2016 Tour de France

warthog1
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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby warthog1 » Tue Jul 19, 2016 11:14 pm

There is a doping thread fellas.
Head there.
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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby warthog1 » Tue Jul 19, 2016 11:25 pm

The race is not over. Froome has been flaky in the final week before, just a Nairo has been strong in the final week and this is a tough final week.

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Froome is in the box seat sure, but there will still be some action ;)
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DavidS
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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby DavidS » Tue Jul 19, 2016 11:56 pm

I hope you're right Warthog.

That time trial looks remarkably short. I was reading some comments on another website tonight about how long the TTs were in Indurain's time. It does seem they adjust the race for the riders going around at the time.

Then again, there's the Vuelta to look forward to.

DS
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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby AndrewCowley » Wed Jul 20, 2016 8:30 am

The long TT's were by all reports rather boring. Before my time though. Anyone remember them? They seem like a novelty.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby find_bruce » Wed Jul 20, 2016 9:17 am

DavidS wrote:I hope you're right Warthog.

That time trial looks remarkably short. I was reading some comments on another website tonight about how long the TTs were in Indurain's time. It does seem they adjust the race for the riders going around at the time.

Then again, there's the Vuelta to look forward to.

DS
The longest time trials in Indurain's era were an individual TT in 1991 at 73km & a team TT in 1993 at 81 km. All the rest were in the range of 35 to 65 km. The real difference was the number - typically a prologue, 2 individual TTs and a team TT, which was one less individual TT than typically in the 80s.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby biker jk » Wed Jul 20, 2016 9:33 am

AndrewCowley wrote:The long TT's were by all reports rather boring. Before my time though. Anyone remember them? They seem like a novelty.
I remember this one from the 1994 Tour de France. Indurain blasts past some slow coach.

https://youtu.be/cGPGm38wt5g?t=2m56s

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby richbee » Wed Jul 20, 2016 12:09 pm

The next five days of le Tour. Tonight they’ll finish with a Cat 1 and an HC climb in quick succession which should sort out the men from the boys, meaning Yates may slip away but there’s likely to be a combined Movistar/Astana effort to try unseat Froome. Most likely unsuccessful the day after a rest day, but should be entertaining to see them try.

Tomorrow Sallanche to Megeve. There's nothing really special about that hill, I spent a week in the area in 2003 and climbed from Sallanche to Megeve evry day at the end of a few longish rides up the various Col's off the Arve valley and didn't think it a challenge at all. If that’s where Quintana's targeted trying to out TT Froom I think he’s miscalculated ever so slightly and Froome may end up increasing his advantage.

I reckon the fireworks will start on Stage 19 with Movistar and Astana sending multiple attacks up the HC Montee de Bisanne to isolate Froome and then Quintana & Valverde having a two pronged effort up the final Cat 1 climb to St Gervais Mont Blanc.

Last chance saloon is Saturday. Col de la Colombiere is too early in the stage to cause a selection, and why it’s a Cat 1 climb I don’t know. It’s only 12km and rises a mere 600m in that distance with an average 5% grade. Col de la Ramaz on the other hand, one of the climbs I did during my week in Megeve. It’s a monster rising 960m from the valley floor at Mieussy to the summit 13km later with an average 7% grade and a couple of ramps of up to 18%. It’s Cat 1 status does not do it any justice. If Astana and Movistar have anything left, this is where they’ll have to use it to isolate Froome (there’s a theme in here somewhere) and then go for broke on the Joux Plane. I reckon Froome will pre-empt any attack on Joux Plane by attacking the decent after Ramaz and make Quintana use all his energy in the chase. It’s pretty technical decent down to the Route des Gets too and should be worthwhile staying up to watch.

Young rider competition should get interesting too. Meintjies is hovering just 3 minutes behind Yates and I think is looking good going into the Alps. Better than Yates who I thought looked to be just hanging onto the GC group on the second climb up Lacets du Grand Colombier. If Yates cracks in the Alps Meintjies will be there to pick up the pieces. Could be an interesting completion. In any event I see Meintjies leapfrogging van Garderen and Martin to grab a top 10 in Paris.

These next four days are going to be exciting.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby DG1984 » Wed Jul 20, 2016 12:16 pm

richbee wrote:
Tomorrow Sallanche to Megeve. There's nothing really special about that hill, I spent a week in the area in 2003 and climbed from Sallanche to Megeve evry day at the end of a few longish rides up the various Col's off the Arve valley and didn't think it a challenge at all.
Slightly different to riding up for leisure vs TT'ing up it, I'd imagine.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby richbee » Wed Jul 20, 2016 12:22 pm

DG1984 wrote:Slightly different to riding up for leisure vs TT'ing up it, I'd imagine.
Pre Strava Days, I'm sure I still hold all the KOM's up there :twisted:

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby DG1984 » Wed Jul 20, 2016 12:39 pm

richbee wrote:
DG1984 wrote:Slightly different to riding up for leisure vs TT'ing up it, I'd imagine.
Pre Strava Days, I'm sure I still hold all the KOM's up there :twisted:
What kind of motorbike were you riding? :lol: :P

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby richbee » Wed Jul 20, 2016 1:05 pm


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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby Sharkey » Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:33 pm

While Froome is in the box seat it is not over yet.

