Le Tour

antipodean

Good thing Quintana was saving himself for the third week...

Cookie

Yeah, I think Quintana's race is run - be good to see Porte leapfrog him for a podium. Ideally I'd love Yates to win it, obv. won't happen but if he got in top 3 with Porte then happy days. GB road cycling team for Rio includes Froome, Thomas, Stannard, Cummins, Yates - some strength in depth there.

Chris B.

George Bennett has got in the early break away today! Looks like quite a strong group.

hydro11

Hard to beat those guys. Even just being in the break is good for Bennett's name recognition.

SammyC

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="599018" data-time="1469186097">
George Bennett has got in the early break away today! Looks like quite a strong group.</blockquote>
 
Good stage for Bennett too, hope he goes well

Chris B.

Astana spoiling the break today by chasing early.
 
One of those strange and slightly pointless tactics that almost never become clear.

Chris B.

I foolishly watched this (my parents know George's parents, so I'm especially interested to see how he gets on).
 
George did alright - the breakaway group eventually got caught by the elite of the peleton on the downhill valley before the final climb. It was raining and it was carnage - about 20 people crashed (including Froome and Mollima) and unfortunately George got taken out by someone who came off in front of him. Disappointingly didn't get to see how he stood up trying to climb against the top guys. I guess he sat up a bit after the crash and ended up about 50th on the stage.

mariner4life

So a guy dominates the whole race without any real challenge, despite crashing twice. And still strong in week 3. Hmmmmmm

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="599640" data-time="1469316856">
<div>
So a guy dominates the whole race without any real challenge, despite crashing twice. And still strong in week 3. Hmmmmmm
</div>
</blockquote>
 
With Dumoulin probably breaking his wrist, Froome's going to be the favourite to win the Olympic time trial, and he's got the power to weight ratio to stick with the best climbers.
 
If he's not doping then he's certainly a marvel.

SammyC

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="599640" data-time="1469316856">
So a guy dominates the whole race without any real challenge, despite crashing twice. And still strong in week 3. Hmmmmmm</blockquote>
 
Not only that, final climb of the tour and pretty much his whole team are in the group fighting it out with the other main tour contenders.... 
Call me sceptical

hydro11

Froome is a great cyclist. He gained most of the time in the time trials and then won on a descent. He never really had to put in a blistering attack which destroyed his opponents on a climb. Froome would always be up there and no one had a bad day. Poels also seemed to neutralise most of the other attacks. Porte lost time due to misfortune, Quintana was out of form, Nibali rode the Giro, Contador crashed, Yates is young, Mollema was lucky to be up there and only gained time back in the breaks. Bardet is good but not elite. This wasn't like when Armstrong ripped shreds out of everyone. They raced around in France for three weeks and Froome won by four minutes. He was dominant but better cyclists have come before and will come again.

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="599653" data-time="1469321499">
<div>
Not only that, final climb of the tour and pretty much his whole team are in the group fighting it out with the other main tour contenders.... 
Call me sceptical
</div>
</blockquote>
Team Sky just buys fantastic riders.

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="599654" data-time="1469321585">
<div>
Froome is a great cyclist. He gained most of the time in the time trials and then won on a descent. He never really had to put in a blistering attack which destroyed his opponents on a climb. Froome would always be up there and no one had a bad day. Poels also seemed to neutralise most of the other attacks. Porte lost time due to misfortune, Quintana was out of form, Nibali rode the Giro, Contador crashed, Yates is young, Mollema was lucky to be up there and only gained time back in the breaks. Bardet is good but not elite. This wasn't like when Armstrong ripped shreds out of everyone. They raced around in France for three weeks and Froome won by four minutes. He was dominant but better cyclists have come before and will come again.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
He may be and, if so, it is a pity that he's always going to be under the cloud of what has gone before.
 
