Hopefully today is a Cavendish day.
The Pro Cycling Thread
41 of 169
Originally Posted by TheFridge:
“Hopefully today is a Cavendish day.”
“Hopefully today is a Cavendish day.”
Doesn't look like it. Breakaway's day.
Now 43K to go and the break has 7 minutes
Doesn't look like the sprinters teams have got it in them to pull the break back. Goss's team had a half hearted go for a few K then gave up
Sky have gone back to the front but they're not pulling it back for Cav, they're just rolling along
One for the breakaway today !
Might as well support Tommy Voeckler again who's got in the break, but he'll have to go early as there's a couple of faster men in there..............now that the breakaway is pretty certain they're going to stay away they can stop working together to pull out more time and start attacking each other for the win !
Doesn't look like the sprinters teams have got it in them to pull the break back. Goss's team had a half hearted go for a few K then gave up
Sky have gone back to the front but they're not pulling it back for Cav, they're just rolling along
One for the breakaway today !
Might as well support Tommy Voeckler again who's got in the break, but he'll have to go early as there's a couple of faster men in there..............now that the breakaway is pretty certain they're going to stay away they can stop working together to pull out more time and start attacking each other for the win !
For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?
Harmon's theory...........
Having days like today where the peloton have an unofficial day off and just roll along at a steady pace is a sign that they're not all doped up to the eyeballs............'cos if they were they'd be riding hard every day
Having days like today where the peloton have an unofficial day off and just roll along at a steady pace is a sign that they're not all doped up to the eyeballs............'cos if they were they'd be riding hard every day
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?”
“For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?”
There is no reason why he cant keep it until the end. There is only one more summit finish left and even if he has a reasonably bad day you would think Evans wont gain over two minutes on him in that stage.
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?”
“For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?”
I think he'll keep it to the end now
Barring accidents ...................
The danger day is Thursday with a really hard day in the Pyrenees and a mountain top finish...........any of the riders might crack on a stage like that
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?”
“For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?”
The podium presentation on Sunday.
Originally Posted by swingaleg:
“Harmon's theory...........
Having days like today where the peloton have an unofficial day off and just roll along at a steady pace is a sign that they're not all doped up to the eyeballs............'cos if they were they'd be riding hard every day”
“Harmon's theory...........
Having days like today where the peloton have an unofficial day off and just roll along at a steady pace is a sign that they're not all doped up to the eyeballs............'cos if they were they'd be riding hard every day”
Bit of a stretch. There've been days like this in GTs for as long as I've been watching.
Originally Posted by afx237vi:
“The podium presentation on Sunday.
Bit of a stretch. There've been days like this in GTs for as long as I've been watching.”
“The podium presentation on Sunday.
Bit of a stretch. There've been days like this in GTs for as long as I've been watching.”
It has happened 3 times since the last rest day though, arguably.
Originally Posted by Ginger Daddy:
“It has happened twice in not many days now though.”
“It has happened twice in not many days now though.”
Blame the route. Too many stages with climbs too far from the finish.
Originally Posted by afx237vi:
“Blame the route. Too many stages with climbs too far from the finish.”
“Blame the route. Too many stages with climbs too far from the finish.”
That isnt the case today though. Obviously they are starting the rest day early.
Brilliant and exciting as they were, I've not really missed HTC at all this tour.
Until today. They wouldn't have allowed this to happen.
Ah well, I suppose I'll just root for Christian VdV.
Until today. They wouldn't have allowed this to happen.
Ah well, I suppose I'll just root for Christian VdV.
Funny how certain people/press outlets have been moaning about Wiggins not being aggressive enough etc.. when his team is the only one who can be arsed chasing breakaways down.
Originally Posted by Ginger Daddy:
“That isnt the case today though. Obviously they are starting the rest day early.”
“That isnt the case today though. Obviously they are starting the rest day early.”
