Critérium du Dauphiné 2015 - Stage 8 (final stage) **warning: no spoiler tags**

dastardly00

Stage 8 - Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc - Modane Valfréjus 156.5km

Today is all about the showdown between Van Garderen vs Froome for overall victory*

Tejay leads by 18 seconds. Time bonus of 10, 6, and 4 seconds for the first three across the line.

Dan Martin is on good form, I think he has a great chance of snatching the stage win if he attacks early on the final climb.

Live TV coverage on ITV4 at 2.30pm and on Eurosport1 at 2.45pm.






*Benat Intxausti will probably take the overall win :pac:

Brian?

Looks ideal for a textbook Froome attack just inside 3km. He'll probably take the over all as well.

pelevin

In one sense of course you could say it was commendable but in more strictly racing terms I thought it was naïve & pretty daft TVG teaming up & sharing the workload yesterday once Froome initially attacked. He'd most likely have a few more than the precious 18 seconds he now has on Froome, & as shown by Froome distancing him in the last 2kms or so, it wasn't an equal partnership - which on those slopes could hardly have been a surprise. It should have been clear at that stage there was no danger of not gaining the required GC time, & with Sky ramping it up all day, Froome was hardly going to back off if TVG hadn't shared the workload. The day before Froome had showed he wouldn't work with TVG if he didn't feel like it, it was imo the obvious move to do likewise on Froome's ideal terrain.

neris

martins for the stage? 2 mins at 20km out

pelevin

Battle of Waterloo commemoration medals restricted to Great Britain & Northern Ireland only. Bastards.

neris

pelevin wrote: »

Battle of Waterloo commemoration medals restricted to Great Britain & Northern Ireland only. Bastards.

parcel motel

Darkglasses

neris wrote: »

martins for the stage? 2 mins at 20km out

Don't think he had a chance really, the climb will be getting a lot more difficult.

Darkglasses

Think these lads are going way too early. There's plenty of Sky and Garmindale lads around to keep them on a short leash. Dan will do well to be patient.

Nibali priced at 66/1 in play. Kind of shocking. I grabbed Intxausti at 16/1 and Dan Martin at 8/1

Pudsy33

Dan Martin is in a great position, think he has a fair crack at this.

Pudsy33

I got Martin at 25/1

godtabh

Pudsy33 wrote: »

I got Martin at 25/1

Did win?

Darkglasses

godtabh wrote: »

Did win?

Not over yet, 4km to go

godtabh

At a kids party. How is GC

Darkglasses

godtabh wrote: »

At a kids party. How is GC

Froome just made the big attack, 2km to go, looks a cert for the stage but he isn't opening a big gap from Tejay just yet, only about 5 seconds, he needs a good bit more than that

Daroxtar

Great attack from Froome, this is great to watch. Gotta feel for TVG though

Eamonnator

12 seconds with 1.5 k to go

Darkglasses

Darkglasses wrote: »

Froome just made the big attack, 2km to go, looks a cert for the stage but he isn't opening a big gap from Tejay just yet, only about 5 seconds, he needs a good bit more than that

The gap is growing, 1.3 left and the gap is almost 12 seconds. Needs to make about 4 more for the overall win.

Solobally8

Another excellent stage. Can't wait for the tour to see Froome and Contador battle it out!

godtabh

Darkglasses wrote: »

The gap is growing, 1.3 left and the gap is almost 12 seconds. Needs to make about 4 more for the overall win.

Including stage bonus?

Eamonnator

16 second gap

Darkglasses

godtabh wrote: »

Including stage bonus?

All over, Froome has done it and won the overall. Yates snatched away Tejay's second place and his time bonus

Eamonnator

Froome wins GC by about 4 seconds

Solobally8

Cruel for TVG

godtabh

https://twitter.com/teamsky/status/610099275519905792

Darkglasses

Great racing, happy for Froome to win it in that fashion. This year's Tour just gets more and more appetizing.

godtabh

Darkglasses wrote: »

All over, Froome has done it and won the overall. Yates snatched away Tejay's second place and his time bonus

Fair play Yates. One (or two) for the future

Daroxtar

Real pain on TVGs face but that was brilliant from Froome. Deserving winner.

Eamonnator

Eamonnator wrote: »

Froome wins GC by about 4 seconds

10 seconds, sorry

Darkglasses

Straight over the Tour de Suisse? Without even showing the GC and Stage classification? Ahhhh feck..

MPFG

Watching Tour de Suisse now and they look like thy are going at such a slow pace to that of the Dauphine

Brian?

Brian? wrote: »

Looks ideal for a textbook Froome attack just inside 3km. He'll probably take the over all as well.

I'm quoting myself to show how predictable the stage actually was. With an on form team leader the Sky plan is always the same.

pelevin

I think twas yesterday TVG lost it, stupidly working with Froome. Not the rider to consider his ally.

Brian?

pelevin wrote: »

I think twas yesterday TVG lost it, stupidly working with Froome. Not the rider to consider his ally.

I don't think working with Froome really made a difference. It wouldn't have saved him the +10s he needed to hold onto yellow.

