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Originally Posted by PickleB
Great move from Sky. What’s next? Helpers are not allowed anymore to hand out water - even to riders of another team (like near Roubaix when a Moviestar assistent handed water to a Lotto-Jumbo rider)
That should silence the lambs
Great day
RIAC
Great move from Sky. What’s next? Helpers are not allowed anymore to hand out water - even to riders of another team (like near Roubaix when a Moviestar assistent handed water to a Lotto-Jumbo rider)
Been watching it on ITV4 there are some many adverts every 5 mins
I agree, they cut to an advert when the main group were starting up d'Huez today! It's Eurosport for me from now on.
F.T.F.A.
I’ve been glued to this…. Best race today….
Amazing from Thomas, but, Froome is still the man IMO…
I think this will be the last one for Froome, and for the record I see him winning short of a crash
RIAC
Great win for G.
Gotta love his humility in the post race interviews 👍
Or someone pushing him off his bike. The guy who tried today fortunately didn’t succeed.
It was superb when he was struggling a little for words and after a seconds pause said, “Alpe d’Huez, man.”
Last edited by benny.c; 19th July 2018 at 22:20.
So if he wins he'll be one of five men who've won it five times.
You don't think he (and Sky) would go all out to see him as the only rider to win it 6 times?
https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tou...e-dhuez_472688
Nibali has broken a bone in his back. In the above link the second clip shops him going down, and getting back on to finish the stage.
If you freeze-frame that clip, it looks like he was taken out by a spectator's camera strap snagging his bars (or brake lever).
Last edited by MakeColdplayHistory; 21st July 2018 at 10:16.
Nibali himself doesn't know why he fell (link): "The road narrowed a lot at that point, there were no barriers and there were two police motorbikes. When Froome accelerated, I followed him, and I felt good, too, but then there was this slowing down, and I went down. I don't even know what happened myself," he said.
But the video seems to support the suggestion that he snagged a spectator's camera strap, @ 4m00s in this link.
So after Froome is spat at, pushed (more than once) and has 'fluid' thrown at him, Christian Prudhomme of the Amaury Sports Organisation, has called for calm.
On the day that L'Equipe (owned by Éditions Amaury) said that “when you wear the jersey of the British team, suspicion is as contagious as herpes”.
One half of the organisation might have more chance of running a safe event if the other half wasn't fuelling the fires.
Panem and circenses
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Someone over on road.cc took some grabs from the video, and this one was immediately prior to falling. He seems not near enough to the fans to catch anything or be pushed. The frame does seem to show something (a flag?) catching in his back wheel?
https://road.cc/content/news/245422-...x-pros-journey
Superb ITV4 highlights programme on the rest day tonight. I particularly like David Millar's resume. His insight is second to none. Looking forward to Wednesday's stage in particular. Could blow the GC out of the water.
I'm supposed to be studying right now and with this Summer of sport it's very difficult. Loving the TdF this year but I will be glad when it's over so I can concentrate!! The final week will be fascinating.
It's going to come down to the 65k stage tomorrow and whether Sky can get their train organised before a decent sized attack with Roglic or Tommy Windmills gets away (I suspect Sky will be fine), or Friday's monster stage before the TT. Friday could be where Froome makes up his time on Geraint.
Just turned on...race neutralised at 29 km. Someone sprayed riders with something. TV is suggesting that the Police, in trying to remove / control some protesters decided to use their pepper spray / mace and the wind blew it onto the race...and the policeman.
Last edited by MakeColdplayHistory; 24th July 2018 at 14:18.
WowowowoWOW!!!! What a dive over the wall. We are REAL worried. Could be nothing could be uffff.
Right he got over the wall, thumbs up and off he went.
Looks at the blood, shakes his bike and goes down to business.
He deserves the prize of the tough bloke of the day.
From the BBC feed:
Thankfully, Philippe Gilbert is OK.
The Belgian climbed back up onto the wall and was seen to by doctors.
He's back up and riding now, giving a thumbs up to the TV cameras.
Gilbert's crash
A very enjoyable spectacle today.
It was obvious that the GC contenders were being startegic for tomorrow but they nevertheless had to ríde to stay together.
Tomorrow cán be a crucial day.
If any of the leaders has the legs the others will need to excert themselves to the max as the stage does not give those with a strong team much of an advantage.
Hardly any flat and 65 kms of tough climbing.
Fingers crossed that the two strong men of Sky do not sew it up so we can have a race till Sunday.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stage. I'm not sure about the 'grid start' in that I reckon most teams will wait 'til they've got everyone they want together before starting to ride. It would be interesting though if someone dangerous went for it from the gun. Noted that Sky kept Bernal in the MJ group today so he's certain to be in the first 20 off the line.
Tomorrow's stage will be fascinating though I believe those with strong teams will benefit as they will fight hard to form up in the first few kms. Of course, some teams will, undoubtedly, try to make forming up difficult for Team Sky. Barring accidents I suspect tomorrow's stage will be decisive as Froome and Thomas are not that far apart when it comes to time-trialing - certainly not 1:39 apart. That said, Tom Dumoulin in no slouch in the time trials. Can't wait for Wednesday's stage.
