Tour de France 2017

NCClaret · Post by **NCClaret** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:23 pm

piston broke wrote: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.

Landa has been immense - in a way with his riding style he reminds me a bit of Miguel Indurain - another great Spanish rider.

I stand to be corrected but believe Landa is going to Movistar to be their team leader. He will be a tangible threat to Froome next year

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:24 pm

piston broke wrote: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.

Landa could certainly be a GC contender if he was leading a team. The fact he had stayed within a couple of minutes of Froome despite working for him speaks volumes.

He was excellent in the Giro as well and it for the time he lost in the crash early on, would probably have been competing for the podium.

NCClaret · Post by **NCClaret** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:26 pm

piston broke wrote: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.

Landa has been immense this Tour. He reminds me in a way of another great Spanish rider - Miguel Indurain - a similar style of riding.

I will stand corrected but believe Landa to be going to Movistar as team leader next year - Quintana going elsewhere. I think Landa will be a tangible threat to Froome next year.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:11 pm

It was Movistar that they mentioned on ITV.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:25 pm

Nieve and possibly Henao also leaving Sky - so will be interesting how they line up next year as an 8 man team

Landa has been superb but both he and especially Froome owe a huge debt to the others - Rowe, Knees, Kiriyenka and Nieve have been very good, Henao less so and Kiwatkowski has been simply awesome as he has filled Thomas's wheels possibly better than Thomas could have done

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:38 pm

I wonder if they might go for one, or both, of the Yates brothers?

Wile E Coyote · Post by **Wile E Coyote** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:09 am

anyone know how heavy the best riders are ? just curious, is this a disclipline like distance running that favours the slightly built .

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:34 am

The star climbers have usually been lightweights. Although Froome is quite tall he has sparrow legs and frame. The Time triallists are normally the bigger guys, although Froome excels at that discipline.

Wile E Coyote · Post by **Wile E Coyote** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:53 am

thanks piston,

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 7:00 am

Wile E Coyote wrote:i know, a thread for gargantuan office bores and fitness dullards , what can you do? bikers, unfathomably tedious.

Wile E Coyote wrote:anyone know how heavy the best riders are ? just curious, is this a disclipline like distance running that favours the slightly built .

Have you become one of us gargantuan office bores and fitness dullards, Wile?

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:42 am

piston broke wrote:I wonder if they might go for one, or both, of the Yates brothers?

Sky tried to sign Adam a few years ago before they both signed for Orica - The brothers want to ride on the same team - so unlikely to split.

Orica signed them young on very long contracts as they wanted to build up a GC capability - they just need to develop the teams around them or else the Yates boys will be nearly men. If they do that properly, Orica and the Yates boys could challenge on all the grand tours in a single year. They have only one more year to challenge for the white jersey then will have to step up.

Can Orica form that level of investment as other teams like Ag2r and Cannondale, Sunweb are developing their squads to try and compete with Sky, Movistar, BMC and Astana. At some point if they want to fulfil their aspirations the Yates boys are going to have to determine an answer to this question

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:57 pm

He's been isolated quite a lot this tour. They are going to have to change tack and purchase some climbers to support the twins or they'll be off.
The next few years could be phenomenal with so many young GC contenders coming through.

BTW don't be surprised if Froome has tacks thrown on the road in front of him after Bardet has gone through, on Saturday. The French crave another winner.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:16 pm

piston broke wrote:He's been isolated quite a lot this tour. They are going to have to change tack and purchase some climbers to support the twins or they'll be off.
The next few years could be phenomenal with so many young GC contenders coming through.

BTW don't be surprised if Froome has tacks thrown on the road in front of him after Bardet has gone through, on Saturday. The French crave another winner.

been thinking this for days now - I would add Columbian fans to this as the more likely scenario - they have never had a winner or anyone as close and capable as Uran

Wile E Coyote · Post by **Wile E Coyote** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:28 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote:Have you become one of us gargantuan office bores and fitness dullards, Wile?

one can have varied views, i do ride a bike as well, i did ask about this with a genuine curiosity family cat, and we all know what curiosity did..

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 5:02 pm

Dimension Data maintain their excellent record at the TDF - Steady day for the GC as they wanted to rest before tomorrow - let's hope it is just down to the riders, not the weather, fan's or mechanicals - Uran is the big unknown - does he have it in him?

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Fri Jul 21, 2017 6:21 pm

I wouldn't be surprised to see Uran beat Froome tomorrow but not by the 30 seconds he needs to win overall given the length of the TT (22km?).

Agree with the post above about the number of genuine GC contenders there are in cycling at the moment. If the other teams are able to recruit a team of domestiques the strength of Team Sky's, the grand tours will be wide open.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 12:45 pm

well that la course was a bit of a damp squib today

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 12:53 pm

Luke Rowe's really going for it

Not sure why he even bothered taking a TT bike; would have been better on a nice comfy hybrid doing his sightseeing ride.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 12:58 pm

Luke Rowe and Christian Knees have some hard riding to do tomorrow to keep the Yellow jersey near the front on the Champs Elysee - that is why Henao and Nieve did most of yesterday's pull - the pace on the Champs Elysee is absolutely terrifying

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 1:00 pm

Having seen that climb today during la course - stage to Roglic or Froome today I think

karatekid · Post by **karatekid** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:11 pm

I've got to go out for a while, what time do the GC contenders set off today? I want to get back in time.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:20 pm

just after 4pm for Froome. Reverse order not sure if they are on 2 or 3minute gaps.

apologies it's 5.04 for Froome, according to Sky. I used my TdF app and knocked the hour off but there was no need.

now i'm totally confused as ITV Go off air at 5.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:58 pm

