2017 Tour de France

djw47
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby djw47 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:05 pm

MichaelB wrote:If Porte was still there, it would have been even better, but maybe next year. He knows what he needs to do, where he needs to be and that he can actually do it. Cadel did !!
Do you genuinely believe Porte would have managed to get to the 3rd week without some kind of self-inflicted mishap? He seems to have been cursed by incredible bad luck over the years and even when the path to victory has seemed fairly smooth, he's managed to mess it up - illness, mechanicals, injury, crashes...

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Cardy George
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby Cardy George » Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:40 pm

MichaelB wrote:
find_bruce wrote:Fantastic ride by Sunweb to distance Kittel & for Matthews to finish it off taking all 50 points on offer to bring himself close to green. It's a big ask, but should be interesting to see him try
Love to see him get it. Team has been great. Some sickness at Quickstep, so Kittel may be fragile in the Alps ?

Bugger for Dan Martin though !!
You'd have to have a crack wouldn't you? Everything has to fall the right way but it's not out of the question. I've never been so interested in green :mrgreen:

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g-boaf
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby g-boaf » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:09 pm

vosadrian wrote:For me the standout is Dan Martin (who has had the worst luck of the contenders but still in a great position)... closely followed by Uran who seems to be in his best form ever. Hopefully things get interesting, but I expect it is Froome's to lose, and he would deserve it if he did win it.
Yeah, Martin is doing a solid effort.

Though I'm not really following the race much at all as I'm in the final few weeks of preparing for riding overseas.

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby Sharkey » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:21 pm

Cardy George wrote: ..... I've never been so interested in green :mrgreen:
2003 was my favorite year for the green jersey. Robbie McEwen and Baden Cooke swapped the lead several times through the 3 weeks with Cooke winning by this much:

Image

That is them crossing the line for 2nd and 3rd in the final sprint in Paris with Cooke just beating McEwan to take the green for the final time.

I think Mathews' best chance is for a tired Kittel to miss the time cut tonight or tomorrow.

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby stevenaaus » Wed Jul 19, 2017 6:15 pm

I think Mathews' best chance is for a tired Kittel to miss the time cut tonight or tomorrow.
Dare to dream. :)
Would Kittel still be able to win the green if removed from the race, and no-one else beat his points ?

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby Derny Driver » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:19 pm

stevenaaus wrote:
I think Mathews' best chance is for a tired Kittel to miss the time cut tonight or tomorrow.
Dare to dream. :)
Would Kittel still be able to win the green if removed from the race, and no-one else beat his points ?
No you have to finish.

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby Sharkey » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:34 pm

stevenaaus wrote:
I think Mathews' best chance is for a tired Kittel to miss the time cut tonight or tomorrow.
Dare to dream. :)
Would Kittel still be able to win the green if removed from the race, and no-one else beat his points ?
Looking at last night's profile I never expected Kittel to get dropped on a Cat 3 climb but Sunweb went all-in for Mathews and he came away with a 50 point bonus. Kittel is tired and while I think it is unlikely, there is a chance it could happen. Tonight's stage has more than 52km of categorised climbing. The Croix de Fer is harder than the numbers would indicate. I rode it last year and there are a few downhill bits that can really wreck your rhythm.

If you don't finish in Paris you don't get a prize.

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby find_bruce » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:55 pm

Velonews has a decent article on just what it would take for Matthews to win green: Matthews has to win green jersey the hard way

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Chuck
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby Chuck » Wed Jul 19, 2017 9:40 pm

That really couldn't have gone better, Matthews got the points and Kittel had some misfortune.

I wonder, having already taken a fall and a possible blow to his moral, if the time gap gets so great and Kittel gets close to the cut that he might think 'I've got five stages, that'll do' and pull up stumps ?

I expect that the lure of the green jersey and winning on the Champs will see him fight on but you never know.

Credit to Sunweb and Matthews for breathing life into that category.
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby AUbicycles » Thu Jul 20, 2017 2:21 am

Fortune is on the side we of Bling Matthews. Sagan, Cavendish and Kittel are 3 strong sprinters who are out.

Greipel will work hard for the sprint finish in Paris... and despite the good fortune, I still feel the green is deserved.
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby fat and old » Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:23 am

What a sucky way to win the Green :( Good on him, but......meh, I suppose you have to finish.

I was really looking foward to Kittel taking 6 stages and being one up on Cavendish.

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MichaelB
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby MichaelB » Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:17 am

fat and old wrote:What a sucky way to win the Green :( Good on him, but......meh, I suppose you have to finish.

....
I was looking fwd to a ding-dong battle over the last few stages, and I'm sure that MM would have wanted it that way as well. Great work though by him and his team to never give up and push hard all the way.

Missing some of the big stars makes it a bit less Green, but still, he thoroughly deserves it. Sunweb having a great year so far !!

Great stage, and great to see Contador try. Others tried too, but just couldn't do it in the end. Uran is looking good for 2nd. Why is he so good this year after quite a few crappy years ?

