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The Pro Cycling Thread (Part 2) |
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#426 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 7,910
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Quote:
I've seen some talk about the descent off Alpe d'Huez being pretty treacherous. Apparently it's very narrow and very badly surfaced... although that would surprise me as ASO would surely resurface it for the Tour.
It'll be interesting to see, though. To think... all the times the Tour has raced up the Alpe, they've never actually raced down it! |
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#427 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: South Wales
Posts: 5,693
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Quote:
They went down it in 64
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#428 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 7,910
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Quote:
My mistake, so they did.
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#429 |
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: South Wales
Posts: 5,693
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Quote:
Theres been that many climbs in the Tour to consider its impossible to know them all or how many times they have been used
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#430 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 7,910
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Quote:
True, but the Alpe is one of the more memorable ones!
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#431 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,336
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Quote:
Yes, i mean it's all very insightful AND necessary. Also interesting that he said as there wasn't really any actual evidence against CF/Sky he would lean towards giving them the benefit of the doubt. Will be looking forward to see what else his time with them brings to light.
This successful approach has then been used and adapted for the road. Again novel techniques have been employed but essentially the same approach (because Sky is essentially British Cycling). And by jove, we have success in time. Meanwhile Chris Froome recovers from a parasitic disease which depletes his red blood cell count, undetected for years, and sees his performance improve dramatically. It all just fits together, makes perfect sense to me. Nothing fishy, not even the smallest doping story over the decade in question, where hundreds of cyclists will have gone through the system. Surely one would have taken the jackpot of a doping exclusive with the papers? But obviously Sky and Froome are taking a wonder drug (which British Cycling must have kept secret for 10 years), and are in league with the UCI, and most likely WADA as well. Well the last paragraph is the one that seems nonsense to me. |
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#432 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 13,160
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I really don't get that?
![]() After the PR debacle and mauling they took over the whole Armstrong thing, why would they without pausing for breath merrily leap into doing exactly the same thing again - but more so? Also, why Sky exactly? What does/did a new team from a traditionally not very cycling-centric country have to offer? I'm starting to feel like a Monty Python sketch ... my 2 main questions are If not Froome to win, then who is the clean cyclist that can beat him to back? Why pick Sky to whitewash? Anyway, looking forward to the time trial today. Hope for some good rides and close results ... although I suppose a steady ride from Froome will be because he has been told to reign it in, and hence proof of dodgy dealings - and if he has a good ride then it will be because he can't reign it in and hence proof of dodgy dealings ... |
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#433 |
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Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 13,160
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Quote:
Agreed it is but I have friends who have completed in the Tour from as far back as the fifties through to this years Tour so maybe I have a unfair advantage
That is all.
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#434 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 7,910
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Quote:
Am jealous.
That is all. ![]() |
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#435 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 2,298
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Quote:
Why pick Sky to whitewash?
There is no real mystery to Sky's success. Continental cycling teams STILL don't do extensive out of competition training. Sky do. Continental teams STILL don't do extensive scientific monitoring and testing. Sky do. Continental cycling bodies don't search the entire country to bring those people with the best natural advantages into the sport. British Cycling do. You only have to look at how Pierre Rolland was forced by Europcar to appear at the French Nationals to see the entire difference between approaches in a nutshell. |
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#436 |
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Join Date: May 2008
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Quote:
What I like about the sport is that on the whole even world and Olympic champions are happy to help guide and advise other riders , we all share a bond thats not found in a lot of other sports
Many years ago used to ride at Manchester and more than once shared the space when Team GB were training. They always had time - especially for the youngsters. It's probably why I feel a bit protective of Brad and Cav and I only exchanged an 'how do' with them at most! |
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#437 |
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ed Balls
Posts: 13,220
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Ned Boulting has just tweeted that Chris Froome will be changing bikes once he gets to the top of the final climb! Presumably, he's going to start off with a road bike and then switch to a TT bike.
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#438 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 12,792
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Quote:
Ned Boulting has just tweeted that Chris Froome will be changing bikes once he gets to the top of the final climb! Presumably, he's going to start off with a road bike and then switch to a TT bike.
