The Official 104th Tour de France thread

Pogue Mahone · Jul 22, 2017

Triggaaar said:
Yes I know how it works. But because Sky were favourites and always leading, the onus was always on them to be at the front, and it's not like Bardet etc had no teammates.

.

Absolutely. But Froome had several teammates who should by rights be team leaders in the Tour. Sky's deep pockets hoovers up too much of the talent.

Not the case with AG2R or Astana.

So Bardet's and Aru's teammates, repeatedly, could not keep up with the unremittingly high pace, leaving them isolated.

Stat Brother · Jul 22, 2017

Pogue Mahone said:
It'll be lovely if you're right.

It would have been interesting to have seen how BMC and Porte would have done this year, and Quintana should never have doubled up with the Giro. He was a shadow of the rider we've seen, and the lack of Valverde didn't help.

Personally, I hope that Estaban Chaves can return to full fitness and become a contender. I love the Orica team, and with him and the Yates, who knows? Also, a friend's son rides for Orica - he rode the TdF last year. He has turned down better paid opportunities at other teams as he loves it there so much.

Forget Quintana, and let's be honest is anyone surprised about Porte? but other than that you're spot on.

So next season's tour could have:-

Bardet + team
Chaves + team
Uran + a bag of spanners
Dumoulin + team or meltdown
Landa + ?
Martin + a leadout train :shrug:

Sky didn't exactly have it all there own way this time, despite what posters will have you believe :wink:

, while much of the above is down to Sky's influence on the race.

Pogue Mahone · Jul 22, 2017

Triggaaar said:

He's leaving Sky.

Stat Brother · Jul 22, 2017

Triggaaar said:

He's offski.

Pogue Mahone · Jul 22, 2017

Stat Brother said:
Forget Quintana, and let's be honest is anyone surprised about Porte? but other than that you're spot on.

So next season's tour could have:-

Bardet + team
Chaves + team
Uran + a bag of spanners
Dumoulin + team or meltdown
Landa + ?
Martin + a leadout train

Well...Porte's chances were talked up enormously this year.

But no, it wasn't a surprise.

Why do you say 'Forget Quintana'? Do you think he's finished?

Triggaaar · Jul 22, 2017

Pogue Mahone said:
Absolutely. But Froome had several teammates who should by rights be team leaders in the Tour. Sky's deep pockets hoovers up too much of the talent.

If Froome was in AG2R, and Bardet was in Sky, who do you think would have won the tour? Well, apart from Landa that is. Bardet wouldn't have beaten Froome.

So Bardet's and Aru's teammates, repeatedly, could not keep up with the unremittingly high pace, leaving them isolated.

I know they were isolated, but Bardet didn't get left behind at any stage. In fact, he beat Chris over the tour except for the time-trials.

Triggaaar · Jul 22, 2017

Pogue Mahone said:
He's leaving Sky.

Stat Brother said:
He's offski.

I thought you were talking about this year's tour.

Pogue Mahone said:
Why do you say 'Forget Quintana'? Do you think he's finished?

Is he having a really bad time trial?

Stat Brother · Jul 22, 2017

Pogue Mahone said:
Well...Porte's chances were talked up enormously this year.

But no, it wasn't a surprise.

Why do you say 'Forget Quintana'? Do you think he's finished?

I've never taken to The Shadow, in much the same mould as Aru, he can duff up the also rans but doesn't have 'it' to take on the big dogs.

Pogue Mahone · Jul 22, 2017

Triggaaar said:
If Froome was in AG2R, and Bardet was in Sky, who do you think would have won the tour? Well, apart from Landa that is. Bardet wouldn't have beaten Froome.
.

Good question.

I don't know the answer! But I think the odds on a Froome victory would have been substantially higher.

Stat Brother · Jul 22, 2017

Triggaaar said:
I thought you were talking about this year's tour.

This year's tour - That's so yesterday's news.

I blame 1066 kicking off about Sky!

Stat Brother · Jul 22, 2017

Triggaaar said:
If Froome was in AG2R, and Bardet was in Sky, who do you think would have won the tour? Well, apart from Landa that is. Bardet wouldn't have beaten Froome.

I know they were isolated, but Bardet didn't get left behind at any stage. In fact, he beat Chris over the tour except for the time-trials.

Which is where Froome would have easily won.
He'd have sat on Bardet's wheel for 3 weeks, then won today, about a week after 1066's head exploded.

Although if the switcheroo had happened early enough we'd have just finished watching the first GT with 0 kms of time trialling.

Tyrone Biggums · Jul 22, 2017

Pogue Mahone said:
Personally, I hope that Estaban Chaves can return to full fitness and become a contender. I love the Orica team, and with him and the Yates, who knows? Also, a friend's son rides for Orica - he rode the TdF last year. He has turned down better paid opportunities at other teams as he loves it there so much.

Nieve is off to Orica so that will add much needed help to their GC riders.

Pogue Mahone · Jul 22, 2017

Triggaaar said:
I thought you were talking about this year's tour.

Is he having a really bad time trial?

Triggaaar · Jul 22, 2017

Stat Brother said:
Which is where Froome would have easily won.
He'd have sat on Bardet's wheel for 3 weeks, then won today, about a week after 1066's head exploded.

That's basically what I'd imagine. He might have even had to tactically throw the first stage to so that he wasn't in yellow for the whole tour.

Although if the switcheroo had happened early enough we'd have just finished watching the first GT with 0 kms of time trialling.

Indeed

Stat Brother · Jul 22, 2017

With only 2 actual sprinters left in the race, Boohoo is still 12/1 to win tomorrow.

Licence to print money.

I bet he's shorter odds to come 8th lol.

Stat Brother · Jul 23, 2017

Lots of stadium ticket analysis here:-

[tweet]888840712346890242[/tweet]

Sounds like a bit of a cock up from all concerned.

Hamilton · Jul 23, 2017

Jesus wept, we Brits are a funny bunch.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if Sky were a mega-bucks French outfit and Thibaut Pinot was wrapping up his fourth victory today, there would be bunting in every French rue and no hand-wringing over how bad it all was for cycling.

Motogull · Jul 23, 2017

Hamilton said:
You can bet your bottom dollar that if Sky were a mega-bucks French outfit and Thibaut Pinot was wrapping up his fourth victory today, there would be bunting in every French rue and no hand-wringing over how bad it all was for cycling.

Well, it is their effing event. And the second biggest annual show on earth.

So will it be a poor man's sprint title today? The winner can hardly celebrate knowing that the competition was decimated.

franks brother · Jul 23, 2017

https://www.pscp.tv/richard_conway/1rmGPqdZyPZJN?t=17
Tour de France - Sunday paper review from Paris and brighton get a mention as the cooles club in england at about 1min 20 in

Stat Brother · Jul 23, 2017

Hamilton said:
Jesus wept, we Brits are a funny bunch.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if Sky were a mega-bucks French outfit and Thibaut Pinot was wrapping up his fourth victory today, there would be bunting in every French rue and no hand-wringing over how bad it all was for cycling.

Crap isn't it.

You'd think the team was made up of 9 of the very best cyclists in the world, but that couldn't be further from the truth:-

- When Rowe and Knees were pressured they caved.
- G had a customary whoopsie.
- Henao never once got his nose in the wind, irrespective where they put him in the train.
- Nieve didn't fair much better.
- Kiryienka did the same job he's done in his last 7 Grand Tours.

Basically Froome and Landa placed because Kwiatkowski was better than nearly 200 riders.

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