The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Brighton Mod]

Frome suffered yesterday and today whilst Quintana and Nibali rode away from him and Valverde matched him. looks like he will win by just over a minute. Not really the drug fuelled and massive win indicated by the some parts of he French press.

 

[Triggaaar]

Not really the drug fuelled and massive win indicated by the some parts of he French press.

Basically the opposite. In straight races, he's behind Quintana isn't he?

 

[Stat Brother]

Basically the opposite. In straight races, he's behind Quintana isn't he?

I'll hazard a guess, when the tour route was announced and pawed over in Manchester the first words written on a giant wipe board were:-

'WILL NEED A DECENT LEAD FOR THE LAST WEEK'.

Hindsight says this tour and it's contenders went exactly to plan.

Quintana was always going to have the better of CF in the Alps.
He just didn't have enough in the Pyrenees, making Froome's massive attack all the more justified.

The Giro Tour double is rarely done for a good reason.
Nibabli had it 'easy' last year, ramping up the pressure early just like Froome this year.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Basically the opposite. In straight races, he's behind Quintana isn't he?

Yes, Froome was not the best climber in a race programme built for climbers. He took his chance, defended the jersey and was the best overall rider, a well deserved victory in a very competitive race with a victory margin smaller than Wiggins.

 

[pb21]

Froome takes the polka dot jersey too.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

Quintana certainly looks a future TdF winner,would be the first South American I think?

you'd think they're be some Peruvian out there that could fly up them mountains

why is there so few South Americans in the sport?

Valverde,what is he 35, life in the old dog yet

the last 2 days have been superb

I really have enjoyed this Tour,always thought Froome had it under control,but still,today eh!

brilliant stuff !!!

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

watch out for this fella next year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa22ZInEPGI

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

Very much doubt they will if they've already attacked the Team SKY advance cars, as reported by ITV4. Could get messy.

it's a very French thing,they attack property as opposed to people

look at their strikes,looks very dramatic,but it's just a few hay bales and burning tyres,not exactly the miner's strike

 

[Stat Brother]

Can someone please talk me out of wasting a fiver on Brian Cock'ard for the stage win tomorrow.
Around 40/1 looks very tempting for a mug bet.

 

[Triggaaar]

Can someone please talk me out of wasting a fiver on Brian Cock'ard for the stage win tomorrow.
Around 40/1 looks very tempting for a mug bet.

He's not going to win, you might as well just light a £5 note, the memory will be longer lasting.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 20 result

1 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr 3:17:21
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:18
3 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:41
4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:38
5 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
6 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:01:41
7 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky 0:02:11
8 Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team 0:02:32
9 Wouter Poels (Ned) Team Sky 0:02:50
10 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Lampre-Merida
11 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge 0:03:06

General classification after stage 20

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 81:56:33
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:01:12
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:05:25
4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:08:36
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:09:48
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:10:47
7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing 0:15:14
8 Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:15:39
9 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:16:00
10 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:17:30

 

[Bold Seagull]

So, with all the talk of doping etc. this tour was decided on who was sharpest in not getting caught out by cross winds on stage 2...

 

[pb21]

So, with all the talk of doping etc. this tour was decided on who was sharpest in not getting caught out by cross winds on stage 2...

Time wise perhaps, but that ignores everything that happened afterwards. Who knows the result had that stage not occurred? Froome may have won by more Quintana by less.

 

[Stat Brother]

Tour de France 2015 Stage 21: Sevres - Grand Paris Seine Ouest - Paris Champs-Elysees, 109.5 km





Stats & Facts

The Tour has finished in Paris every single year it has taken place, and on the Champs Elysées every year since 1975.
Of the 40 finishes on the Champs, 34 have been won in a bunch sprint. The exceptions: Meslet (1977), Hinault (1979), Pierce (1987), Seigneur (1994) and Vinokourov (2005). Plus LeMond (1989) in a time trial.
Mark Cavendish has the record of Champs Elysées wins with four. Nobody else has won more than two.
Best country: Belgium with eight wins on the Champs. Italy and France both have five, and the UK and the Netherlands have four.

Prognostication

After a great deal of thought I'm going to say this will end in a sprint.
After considerably less thought I'm still refusing to dismiss Brian Cock'ard.

 

[desprateseagull]

Does any rider have a realistic chance of beating CF today, to take the overall yellow jersey today?

Or is that just not 'cricket', on the last stage..?

 

[Stat Brother]

Does any rider have a realistic chance of beating CF today, to take the overall yellow jersey today?

Or is that just not 'cricket', on the last stage..?

Not cricket.

To attack CF today Quintana will have to do it while Froome is drinking champagne and posing for photographs.
While hoping one of his teammates isn't either the shortest or tallest rider in the race, as he'll be on an ill-fitting bike.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Does any rider have a realistic chance of beating CF today, to take the overall yellow jersey today?

Or is that just not 'cricket', on the last stage..?

It would also take a lot of effort to time trial away on a very flat stage from a peloton that will work for 5 and 6 sprinters teams that want a fast finish and their man to win. If Quintana manages that then he can have win and all the spitting and urine that would come with it.

Lizzie Armisted for La Course today 1-3pm ITV 4

 

[Seasider78]

Bloody hell !

@SkySportsNewsHQ: BREAKING: Police officers open fire on car attempting to crash through barricades on @letour route in Paris. #SSNHQ

 

[1066familyman]

Does any rider have a realistic chance of beating CF today, to take the overall yellow jersey today?

Or is that just not 'cricket', on the last stage..?

Well there is one rider who might just be able to do it.

Rafael Valls is actually super strong at the moment. He's only been riding anonymously all tour so that come today he can be over 3 hours downs on GC thus meaning he'll be allowed in the break on the final day. The fools behind just won't know what's hit them when he solos away to victory, snatching the coverted maillot jaune by just one second thanks to the 10 second bonus on the line for the stage win.
I'm tempted to stick a couple of quid on it. E/W of course, just to cover myself

Oh, and who the hell is Brian Cock'ard anyway?

 

[Stat Brother]

Oh, and who the hell is Brian Cock'ard anyway?

The man who's face will be all over the front of every European news outlet.

While I'm £170 richer.

Yes I did it, I couldn't help myself

A fool and his money, although at least I've been smart enough to save my only bet until the last stage.
As my prognostications clearly show I'd be properly broke if I were chasing my loses, for the last 3 weeks.