Tour de France 2018 - General Thread

coco0981 · 02-07-2018 9:59pm

Porte 2nd favourite at 4/1, would like to see him finally do it in a grand tour. Think he can if he stays upright

Barguil is 325/1, he shouldn't have moved!!!!

02-07-2018 11:04pm

RobertKK wrote: »

I wish they would do away with all this crap of protecting the leader, when the leader of the race has a problem, it should be treated as a race and none of these crap made up rules by the riders where they wait for the leader.
I know support this here, but it annoys me.

Be interesting to see the appetite in the bunch now for this craic if froome has an issue this year. I recall Aru wanting to attack last year and Porte and the others sat up.

Hopefully it's a case of froome has a flat? Allez allez!!!!!!

CramCycle · 02-07-2018 11:12pm

RobertKK wrote: »

I wish they would do away with all this crap of protecting the leader, when the leader of the race has a problem, it should be treated as a race and none of these crap made up rules by the riders where they wait for the leader.
I know support this here, but it annoys me.

This protecting the leader rubbish is relatively new and I don't like it, life is sh1t sometimes. If you crashed in front of me, I'd ride over your corpse to place in a local club league. There are no friends in racing.

(Poetic license used)

Boscoirl · 02-07-2018 11:16pm

That grid thing looks stupid

Sprinter Sacre · 02-07-2018 11:25pm

CramCycle wrote: »

This protecting the leader rubbish is relatively new and I don't like it, life is sh1t sometimes. If you crashed in front of me, I'd ride over your corpse to place in a local club league. There are no friends in racing.

(Poetic license used)

Just like when Katusha and Astana drilled it on the Mortirolo when Contador had a problem at the Giro a few years back. That resulted in one of the best displays of climbing in the modern era.

I think it was Cancellara who popularised the whole respectful nonsense. Another reason to say good riddance to that clown.

Macy0161 · 03-07-2018 8:34am

The waiting for even punctures (unless it's a tacks on the road incident) drives me nuts. Equipment is a choice teams/ riders make. Super light tyres are more likely to puncture; chain catchers add weight, electronic gears have battery issues etc etc. All have other more robust options, if the riders wanted to minimise the chances of issues.

My opinion is, given the number of issues they seem to have, Sky push this to the limit and don't have to face any consequences because of the mard arse opposition.

odyssey06 · 03-07-2018 9:07am

Macy0161 wrote: »

The waiting for even punctures (unless it's a tacks on the road incident) drives me nuts. Equipment is a choice teams/ riders make. Super light tyres are more likely to puncture; chain catchers add weight, electronic gears have battery issues etc etc. All have other more robust options, if the riders wanted to minimise the chances of issues.
My opinion is, given the number of issues they seem to have, Sky push this to the limit and don't have to face any consequences because of the mard arse opposition.

I can understand the "not attacking" etiquette if there's a crash or external incident, but as you note, mechanicals are something the teams have control over in their choice of equipment, therefore waiting on a mechanical makes no sense on a sporting level.

Macy0161 · 03-07-2018 9:21am

odyssey06 wrote: »

I can understand the "not attacking" etiquette if there's a crash or external incident, but as you note, mechanicals are something the teams have control over in their choice of equipment, therefore waiting on a mechanical makes no sense on a sporting level.

Even a crash they're selective. No one sat up for Porte or Dan? In San Remo, no one sat up for Cavendish.

If you take the wrong line on a corner, or are rubbish on pave, that's in the riders control. A mass pile up when pretty hard to determine who was at fault maybe, but all other crashes that are just within (i.e. not caused by someone external) the race should be fair game imo. For example, Thomas slid out on a roundabout in last years tour - would be ridiculous to wait for someone who overcooked a bit of road furniture. No doubt the skybots and sky fanboys would have a good whinge based on that gobshíte David Millars ITV commentary though.

Brian? · 03-07-2018 10:29am

Sprinter Sacre wrote: »

Just like when Katusha and Astana drilled it on the Mortirolo when Contador had a problem at the Giro a few years back. That resulted in one of the best displays of climbing in the modern era.

I think it was Cancellara who popularised the whole respectful nonsense. Another reason to say good riddance to that clown.

It wasn’t Cancellara. It predated him by a long way.

It’s been in cycling since I started watching in the mid 80s. It’s always been bollocks.

CramCycle · 03-07-2018 11:03am

Brian? wrote: »

It wasn’t Cancellara. It predated him by a long way.

It’s been in cycling since I started watching in the mid 80s. It’s always been bollocks.

Maybe my memory is fecked but I can't remember it long before the late nineties. Looking at races from before I was born though, no one waited, if you went down your opposition would speed up.

