2018 Cycling Thread

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Cuenca 'ammer
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

there have been several tours that have been all but over after the first 2 weeks so I always look at the Tour in different ways...

BUT. Today's stage in and of itself, viewed purely as a stage, was excellent.....

Attacks well the KotM leader had a right go. Yates went and tried really hard...The descent was brutal.....Yates crashed and lost it .....

The team race is another one.

The AdH stage both in terms of the overall race AND a stage race was awesome.

That's why I think that it's sometimes better to look at the race(s) within the race............
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by sicknote »

Yates was unlucky and he didn’t even have the flame rouge fall on him , if I was him I’d never go solo again and try and out sprint a climber in future that sole stuff seems to be fated for him

The races have been good since alpe d’huez, but only the breakaways, and Sagan and the polka dot jerseys, Sagan is simply riding for fun now and racing for shots and giggles I think he would love to win a mountain top stage one day just to go right I’ve done that now what

Alaphilippe has been a breathe of fresh air for the French with Bardet and barguil a bit dormant
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

Pluses and minus of having a team is as you say, once a rider gets into a decent position, Thomas is obviously the main man unless a catastrophe happens so it's Froome's job to protect him.

Happened too many times in the past and again as you say, the race is pretty much wrapped now about 7-10 days out depending. Maybe the race organisers change the route to make it harder for some types of riders.

I used to really love it when the mountain boys had a chance of the overall win. Now it's basically losing interest as a race for me, but as I said, I really now like to watch the race withing the race, and the individual jerseys. There is getting far too big a gap between the "also rans" so a breakaway now usually means that the peleton doesn't bother to chase the leaders down. It happens early doors but half way through the race it doesn't seem to happen often enough. The yellow jersey used to change a bit, but going back to Indurain and even Armstrong once they got into the yellow it hardly even changed hands.

Just looked at tomorrow and it's "only" 65K...all bloody uphill....

That should sort the men out form the boys eh ??????
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Bend it like Repka »

Cuenca 'ammer wrote:
Just looked at tomorrow and it's "only" 65K...all bloody uphill....

That should sort the men out form the boys eh ??????
Going to be massive for Thomas. Will define his future. Expect Movistar to attack on the 1st climb and burn off as many Sky riders as possible. Last long climb will be test of strength and endurance, Thomas will be attacked, maybe by Froome as well.

Quite often riders can slump after a "rest" day. Praying G can get through this one, he's looked the strongest, hope it continues.
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by sicknote »

1 G Thomas
Team Sky
68h 12' 01''
2 C Froome
Team Sky
+1' 39''
3 T Dumoulin
Team Sunweb
+1' 50''
4 P Roglic
LOTTO NL - JUMBO
+2' 38''
5 R Bardet
AG2R LA MONDIALE
+3' 21''
6 M Landa
MOVISTAR
+3' 42''
7 S Kruijswijk
LOTTO NL - JUMBO
+3' 57''
8 N Quintana
MOVISTAR
+4' 23''
9 J Fuglsang
ASTANA PRO
+6' 14''
10 D Martin
UAE Team Emirates
+6' 54''
11 A Valverde
MOVISTAR
+9' 36''
12 B Jungels
Quick-Step Floors
+9' 53''
13 P Latour
AG2R LA MONDIALE
+9' 54''
14 I Zakarin
Katusha-Alpecin
+10' 13''
15 G Martin
Wanty - Groupe Gobert
+12' 23''
16 D Caruso
BMC Racing
+14' 02''
17 G Van Avermaet
BMC Racing
+14' 53''
18 B Mollema
Trek-Segafredo
+17' 15''
19 M Nieve
Mitchelton-Scott
+19' 03''
20 D Pozzovivo
Bahrain-Merida
+20' 29'
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by sicknote »

Sky don’t have a team today due to the grid start, in fact they only have 2 , albeit the top 2 riders in the first 20, they go off in grid formation Thomas first and the rest in order behind , they are isolated from their team at the start by up to 70 metres as that’s where rider 21 and below will be set up in order in three other groups may be less now with abandonments

It’s attack only for Dumoulin but I expect not as the TT will be his target and he’s no team mates in that top 20

Bardet has to attack, he can’t TT and has help with on rider Latour,

Roglic is like Bardet and has to go early it’s his only chance today, he has kruijswijk in his lotto team in that lead group and close on time with him

Landa and Movistar have the best option as a team Quintana and Valverde are together but they won’t win if all three try and win the need to have a plan

Fuglsang is alone but at 6 minutes and in my opinion not capable of attacking , so he could form an alliance

Dan Martin could go solo for the win very capable of doing it and no threat to GC don’t think he would get in any alliance against sky as it’s no benefit to his uae team