Tired sprinters, a yellow jersey team with nothing to worry about, why would it be any different? Standard 3rd week tactics.
1997 Tour de France, one year before Festina (so all doped to the eyeballs):
St 16: 23 man breakaway, peloton at 6 minutes
St 17: 13 man breakaway, peloton at 4 minutes
St 18: Solo breakaway, peloton at 5 minutes
St 19: 14 man breakaway, peloton at 18 minutes
The big name riders only race when they have to.
Originally Posted by Darren Lethem:
“Who is the guy on Eurosport please ? The pundit that looks a little like Alistair McGowan ?”
“Who is the guy on Eurosport please ? The pundit that looks a little like Alistair McGowan ?”
Dan Lloyd?
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=da...HoTF0QWFyay7Bw
He does a bit!
Originally Posted by afx237vi:
“Dan Lloyd?
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=da...HoTF0QWFyay7Bw
He does a bit!”
“Dan Lloyd?
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=da...HoTF0QWFyay7Bw
He does a bit!”
That's him, ta
Originally Posted by swingaleg:
“I think he'll keep it to the end now
Barring accidents ...................
The danger day is Thursday with a really hard day in the Pyrenees and a mountain top finish...........any of the riders might crack on a stage like that”
“I think he'll keep it to the end now
Barring accidents ...................
The danger day is Thursday with a really hard day in the Pyrenees and a mountain top finish...........any of the riders might crack on a stage like that”
Even then, he could still get time back in the last time trial.
I would imagine to be sure, anyone taking time back from him would need to take back what he already has on them, and then the same again to factor in the time trial situation.
LeMond took 50+ seconds out of Fingion in 25km in '89.
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?”
“For how many more days do people far more knowledgable than myself think that Bradley can keep the yellow jersey for?”
Evans lost 1 minute 43 on the last time trial, Nibali 2 mins 07 and Van den Broeck even more than that. And the 2nd time trial is longer again, which suits Wiggins' steady gain style. So I think any of the others would need to gain at least 6 minutes on Wiggins in total (bringing back what they've lost then adding on) over Wed and Thurs to have a chance going into the ITT. And Sky look too strong to me to let that happen, especially as they have Froome alongside Wiggins...
Team Sky's mission was to have a British rider win Le Tour within four years of forming the team. Assuming that Wiggins is still in yellow on Sunday evening, what do you see happening to Team Sky (as an organisation rather than the individual members)? Think they'll run it for another year then pull the plug?
Originally Posted by Mark F:
“What is the fewest number of stage wins in one year by a Tour winner?”
“What is the fewest number of stage wins in one year by a Tour winner?”
I think it's been won without the winner actually taking any stages.
I'm almost sure Greg LeMond won his last tour without taking a stage.
Edit - yes he did - he won in 1990 stageless.
1994 - Indurain only took the one ITT
2000 - Armstrong only took the one ITT
2003 - Armstrong only took one stage (although USPS won the team TT)
2005 - same, but team Discovery
2006 - strange one but Oscar Pereiro was eventually named as winner - and he didn't take a stage.
2007 - Contadour only won one stage
2008 - Sastre only won one stage
2011 - Evans only won one stage.
Last edited by aggs : 16-07-2012 at 18:18
Originally Posted by Mark F:
“What is the fewest number of stage wins in one year by a Tour winner?”
“What is the fewest number of stage wins in one year by a Tour winner?”
Zero.
1922 Firmin Lambot
1956 Roger Walkowiak
1960 Gastone Nencini
1966 Lucien Aimar
1990 Greg Lemond
2006 Oscar Pereiro
Last one to win it without a stage was Oscar Pereiro after the Floyd Landis DQ, before that it was Greg Lemond in 1990 with 0 stage wins. Quite a few tours with Indurain or Armstrong just winning the TTs, which is the most likely scenario this year too ofc.
Edit: I was a bit slow in typing there it seems
Edit: I was a bit slow in typing there it seems
41 of 169
