Paris Nice 2018 - May Contain Spoilers

CrowdedHouse

Sam has abandoned

marvin80

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Sam has abandoned

Is he injured?

Saw today was the last sprinters stage so maybe he's saving himself for a race in a few weeks.

Kristoff not well they said and it's showing he's hanging on at the back.

Oh no he's actually out the back in the cars.

Think Dan is in first larger group behind Wellens and Alaphilipe

Not on the main ES channels live today, it's been relegated to the player for live coverage in favor of live coverage of tirreno adriatico on ES1. Paris Nice should be shown on ES1 afterwards.

lissard

Watched the last 10k of yesterdays stage to Sisteron. There was a 2 man breakaway and the Direct Energie rider wheel sucked all the way to the finish and predictably won the sprint. The interviews afterwards were very entertaining!

The winner:

"When I saw that the victory was possible I worked hard to go after the Katusha rider and I played with his balls a little. That's the way I won."

The loser:

"He didn't want to work with me and stayed always on the wheel. So, in the end, I was thinking, '****, it is better to take the second place then nothing.' "

Whyner

lissard wrote: »

Watched the last 10k of yesterdays stage to Sisteron. There was a 2 man breakaway and the Direct Energie rider wheel sucked all the way to the finish and predictably won the sprint. The interviews afterwards were very entertaining!

The winner:

"When I saw that the victory was possible I worked hard to go after the Katusha rider and I played with his balls a little. That's the way I won."

The loser:

"He didn't want to work with me and stayed always on the wheel. So, in the end, I was thinking, '****, it is better to take the second place then nothing.' "

I watched it yesterday also. I'm newish to watching cycling but why was he so irate with Cousin, who refused to work with him...they stayed out of reach from the peloton so it was up to Politt to drop him, which he couldn't or out-sprint him, which he didn't...

I get the whole etiquette thingy but why would Cousin take a turn instead of reserving his energy for the last few hundred meters, bar to keep his head held high

What would have happened if Politt sat up? Do they ever do that when they're pretty sure they won't lose another position?

What happened Dan Martin , he lost massive time today.

EDIT: He had a mechanical on the descent that cost him 10 minutes.

MPFGLB

Deleted User wrote: »

What happened Dan Martin , he lost massive time today.

EDIT: He had a mechanical on the descent that cost him 10 minutes.

Broken wheel

but on a brighter note ...a good bet for the stage tomorrow me thinks ...from the breakaway

Just saw on the cycling news ticker Dan abandoned. Nico is out in the break with some good company but gap is only 2:35.

De Marchi could have had it so much worse there, great to see him able to climb back up on the road and look relatively ok.

Just watching highlights now , no secret from last season that I'm a fan of Dylan Teuns but even I didn't expect those kind of legs on the lad today. Delighted for Yates but had BMC worked for Teuns today like MS worked for Yates????

MPFGLB

Deleted User wrote: »

Just watching highlights now , no secret from last season that I'm a fan of Dylan Teuns but even I didn't expect those kind of legs on the lad today. Delighted for Yates but had BMC worked for Teuns today like MS worked for Yates????

Tuens had team mates to the bottom of the climb and on the climb there was no one strong enough to stay with the top riders ? Kreuziger was strong and blew Luislu out the back...and that helped Tuens too ...There was no one to chase Yates and if they were there they would have been strong enough for a top place themselves ??
Working for someone is trotted out all the time as some how going to give the leader better legs. KIrby is always trotting it out without a clue ....But unless you are riding tempo , placing arider into a climb where positioning is key or chasing an attacker ..what is there to do exactly if another team is doing the necessary to drop the weaker leaders ?? All you have to do is follow wheels

Not one rider from BMC today could have improved Tuens second place. Yates was the strongest

Today no but BMC could have had a team to get him there based on today but they invested in tejay again and a hiding to nothing with Nico in a break.

MPFGLB

Deleted User wrote: »

Today no but BMC could have had a team to get him there based on today but they invested in tejay again and a hiding to nothing with Nico in a break.

Yes there is a case for making Tuens the leader but BMC are wedded to TJ and again next week he will be the leader at Catalunya

I think Tunes has made a case though for being a leader from now in several races.But BMC were all in for TJ from the start of Paris NIce

Dont think Nico would have been of much help...he is carrying weight and current form on the climbs is not great...

irishrover99

MPFGLB wrote: »

Dont think Nico would have been of much help...he is carrying weight and current form on the climbs is not great...

Their was a shot of nico riding out of the saddle just as he was been caught by the peloton and I immediately noticed his belly.

I seem to remember him been the same at the start of last season.
I wonder if he is as committed in the off season as he used to be and how many seasons he has left.
He must be realising now that he's never going to lead a team or get a good crack at a GT overall when even now they put him supporting TJ who's never going to win anything major.

MPFGLB

irishrover99 wrote: »

Their was a shot of nico riding out of the saddle just as he was been caught by the peloton and I immediately noticed his belly.

I seem to remember him been the same at the start of last season.
I wonder if he is as committed in the off season as he used to be and how many seasons he has left.
He must be realising now that he's never going to lead a team or get a good crack at a GT overall when even now they put him supporting TJ who's never going to win anything major.

Yes indeed one would ask how committed he is in the off season but then his off season was very short and he said he is a month behind and targetting the Giro. Finds it hard to get to form early

I do think the older he is getting the harder it is ...but he is usually good in second part of the season

There was talk here or elsewhere, maybe someone linked to an interview Nico did but I recall weight in early season being mentioned and it taking a while to get to race shape in the year.

Weepsie

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There was talk here or elsewhere, maybe someone linked to an interview Nico did but I recall weight in early season being mentioned and it taking a while to get to race shape in the year.

It's a shame he doesn't have asthma. Would take care of that weight issue no problem

Race looks like its on in a big way from the CN ticker. Hurry up and be 12:30 Eurosport.

Eurosport have the wrong commentary stream up

Boscoirl

Alaphilippe was leading with an Astana rider but has spectacularly blown up. Caught by the yellow jersey group and straight out the back

MPFGLB

Boscoirl wrote: »

Alaphilippe was leading with an Astana rider but has spectacularly blown up. Caught by the yellow jersey group and straight out the back

Allaphillipe has really blown his top 10 today

He seems an all or nothing guy

MPFGLB

Weepsie wrote: »

It's a shame he doesn't have asthma. Would take care of that weight issue no problem

Yes...a bit of sambutomal would have worked wonders for him

Wow Soler appears back behind De La Cruz. Hadn't been shown for ages.

Boscoirl

Disaster for Bahrain

Unreal excitement

MPFGLB

Marc Soler is a great talent ...that boy can climb

He was my pick this year for the one to watch in the Cycling Mole cycling game and looks like he is going to live up to expectation and then some

He has real determinationa and motivation