Le Tour 2017 - who'll be mellow in yellow?

[Wilbur]

28 minutes ago, HSS said:

I see Robert Millar is now using a step thru bike.......

 

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/40529614

Used to be a monocoque, now a zerocock.

[saintnextlifetime]

26 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Used to be a monocoque, now a zerocock.

Despite being one of the best cyclists I ever competed against , technically speaking , Bob no longer exists but I think the individual we did know as Bob should still get some respect for being the most successful Scottish Tour rider to date. . 

 

 

[Hoof Hearted]

1 hour ago, HSS said:

I see Robert Millar is now using a step thru bike.......

 

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/40529614

Team Phillipa joined tour de france today, riding new 

style bikes without saddles.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Hoof Hearted

[Bud the Baker]

Went swimming and came home with about 20km to go for the leaders.

Thomas & Porte out of the race, Dan Martin out of contention for the GC.

Froome will extend his lead by 4 seconds after coming in third.

Hard to see why Aru, & Fuglesang co-operated with Froome on the final 10km unless he has promised to return the favour some other day.

****************

Hard lines Roman!

[Hoof Hearted]

Froome had a mechanical on the final climb and aru attacked when he saw this,

Dan Martin had to tell him to stop attacking.

An unwritten rule was broken today, so aru goes down in the estimation

of a lot of riders.

 

I watch the NBCSN coverage with Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwen commentating

and they were opposed on this unofficial rule, sherwen (an ex rider) says aru should

have attacked so did  Jens Voight, all of the other NBCSN co-commentators said

he should have attacked but Phil Ligget disagreed.

 

Sorry to see Geraint Thomas out of the race, an excellent rider and great lieutenant

for froome, it remains to be seen if this affects Sky in the short term in this race.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Hoof Hearted

[Hoof Hearted]

Rest day tomorrow transition to Dordogne so Robert Millar is ok as he has already transitioned.

[Irate-Pirate]

French Champion Demare missed the cut off time by some margin. Let's see if the hosts bend the rules for one of their own.

[Guest TPAFKATS]

French Champion Demare missed the cut off time by some margin. Let's see if the hosts bend the rules for one of their own.

He's been struggling with vomiting for the last 3 days.

[saintnextlifetime]

Until brought in to line by Porte , it seemed Aru was a bit of a c**t . Looked like a bad one when when Porte came off bringing down the erstwhile Martin with him.

Quite a dramatic stage all in with top guys out of the time zone and the crash exits. .looks like wee Bertie is now out as a serious contender. .

[Guest TPAFKATS]

Broken hip and shoulder(?) for Porte. Ouch!

[Bud the Baker]

14 hours ago, saintnextlifetime said:

Until brought in to line by Porte , it seemed Aru was a bit of a c**t . Looked like a bad one when when Porte came off bringing down the erstwhile Martin with him.

Quite a dramatic stage all in with top guys out of the time zone and the crash exits. .looks like wee Bertie is now out as a serious contender. .

Not really a big fan of the not attacking the leader when he has a mechanical "rule" which is open to abuse by Froome although Aru knew the score - would it be reciprocated by bargeman Froome to one of his close challengers?

Like Chris Boardman I think Aru & Fuglsang's tactics yesterday were wrong - I can understand Uran helping Froome in order to reclaim time on Bardet and chase the stage win but the Astana riders should have let Froome/Uran do the work - either bad tactics or Aru doesn't have the confidence that he can beat Froome so preferred to protect his second position. Say Bardet had won yesterday's stage by 20-30 seconds then with his bonus he'd have been probably have been around 10-20 secs behind Froome which would have put him under real pressure next week if two teams had a rider that close, as it is assuming Froome'll cruise the ITT then all he has to do is stay on his bike.

[saintnextlifetime]

3 hours ago, Bud the Baker said:

Not really a big fan of the not attacking the leader when he has a mechanical "rule" which is open to abuse by Froome although Aru knew the score - would it be reciprocated by bargeman Froome to one of his close challengers?

Like Chris Boardman I think Aru & Fuglsang's tactics yesterday were wrong - I can understand Uran helping Froome in order to reclaim time on Bardet and chase the stage win but the Astana riders should have let Froome/Uran do the work - either bad tactics or Aru doesn't have the confidence that he can beat Froome so preferred to protect his second position. Say Bardet had won yesterday's stage by 20-30 seconds then with his bonus he'd have been probably have been around 10-20 secs behind Froome which would have put him under real pressure next week if two teams had a rider that close, as it is assuming Froome'll cruise the ITT then all he has to do is stay on his bike.

The etiquette that you refer to is an old one that only extends to the Maillot Jaune , even Ullrich respected it but wee Berti didn't when he dumped Andy Shreck after Andy's chain came aff. So if Froome is in yellow , he isnae expected to wait for any c**t. .

Rookies f**king up their tactics is just lack of experience . A bit of savvy and the ability to stay on his bike will see Froome win what is most likely to be his last Tour win. .

