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The Pro Cycling Thread (Part 2)


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Old 15-07-2013, 16:04
SJB 2007
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Chris Froome and Sir Dave Brailsford press conference.

Full transcript....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013...nce?CMP=twt_gu
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Old 15-07-2013, 16:16
Lucidia2011
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I seem to think that next year is the cut of point for people who ride the road - like Brad and Cav - for deciding if they want to return to ride the track for the 2016 Olympics? I seem to remember hearing (but may well have dreamt it!) during the London Games that track riders can cross over to the road without any trouble, but if road riders want to race track they have to have been doing it for 2 years under the regulations?

Which could be interesting if true, bearing in mind the road race route is not Cav-friendly and an Olympic gold is the big one missing from his trophy cabinet.
http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/ne...cycling-return
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Old 15-07-2013, 16:41
aggs
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Ah, cool - thank you.

So I didn't dream it <hurrah> as such - but it's a Team GB thing not a UCI/IOC thing.
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Old 15-07-2013, 17:39
swingaleg
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I'm not going to spend my life thinking ''what if'', i want to enjoy this time cos it may never come again.

If the worst comes to the worst and the bubble bursts i will be ready for the upset but let's wait and see what happens.
Totally agree - my big heros are Kelly, Indurain and Pantani - so well used to feet of clay.

I can see why people ask questions - and they should - but the answers are going to be the same for a doped rider pretending to be clean and a clean rider asserting he is clean.
Agree with the above.............

I don't usually bother posting when the thread turns to the doping issue

a) I'm bored stiff of it

b) I don't really care

Fact is that I'm massively enjoying this Tour...........if, in a few months time, we get a shock revelation that Froome or anyone else failed a dope test, I'll just temporarily shrug my shoulders and not give it much of a second thought. They can't get into my brain and take away the enjoyment I'm having now..............so what happens in 6 months time is irrelevant to my current enjoyment

Don't get me wrong - I'd rather the riders were all clean, but I'm not going to lose any sleep wondering about it
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Old 15-07-2013, 17:52
charliesays
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Is it just me or are there about 27 different lists of the fastest climbs up Ventoux? Every forum or comment section I look has a different one!

I get the suspicion thing with cycling fans completely. But let's be honest, the fact it's a British team and rider blazing a trail must be absolutely galling for traditional fans on the continent and makes the accusations that much more vicious.
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Old 15-07-2013, 17:58
aggs
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Is it just me or are there about 27 different lists of the fastest climbs up Ventoux? Every forum or comment section I look has a different one!

I get the suspicion thing with cycling fans completely. But let's be honest, the fact it's a British team and rider blazing a trail must be absolutely galling for traditional fans on the continent and makes the accusations that much more vicious.
Which is why, my spidey senses tell me, that if there was so much as a whiff and whisper of doping it would be out there - but there is nothing at all as far as I can see.

I've read that many items, power ratios and wind speeds that my head is spinning - not that I'm good with that anyway ...
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Old 15-07-2013, 18:13
paul2307
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Is it just me or are there about 27 different lists of the fastest climbs up Ventoux? Every forum or comment section I look has a different one!

I get the suspicion thing with cycling fans completely. But let's be honest, the fact it's a British team and rider blazing a trail must be absolutely galling for traditional fans on the continent and makes the accusations that much more vicious.
You can't compare one climb of Ventoux or any other mountain come to that with another there are too many variables , how many miles before the start of the climb , how far into the Tour the climb takes place , has a break gone is it the final or first climb of the day , weather conditions and literally hundreds more
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Old 15-07-2013, 18:21
John259
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I just checked the map. The road up Mont Ventoux is a through road, so the summit can be approached from either direction. I've no idea if the Tour always uses the same direction. If not, that might explain some of the discrepencies maybe?
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Old 15-07-2013, 18:27
fluffed
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I think the tour always uses the route from Bedoin to the top, though I could be wrong.
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Old 15-07-2013, 18:40
Mystical123
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You don't read "The Clinic" then.
Obviously not - I prefer to actually enjoy watching the race, not participate in the neverending stream of baseless suspicion and ignorance of logic and context...