I don't really like that he's never looked in the slightest bit of trouble in the whole three weeks - maybe a tiny bit the other night when he crashed and had to ride the whole of the final climb on Thomas' bike. And, as above, I don't like that he can dominate both disciplines - TT and climbing. I can't recall anyone previous who was as good at both and didn't later turn out to have been doping. I guess it would be interesting to see some comparative stats on some of his times compared to what Armstrong put up.

mariner4life

Your team having 3 times the budget of nearly everyone else helps. 
It also buys you the best chemists

mariner4life

Regarding no one else having a go. A theory is tje peleton knows what's up, and knows there's no point, so aim for the minors.

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="599664" data-time="1469323376">
<div>
He may be and, if so, it is a pity that he's always going to be under the cloud of what has gone before.
 
I don't really like that he's never looked in the slightest bit of trouble in the whole three weeks - maybe a tiny bit the other night when he crashed and had to ride the whole of the final climb on Thomas' bike. And, as above, I don't like that he can dominate both disciplines - TT and climbing. I can't recall anyone previous who was as good at both and didn't later turn out to have been doping. I guess it would be interesting to see some comparative stats on some of his times compared to what Armstrong put up.
</div>
</blockquote>
I think Merckx was good at both.

antipodean

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="599658" data-time="1469321966">
<div>
Team Sky just buys fantastic riders.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
That's the biggest problem (ignoring Froome's superhuman abilities). The other teams simply aren't strong enough to put Team Sky under sufficient pressure so it becomes a procession.

SammyC

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="599664" data-time="1469323376">
<div>
He may be and, if so, it is a pity that he's always going to be under the cloud of what has gone before.
 
I don't really like that he's never looked in the slightest bit of trouble in the whole three weeks - maybe a tiny bit the other night when he crashed and had to ride the whole of the final climb on Thomas' bike. And, as above, I don't like that he can dominate both disciplines - TT and climbing. I can't recall anyone previous who was as good at both and didn't later turn out to have been doping. I guess it would be interesting to see some comparative stats on some of his times compared to what Armstrong put up.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Especially considering the quality of the field he beat in the time trial
 
Rohan Dennis (held the world hour record for 1month) Tony Martina and Fabiam Cancellara?
 
The course was technical, but these guys are TT Specialists

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="599670" data-time="1469323809">
<div>
I think Merckx was good at both.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Eddy was caught doping, though.
 
Apparently there's a very interesting book by Tino Tabak (google him) that talks a lot about doping in cycling in the 1970s. I haven't read it, but I've been meaning to get hold of a copy.


<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
Edit: â€œYou become a professional because you're a good bike rider, of course, but it's got nothing to do with pushing that bike. It becomes a business. If you're contracted to win, you've got to win. It doesn't matter how you do it. But if you get contracted to help, then listen mate, you just help. Don't you dare win!â€
Tino Tabak was one of New Zealand's brightest sporting stars when he set out to prove himself in that toughest of arenas, European road cycling. This tell-all account sets the scene for New Zealand cycle racing in the 1960s and lifts the lid on the world of professional cycling, race-fixing and performance-enhancing drugs of the late '60s early '70s.
</blockquote>
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.kennett.co.nz/product/tino-tabak/'>http://www.kennett.co.nz/product/tino-tabak/</a>

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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="599923" data-time="1469404100">Especially considering the quality of the field he beat in the time trial 
 Rohan Dennis (held the world hour record for 1month) Tony Martina and Fabiam Cancellara? 
 The course was technical, but these guys are TT Specialists </blockquote>
 
So many other variables to consider. Froome is the Olympic bronze medalist so can TT a bit! The course was not a typical TT course. It suited a climber who could TT as well, that is why most of the top spots were taken by the GC guys. Most used road bikes and a fair few didn't even use clip on aero bars. The 'pure' TT guys like Martin and Dennis had basically ridden themselves into the ground at that point for their GC riders and were probably saving themselves for domestique duty in the remaining Alps stages. Kiriyenka who is the reigning TT world champion just ambled through knowing that he had a job to do for Froome in the coming days.

The Silver Fern

Le Tour