 

[Irate-Pirate]

The etiquette that you refer to is an old one that only extends to the Maillot Jaune , even Ullrich respected it but wee Berti didn't when he dumped Andy Shreck after Andy's chain came aff. So if Froome is in yellow , he isnae expected to wait for any c**t. .
Rookies f**king up their tactics is just lack of experience . A bit of savvy and the ability to stay on his bike will see Froome win what is most likely to be his last Tour win. .
 

It obviously doesn't extend to the pink jersey in the Giro though...

[Bud the Baker]

 

3 hours ago, saintnextlifetime said:

The etiquette that you refer to is an old one that only extends to the Maillot Jaune , even Ullrich respected it but wee Berti didn't when he dumped Andy Shreck after Andy's chain came aff. So if Froome is in yellow , he isnae expected to wait for any c**t. .

Rookies f**king up their tactics is just lack of experience . A bit of savvy and the ability to stay on his bike will see Froome win what is most likely to be his last Tour win. .

 

Thanks I wasn't sure if it just benefitted the leader - am I the only one who thinks Froome's been a bit cute about it at times. On this occasion the leaders were on the last climb with the peloton already fragmented.

Edited July 10, 2017 by Bud the Baker

[saintnextlifetime]

32 minutes ago, Bud the Baker said:

 

Thanks I wasn't sure if it just benefitted the leader - am I the only one who thinks Froome's been a bit cute about it at times. On this occasion the leaders were on the last climb with the peloton already fragmented.

It was similar when Ullrich got them to wait on Legstrong . Legstrong fell aff , got back on , but once he made contact he went right on and dropped the group that waited on him . .

Waiting on the leader of the Tour is an age old tradition . You need to be very tough just to get into the Tour but being in the top ten of the toughest sporting event on the planet , takes a lot. .

Bob Miller was cheated out of winning  the Vuelta in 1984 by the continentals , so if a British rider gets a bit of leeway , I'm not going to complain .

It was good to see Phil Ligget on tonite , I miss his commentary of "Contador has cracked , Contador has cracked on the Mont du Chat !!" bring back Phil and drop the fake Scotsman. .

[Guest TPAFKATS]

It was similar when Ullrich got them to wait on Legstrong . Legstrong fell aff , got back on , but once he made contact he went right on and dropped the group that waited on him . .
Waiting on the leader of the Tour is an age old tradition . You need to be very tough just to get into the Tour but being in the top ten of the toughest sporting event on the planet , takes a lot. .
Bob Miller was cheated out of winning  the Vuelta in 1984 by the continentals , so if a British rider gets a bit of leeway , I'm not going to complain .
It was good to see Phil Ligget on tonite , I miss his commentary of "Contador has cracked , Contador has cracked on the Mont du Chat !!" bring back Phil and drop the fake Scotsman. .

Is this fake scotsman you refer toSmith or Millar?

[saintnextlifetime]

3 hours ago, TPAFKATS said:

Is this fake scotsman you refer toSmith or Millar?

David whom , "considers Hong Kong to be his home". . Did you mean Brian Smith. .

[antrin]

8 hours ago, saintnextlifetime said:

David whom , "considers Hong Kong to be his home". . Did you mean Brian Smith. .

Haw, snlt!

do you feel similarly about "Brits" such as Froome, McLay and Konta...  Or was that just an effective piece of shit-stirring...?  ;)

 

 

 

[saintnextlifetime]

1 hour ago, antrin said:

Haw, snlt!

do you feel similarly about "Brits" such as Froome, McLay and Konta...  Or was that just an effective piece of shit-stirring...?  ;)

 

 

 

Nah , don't like David . I once saw him refuse to give a kid his autograph before a race and the pish he came out with when they caught him dopping was arrogant . .

 

i say bring back Paul and Phil. .

[Bud the Baker]

On ‎10‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 10:41 PM, saintnextlifetime said:

It was similar when Ullrich got them to wait on Legstrong . Legstrong fell aff , got back on , but once he made contact he went right on and dropped the group that waited on him . .

Waiting on the leader of the Tour is an age old tradition . You need to be very tough just to get into the Tour but being in the top ten of the toughest sporting event on the planet , takes a lot.

I thought the "rule" about not attacking the yellow jersey for a mechanical fault was fairly recent, say the mid-90's, I just wasn't sure if it would be reciprocated to close challengers. As you said Armstrong exploited it and IMO Froome has too. I'd be happier to see the GC riders say "them's the breaks" especially in a situation like Sunday's and go for it if an opportunity arises. 

[saintnextlifetime]

11 hours ago, Bud the Baker said:

I thought the "rule" about not attacking the yellow jersey for a mechanical fault was fairly recent, say the mid-90's, I just wasn't sure if it would be reciprocated to close challengers. As you said Armstrong exploited it and IMO Froome has too. I'd be happier to see the GC riders say "them's the breaks" especially in a situation like Sunday's and go for it if an opportunity arises. 