110 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 15:39

130 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 15:59

158 Alberto Contador (Esp) Trek-Segafredo 16:46

159 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Sunweb 16:48

160 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 16:50

161 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 16:52

162 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 16:54

163 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 16:56

164 Mikel Landa (Esp) Team Sky 16:58

165 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 17:00

166 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 17:02

167 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 17:04

Andym26 · Post by **Andym26** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:06 pm

one hour ahead them times. froome goes off at 16:04

Winstonswhite · Post by **Winstonswhite** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:05 pm

I'll tell you what winds me up, bloody fans hanging over the barriers waving their phones right in front of the cyclists. So dangerous and thoughtless just to get a picture they'll never ever look at.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:37 pm

Poor Mikel Landa - misses the podium by a second - I can think of at least 4 stages where that could have been made up if he wasn't protecting Froome - surprised he dropped so much on the last segment of the ITT though almost 30secs - fair to say his podium went there

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:37 pm

excellent course. long straights, decent(if rather short) climb, technical descent and a super stadium finish for them all.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:41 pm

What is the form for Landa to attack Bardet tomorrow for the podium? - 1 second has to be legitimate competition surely

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:42 pm

Froome outstanding again.

Glad Bardet held on, he deserved the podium after how he's raced this year - and AG2R have the coolest kit.

Landa gets paid a lot of money to make sure Froome wins - that's his job. Looking forward to seeing him lead a team though, the more genuine GC challengers there are in a race, the better viewing it is.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:44 pm

Chester Perry wrote:What is the form for Landa to attack Bardet tomorrow for the podium? - 1 second has to be legitimate competition surely

He'll be guillotined if he attacks him on the Champs-Élysées.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:47 pm

you would think so but what if Bardet fell - those gaps can easily appear on that final sprint and so far on a flat finish sky have always outsprinted Ag2r

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:53 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote: Glad Bardet held on, he deserved the podium after how he's raced this year - and AG2R have the coolest kit.

they were just saying on comms yesterday how one guy was glad to be national champ so he doesn't have to wear brown shorts.

Winstonswhite · Post by **Winstonswhite** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:54 pm

Hats off to Froome. Is he up there as the best Brit ever?

Also what did the comms mean there when they said that CF was looking to peak later in the season??

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:56 pm

feel for Dan Martin. the crash with Porte cost him 1min 15s on the road and a week of pain but forced him into regular lone attacks that have adversely affected his overall finish.
FYI He's Stephen Roches nephew but was born in Birmingham.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:58 pm

Froome wants to win the Veulta - Spain - has been on the podium before but never won - it was his breakthrough race in 2011 when he beat Wiggins even though he was a domestique - also no one has done a double in years

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:59 pm

Winstonswhite wrote:Hats off to Froome. Is he up there as the best Brit ever?

Also what did the comms mean there when they said that CF was looking to peak later in the season??

He might try for the Vuelta double, he did last year but not a good attempt. He was fit early last season and you can't maintain it for to long. He's got fit as this race has progressed and with only 5 weeks to the Vuelta he could be perfect.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:02 pm

Boardman just surmising Landa could go for a time bonus.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:08 pm

piston broke wrote:He might try for the Vuelta double, he did last year but not a good attempt. He was fit early last season and you can't maintain it for to long. He's got fit as this race has progressed and with only 5 weeks to the Vuelta he could be perfect.

He would've won the Vuelta last year if Sky hadn't been uncharacteristically caught out on one of the final stages when Tinkoff and Movistar atracked from the flag drop.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:21 pm

piston broke wrote:Boardman just surmising Landa could go for a time bonus.

I doubt Landa is strong enough to take bonus points in a sprint, even with Sagan, Cav & Kittel all out of the race.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:24 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote:I doubt Landa is strong enough to take bonus points in a sprint, even with Sagan, Cav & Kittel all out of the race.

fair point. There'll be a lot of second tier sprinters thinking this is their chance. Ben Swift amongst them.

NCClaret · Post by **NCClaret** » Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:43 pm

Great performance by Froome ... I know the crowd at Marseille are tribal for Bardet but I really don't like to hear one of our greatest cyclists ever booed. They should appreciate a magnificent physical achievement by Froome, regardless he is a Brit., with good grace. Diminished lot the French!

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 3:22 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote:He'll be guillotined if he attacks him on the Champs-Élysées.

imagine if the positions were the other way round and Landa had not been penalised 20secs for illegal feeding - that would be interesting for the French reaction

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 4:05 pm

August 19th for the Vuelta. My favourite of the 3 grand tours.

karatekid · Post by **karatekid** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 4:24 pm

Is the vuelta a 3 week tour?

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 4:37 pm

karatekid wrote:Is the vuelta a 3 week tour?

yes, kk

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 4:39 pm

piston broke wrote:August 19th for the Vuelta. My favourite of the 3 grand tours.

Sounds like highlight's only on ITV4 - shame - they do a good job - still means I can get something done during the day

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 4:42 pm

Chester Perry wrote:Sounds like highlight's only on ITV4 - shame - they do a good job - still means I can get something done during the day

eurosport are all over it, if you can get a stream.

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 4:47 pm

I've not seen any of it this year until earlier when I went around to my sister's. Her and my brother-in-law are well into it - even my nephew who has just turned 5 knows more than I've ever known about it.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 6:26 pm

shock stage win.
Greipel leaving his kick too late just emphasises what a poor tour he's had.

Winstonswhite · Post by **Winstonswhite** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 6:33 pm

Really enjoyed the whole three weeks. And if Froome wins in Spain I really hope he gets the credit he deserves at the end of the year for what would be a massive achievement