Oh and he obliterated his GC rivals in the TT a few days previously. Just a few seconds behind the World TT Champion.

Where was he 2-3 years ago?

No, I can't see why anyone would have any doubts.
Remember last year's Tour? Who won the TTs? Oh yes, it wasn't Froome. Not his fault other better time triallists aren't in the field, or his fault that Tony Martin's having a relatively poor Tour.

And I do hope you can grasp the simple concept that people have to start somewhere - every single successful sportsperson was once a nobody. Never mind that a couple of years ago Froome was riding high in the Vuelta, and before that riding regularly at altitude in the Kenyan mountains. Funny how he's a good climber...
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Old 15-07-2013, 20:22
Ornithology
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Really enjoyed this year's Tour up to now. There's been genuine competition in the sprint finishes, with Cav not having it all his own way.

Froome has obviously done a great job. It's great to see the Yellow Jersey take two serious mountain stages. Despite the lead of over 4 minutes, you can't help wondering whether Sky can find a way of throwing it all away. I'm certainly not counting any chickens.
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Old 15-07-2013, 20:41
swingaleg
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Froome has obviously done a great job. It's great to see the Yellow Jersey take two serious mountain stages. Despite the lead of over 4 minutes, you can't help wondering whether Sky can find a way of throwing it all away. I'm certainly not counting any chickens.
I'm wondering whether the other GC contenders might have been reviewing their position over the rest day and concluded that they should now try and defend their GC position rather than attack Froome...........particularly the guys in and around the podium places

It could happen that Froome gets a relatively easy ride from here on in as riders in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th are battling each other for the podium
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Old 15-07-2013, 20:54
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I think Ten Dam and Kreuzinger will be making a play for the podium - and L'Alpe d'huez is the Dutch Mountain.

Quintana will probably make a play for the KoM jersey - he's only 16 points adrift.
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Old 15-07-2013, 20:59
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Froome struggled for a few years because of illness... He's cured... low and behold he is unbeatable....

Sure I've heard that before somewhere...
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Old 15-07-2013, 21:00
Lucidia2011
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Tour de France 2013: Team Sky fuelled to perfection by top dietician...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013...-sky-dietician
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Old 15-07-2013, 21:03
Mystical123
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I'm wondering whether the other GC contenders might have been reviewing their position over the rest day and concluded that they should now try and defend their GC position rather than attack Froome...........particularly the guys in and around the podium places

It could happen that Froome gets a relatively easy ride from here on in as riders in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th are battling each other for the podium
Or that could mean not an easy ride at all for Froome - if any of his nearest rivals attack, even if their aim is just to gain time on each other rather than him, he'll still have to go with them - his lead certainly isn't insurmountable, and infighting among the rest of the top 10 on GC could still hurt him. He can't even really afford to let Quintana disappear on a mountain again, there are enough of them left to allow Quintana to make up ground significantly if he's not challenged.

Froome struggled for a few years because of illness... He's cured... low and behold he is unbeatable....

Sure I've heard that before somewhere...
Have you ever tried having a little faith in someone? It's actually quite enjoyable...
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Old 15-07-2013, 21:05
SJB 2007
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I'm wondering whether the other GC contenders might have been reviewing their position over the rest day and concluded that they should now try and defend their GC position rather than attack Froome...........particularly the guys in and around the podium places

It could happen that Froome gets a relatively easy ride from here on in as riders in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th are battling each other for the podium
Belkin should do half of Sky work for them.... Maybe Movistar, they will be after a stage win, so they could possibly drag Froome and Sky along. Contador will be doing his famous attacks, but the way Froome was shooting along on Ventoux he wont get very far...

