Tour de France 2018

[SonofPog]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44957740" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thomas shown again that he's currently stronger than Froome, and with Froome dropping down into Third place and so few stages left, surly now Team Sky have to push Thomas into a lead position.

[Spijed]

Froome looked like he knows he can't win this year!

[Winstonswhite]

Yeah it’s in the bag for Thomas it looks like. He’s been brilliant.

Froome also comes across brilliantly straight after the race knowing his real chance has gone. No song and dance or throwing his toys out the pram. He’s just got on with it and dealt with all the sh!t they’ve thrown at him.

He’s even got tackled off his bike by some French Gendarme tonight as they thought he was a random spectator riding down the descent....

[karatekid]

I think all the negativity from the french press, public and the mistrust that has been put his way from sections of the British sporting press has finally worn him down. He has had a very hard past 12 months and still won 3 grand tours. The man is a cycling legend. I bet he doesn't even get a look in at this years SPOTY despite his achievements. GT will probably win this year and deservedly so but Froome will be back for No.5

[SonofPog]

https://twitter.com/albertsecall/status ... 5080560640" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not froomes biggest fan, but getting way past silly now. Just happened to randomly tackle Froome while riding yeah right...

[TheFamilyCat]

Come on G, finish it off.

I wonder if Sky and Froome knew all along that he wasn't in the form to win and Thomas has been the leader all along. Great game of bluff if so as it has allowed Thomas to lead the race while everyone has believed Froome was the one to watch.

[ClaretDiver]

About time that UK based teams boycot the Tour if the French continue to behave the way they have done during this years tour.....shocking!!!!

[ClaretDiver]

Come on G, finish it off.

I wonder if Sky and Froome knew all along that he wasn't in the form to win and Thomas has been the leader all along. Great game of bluff if so as it has allowed Thomas to lead the race while everyone has believed Froome was the one to watch.

Got to agree with this.....even Froome has quietly suggested it is G's Tour!

[TheFamilyCat]

How about this for next year:

Thomas to lead Sky in the Giro and Vuelta, Froome to lead in the Tour.

They win all three, giving Froome his 5th tour and Sky boast having two riders to have won all three Grand Tours.

[piston broke]

About time that UK based teams boycot the Tour if the French continue to behave the way they have done during this years tour.....shocking!!!!

That’s what the Frogs want. Feck em. It pisses them off that Sky win every year whilst a Frenchman can’t get near. Bring it home boys.
Just sat in Cork airport en route pour Paris. Should be some day on Sunday.

[DustyBawls]

I'm certainly no Tour de France expert but it seems that the best way to win, is to wear a yellow shirt.

[ClaretDiver]

That’s what the Frogs want. Feck em. It pisses them off that Sky win every year whilst a Frenchman can’t get near. Bring it home boys.
Just sat in Cork airport en route pour Paris. Should be some day on Sunday.

Love it....enjoy Piston.....maybe you can Piston some Frenchies??

[Chester Perry]

Can G win his 3rd Stage today?

Froome down to 4th

[Chester Perry]

Thomas just needs to stay on his bike now and it is his

[Lancasterclaret]

That descent was mental.

Cracking ride by Roijic and as already been said, its Thomas who is going to win now.

[TheFamilyCat]

Great ride again by G. Needed a cool head in the face of all those attacks and a good sprint to gain a few bonus seconds.

Roglic has been very impressive, as has Kruijswijk. Three stage wins and potentially two riders in the top 5 must make TLJ the team of the Tour despite not winning the team prize.

[Chester Perry]

Timings all over the place again from Dimension Data -but Thomas has won the Tour and Froome makes the podium - great performance

[Chester Perry]

so it took them about 8 mins to add 3 seconds to Froome's time from when he crossed the finish line to confirm he wouldn't win the stage - Dimension Data should never be allowed to do the official timings again they have been atrocious for the whole 3 weeks

not saying they got the result wrong today - just pathetic that they are so slow in getting it right

[scouseclaret]

Don't know the ins and outs but the finish looked shocking. Everyone watching could see Dumoulin’s time ticking past Froome’s, only for it to turn green again as soon as he crossed the line.