But quick step, bmc, trek Latisha and Michelin Scott etc could definitely do deals with ag2r Movistar lotto and even sunweb especially with 2 sprint stages left and the amount of sprinters out already sunweb have team players to help lead out as do others it’s happened before


Sagan will race to join the top group from the start for a bit of sport, the pack behind could see some spills and punch ups as they try to get across to their isolated team leaders

It hopefully lives up to its billing short punchy and intriguing
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by sicknote »

I meant to add they have to go early so sky do not form their team , the need to isolate froomie and thomas from the start, if thomas cant go with the attack froome has to go, then thomas will have to wait for his team to get him back on , but the 65 k distance makes that very hard to do for any team

Its all about attacking sky today, but as froome showed in the giro, he can do that himself and some :D
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by IronworksDave »

sicknote wrote:Sky don’t have a team today due to the grid start, in fact they only have 2 , albeit the top 2 riders in the first 20, they go off in grid formation Thomas first and the rest in order behind , they are isolated from their team at the start by up to 70 metres as that’s where rider 21 and below will be set up in order in three other groups may be less now with abandonments

It’s attack only for Dumoulin but I expect not as the TT will be his target and he’s no team mates in that top 20

Bardet has to attack, he can’t TT and has help with on rider Latour,

Roglic is like Bardet and has to go early it’s his only chance today, he has kruijswijk in his lotto team in that lead group and close on time with him

Landa and Movistar have the best option as a team Quintana and Valverde are together but they won’t win if all three try and win the need to have a plan

Fuglsang is alone but at 6 minutes and in my opinion not capable of attacking , so he could form an alliance

Dan Martin could go solo for the win very capable of doing it and no threat to GC don’t think he would get in any alliance against sky as it’s no benefit to his uae team

But quick step, bmc, trek Latisha and Michelin Scott etc could definitely do deals with ag2r Movistar lotto and even sunweb especially with 2 sprint stages left and the amount of sprinters out already sunweb have team players to help lead out as do others it’s happened before


Sagan will race to join the top group from the start for a bit of sport, the pack behind could see some spills and punch ups as they try to get across to their isolated team leaders

It hopefully lives up to its billing short punchy and intriguing
Sky will soon get the team together 70 metres is no big deal .... the problem the riders will have today is not blowing up ...

Sure it's only 65km but it's brutal ... the Bagneres de Luchon climb is a killer and that's straight out of the gate, it will be flat out and some guys will burn out early ... Sky will keep it together and no doubt look to stay in touch over both the Col de Peyresourde and Col de Val Louron-Azet before launching their boys up the Col du Portet to the finish ...

It's a day for watching your own power metre ... if you don't ride within your limits you will die on the third climb .... minutes will be lost in just a few kilometers if you go past your breaking point ...

This day will decide the winner .... pretty sure of that .... it's going to be epic
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by sicknote »

:thup:
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by sicknote »

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


He is a nutter , pops in the bar sometimes here, a good lad, and he finished the stage :thup:
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by sicknote »

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The pro cyclist video
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

Just heard that this is the highest stage of the tour.

They'll be riding at 2,300 metres.

I live at about that.

I can't imagine riding at that, after already riding for 2 weeks. I know I am not a physical specimen like they are (far from it) but it just goes to show how fit these guys are...



exciting day today.....
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Bend it like Repka »

Go G. Magnificent. Tour is his to lose now.

He's a top bloke, totally deserves this.
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by pablo jaye »

sicknote wrote:" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The pro cyclist video
Excellent .... very good and very true - it does make you wonder what some footballers would do after a crash. Probably roll down the entire mountainside!!
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Johnny Byrne's Boots »

And they're off. Just the six categorised climbs today :shock:
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

big attack with still a long way to go to the summit..

Froome right now off the podium..

Thomas on his own now.......

Froome got back to Thomas' group thanks to his team mate......

Domestiques don't get enough love !!!!!!!

My sphincter is puckering just watching this descent....

:shock:
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by pablo jaye »

Yes, that descent was total madness ... fast, sinuous, damp, oh and sudden patches of dense fog. All of those on top of the crouched ‘aerodynamic’ riding style really gave me clammy hands!!!
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Clucking Bell »

Thomas has done it!

So pleased for him. First British-born winner of the Tour.
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by Jasper »

Chapeau Super G
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Re: 2018 Cycling Thread

Post by sendô »

Just read this on BBC - apparently the Welsh chap has won it, although he hasn't won it:

"Tour convention dictates that the race leader is never challenged on the final stage, so Thomas only needs to reach the finish in Paris on Sunday to win."

What's all that about? A competitive sport where the leader is allowed to win before he's won? :eh:
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