Last edited by Skier; 24th July 2018 at 21:15.
The race is G’s now.
G for the win in the Tour. Here's hoping. A great stage from him and Team Sky. Nice to see Nairo Quintana win a stage.
Last edited by Skier; 25th July 2018 at 16:44.
Great to see. Is the time trial still to come?
On Saturday. It's only 31km so even though Tom Dumoulin is the World Time Trial champion he's not going to be able to take 2 minutes from G unless he has a major incident.
Last edited by Skier; 25th July 2018 at 18:57.
GC=GT
The only thing Froome can try now is a long solo on Friday, but it looks like he has too much time to get back. It's a fine balancing act as to what anyone tries on Friday with the TT the day after. Whatever, Friday should be a day to savour, with d'Aspin, Tourmalet and d'Aubisque on the menu, amongst others. There's about 39km of ascent in those alone. I really hope GT pulls it off.
Of course I'm sure we all know by now that Gilbert had to retire with a broken knee after very gamely finishing the stage. Hardly surprising with a leg looking like this . . .
Wow. Is that even his leg🤔Of course I'm sure we all know by now that Gilbert had to retire with a broken knee after very gamely finishing the stage. Hardly surprising with a leg looking like this . . .
I think GT is looking too strong for Froome to overcome now, I agree Friday is his only chance of winning the Tour now, if he doesn’t decide to put his weight behind Thomas.
I think it will be interesting to see what Dumoulin does from here on in.
Is it at all possible that Sky are aware that commercially speaking Froome isn’t exactly the flag bearer that he used to be, and that the salbutamol controversy was just the proverbial straw in terms of marketing value?
And that after taking note of the public reaction in the Giro (where they tried to be so transparent that they even published their plans) and at the beginning of the Tour, they thought there was merit in getting someone else than Froome to wear the yellow jersey in Paris?
I wonder...
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I doubt it. Everyone in Sky is a target for the French “fans”, even if the maillot jaune isn’t CF.
And when plod pull you from your bike post race, you know it’s not your year....
https://mobile.twitter.com/albertsec...51421888745472
Julian Alaphilippe seems to be really enjoying this tour....
Last edited by benny.c; 25th July 2018 at 23:12.
Such cowardice acts, they know the cyclist cannot retaliate. Idiots.
The crowd have behaved in a disgusting manner but some people are just born angry, I think Froome has had alot of pressure like any returning champion and more so min a sport which has excessive suspicions based on the events of past but to say that you enjoy a cycle race and take the time to attend only to spit and verbally abuse a rider is the not sporting at all.
RIAC
G might just win this but then I was sure the other Yates was going to win the Giro.
Amazing stage today. What a descent from Roglic to take the stage. I think Thomas and Froome will be thanking Egan Bernal in a big way; quite amazing for someone just 21 years of age.
Go GT!
Yeah, all went according to plan for Thomas. I'm not sure Froome will have enough tomorrow to put himself back on the podium but at least it will be an interesting time trial for once. Dumoulin's 2nd is even under threat.
If Froome is on his game and could turn that anger from the crowd into positive energy he maybe, just maybe would nail and go down in cycling history but in reality he’s had it tough and fear he may just make a marginal gain finishing 4th overall
RIAC
Great to read that Peter Sagan made the cut-off time for today's stage. He's about to win a record equalling 6th green jersey and will, no doubt, pull a wheelie at some point tomorrow.
Tomorrow's ITT will be interesting for those fighting for 2nd, 3rd and 4th i.e. Dumoulin, Roglic and Frrome. G would have to have a shocker, crash or multiple mechanicals to lose.
That young lad Bernal has had a very impressive first tour, Sky will want to get him on a good contract, he could well be a serious contender in a couple of years.
J
Froome doesn’t seem to have had enough the whole tour…. He hasn’t been able to dominate at any point
Most unFroome like
I don’t think he’s been himself either.
Mind you, he’s not had the ideal prep for a grand tour, what with the uncertainty around whether he’d even be allowed to take part, coming off the back of a Giro win, the crash early on that cost him 51 seconds, and the usual circus and vitriol that goes along with being a Team Sky athlete.
Nobody stays at the top forever of course, especially in cycling, but I don’t think he’s finished yet and the spotlight swinging always from him for a while will probably be a good thing.
I’d like to see him have a good time trial today and at least get a podium, but he’s already had a good year.
I’m thinking the same, even if Froome wins it would always have an asterisk next to it, so why not let G win, give him a reward for years of dedication then next year re asses and decide who leads the teamIs it at all possible that Sky are aware that commercially speaking Froome isn’t exactly the flag bearer that he used to be, and that the salbutamol controversy was just the proverbial straw in terms of marketing value?
And that after taking note of the public reaction in the Giro (where they tried to be so transparent that they even published their plans) and at the beginning of the Tour, they thought there was merit in getting someone else than Froome to wear the yellow jersey in Paris?
I wonder...
One thing is a fact, nothing happens at sky by accident
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A good ride by Froome so far. Heart in mouth with that little lock-up by Thomas
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