The Cycling Thread

[vinceprince]

Originally Posted by countjimmoriarty

Only the ones who know knack all about bike racing!

We're obviously not on your level.

[countjimmoriarty]

Originally Posted by vinceprince

We're obviously not on your level.

Seemingly not...

[mizlaplan]

Bit of a nothingy stage today.
Everyone's knackered and want to use the rest day on Monday to recover.
ITV4 (in the UK) has been, as usual, top class in their coverage of the Tour but I'd like to thank them particularly for their weekend studio time with Bradley Wiggins.
His analysis, wit, and patient forbearance was riveting over the weekend.

[countjimmoriarty]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Bit of a nothingy stage today.
Everyone's knackered and want to use the rest day on Monday to recover.

One of those transition stages where the GC teams were happy to let the right break go up the road and fight it out for the stage win. Only real action in the main group was Dan Martin's pointless attack off the last climb, presumably trying to get back the time he lost the day before.

Odd that the transition stages were scheduled over the weekend. They're usually hidden away in midweek and the big showpiece stages run on the weekend.

[mizlaplan]

Adam Yates almost had it in the bag today until this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBQC4trgLX0
Bugger, still he managed to limp in third and appears to be ok.
To be honest though, Alaphilippe would probably have caught him anyway.
Tomorrow's "racing grid" start and fairly short constant climbing and descending, finishing at over 2200 metres promises to be interesting.
I get the impression from interviews that no-one knows exactly what to expect and there could be some decisive breakaways.
Personally, I think it will be riveting stuff

[countjimmoriarty]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Adam Yates almost had it in the bag today until this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBQC4trgLX0
Bugger, still he managed to limp in third and appears to be ok.
To be honest though, Alaphilippe would probably have caught him anyway.
Tomorrow's "racing grid" start and fairly short constant climbing and descending, finishing at over 2200 metres promises to be interesting.
I get the impression from interviews that no-one knows exactly what to expect and there could be some decisive breakaways.
Personally, I think it will be riveting stuff

Certainly going to be an interesting stage. However, the grid start is just a daft gimmick.

[mizlaplan]

Wow, what a stage today.
Quintana finally starts firing on all cylinders to win and move up the GC.
Dan Martin comes in second giving 100%, as usual.
Thomas strengthens his hold on the Yellow.
Froome? What on Earth happened.
Hopefully only a blip but Sky will almost certainly concentrate now on Thomas.

[Marcsimus]

I really think that Froome will be racing for Thomas from now on, it'll be nice to see a (hopefully) different winner! Thomas definitely deserves it!

[vinceprince]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Froome? What on Earth happened.

Too long a period from the Giro to the end of the tour to maintain peak form. That or he forgot his asthma puffer .
Froome was only the 3rd best rider on his team today.

All eras come to an end, the next won't be the Thomas one due to his age but more likely the Egan Bernal era. Only 21! Reminded me of when Ulrich appeared in his debut Tour in 1996 at the old age of 23.

[wimbo77]

If Froome wants to win a Fifth tour he'd probably have to skip the Vuelta this year and Giro next year but it depends if Thomas doesn't end up with bad luck of course. Not forgetting Dumoulin either.