Le Tour 2013

First topic message reminder :

It's nearly time for the 100th edition of the Tour de France so where is everyones money for the biggest race of the lot?

Yellow - Chris Froome. If he can stay upright then I only really see Contador as the real competition.

Green - Sagan. Would love to back Cav, but Sagan is a freak.

White - Teejay. Not really sure on this one, was a toss up between him and Quintana.

Polka dot - Rodriguez. Total guess. Could be anyone.

Team - I'll go with Sky but with no real confidence.

God what Sky would have given to have Boassen Hagen today! Seems they are not having a great deal of luck with losing riders, but at least Thomas looks to be getting back to some sort of form.

Great stuff from Cav. Sagan never looked like he was gonna win that

dummy_half wrote:Are you watching or just following online commentary?

Group of about 15 attacking off the front, dominated by Saxo-Tinkoff and including Contador (plus Cav and Sagan, but not Greipel). Froome's group distanced by about 40s with 15km to go. Valverde and Kittel's groups long gone and given up the chase.

So a boringly flat stage is causing some serious shake-ups of the GC

I was watching on one screen at work, working on the other... don't think I got much done in the last half hour though! Smart riding by Cav and Contador. Utterly fantastic stage.

This Tour has been properly mental so far. To think we still have the Ventoux and the Alps to come! It's gonna be great

It's the Ventoux tomorrow isn't it? Will be interesting what Saxo and Belkin do, attack tomorrow whilst Sky are looking weak or wait for later on and potentially give them time to recover?

It's an intermediate tomorrow with Ventoux on Sunday. Not idea what will happen. I'd normally be thinking that tomorrow is one for the breakaway, but frankly if the other GC contenders detect a sniff of weakness from Sky anything could happen.

Yeah, tomorrow is the hilly, breakaway type stage, Sunday is ventoux. Can definitely see a breakaway 2moro and someone like Gilbert should be one to look out for stage win I reckon. Sky look in tatters though, so anything could happen.

Ah yes, Ventoux is on Bastille Day. Expect some crazy attacks from Voeckler, Rolland, Pinot etc come Sunday then.

JDizzle wrote:Cav. Most road race wins in TdF history.

Cav has now 25 TDF stage victories, like André Leduc . Bernard Hinault has 28, and Eddy Merckx 33 . Still some way to go ...

phildange wrote:

JDizzle wrote:Cav. Most road race wins in TdF history.

Cav has now 25 TDF stage victories, like André Leduc . Bernard Hinault has 28, and Eddy Merckx 33 . Still some way to go ...

Most not including TT's is what I meant.

I think Sky are in serious trouble. I mean what has David Lopez done all Tour? Nothing for them on the flats, and gets dropped in the mountains. Useless selection.

It's now twice Porte has been dropped when Froome has needed him most. Very worrying.

Olly wrote:I think Sky are in serious trouble. I mean what has David Lopez done all Tour? Nothing for them on the flats, and gets dropped in the mountains. Useless selection.

It's now twice Porte has been dropped when Froome has needed him most. Very worrying.

Lopez has been really good all year.

It seems people get worried when they're compared to US Postal, but when they show fallibilities just like any other team they're lambasted for it.

I truly appreciate that, for a change, this year all the best riders are not in the same team . This unbearable business investment inaugurated by Armstrong's gang and carried on by Murdoch's gang had killed all pleasure in the Tour . Any good old pleasure I mean .

Quiet stage in preparation for tomorrow. As for the breakaway, never really thought Simon had it. I'd put a £2 bet on Albasini at 8-1 as soon as he was in the leading group as I thought he'd pull off a sprint at the end.......so close.

Anyway, should be a good stage tomorrow, although nothing might not happen until Ventoux.

Thought it was a pretty decent stage today.

Tomorrow we'll see if Contador has found form or not

I think the rival teams have to attack or make a fast pace and try and isolate Froome before Ventoux. I don't see the point in waiting around and allowing Sky to role in with Porte and making things comfortable for Froome. Quintana will attack Ventoux at the bottom and go for the stage win and they will allow him. Slightly later, I would expect Contador to go, followed by Froome. Ten Dam & Mollema dont have the explosion in their legs to go with Froome.

The timings of the attack will judge whether or not Voeckler, who will be in the breakaway, succeeds or not on Bastille Day.

No French winners in this Tour so far. Gotta happen tomorrow surely?!

John wrote:I think the rival teams have to attack or make a fast pace and try and isolate Froome before Ventoux. I don't see the point in waiting around and allowing Sky to role in with Porte and making things comfortable for Froome. Quintana will attack Ventoux at the bottom and go for the stage win and they will allow him. Slightly later, I would expect Contador to go, followed by Froome. Ten Dam & Mollema dont have the explosion in their legs to go with Froome.

