Cycling thread

Walken said:
Really ruined the tour for me with Nibali being forced out, and by a camera strap from the spectator, another lucky break for team murdoch.

I thought Nibali was looking strong enough to challenge, and as my favourite rider that's a gut punch, herculean effort from the great man to get back within 13 seconds, but after he gave up the giro to prepare for the tdf that is a real sickener
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Have to comment on the irony of you calling out Sky's patronage whilst seeming to give the fact that Nibali's team are a plaything of the Bahrain royal family and their enormous rap sheet of human rights abuses. They're an okay owner apparently :lol:

Anyway, it's a shame that Nibali has been forced out, that whole hill is an accident waiting to happen. It's not even a nice hill imo, much nicer/tougher ones available.
 
Xylophène said:
It was just at the beginning of the barriers.
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Hard to be too critical, but I do wonder how much it helped Nibali to be manhandled to his feet like he was. Wise after the fact and all, but if he had a spine related injury then it can't have helped. He looked in visible discomfort as he was being 'helped' to his feet. Gutsy ride from him to even finish the stage.
 
arminisgod said:
ah.... amazing that it took the dominant rider from the dominant team to prove the test isn't fit for purpose.

Almost conveniant isnt it?
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The progress of analytical science marches on, thanks in no small part to Professors Brailsford and Froome :)

Thought you were swerving the Tour in any case? It's like our upcoming 38 games aren't enough, you want to fume at the Tour de France on top of that.
 
Black Belt Jones said:
The progress of analytical science marches on, thanks in no small part to Professors Brailsford and Froome :)

Thought you were swerving the Tour in any case? It's like our upcoming 38 games aren't enough, you want to fume at the Tour de France on top of that.
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I watched yesterday's stage and nothing else. Only because i was bored at my desk so put it on.

The state on Quintana yesterday... he and Betancaur must be enjoying the Aijaco and Quilmes by the barrel load back home.
 
See Tom Dumoulin is currently 7-1 whilst G is more like 1.5-1 [Froome is evens]. I'm not much of a gambler, but isn't that the definition of a value bet? Like I think Froome will win, but I'd be more surprised if G won than Tom D - seems a v long price relative to G who is totally unproven leading a GT race into the third week.

TT is fairly short and hilly, though - Dumoulin and Froome won't be crushing the field like they might on something flatter.
 
Bruce Wayne said:
Have to comment on the irony of you calling out Sky's patronage whilst seeming to give the fact that Nibali's team are a plaything of the Bahrain royal family and their enormous rap sheet of human rights abuses. They're an okay owner apparently :lol:

Anyway, it's a shame that Nibali has been forced out, that whole hill is an accident waiting to happen. It's not even a nice hill imo, much nicer/tougher ones available.
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Further irony would be your own desperate defence of all things sky in here, my hypocrisy at least ends with my support of nibali
 
Gianni Moscon is putting a nice palmares together - binned off the tour yesterday for throwing digs, putting his team a man down when they're leading the race, accused of deliberately causing a serious crash to a fellow professional last year, as the rider (Reichenbach) was involved as a witness to Moscon racially abusing another rider in a previous race! State of the lad.

Rest day today ahead of a fascinating last few days. Have to say G is looking really, really good but there's that uncertainty of can he see it through, esp if Froome is peaking for week 3 as he has done before. Dumoulin looks in great shape but is unlikely to ride away from those two - needs a wobble from G and then to take it on the test.
 
He comes across as bit dopey doesn't he? I mean the video showed it was handbags, but still it's such a stupid thing to do. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow we didn't see Sky blast it on the first climb to thin out the peleton significantly, and then Froome attacks on the second, leaving Dumoulin to have to chase him on his own. Thomas can then sit on and jump him towards the end or follow any others that decide to do likewise. No one behind TD will help with the chase as he's so much better than everyone else in the TT, so it would be the Finestre all over again.
 
Surely with 2 proper stages remaining Thomas is the protected rider? Would be a huge risk to back the man ten seconds ahead of Dumoulin
 
sbbefc said:
Surely with 2 proper stages remaining Thomas is the protected rider? Would be a huge risk to back the man ten seconds ahead of Dumoulin
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As I said yesterday, the smart tactic is to go hard early tomorrow to wittle the field down to the leaders, and then for Froome to go on the second climb so that Dumoulin is forced to chase. Froome then has the chance to gain time, Dumoulin will take up a lot of energy chasing, and Thomas can jump him towards the end.

No one behind TD will help him as he'll take big time out of them in the TT so the key has to be to isolate him and get him chasing hard.
 
Bruce Wayne said:
As I said yesterday, the smart tactic is to go hard early tomorrow to wittle the field down to the leaders, and then for Froome to go on the second climb so that Dumoulin is forced to chase. Froome then has the chance to gain time, Dumoulin will take up a lot of energy chasing, and Thomas can jump him towards the end.

No one behind TD will help him as he'll take big time out of them in the TT so the key has to be to isolate him and get him chasing hard.
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I see the logic in that, but isn't the safe bet to sky train the whole stage? Dumoulin will have to attack regardless.
 

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