitude with longies The Galiber and Croix De Fer included.

It is Froome's race to lose with the time trial in Marseilles on Saturday and the strongest team but the rest know they must attack him.....and they will.

Should be some of the best attacking cycling seen for many a year.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:30 am

billyhamilton82 wrote:Four massive climbs to come on Wednesday and Thursday, all over 2k in altitude with longies The Galiber and Croix De Fer included.

It is Froome's race to lose with the time trial in Marseilles on Saturday and the strongest team but the rest know they must attack him.....and they will.

Should be some of the best attacking cycling seen for many a year.

Arguably the best Tour for many years, for a variety of reasons and it is going to get better this week.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 12:25 pm

billyhamilton82 wrote:It is Froome's race to lose with the time trial in Marseilles on Saturday and the strongest team but the rest know they must attack him.....and they will.

AG2R didn't look shabby when they led out Bardet on Sunday. Froome might be down to Landa, Nieve, Kwiatkowski and Kiryalenka when it gets steep. I'll still put me thrupence on Froome.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 12:33 pm

potential for crosswinds today - good stuff for those with teams that get on the right side of the breaks

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:00 pm

Eschelons already - as we start the first climb - going to be a very tough day

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:53 pm

Sunweb driving this along, to distance Matthews from Kittel, is aiding Sky.
Need to be vigilant in cross winds not to get wrong side of a split.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 4:59 pm

Dan Martin the prime victim to day as the quickstep lurgy takes full effect - who is going to have the legs for the next few days - personally think Ag2r will have more team members at the front in the Alps than Sky - whether that is enough is difficult to say as those sky climbers are very very good

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:59 pm

I just see Sky getting stronger and stronger from here, possibly minus one tough day in the mountains.

Attritional day in the wind today!

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:19 pm

Sky do know how to defend a lead. If they put Landa up the road the other leading teams will have to work and allow Froome and Co. an easier ride.
Another stage with a long descent after the final summit. Have the French set this route for Bardet?

burnley007 · Post by **burnley007** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 8:55 am

piston broke wrote:Sky do know how to defend a lead. If they put Landa up the road the other leading teams will have to work and allow Froome and Co. an easier ride.
Another stage with a long descent after the final summit. Have the French set this route for Bardet?

Today has the makings of a classic stage. Anything is possible. I just hope nobody crashes out.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 11:48 am

with you there 007 but not looking good for Marcel Kittel after that crash - he was struggling before that

Sky shut down the peleton to let all held up by the crash back on - trying to get 2 of their own riders back on Sergio Henao and Luke Rowe - why Henao was so far back I don't know but that does not bode well

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:59 pm

Kittel has abandoned - Mathews should now win green jersey

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:05 pm

Barry Hoban talking on ITV earlier saying in his day green jersey points were only awarded for the finish and he'd win the intermediates wish were cash prizes.

Kittel has virtually gained all his points for stage wins but the jersey is for best allround rider. Possibly needs looking at.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:07 pm

didn't they change it because of Mark Cavendish winning 6 stages in a single race and the HTC road train lead out delivering him to the front of the sprint

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:24 pm

Chester Perry wrote:didn't they change it because of Mark Cavendish winning 6 stages in a single race and the HTC road train lead out delivering him to the front of the sprint

good question but i dont know the answer, Chester.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:27 pm

Pippa York back on itv4 tomorrow for the last mammoth mountains stage - excellent insight on tactics which greatly improves an already excellent programme - chapeau itv

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:29 pm

This has been a strange tour for sprinting. Losing Cav so early gave Kittel free rein for the outright sprints and Sagans DQ meant the tougher sprints were his as well. Greipel and Demarre were poor. Historically a sprinter could win a couple back to back then someone else would have their day in the sun.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:49 pm

piston broke wrote:good question but i dont know the answer, Chester.

possibly not after looking through Cav's palmares won the green once and only held it in 3 different tours - 2010 he won 5 stages and was never in green, 2009 won 6 stages and held but didn't win green.

Cav was the last before Sagan to win Green - I think there was a change in points a few years back for Sprint stages to get more points at the finish (now 50), whereas Mathews only got 30 yesterday, and for intermediate sprints to be significantly less (20) in contrast.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:46 pm

30 yesterday. It was classed as a rolling stage not a flat.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:28 pm

congrats that man. not a name i knew before this tour but he's enlivened a few breakaways and fully deserved a win.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:54 pm

Anyone see this - just an idea of what it takes to ride in the TGF

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/tour-de-fra ... -brutality" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:47 am

Last chance probably for the contenders to make inroads on Froome - will someone take a chance and go for a long one (Martin possibly) or will it come down to the last 3 or 4 km - personally think it will be the latter and also don't believe a breakaway will be allowed because even the bonus seconds will really matter - still looking forward to a highly competitive stage - even with the Sky roadtrain

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:50 pm

Not quite the fireworks we were hoping for - but still an interesting day - should be Froome's now and Uran likely too get 2nd overall

Stevie2112 · Post by **Stevie2112** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:52 pm

Great day for Froome and Sky today.Hopefully all done and dusted now before the time trial tomorrow.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:03 pm

Froome dropped Bardet and Uran so easily before they caught him on the short downhill I'm amazed he didn't go again.
Sky race control is absolute. Year after year they break the oppositions hearts and legs.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:29 pm

All we need now is some severe crosswinds tomorrow so legs cannot be rested for Saturday

Winstonswhite · Post by **Winstonswhite** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:51 pm

Absolutely fantastic by Froome and Sky. Perfect tactics.

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:06 pm

I agree with the above about Froome and the Sky tactics being played out brilliantly. For me though, Mikel Landa has been the main main on the roads... the way he has protected Froome (yes I know that's his responsibility) has been fantastic!

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:57 pm

jdrobbo wrote:I agree with the above about Froome and the Sky tactics being played out brilliantly. For me though, Mikel Landa has been the main main on the roads... the way he has protected Froome (yes I know that's his responsibility) has been fantastic!

Skys main strength has always been their Lieutenants. It was Froome for Wiggo then Froome was supported by Porte, a couple of times and Uran. This year it should have been Thomas but following his crash Landa has been immense. said on comms today he could be off to be a team leader.