MPFG

Brian? wrote: »

I don't think working with Froome really made a difference. It wouldn't have saved him the +10s he needed to hold onto yellow.

I agree Froome was too strong for TJ to hang on to (even if he paced himself)

Also true that the SKY train is impressive.....so fast ....but

1. It will be hard to keep that up for 3 weeks for the team whoever is in it...no way was Wiggo's train in 2012 that fast

2. and after you have seen it a few times its gets so old


Froome is for me defo the fastest from 2/3 KM out on any climb ...I suppose Quintana/Contador can try from further out if they can...and Nibs can try on rolling terraine and on cobbles....but someone will have to do something to scupper the train

pelevin

Brian? wrote: »

I don't think working with Froome really made a difference. It wouldn't have saved him the +10s he needed to hold onto yellow.

It might have made a difference - and it really was down to a handful of seconds - and whatever about how things were going to pan out, it was wrong thinking to share the work with Froome when being ahead of him on GC enabled him to ride in a different manner. Blurred vision imo to have imagined Froome was his ally rather than biggest threat the way things were panning out.

happytramp

I hate to say this but I think Sky would be out of there minds to take Roche based on his performance over the whole week.

On the other hand, I'd say Deignan has given himself a good chance.

Roquentin

quintana will be interesting to see. i still fancy him on the slopes

MPFG

happytramp wrote: »

I hate to say this but I think Sky would be out of there minds to take Roche based on his performance over the whole week.

On the other hand, I'd say Deignan has given himself a good chance.

Roche race was disappointing alright but a few points to remember

1)If he rode the in line at Deignan or Kennaugh place he would have lasted as long...not quite sure how commentators don't see that..he just didn't ride as well as Poels or of course Froome

2) He rode as well most days as some of the leaders in other team who we are told are not in form for the Tour so why can't Nico be not in form yet ??

3) and this is the most serious consideration...A week race as we are often told is so different from a 3 weeks race ...Nico usually ends the Tour in better condition and he has lots of experience of riding the Tour & being consistent ..

I think for those reasons he will go and SKY would not be out of their minds to bring him

Deignan has been good this week but he was dropped on Thursday & didn't last long on Saturday either ...but he is a shoe in but SKY would be out of their minds to bring Roche ???

I think Nico disappoints because expectations are high ..not least set by himself .but to say based on one race that SKY would be out of their mind to bring him is rubbish..given his record at GTs ...you could say the same of JC Peraud or Mollema or Sanchez or Vockleur or Kelderman or Meintjes or Taarame or Zubeldia or several others who most days finished behind him even if he knocked off and rode for someone else ....maybe all these should not go to the Tour also ???

I hope Deignan & Roche both go ...but please show some support for all Irish riders and not make ludicrous statements saying a team WOULD BE OUT OF THEIR MIND TO BRING EITHER

dastardly00

happytramp wrote: »

I hate to say this but I think Sky would be out of there minds to take Roche based on his performance over the whole week.

On the other hand, I'd say Deignan has given himself a good chance.

Nico has been poor this week, but to say that Sky would be out of their minds to bring him is too strong of a statement.

Darkglasses

The Tour doesn't start til the 4th of July, Nico's not in perfect form but he's not far off. I'd still be fully confident that he will be picked.

Pudsy33

MPFG wrote: »

Roche race was disappointing alright but a few points to remember

1)If he rode the in line at Deignan or Kennaugh place he would have lasted as long...not quite sure how commentators don't see that..he just didn't ride as well as Poels or of course Froome

2) He rode as well most days as some of the leaders in other team who we are told are not in form for the Tour so why can't Nico be not in form yet ??

3) and this is the most serious consideration...A week race as we are often told is so different from a 3 weeks race ...Nico usually ends the Tour in better condition and he has lots of experience of riding the Tour & being consistent ..

I think for those reasons he will go and SKY would not be out of their minds to bring him

Deignan has been good this week but he was dropped on Thursday & didn't last long on Saturday either ...but he is a shoe in but SKY would be out of their minds to bring Roche ???

I think Nico disappoints because expectations are high ..not least set by himself .but to say based on one race that SKY would be out of their mind to bring him is rubbish..given his record at GTs ...you could say the same of JC Peraud or Mollema or Sanchez or Vockleur or Kelderman or Meintjes or Taarame or Zubeldia or several others who most days finished behind him even if he knocked off and rode for someone else ....maybe all these should not go to the Tour also ???

I hope Deignan & Roche both go ...but please show some support for all Irish riders and not make ludicrous statements saying a team WOULD BE OUT OF THEIR MIND TO BRING EITHER

Bang on, like I said he's the road captain and they cannot afford to leave someone of his experience behind.

happytramp

MPFG wrote: »

Roche race was disappointing alright but a few points to remember

1)If he rode the in line at Deignan or Kennaugh place he would have lasted as long...not quite sure how commentators don't see that..he just didn't ride as well as Poels or of course Froome

2) He rode as well most days as some of the leaders in other team who we are told are not in form for the Tour so why can't Nico be not in form yet ??