The waiting on the leader goes back to a time when it was an amatuer race and didn't have big prize money involved . 

It is up to the riders to wait as it is an unwritten rule , more like etiquette. Aru clearly saw a chance to take advantage of a situation whereby Froome was compromised by a mechanical problem , which I bet he spoke to his mechanic about after the stage. Tour leaders need to be very mentally and physically tough , they also need to have a bike with the most reliable equipment. 

You will probably remember that wee Bertie took advantage of Andy Shreks chain coming off , which could have been more to do with Andy than the actual bike . Personally, I always thought that wee Bertie looked like a bit of a c**t by doing that as if he couldn't have won fair and square and along with the way his ban for dopping was wangled , wee Berti went on to look like a total c**t, in my opinion.

However , Wee Nibbles took advantage of the race leader in the Giro having diarrhoea and justified his actions too when he was questioned about it . It seems that you along with Boardman , aren't that fussed about Froome winning it for whatever reason . Some riders do have standards and some don't, Richie Porte does and it looked like Froome did when he waited for Wiggo . .

 

[saintnextlifetime]

On 10 July 2017 at 1:59 PM, TPAFKATS said:

Broken hip and shoulder(?) for Porte. Ouch!

It did look like a nasty fall , hopefully Richie goes on to make a full recovery. .

[antrin]

2 hours ago, saintnextlifetime said:

The waiting on the leader goes back to a time when it was an amatuer race and didn't have big prize money involved . 

It is up to the riders to wait as it is an unwritten rule , more like etiquette. Aru clearly saw a chance to take advantage of a situation whereby Froome was compromised by a mechanical problem , which I bet he spoke to his mechanic about after the stage. Tour leaders need to be very mentally and physically tough , they also need to have a bike with the most reliable equipment. 

You will probably remember that wee Bertie took advantage of Andy Shreks chain coming off , which could have been more to do with Andy than the actual bike . Personally, I always thought that wee Bertie looked like a bit of a c**t by doing that as if he couldn't have won fair and square and along with the way his ban for dopping was wangled , wee Berti went on to look like a total c**t, in my opinion.

However , Wee Nibbles took advantage of the race leader in the Giro having diarrhoea and justified his actions too when he was questioned about it . It seems that you along with Boardman , aren't that fussed about Froome winning it for whatever reason . Some riders do have standards and some don't, Richie Porte does and it looked like Froome did when he waited for Wiggo . .

 

While I can fully appreciate respect for another individual and his achievements...

... and applying that respect when a circumstance which is out of one's control causing a brief, transitory impediment to that individual's performance...

I must confess to some ambivalence - not because it's Chris Froome - but because he is merely the sharp end representative of an amazingly strong team assembled by what I regard as a disgusting capitalist organisation.

They have all the money in the world, the support, the equipment that is unmatched by any other rider in the race.

 

This is, as you say, no longer about individuals - and amateurs, at that - this is about money - and I wouldn't cut SKY that slack...

(If nothing else - If Fabio Aru and others had taken advantage the Tour would have been MUCH more interesting than the dreich procession it has become....     )

 

ETA: It's currently pishin doon on Le Tour and they're following a race car through town streets.  Dry at the end once they climb through the clouds...  

Edited July 13, 2017 by antrin
weather update

[saintnextlifetime]

9 minutes ago, antrin said:

While I can fully appreciate respect for another individual and his achievements...

... and applying that respect when a circumstance which is out of one's control causing a brief, transitory impediment to that individual's performance...

I must confess to some ambivalence - not because it's Chris Froome - but because he is merely the sharp end representative of an amazingly strong team assembled by what I regard as a disgusting capitalist organisation.

They have all the money in the world, the support, the equipment that is unmatched by any other rider in the race.

 

This is, as you say, no longer about individuals - and amateurs, at that - this is about money - and I wouldn't cut SKY that slack...

(If nothing else - If Fabio Aru and others had taken advantage the Tour would have been MUCH more interesting than the dreich procession it has become....     )

Maybe you are right . Tours going back to the Indurain era have been a bit like that apart from the brief era between Indurain and Legstrong , when we used to see some exciting stuff from the likes of wee Pantani (who was doped of course). .I always loved the way he would tear up the climbs with his superhuman accelerations. .

As far as disgusting capitalist organisations go , I think you will find that most of the big teams are backed by organisations like that . Remember that the Tour has no stadium money and the Teams get no tv money so , the sponsors are relying on the fact that 100s of millions of people watch the procession Tour. .

Edited July 13, 2017 by saintnextlifetime

[antrin]

Wow!

 

 

What a finish!

 

Romain Bardet takes the stage...

I think Aru probably takes the Yellow Jersey.....

(aye - just confirmed)

 

 

And Froome rode backwards in the final 100m - uphill, mind ye!