The last time the TDF went over the Col de Joux-Plane and finished in Morzine there was a rider who went on a solo breakaway for 120km, beat all the contenders by nearly 6 minutes and moved up to 3rd overall just 30 seconds off the lead.

That was stage 17 in 2006 and the rider's name was Floyd Landis. Given what has followed on from that it was a significant day in cycling. :shock:

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby AndrewCowley » Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:55 pm

Sharkey wrote:That was stage 17 in 2006 and the rider's name was Floyd Landis.
Just a few "marginal gains" on show there.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby biker jk » Wed Jul 20, 2016 9:28 pm

Brailsford suggested that Froome's performance is more believable this year because he has gained time downhill, on the flat and in the TT. But I disagree, Froome certainly hasn't lacked punch on the climbs.


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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby mikesbytes » Wed Jul 20, 2016 10:42 pm

Froome hasn't pushed harder on the climbs because none of his main rivals have got away from him
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby warthog1 » Thu Jul 21, 2016 1:04 am

Strong by Ritchie.
Yates has a future.
Froome looked knackered but grovelled back onto Ritchie.
Good on Astana for having a crack.
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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby warthog1 » Thu Jul 21, 2016 1:16 am

How's that dam wall.
All those buses perched on top like that. :o
nice bit of concreting.
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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby richbee » Thu Jul 21, 2016 8:06 am

warthog1 wrote:How's that dam wall.
All those buses perched on top like that. :o
nice bit of concreting.
Impressive dam, impressive valley below, convenient place to park all the team busses.

You might want to check out the Katse Dam in the Lesotho Highlands https://tracks4africa.co.za/media/users ... pacity.jpg.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby richbee » Thu Jul 21, 2016 8:20 am

Looks like Quintana and Mollema have nothing left in the tank and Van Garderen faded after the second rest day, again. Needs to see a sports psychologist that one.
Interesting tactics by Astana, but they really needed help from Movistar to really put the Skytrain under pressure. As it was they just burnt themselves out and Aru was left isolated. Brave moves by Valverde and Martin, but there was never enough venom for their attacks to really be threatening. I don't think Sky pulled them back, I think they just didn't have the legs, specially the way both slipped off the back straight away.
Didn't think Froome looked that knackered, and it is an amazing stretch to suggest he grovelled back onto Porte's wheel. He closed the gap pretty quickly then just sat there and let Porte do the work. No win and no bonus seconds on offer so why do more.
Yates and Meintjies battle is still looking interesting. There were a few moments when I saw both of them grimly hanging on to the back of the group, but then with a finish line in sight they left all of the other GC contenders behind.

But, there was also a very deserving stage winner. Well done Ilnur Zakarin.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby richbee » Thu Jul 21, 2016 8:30 am

AndrewCowley wrote:
Sharkey wrote:That was stage 17 in 2006 and the rider's name was Floyd Landis.
Just a few "marginal gains" on show there.
I want to know the brands of beer and whisky he drank the night before that stage

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby biker jk » Thu Jul 21, 2016 9:42 am

richbee wrote:
But, there was also a very deserving stage winner. Well done Ilnur Zakarin.
Zakarin was caught doping in 2009 and served a two-year ban. Hardly a deserving winner.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby warthog1 » Thu Jul 21, 2016 9:57 am

it was funny watching him try to do up the jersey coming up to the finish line.
Nice work. I'd have crashed
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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby richbee » Thu Jul 21, 2016 10:01 am

He should have taken lessons from Sagan changing out of his undervest on the earlier climb.
Last edited by richbee on Thu Jul 21, 2016 10:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby richbee » Thu Jul 21, 2016 10:08 am

biker jk wrote: Zakarin was caught doping in 2009 and served a two-year ban. Hardly a deserving winner.
We base our observations on the performance on the day, not on something that happened seven years ago for which the punishment has been served.
In the break all day, realised the danger of the Majka/Pantano attack, bridged over and then rode them both off his wheel. I say he deserved that win.

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Re: 2016 Tour de France

Postby warthog1 » Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:33 am

Thankyou Rich but you are banging your head against the wall engaging with Biker on this subject.
The evidence is there to see if you read back through the prior editions of tdf threads.
His interest is in doping or perceived doping, not racing. :|
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