Hurrache · 03-07-2018 11:25am

I'm sure it was around long before Cancellara too, certainly I remember occurrences of it in the early 90s, if not the late 80s.

ednwireland · 03-07-2018 12:31pm

stage 17 going to be the most interesting for me, how many people dressed as inhalers can you fit on 3 climbs

coco0981 · 03-07-2018 12:39pm

How not to do a tour preview article

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/cycling/tour-de-france-2018-guide-12815139.amp?__twitter_impression=true

It's been edited, look here instead
http://amp.timeinc.net/cyclingweekly/news/latest-news/the-mirror-has-tried-to-write-a-tour-de-france-preview-and-its-the-best-thing-youll-read-today-384881?source=dam&__twitter_impression=true

Macy0161 · 03-07-2018 12:39pm

Cancellara was more about neutralising stages that Fran and Mandy Schleck weren't able for rather than waiting for leaders.

neris · 03-07-2018 1:43pm

coco0981 wrote: »

How not to do a tour preview article

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/cycling/tour-de-france-2018-guide-12815139.amp?__twitter_impression=true

It's been edited, look here instead
http://amp.timeinc.net/cyclingweekly/news/latest-news/the-mirror-has-tried-to-write-a-tour-de-france-preview-and-its-the-best-thing-youll-read-today-384881?source=dam&__twitter_impression=true

Wonder what odds the mirror are giving on contador

Lumen · 03-07-2018 1:47pm

coco0981 wrote: »

How not to do a tour preview article

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/cycling/tour-de-france-2018-guide-12815139.amp?__twitter_impression=true

It's been edited, look here instead
http://amp.timeinc.net/cyclingweekly/news/latest-news/the-mirror-has-tried-to-write-a-tour-de-france-preview-and-its-the-best-thing-youll-read-today-384881?source=dam&__twitter_impression=true

Maybe they're syndicating UK Cycling Expert.

funnights74 · 03-07-2018 4:10pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b-06wepv38

Here's an excellent off the ball feature of the Froome case, well worth a watch.

Brian? · 03-07-2018 4:25pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Maybe my memory is fecked but I can't remember it long before the late nineties. Looking at races from before I was born though, no one waited, if you went down your opposition would speed up.

Roche lost the head at Kelly for riding away from him when he was in yellow on the last stage of Paris-Nice. Kelly had his team on the front when the puncture happened, so Kelly maintains he did nothing wrong.

That was 1984. So it must predate that if it was seen as an issue.

Lusk_Doyle · 03-07-2018 6:18pm

Dr. Bre wrote: »

No idea if the cobbles will be exciting.. the year Froome crashed out it was carnage. Then the year after nothing much happened

Nibali could be a good bet for that stage. He laid the smack down to the rest the last time on the cobbles iirc.

jimbobaloobob · 03-07-2018 7:28pm

And yet another year no tour start for Philip Deignan.
Is there many pros who've had a long career and not ridden the biggest race in the world?

buffalo · 03-07-2018 8:59pm

Hadn't heard about Keldermann missing out due to an accident until today:

Team Sunweb have lost Wilco Kelderman to a crash, a plate fixing his collarbone in place got bent in the accident.

yeouch!

jimbobaloobob · 04-07-2018 12:21am

buffalo wrote: »

Hadn't heard about Keldermann missing out due to an accident until today:

yeouch!

When I got mine put in I asked the surgeon if that was possible he said nah very unlikely. That's never good to hear. Hope he makes a speedy recovery.

Macy0161 · 04-07-2018 2:23pm

Macy0161 wrote: »

Ignoring the fact that modern football tactics are far more based on physical fitness, it's also about being less fatigued so make better decisions/ keep concentration better. Saying it could have no impact also ignores the role of recovery, in a season long two game a week schedule.

Sam Wallace adds that Vardy ‘had an injection in his groin’ straight after the game, and is now a doubt for the quarter-final against Sweden.

Doesn't even raise an eyebrow in football...
https://www.football365.com/news/vardy-expected-to-take-fifth-england-penalty-before-injury

Weepsie · 04-07-2018 4:03pm

Macy0161 wrote: »

Doesn't even raise an eyebrow in football...
https://www.football365.com/news/vardy-expected-to-take-fifth-england-penalty-before-injury

Probably due to their being little cloak and dagger about it comparatively speaking.

CramCycle · 04-07-2018 4:58pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Probably due to their being little cloak and dagger about it comparatively speaking.

At this point I would be happier with doping if there was just some honesty about it. The only type of doping that truly annoys me now is motor doping, that for me is the epitome of cheating. Even a doper who wins will suffer doing the Tour or any other major event. And as Ben Johnson said, its not like he was the only one up there at it.

The only other option there being blanket testing with a simple zero tolerance, barring notified TUEs with an independent doctor confirming over the year the necessity of the TUE etc.

Dr. Bre · 04-07-2018 5:11pm

There is probably a doping problem in the likes of football and rugby but there is so much money at stake that there is no appetite to go after them. Cycling has always been a sport that hasn’t had a huge following. It’s barely written about in the media. Unless there is something bad to say

Brian? · 04-07-2018 6:58pm

Dr. Bre wrote: »

There is probably a doping problem in the likes of football and rugby but there is so much money at stake that there is no appetite to go after them. Cycling has always been a sport that hasn’t had a huge following. It’s barely written about in the media. Unless there is something bad to say

Agreed. The tiny number of footballers or rugby players that test positive is all you need to know.

velo.2010 · 04-07-2018 9:29pm

Froome looking super skinny again at the pre-Tour press conference today. According to the Sky release of information, he was 2-3kgs heavier at the Giro then his regular Tour weight. If so, and barring any mishaps, he will have too much power again this year for his rivals.

RobertKK · 04-07-2018 9:41pm

Looks like the weather could be really hot for this years TdF.

retalivity · 04-07-2018 10:43pm

Any velogames boards league setup yet?

Tour de France 2018 - General Thread

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