Given how much the French hate Froome, you can’t help but wonder...

[jdrobbo]

Froome fantastic today!

Not enough superlatives to describe the way Thomas has performed in the last few weeks. Couldn’t have happened to a better guy either. Brilliant Tour.

[piston broke]

Good of ITV4 to explain the cock up. Froomes time stopped 3 secs early by a gendarme putting his foot on the timing line.
As shown on screen.

I've complained earlier in the thread about the timing errors and I blamed DD but over here the timings are down to Tissot. Whoever it is they need to step up or step aside.

[tiger76]

so it took them about 8 mins to add 3 seconds to Froome's time from when he crossed the finish line to confirm he wouldn't win the stage - Dimension Data should never be allowed to do the official timings again they have been atrocious for the whole 3 weeks

not saying they got the result wrong today - just pathetic that they are so slow in getting it right

Makes VAR look efficient

[TheFamilyCat]

Brilliant tour and a deserved winner in Thomas.

[piston broke]

About 4 years ago I debated with a cycling mate of mine, who thought G. would win a grand tour. My argument was he was too heavy to survive the 2000m peaks and he was better suited to the 7/10 day races. Never in my life have I been more happy to be wrong. That was an immense performance from day 1. My highlight being G. leading out Froome on the first mountain stage, covering Dumoulin after Froome attacked and then going on to win after Tom had caught back to Froome.
Chapeau G.

E9439FC3-DA25-4167-9DFF-111F75BA0D78.jpeg (224.83 KiB) Viewed 1989 times

[Chester Perry]

Piston - you were not wrong - G has shed all that classics weight to get up the mountains like he has this tour - he is a completely different shape

There has been much speculation about who is Sky's number one now G has shown he can win a Grand Tour - remember he was given 2 cracks at the Giro as Team Leader. I believe that Sky are now in the position they have always wanted to be - Prime challengers in all 3 Grand Tours and more importantly have the riders to win them all - it is unlikely that we will ever see one of them ride all 3 in succession again (until Bernal matures) unless G does the Vuelta this time and wins (Froome will rest up this time and spend time with his soon to be born child)- Froome will be number one at the TDF next year and be given every opportunity to draw level with Mercx and Hinault - not convinced G will be there to defend his title as he will be offered the chance to add the others to his Palmeres as a way of keeping him at Sky

[TheFamilyCat]

Piston - you were not wrong - G has shed all that classics weight to get up the mountains like he has this tour - he is a completely different shape

There has been much speculation about who is Sky's number one now G has shown he can win a Grand Tour - remember he was given 2 cracks at the Giro as Team Leader. I believe that Sky are now in the position they have always wanted to be - Prime challengers in all 3 Grand Tours and more importantly have the riders to win them all - it is unlikely that we will ever see one of them ride all 3 in succession again (until Bernal matures) unless G does the Vuelta this time and wins (Froome will rest up this time and spend time with his soon to be born child)- Froome will be number one at the TDF next year and be given every opportunity to draw level with Mercx and Hinault - not convinced G will be there to defend his title as he will be offered the chance to add the others to his Palmeres as a way of keeping him at Sky

Fully agree with that.

[Chester Perry]

Interesting article about Burnley born Rod Ellingworth and his sizeable contribution to British Cycling, Team Sky and Geraint Thomas

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/201 ... e-geraint/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[aggi]

Not exactly the Tour de France (some would argue a bit tougher) but the Transcontinental Bike Race has just started.

2,500 miles across Europe from Belgium to Greece. The main difference is that this is one big stage and the ride is unsupported. You have to carry/buy on the way your food/drink and either find hotels or sleep rough (with equipment that you're carrying). There are a number of checkpoints (up mountains) but riders can choose their own routes between them with decisions to be made whether to sacrifice climbing for distance.

https://www.transcontinental.cc/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://twitter.com/hugovk/lists/tcrno6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;