Froome beat Evans by 1m7s, but Evans still in 2nd spot. Gutsy from Cuddles there.
Tour De France 2012
- Thread starter davek
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Wiggins wins by 35seconds, so took 1m42 out of Evans!! That's amazing.
1m53 lead now for Wiggins, with Froome up into 3rd spot, with a 16s lead over Nibali.
1m53 lead now for Wiggins, with Froome up into 3rd spot, with a 16s lead over Nibali.
davek
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Oooof! Wiggins gets off the bike and looks fresh as a daisy! With another one of those TTs to come Evans is going to have to mug Wiggins in a couple of mountain top finishes. If I was Froome, I'd be hoping exactly that happened: Evans puits in a few digs and blows Wiggins away and he's left to go catch him up and snatches time back from Wiggins too. Looking unlikely at this stage though.
Really looking like Sky's to lose now. You can easily see Wiggins/Froome taking the same time in the final time trial as well, so Evans is going to need 3 minutes on Wiggins over the mountains. Just can't see it.
Worth remembering that Wiggins/Froome would have won the Vuelta last year if there had been 2 time trials rather than just 1, and that route was much hillier than the Tour one.
Worth remembering that Wiggins/Froome would have won the Vuelta last year if there had been 2 time trials rather than just 1, and that route was much hillier than the Tour one.
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
Just listening on the radio, and apparently Chris Boardman won the first olympic gold for GB 20 years ago in Barcelona, and we have never won the Tour. Now we are arguably the dominant cycling nation in the world, when you take into account the mens & womens showing at the last olympics, and hopefully this years also, plus the achievements over the last few years on the road.
Just shows what a bit of cash, a lot of planning, and a deep well of talent can achieve.
Just shows what a bit of cash, a lot of planning, and a deep well of talent can achieve.
steken1
Player Valuation: £70m
What you do today, you pay for tomorrow on the tour. Wiggins and Froome will do well to maintain that type of devastating performance over the mountains.
Will be interesting to see this develop and how Evans responds. He will need to make a big statement in the mountains.
Will be interesting to see this develop and how Evans responds. He will need to make a big statement in the mountains.
Given that both Wiggins and Froome beat Cancellara and Tony Martin here today, you have to think the odds of a gold medal in the Olympic time trial have to be decent as well. A medal certainly. Heady days indeed.
Of course I've been this excited by performances before, and almost to a man those performances haven't been done on barley water alone. Everything suggests that these are just outstanding efforts, I really hope they are.
Of course I've been this excited by performances before, and almost to a man those performances haven't been done on barley water alone. Everything suggests that these are just outstanding efforts, I really hope they are.
davek
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Rest day tomorrow. It looks like the Tour route and schedule has been chosen by SKY!
I tend to agree with you, though, there has to be an almighty effort from Evans at some point, either in the Alps later this week, or the Pyrenees (where the bulk of this year's Tour ascents are).
steken1
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I'm wondering if Evans is allowing them to build a lead early hoping they try to make a decisive attack early in the mountains and they push too hard so he can break their spirit later on.
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
I think you speak for everyone on that Bruce. I am a late convert to cycling, due to the wholesale use of stuff over the years, but I really could not believe that these guys are being, *cough"*, enhanced, with the spotlight so obviously on the sport these days. I really, really, hope that we are correct, and it is talent/dedication/coaching that is the difference.
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
SKY put out a big statement on Saturday when they went like a train up the last 3km of that tough mountain stage. I'm sure SKY have got this worked out every which way, and it looks to be there for the losing for Wiggins. But you cant legislate for good and bad days in the mountains, and riders can lose 3 minutes in one afternoon. I can imagine other teams well out of the picture as far as a Tour win is concerned will now be looking to salvage matters going all out for stage wins in the mountains and launching big attacks. That'll need SKY to be spot on in getting Wiggins to cope with the injections of pace he seemed to suffer from in last years Vuelta.
steken1
Player Valuation: £70m
I only really start watching once they get into the mountains. Wiggins has never looked outstanding on big climbs on the tour IMO and as you say froome could end up de facto team principle. Evans has done the hard yards so to speak but team sky have the better team IMO.
I can't see Wiggins losing enough time in the mountains. The whole Sky preperation this year has been to get the domestiques to set a high tempo on the climbs because that's what Wiggins can do well, and it discourages attacks. If there was a Schleck or Contador in contention then it'd still be up for grabs, but I've never seen Evans attack and distance leading riders in the mountains, and neither have I seen Nibali or Menchov do it either.
For me the only leading contender Wiggins has to fear is Froome as he's the only one that's shown he can put big attacks in in the mountains.
For me the only leading contender Wiggins has to fear is Froome as he's the only one that's shown he can put big attacks in in the mountains.
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
Fair comment. Evans doesn't have that explosive climbing ability that can unsettle Wiggins. However, others in the peleton will be attacking constantly. It's ok having a great team around you but Wiggins had a good team around him in the Vuelta last year and still cracked on Angliru. Maybe Evans will withstand the onslaught better. Someone like Schleck could cause havoc for SKY and Wiggins.
That's the nature of the Angliru though. It's so steep, and you subsequently go so slow, that having team-mates around you doesn't many any difference. There's no drafting benefits to be had, it's just man on man. I don't think the Tour has anything really to compare to the steep beasts they like in the Giro or Vuelta.
It's worth remembering too how Basso and Nibali gave Evans a working over on the Mortirolo in the 2010 Giro, so I'm not sure he's really any better on the steep stuff than Wiggins. Has to be remembered, that for all of his gutsy riding last year, for the most part Tommy Voekler was staying with Evans on the climbs, and I'm sure if TV can then Wiggins can.
It's worth remembering too how Basso and Nibali gave Evans a working over on the Mortirolo in the 2010 Giro, so I'm not sure he's really any better on the steep stuff than Wiggins. Has to be remembered, that for all of his gutsy riding last year, for the most part Tommy Voekler was staying with Evans on the climbs, and I'm sure if TV can then Wiggins can.
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