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby fat and old » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:13 pm

Vaughters? :lol:
Great stage, and great to see Contador try
Yep. I like his intents, too
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Nationality wins out every time!! :lol:

What's up with Quintana/Movistar? Some press rumours, some fatherly criticism.. seems all's not well there.

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby biker jk » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:20 pm

Contador sets record for the Col du Glandon climb. Faster than Festina 1997.

2017:24,1 km@5,3%---57:50---average speed 25.00 km/h(Alberto Contador)-RECORD-finish on Croix de Fer

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby rodneycc » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:26 pm

I know Kittel was the fastest guy out there but has he actually finished the Tour before? (I know he wasn't won Green before). Didn't look like a major crash to me. A little soft in the hills I reckon (sort of reminds me of Mario Cipolini who use to win all the first stages and then abandon before attempting the hills). I agree Dan Martin was a massive victim of the team tactics helping Kittel get through the time barrier yesterday and now abandoning today (makes the Team look stupid imo). Griepel has been a bit of a disappointment after loads of good lead-outs by his team. But at least you know he can finish the Tour. Good on Matthews. I didn't rate him a chance at all coming in... He should have it in the bag.
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby stevenaaus » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:13 pm

I just saw the crash... looks like the poor bastard went down super hard as the road narrowed and caught the peleton by suprise.
I couldn’t do anything to avoid that crash and lost some skin on my shoulder, back, elbow and hip, which are a bit swollen. I tried to carry on, but pedaling was just painful, especially as in the last couple of days I had to fight with stomach problems and a cold.
Image
That Velonews article put the mocker on Kittel alright :twisted:
Hopefully Matthews can get home ok now.

Thinking about how well Froome/Sky have ridden... it's hard to see Richie as having any chance to beat him anyway after dropping half a minute on that rainy timetrial.

I wonder if Sunweb will line up Dumoulin for a shot at the Toure GC next year ? They must be feeling chuffed.

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby find_bruce » Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:47 pm

rodneycc wrote:I know Kittel was the fastest guy out there but has he actually finished the Tour before? (I know he wasn't won Green before). Didn't look like a major crash to me. A little soft in the hills I reckon (sort of reminds me of Mario Cipolini who use to win all the first stages and then abandon before attempting the hills). I agree Dan Martin was a massive victim of the team tactics helping Kittel get through the time barrier yesterday and now abandoning today (makes the Team look stupid imo). Griepel has been a bit of a disappointment after loads of good lead-outs by his team. But at least you know he can finish the Tour. Good on Matthews. I didn't rate him a chance at all coming in... He should have it in the bag.
Kittel has a good record in the tour, his only previous DNF was on stage 5, 2012. 4th in points 2013 & 2014 & 2nd last year.

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MichaelB
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby MichaelB » Fri Jul 21, 2017 8:35 am

Cracker of a stage last night and great ride by Barguil !!

What can Uran do in the TT (or anyone else for that matter ?


Managed to also catch the last bit of LaCourse - Orica Scott ladies win it, and then there was also 2 aussies in the top 6 (Amanda Spratt & Shara Gillow - BRILLIANT !!!

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby fat and old » Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:52 am

Watched La Course by accident...what a race! We had a celebration dinner at home I delayed by 30 minutes to see the end :lol:

Although I'm not sure what Deignan's tactic was pulling them all the way up? It was like a one woman sky train. Impressive, but ill fated.

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MichaelB
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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby MichaelB » Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:09 pm

fat and old wrote: Although I'm not sure what Deignan's tactic was pulling them all the way up? It was like a one woman sky train. Impressive, but ill fated.
Prob trying to drop them, but didn't work.

Same as AG2R tactics

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According to the ABC

Postby Thoglette » Fri Jul 21, 2017 2:03 pm

We need to HTFU
Dr Bradley Launikonis from the University of Queensland's School of Biomedical Science wrote: "It's not going to happen to someone who's doing recreational exercise. It's clearly something that's only going to happen in elite athletes, like these guys riding in massive cycling events."
Tour de France 2017: Pawel Poljanski reveals photo of his veiny legs after 16 stages
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Stop handing them the stick! - Dave Moulton
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby find_bruce » Fri Jul 21, 2017 8:47 pm

Chuck wrote:Nice work from the "token" French guy.
find_bruce wrote:I will happily eat humble pie - if Bardet is wearing yellow on the Champs Elysee.
Chapeau to Bardet, he may not have succeeded, but he gave it a good go. Hope his time trialing has improved from last year, not that Uran did much better in the Giro.

Sunweb must be over the moon - 4 stages, looking good for both the green & polka jerseys. Matthews probably fancies his chances tonight too

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby fat and old » Sat Jul 22, 2017 12:04 pm

So what do they do next year? Barguil, Matthews and Doumalain.....can't support them all. I can see a big sook coming on :lol:

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby stevenaaus » Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:09 pm

Maybe i'm mistaken but Dumoulin showed he can climb and TT with the best, and he has the drive too.
I'd love to see him have a shot at the tour next year... and after winning the Giro, they have to i reckon.

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Re: 2017 Tour de France

Postby JPB » Sat Jul 22, 2017 9:43 pm

Call me sentimental but I would like to see Greipel win the last stage. Failing that then Matthews

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