Tomorrow might be Cannondale Vs Orica. Nasty climb at the end... Sagan stage win i think!
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Old 15-07-2013, 21:08
SJB 2007
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Froome struggled for a few years because of illness... He's cured... low and behold he is unbeatable....

Sure I've heard that before somewhere...
I've been reading up on this, and it sounds like he had a pretty nasty illness... Some kind of intestine parasite!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froo...itic-infection
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Old 15-07-2013, 21:10
swingaleg
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Or that could mean not an easy ride at all for Froome - if any of his nearest rivals attack, even if their aim is just to gain time on each other rather than him, he'll still have to go with them - his lead certainly isn't insurmountable, and infighting among the rest of the top 10 on GC could still hurt him. He can't even really afford to let Quintana disappear on a mountain again, there are enough of them left to allow Quintana to make up ground significantly if he's not challenged.
I was thinking that if there are attacks from the GC boys the other teams will chase them down to defend their position...........or will help setting the pace on the climbs etc
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Old 15-07-2013, 21:20
charliesays
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Froome struggled for a few years because of illness... He's cured... low and behold he is unbeatable....

Sure I've heard that before somewhere...
Go join the conspiracy theorists on the clinic. Come back when you have a single shred of evidence
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Old 15-07-2013, 21:43
Mark F
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Having just seen the highlights programme from today (well the "rest" day!) it seems the press were really out to question Froome and Team Sky but when the presenter showed the French papers only one had a negative headline...
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Old 15-07-2013, 21:45
Mystical123
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I was thinking that if there are attacks from the GC boys the other teams will chase them down to defend their position...........or will help setting the pace on the climbs etc
True, but the other teams don't necessarily have strength in depth on the climbs either - everyone else will be wary of Quintana on the climbs, and attempt to go with him as he's very close to everyone except Froome on GC, and if they all go, then Froome has to go too, or he risks dropping too much time. It certainly won't be a comfortable week, unless he obliterates the field in the TT. Part of me thinks he might have one eye on winning the double Alpe d'Huez anyway though, and has no intention of just doing the necessary and no more!
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Old 15-07-2013, 22:00
Lucidia2011
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Sky will have to be very tactically astute as well as physically able this week. They will have many split second decisions to make and will have to get them mostly right. They have enough buffer to not go with everything but surely won't want to just limit losses either (at least CF won't)? they will be just as motivated to put the race out of sight (hopefully) rather than only riding defensive. Should be fun either way. Have more faith in them (and mainly Froome) after yesterday, but this race and their form has swung back and forth a few times already, we could be in for many more fireworks yet (hopefully). I can't see all the others just resting up for positions but they may be forced too. I don't think they will totally give in to the pack though and surrender without any fight, how that affects CF who knows. I do want to see more of a battle, so long as he comes through in the end ofc
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Old 15-07-2013, 22:16
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Nothing like an co-sponsor losing the plot.

Oleg Tinkov ‏@olegtinkov 2m

As I said Oleg Tinkov and @tcsbank can be ONLY #1. Rest is secondary. #Russia #1 #Win #TdF #killSKY
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Old 15-07-2013, 22:25
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True, but the other teams don't necessarily have strength in depth on the climbs either - everyone else will be wary of Quintana on the climbs, and attempt to go with him as he's very close to everyone except Froome on GC, and if they all go, then Froome has to go too, or he risks dropping too much time. It certainly won't be a comfortable week, unless he obliterates the field in the TT. Part of me thinks he might have one eye on winning the double Alpe d'Huez anyway though, and has no intention of just doing the necessary and no more!
I honestly can't see any trouble for Chris now. Contador is the only one who could cause problems, but as we all saw... He just doesn't have the legs. He didn't have them earlier in the season. He didn't have them on the Ax 3 Domaines, and he didn't have them on Mont Ventoux...


He may, and others take little nips here and there, but Chris looks so strong, i can't see him losing. Could be all over after the ITT on Wednesday.

The only thing that can stop him winning imho is crashing out.
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