Tour De France 2018

duotone

http://inrng.com/2018/07/rest-day-review-annecy/#more-34024

1979

Thanks for putting the links up @duotone ;

duotone

1979 said:

Thanks for putting the links up @duotone ;;

I’m not sure that anyone has been listening/watching the podcasts!  But that website ^ http://www.inrng.com/   Lance mentioned on one of the shows  I thought looked pretty good.  The cycling book reviews interested me straight away. 

littlegreenman

Very much looking forward to tomorrow's first stage in the Alps, and La Course.

Vleuty the obvious favourite for the ladies.

Will be interesting to see how G and Froome stack up on GC after the first proper test. And where Yatesy sits after it. Or if it all blows up and someone else takes them all by surprise.

Glad I have a couple of days off mid-week

guitars4you

littlegreenman said:

Very much looking forward to tomorrow's first stage in the Alps, and La Course.

Vleuty the obvious favourite for the ladies.

Will be interesting to see how G and Froome stack up on GC after the first proper test. And where Yatesy sits after it. Or if it all blows up and someone else takes them all by surprise.

Glad I have a couple of days off mid-week

will interesting to see how Moviestar play it as well - With 3 great GC contenders

crunchman

guitars4you said:

will interesting to see how Moviestar play it as well - With 3 great GC contenders

Surely they have to prioritise Landa.  Quintana is already way back, and will lose another couple of minutes in the time trial.   For me he's already out of contention for the overall GC, barring the wheels falling off for Sky.  Valverde never quite seems to be there at the business end of the big mountain stages.  Even if he manages it on one stage, he doesn't seem able to string 2 or 3 together.

littlegreenman

Great day for GVA, getting in the breakaway to keep the Maillot Jaune for probably the last day this year. With no chance for the GC though, no surprise that Sky let him go.

Tomorrow, as they say, is another day. And likely to be more like the stage expected of today. First mountain-top finish and where I'd imagine the GC guys will really kick off. Question being, who's going to be in the Bosses chairs at Movistar and Sky at the end?

G or Froomey? Landa, Valverde or Quintana? My punt would be Geraint will be leading Froome for now with a wait and see tactic. Movistar will have a definite leader, probably Landa, but how will Nairo and Alejandro deal with that?

If Quintana and Valverde really got behind Mikel and rode as Super-Domestiques then Movistar could very well rival Sky, most of their guys would be team leaders on any other team so that could even things up for a while at least. I'd still not bet against Froome or G for the title though, both will have the measure of Landa for the overall once the Alps, Massif Central, the Pyrenee's and a time trial are done IMO. We'll see though.

Proper drama on La Course today as well. Vleuty proving that it ain't over 'til it's over. 1 second after 112Km! Anyone says women's sport isn't exciting hasn't been following the women's World Tour of late. Valliant effort from the youngster Ludwig as well, star of the very near future.

Vivè La Vleuty!

joneve

Re: the claim of TD's powered back wheel - load of bollocks. It's pretty obvious that he checked his drive train and spun the pedals to make sure everything was in order before getting back on. Happens literally every time someone goes down. 

The free hub's on these high end bikes are ridiculous and the wheels can spin fast and freely for sometimes minutes at a time. 

The fact Armstrong is trying to have an opinion on it is beyond laughable. 

guitars4you

crunchman said:

guitars4you said:

will interesting to see how Moviestar play it as well - With 3 great GC contenders

Surely they have to prioritise Landa.  Quintana is already way back, and will lose another couple of minutes in the time trial.   For me he's already out of contention for the overall GC, barring the wheels falling off for Sky.  Valverde never quite seems to be there at the business end of the big mountain stages.  Even if he manages it on one stage, he doesn't seem able to string 2 or 3 together.