The timings of the attack will judge whether or not Voeckler, who will be in the breakaway, succeeds or not on Bastille Day.

Haha.

Why is that prediction funny?

Dont think this breakaway will go anywhere. The pace has been worringly fast so far (47km/h). The ventoux might create some serious damage.

The breakaway is for Sagan's green jersey soon at the intermediate . After ... the real show must start .

Quintana goes early, 13km left

As I predicted but djlovesyo or whatever his name is just laughed at it

http://puu.sh/3CERp/c44ba07a51.gif

Brilliant

Contador really is in pathetic form

Brilliant stuff from Froome/Quintana. Also Nieve with a great climb.

Contador beaten by his teammate again.

We have to salute the effort made by Ten Dam/Mollema, and also Peraud who all use an inferior kind of dope and stay in a good rank in the GC nevertheless . Contador without dope is not too far after all .

the Inner Ring @ inrng
TV saying both Quintana and Froome collapsed after the finish line, getting oxygen

Bogota's cartel and Murdoch's mafia told them to fake this .    

Unsurprisingly, today sees a large break away group with the peloton not being overly interested in chasing down. Anyone playing breakaway bingo scores well, with Crazy Johnny Hoogerland, Crazy Tommy de Ghent and TV Tommy Voeckler all in the escape.

Rui Costa was the one today then

Froome/Contador going down the road, a little spat. Contador seems to be gaining some form that might keep the next few days interesting

Gotta love Froome waving Contador round to do some work. Wonder what he expected.

ITT today - won't spoil the result, but a bad day for John-Christophe Peraud. Was 9th overall in GC before the stage, but crashed and fractured his collar bone doing the reconnaissance of the course in the morning.

Still tried to ride this afternoon, but was struggling to control the bike and came a cropper again, and has had to abandon.

Please don't anyone think this is in the bag for Froome. He needs to keep accident-free in tomorrow's horror stage. I hope we can cheer him home but never write off Bertie.

PS-don't underestimate Stage 20 on Saturday-I did the Etape over this course last week. It's a b*stard.

Tomorrow s probably the last chance to keep this years race interesting. You would have thought the others have to work together to try and break froome. Not going to happen by the looks of it though.

You have got to feel for peraud today. He could not have had worse look.

I'm not too sure about the ruling on the pushing off when the bikes were changed. Doesn't seem too fair but every biker had the same opportunity.

The difference today was probably Contador not changing bikes.

Peraud's day must have been awful. The crash was bad enough, but he fell right on the collarbone the poor bloke, really hope he will be ok.

Mega stage tomorrow. The descent off Alpe D'Huez is meant to be dangerous in the dry, so god knows what will happen if it rains

I've skied down it in the winter - Wasn't too bad although it was doubtful that I was going the speed they will be today

Great stuff so far. May be a bit too much for the chasers to do, but great riding by Moser and co. at the front and Schleck on the attack as well. Voeckler looking as enthusiastic as ever.

That's pretty gutsy attack on the descent

Richie Porte is playing a blinder for Froome!

Van Garderen just cracked at the end there, going through treacle!

Froome obviously forgot to "dope" this morning...

He was buckled. He owes Porter a few pints!

TJ had nothing left to give!

Quintana is a heck of a climber, he should get 2nd overall now. Rodriguez coming into form nicely as well, Contador will do well to hold off him

Sad to see Dan Martin had a poor stage today, dropped right down the GC now. Shame

Quintana looks like a future winner.

Always like to look out for Roche but don't even know where he's at.

Olly wrote:Van Garderen just cracked at the end there, going through treacle!

Froome obviously forgot to "dope" this morning...

To think eh he could of been 2 a time TDF champion if he didn't have to wait for Mr Wiggins last year   Although i think he'd settle for one.

20 second penalty for Froome

Olly wrote:Van Garderen just cracked at the end there, going through treacle!

Froome obviously forgot to "dope" this morning...

Of course he didn't he would have got his refill on monday.

The Boss wrote:20 second penalty for Froome

Can't really complain, it was pretty blatant.

The Boss wrote:Always like to look out for Roche but don't even know where he's at.

Riding as one of the domestiques for Contador - was sent up the road early yesterday to potentially provide a 'leapfrog' for Contador attacking later in the stage, but ended up not really being much use (because Alberto wasn't strong enough).

Anyway, closest Froome has had to having a problem all race - sensible to take the extra feed, as the choice between a 20s penalty and bonking completely (which can lose you minutes even over a couple of km at the top of a climb) is simple.