3) and this is the most serious consideration...A week race as we are often told is so different from a 3 weeks race ...Nico usually ends the Tour in better condition and he has lots of experience of riding the Tour & being consistent ..

I think for those reasons he will go and SKY would not be out of their minds to bring him

Deignan has been good this week but he was dropped on Thursday & didn't last long on Saturday either ...but he is a shoe in but SKY would be out of their minds to bring Roche ???

I think Nico disappoints because expectations are high ..not least set by himself .but to say based on one race that SKY would be out of their mind to bring him is rubbish..given his record at GTs ...you could say the same of JC Peraud or Mollema or Sanchez or Vockleur or Kelderman or Meintjes or Taarame or Zubeldia or several others who most days finished behind him even if he knocked off and rode for someone else ....maybe all these should not go to the Tour also ???

I hope Deignan & Roche both go ...but please show some support for all Irish riders and not make ludicrous statements saying a team WOULD BE OUT OF THEIR MIND TO BRING EITHER

No need for your angry capital letters. It is my opinion and i'm fully entitled to it. I don't need to pat every Irish sports star on the back purely because they're Irish. I really like Roche but based solely on this race on this I don't think he'd get a place. However he looked really good earlier in the season so I'm still hopeful he'll get picked. It's just that with Porte and G. Thomas, Konig fairly certain of places and Kennaugh and Poels looking good this week and Ian Stannard a good shout for early stage wins, there will be stiff competition.

MPFG

My capital letters were not angry they were for emphasis

and no one said you were not entitled to your opinion...its the language of ...'SKY would be out of their minds' I object to and no one asked you to pat Roche on the back...its not like he can't ride a bike...maybe if you can give it it out you shoudn't be so touchy when someone challenges your opinion

And even with Porte, Thomas, Konig, Henao, Kennaugh, Poels & Stannard there is still room

niceonetom

MPFG wrote: »

...but please show some support for all Irish riders and not make ludicrous statements saying a team WOULD BE OUT OF THEIR MIND TO BRING EITHER

This is mindless jingoism and a direct call to silence differing opinions.

MPFG wrote: »

and no one said you were not entitled to your opinion...its the language of ...'SKY would be out of their minds' I object to and no one asked you to pat Roche on the back...its not like he can't ride a bike...maybe if you can give it it out you shoudn't be so touchy when someone challenges your opinion

This is a straight up denial of what preceded it. And, worse, a pot/kettle reaction to being challenged on your right to be hysterical.

Roche is going like a bag of spanners.

Do I have to hand my passport in or something?

Lusk_Doyle

niceonetom wrote: »

Do I have to hand my passport in or something?

Only if you are not travelling through the Schengen zone!

pelevin

It's all kicking off.

manwithaplan

MPFG wrote: »

1)If he rode the in line at Deignan or Kennaugh place he would have lasted as long...not quite sure how commentators don't see that..he just didn't ride as well as Poels or of course Froome

How do you know he would have lasted as long as Deignan or Kennaugh? What I saw was that he was on their wheels getting some protection and when it came to his turn to push the pace at the bottom of the last climb he blew almost immediately. That would indicate to me that he was struggling even before he hit the front and you cannot say he would have comfortably done Deignan or Kennaugh's job.

MPFG

niceonetom wrote: »

This is mindless jingoism and a direct call to silence differing opinions.



This is a straight up denial of what preceded it. And, worse, a pot/kettle reaction to being challenged on your right to be hysterical.

Roche is going like a bag of spanners.

Do I have to hand my passport in or something?

Jaasus and you say my post is mindless ....

....I said the language was way off and also challenged the veracity and context of the criticism ...you want to turn my opinion into a 'hysterical' reaction and make it personal

I also said Roche was disappointing but I didn't throw him under the bus


Do you think I would not criticize ANY Irish sportsperson ??? Of course but in a reasonable manner ....

And as for bringing your passport in to it ....WTF

MPFG

manwithaplan wrote: »

How do you know he would have lasted as long as Deignan or Kennaugh? What I saw was that he was on their wheels getting some protection and when it came to his turn to push the pace at the bottom of the last climb he blew almost immediately. That would indicate to me that he was struggling even before he hit the front and you cannot say he would have comfortably done Deignan or Kennaugh's job.

He did the same pace as them on climbs and more some days....very little drafting on climbs

niceonetom

MPFG wrote: »

Jaasus and you say my post is mindless ....

I said it contains mindless jingoism, which it does. This "please only speak well of the irish" stuff is a bit sad really. Belies deep insecurity.

MPFG wrote: »

....I said the language was way off and also challenged the veracity and context of the criticism ...you want to turn my opinion into a 'hysterical' reaction and make it personal

This offense-taking stuff is just weird. Especially when you're taking offense on behalf of others - professional sportsmen who have I'm sure much thicker skin than yours. Being offended is not an argument. Honest appraisal goes with the territory. Why are you taking it on yourself to police the speech of others here? Who are you to demand they not say certain things? It's preposterous.

happytramp

And to be fair the phrase "out of their minds" is really quite tame. Find it hard to believe anyone could take offence to it.

Anyway still really hope Roche gets picked. He still has time to get back to the form he showed at Romandie.