![]() Contador's not changing bikes. Apparently Jean Christophe Peraud, who was 9th overall and the best Frenchman in the race, cracked his collarbone in a crash while scouting the TT course this morning, so he may be out of the Tour. ETA: Never mind, he is starting the TT. How on earth he's going to get up Alpe d'Huez twice tomorrow is another thing entirely though... |
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#439 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
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Quote:
Ned Boulting has just tweeted that Chris Froome will be changing bikes once he gets to the top of the final climb! Presumably, he's going to start off with a road bike and then switch to a TT bike.
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#440 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 12,792
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Yahoo commentary is ridiculous - saying Geraint Thomas's ride wasn't good because he came in 5th at the time, 1 min 43 down - but conveniently ignoring the obvious probability that Team Sky (apart from Froome) have been told to take it easy and conserve as much energy as possible for Alpe d'Huez tomorrow, as most of them aren't even in the top 100 on GC so a time trial is completely irrelevant to them
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#441 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dagenham, Essex.
Posts: 940
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Quote:
Over at the clinic they're speculating that he might be changing to a motor bike..............
Anyway... Looking at the weather radar 'thingy' on Google Earth. Currently it's clear dry weather at the start and finish of today's stage (24c) But there are storms to the north and south east. |
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#442 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dagenham, Essex.
Posts: 940
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Quote:
Yahoo commentary is ridiculous - saying Geraint Thomas's ride wasn't good because he came in 5th at the time, 1 min 43 down - but conveniently ignoring the obvious probability that Team Sky (apart from Froome) have been told to take it easy and conserve as much energy as possible for Alpe d'Huez tomorrow, as most of them aren't even in the top 100 on GC so a time trial is completely irrelevant to them
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#443 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ed Balls
Posts: 13,220
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Quote:
Over at the clinic they're speculating that he might be changing to a motor bike..............
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#444 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dagenham, Essex.
Posts: 940
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Quote:
I HATE that lot, I really do. The anti-Sky sentiment on that site as a whole is pretty bad, but the clinic truly is a haven for tin foil hat-wearing conspiracy loons,
No wonder Brailsford doesn't want to release any data... An 'expert' over there will post a load of gibberish, and the rest of them will all agree that Froome is cheating no matter what. WADA need to take up Brailsford offer and look at the data and bloods and publish their findings... Get Kimmage involved aswell. Let's put an end to this tedious whispering game. |
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#445 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ed Balls
Posts: 13,220
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Looks like Veelers might get dumped from the Tour based on his TT time.
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#446 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 13,160
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Quote:
Porte said as much yesterday, they were going to soft pedal today apart from Chris.
His ride will be him and an accumulation of knowledge. Isn't David Walsh following Sky at the minute? Surely, he's the best gamekeeper you could ask for at the minute? Can't see him wanting to lose a reputation 10 very long years in the making just to whitewash Sky. |
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#447 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dagenham, Essex.
Posts: 940
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Quote:
They'll be reccying the course as well for Chris - when to change gear, road furniture, when to accelerate - all that sort of stuff.
His ride will be him and an accumulation of knowledge. Isn't David Walsh following Sky at the minute? Surely, he's the best gamekeeper you could ask for at the minute? Can't see him wanting to lose a reputation 10 very long years in the making just to whitewash Sky. Well you can guess the rest......:yawn: |
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#448 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 12,792
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Quote:
Looks like Veelers might get dumped from the Tour based on his TT time.
And even if he is capable of it, Froome probably won't go much faster than that - he can't risk eliminating Stannard (who clocked 61 minutes) as he'll need him in the next few days to do the early pacemaking so Kennaugh and Porte don't have to do the work too soon. ETA: Plus Froome won't want to overcook it and crash, and it might rain later in the afternoon, which could slow down the leaders. |
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#449 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Darn Sarf
Posts: 28,733
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Quote:
ETA: Plus Froome won't want to overcook it and crash, and it might rain later in the afternoon, which could slow down the leaders.
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#450 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ed Balls
Posts: 13,220
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Jens Voigt making a lot of sense on ITV4 right now about whether to switch bikes: he argues that it's not worth the risk: there are only 8kms left in the stage after the second climb, so you're talking about, maybe, being able to pick up 30 seconds using a TT bike, but then the rules stipulate that you can't have someone standing by the side of the road with a bike. The bike has to be taken off the roof of a car when required. So, the bike switch will take around 20 seconds, even if it goes completely smoothly. Is it really worth it?
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