Tour de France Stage 5 – July 9th, Ypres - Arenberg **Unmasked Spoilers**

curiouscycles

Chris Froome

godtabh wrote: »

Does that mean he has to have a falling out with someone at sky now?

Yep, its a contractual obligation.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

DDC1990

Greg Van Avermaet

Nico 13'48 down. Disaster for Tinkoff Saxo

Darkglasses

Michal Kwiatkowski

Shakakan wrote: »

How did Nico get on? No sign of him in any results yet

He'll lose buckets, he doesn't like cobbles at all. Could lose 10 minutes or so, he was dropped from the Contador group ages ago

seany15

Niki Terpstra

This lemond section is torturous!!

curiouscycles

Chris Froome

G. Thomas was just interviewed and was asked if Porte was ready to be the team leader : "he better be".

BofaDeezNuhtz

Greg Van Avermaet

curiouscycles wrote: »

G. Thomas was just interviewed and was asked if Porte was ready to be the team leader : "he better be".

lol

In fairness I reckon Conty will Bishslap him in the hills easy, but it's a great chance
for him to shine and lay his stall out for his own future team leader position
(elsewhere) so he doesn't get stuck in the Super Dommy role for life.
A good lad.

seany15

Niki Terpstra

curiouscycles wrote: »

G. Thomas was just interviewed and was asked if Porte was ready to be the team leader : "he better be".

G had a big day to get porte up there.

Zyzz

Lars Boom

retalivity

Greg Van Avermaet

DDC1990 wrote: »

Nico 13'48 down. Disaster for Tinkoff Saxo

Not really, saxo don't seem to care about the team classification or the 2nd or 3rd rider placings, its all about Bertie.
Majka and Rodgers are well down too

DDC1990

Greg Van Avermaet

retalivity wrote: »

Not really, saxo don't seem to care about the team classification or the 2nd or 3rd rider placings, its all about Bertie.
Majka and Rodgers are well down too

Oh yeah I know, it was a disaster losing so much time for Alberto.

Bad for Saxo in terms of their individual riders performances.

Green&Red

Chris Froome

I put my money where my mouth was, thanks very much Boom!

unichall

While I agree that Wiggo should have been in the team I don't think Sky are in all that bad shape with Porte as their leader.

He has long been waiting in the wings and could probably already be a team leader with a smaller team, he has one Paris-Nice as team leader, he can time trial and he will go ok in the mountains. Coupled with that he has a small cushion over contador I think he will make the race interesting along with Talansky, Van Garderan and Kwiatowski.

MPFG

Alexander Kristoff

DDC1990 wrote: »

Oh yeah I know, it was a disaster losing so much time for Alberto.

Bad for Saxo in terms of their individual riders performances.

Saxo rode hard to reduce the gap initially without any help from Movistar or BMC ...and Nico & Rodgers did alot of work ...but I think they blew

Greg Lemond put it correctly ...if you are chasing you expend more energy that those in the front groups on wet &cobbles

It seemed to me Saxo were going ok and then Alberto began to slow down so they waited for him....so then rode to get back but couldn't close the gap...maybe it was the wind also

I am sure Nico & Rodgers would have been higher up but for that ...
However it doesn't matter ...only that Contador is ok and can begin the fight back

MPFG

Alexander Kristoff

I am not a fan of Richie Porte for GC ...ye she can climb and is not a bad TTer
However he is not consistent enough in a 3 week tour

and we still have 2.5 weeks to go

unichall

MPFG wrote: »

I am not a fan of Richie Porte for GC ...ye she can climb and is not a bad TTer
However he is not consistent enough in a 3 week tour

and we still have 2.5 weeks to go

He's never had to be consistent, fair enough he went missing on one stage last year but that was aftrr putting in a mammoth shift the day before for Froome. Sky are loaded with good climbers and as a protected rider I think he will go ok. Also Sky probably didn't bring Wiggo knowing that Porte is in good enough shape to be deputy leader, in my opinion probably better shape than wiggo who is noticeably heavier than the year he won the tour so maybe Porte is the better choice anyway.

I for one am looking forward to finding out, should be a good tour

MPFG

Alexander Kristoff

Nico crashed ....so there ended the mystery

Itziger

Few extra handful of raisins in the porridge of the Astana lads this morning. Fantastic stage mind. Karma settled a couple of debts with Froomey.

Darkglasses

Michal Kwiatkowski

So...Froome vs. Quintana in the Vuelta?

Brian?

Peter Sagan

Darkglasses wrote: »

So...Froome vs. Quintana in the Vuelta?

Froome v Horner. It'll be a charisma-fest

Dcully

Didnt see todays stage yet but im gutted that froome is out.
For a a while now ive been longing to see Contador,Nibali and Froome in a scrap while all 3 were in good form.
With Nibali looking like hes coming into form and the form we knew the other two had from the Dauphine it was all set up to be epic.
I didnt check yet but how are things for Horner,Valverde and Rodriguez, hopefully one or all three can hit form and get in the mix.

Pa8301

I was surprised to see Nibali and Fuglsang riding away from Cancellara and Sagan so easily today.

Darkglasses

Michal Kwiatkowski

Dcully wrote: »

Didnt see todays stage yet but im gutted that froome is out.
For a a while now ive been longing to see Contador,Nibali and Froome in a scrap while all 3 were in good form.
With Nibali looking like hes coming into form and the form we knew the other two had from the Dauphine it was all set up to be epic.
I didnt check yet but how are things for Horner,Valverde and Rodriguez, hopefully one or all three can hit form and get in the mix.

Valverde is quite well placed in 10th overall, 2'11 down. Horner is just over 4 minutes down, I doubt he'll be getting involved. Rodriguez is still not fully recovered from broken ribs, he'll be aiming for stages later in the tour.

Brian?

Peter Sagan

Rui Costa?

v6e5qzawyrc3jn

This post has been deleted.

ROK ON

Fantastic stage. It has brought a significant number into the reckoning (Talansky and Kwiatosky). Bertie has to attack - but he was going to have to do that anyway.
Would have preferred from to lose time as opposed to crash out. It would have made for a more interesting race.
Of the riders left all are pure racers - even the consummate wheelsucker Valverde.
At this stage maybe Sagan could podium - who knows. Probably stretching that a bit.

pelevin

Greg Van Avermaet

Pa8301 wrote: »

I was surprised to see Nibali and Fuglsang riding away from Cancellara and Sagan so easily today.

Didn't see it but how did that happen. Surely it wasn't that they just couldn't hold the wheel?

Itziger

pelevin wrote: »

Didn't see it but how did that happen. Surely it wasn't that they just couldn't hold the wheel?

It kinda was really.


I'm telling ya, extra raisins in the porridge. Works every time.

pelevin

Greg Van Avermaet

Darkglasses wrote: »

So...Froome vs. Quintana in the Vuelta?

I think there's a few others too who would be looking to be in the mix like Rodriguez & Contador. . . . And eh . . . Chris Horner.

pelevin

Greg Van Avermaet

Itziger wrote: »

It kinda was really.


I'm telling ya, extra raisins in the porridge. Works every time.

As I said I didn't see it but just did a search & Sagan describes it as:

"I was riding a little bit too far behind with Cancellara when an Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider let a bit of a gap in front of us and we never managed to make it back to the front of the race. I guess this is part of a learning process and I've gained some experience in that mistake.”