Nothing in Valverde and Landa at this stage - similar time difference to G and Chris - Was it last year Landa did very well supporting Chris and was held back a number of times from attacking - Don't know why, but always had a soft spot for Valverde so would like to see him do well

I suspect Moviestar will send one of them ahead in a break away - This way they don't need to chase at all and can apply pressure on Sky - Obvious tactic really and truth be known we need it to open the race up and stop it becoming 'a sit and watch the Sky train' grind down the rest

crunchman

guitars4you said:

crunchman said:

guitars4you said:

will interesting to see how Moviestar play it as well - With 3 great GC contenders

Surely they have to prioritise Landa.  Quintana is already way back, and will lose another couple of minutes in the time trial.   For me he's already out of contention for the overall GC, barring the wheels falling off for Sky.  Valverde never quite seems to be there at the business end of the big mountain stages.  Even if he manages it on one stage, he doesn't seem able to string 2 or 3 together.

Nothing in Valverde and Landa at this stage - similar time difference to G and Chris - Was it last year Landa did very well supporting Chris and was held back a number of times from attacking - Don't know why, but always had a soft spot for Valverde so would like to see him do well

I suspect Moviestar will send one of them ahead in a break away - This way they don't need to chase at all and can apply pressure on Sky - Obvious tactic really and truth be known we need it to open the race up and stop it becoming 'a sit and watch the Sky train' grind down the rest

Sky don't seem to regard Valverde as a threat.  They have let him go off up the road.  Suggests Landa is the main man.

littlegreenman

Well I guess that answers a lot of questions, for now at least.

guitars4you

G - that was great

Interesting that Valverde was allowed to go on up the road, yet struggled to maintain his position - that will please Sky - It was an obvious move to let one Moviestar rider go ahead, then the other 2 can sit in the peloton and bide their time - Yet Sky now have over 2 mins on Nibali  and over 3 mins on any Moviestar so they can build on that allow it in any break away move that goes ahead of them

My gut feeling is they will allow G to be top man, with Chris sat in the shadows ready to take over if/when G struggles and/or any current 3rd/4th place man puts pressure on them

Didn't see where Yates finished but out the top 10 now

crunchman

Cav didn't make the time cut.  Out of the race.  Wonder if he is done?

guitars4you

crunchman said:

Cav didn't make the time cut.  Out of the race.  Wonder if he is done?

and Kittel

Can't see DD retaining him for next year - not sure what contract he has left - but DD has had a poor couple of years - Not just Cav - DD will need to re-build - If so where does Cav go and who needs him - My suspicion is back on the track for  a final hope of gold in 2020

duotone

I was happy seeing Geraint get the yellow jersey...will have to catch the highlights on ITV4 I’m recording.

it sounds like an interesting day

 Stage 10 Podcast
https://youtu.be/mfRKyMeR3a8

joneve

Just finished the highlights. Incredible ride by Thomas. I really hope they let G take lead here with Froome as their back up plan. He deserves a shot after the years of service he’s given to Froome.

guitars4you

crunchman said:

Cav didn't make the time cut.  Out of the race.  Wonder if he is done?

gutted in many ways but time would always catch up with a sprinter - given me plenty of pleasure watching Cav over the years, rip it up over the last 200/300 metres - loved his attitude etc but had to happen sooner or later

Teetonetal

guitars4you said:

crunchman said:

Cav didn't make the time cut.  Out of the race.  Wonder if he is done?

gutted in many ways but time would always catch up with a sprinter - given me plenty of pleasure watching Cav over the years, rip it up over the last 200/300 metres - loved his attitude etc but had to happen sooner or later

 Cav was so successful early on because he got HTC to be a focused, pro sprinting team. That leadout train was incredible.

Now other teams know what to do plus age has caught up. 

He was the one that drew me to road biking though. Sure it's the same for many others.

guitars4you

Teetonetal said:

 Cav was so successful early on because he got HTC to be a focused, pro sprinting team. That leadout train was incredible.

It has changed so much in such a short time hasn't it - That HTC style lead out train from 10/20 or 30K out, that dominated until Cav was last man standing, has gone from all teams now in all races - Far more open to a degree, with a free for all, over the last 1K, maybe even 500M - Probably more dangerous with weaving and diving - Certainly less predictable

But yes I'm a Cav fan and he has done wonders for the sport - Understand he is very popular in Italy and much of the continent 

axisus

Fabulous day today, so happy for Geraint, amazing ride. I don't think he could win overall but I sure would love it if he did