Critérium du Dauphiné 2015 - Stage 8 (final stage) **warning: no spoiler tags**

MPFG

niceonetom wrote: »

I said it contains mindless jingoism, which it does. This "please only speak well of the irish" stuff is a bit sad really. Belies deep insecurity.



This offense-taking stuff is just weird. Especially when you're taking offense on behalf of others - professional sportsmen who have I'm sure much thicker skin than yours. Being offended is not an argument. Honest appraisal goes with the territory. Why are you taking it on yourself to police the speech of others here? Who are you to demand they not say certain things? It's preposterous.

The same reason you are taking it on yourself to police what I say ....I disagree

It seems you can turn what I say into some 'mindless' sensitive deluded defense of able bodied sportsmen and I cannot object to another post

Kettel pot black

niceonetom

MPFG wrote: »

The same reason you are taking it on yourself to police what I say ....I disagree

I'm disagreeing with you. That's entirely different to your demands that happytramp not say certain things, or at least not say them a certain way, or something.

The difference is obvious. If you can't see that I can't help you.

shutup

Roquentin wrote: »

quintana will be interesting to see. i still fancy him on the slopes

I hope you are right but after what Froome did in 2013 I cant understand how you think that. Quintana was blown away on stage 8 and than that remarkable performance on Ventoux.

MPFG

niceonetom wrote: »

I'm disagreeing with you. That's entirely different to your demands that happytramp not say certain things, or at least not say them a certain way, or something.

The difference is obvious. If you can't see that I can't help you.

!st of all ...'if you can't see that I can't help you' is a typical disrespectful argument ...inferring I have a some sort of problem..and you are too aware to even bother with my opinion......in fact all your language is disrespectful to my opinion...using words like mindless ,etc

I object to the sentiment behind the language ...SKY would be out of their minds to bring him' because it is not true which I pointed out but it is too much given his record and current circumstances...its is too harsh and uncalled for

and as far as I can see I am well within my rights to do so ...with you turning it into some sort of fatal character flaw

I am not going to continue on this tit for tat except to say not once have you or others who attacked my post accept an veracity in any argument I made ...you would rather undermine me and take exception to questioning of your posts

If you just want t be right all the time I suggest you argue with yourself

dastardly00

Nico's diary for the last two stages

Personally, I'm feeling pretty tired at the moment and a bit disappointed not to have been able to help Chris a bit more on some of the final climbs but I had a big block of training before this Dauphine and now it will be all about recovering for the Tour de France in three weeks' time.

MPFG

Brailsford not finding Tour selection easy

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/06/news/brailsford-says-it-wont-be-easy-to-pick-skys-tour-nine_373879

TheBlaaMan

MPFG wrote: »

Brailsford not finding Tour selection easy

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/06/news/brailsford-says-it-wont-be-easy-to-pick-skys-tour-nine_373879

"At the beginning of the year, Sky raised the stakes by signing several high-profile riders to back Froome in a bid for a second yellow jersey, including Nicolas Roche, Leopold Konig, and Wout Poels.

Behind them are Sky stalwarts, such as Richie Porte, Peter Kennough, and Geraint Thomas. All six of those riders are all but assured a spot. The final two will likely be decided between riders such as Mikel Nieve, Sergio Henao, Ian Stannard, Danny Pate, Vasil Kiryienka, and David Lopez"

Looks like they are not even regarding Philip Deignan as being in with a shout....

Roquentin

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

"At the beginning of the year, Sky raised the stakes by signing several high-profile riders to back Froome in a bid for a second yellow jersey, including Nicolas Roche, Leopold Konig, and Wout Poels.

Behind them are Sky stalwarts, such as Richie Porte, Peter Kennough, and Geraint Thomas. All six of those riders are all but assured a spot. The final two will likely be decided between riders such as Mikel Nieve, Sergio Henao, Ian Stannard, Danny Pate, Vasil Kiryienka, and David Lopez"

Looks like they are not even regarding Philip Deignan as being in with a shout....

thats a strong lineup

MPFG

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

"At the beginning of the year, Sky raised the stakes by signing several high-profile riders to back Froome in a bid for a second yellow jersey, including Nicolas Roche, Leopold Konig, and Wout Poels.

Behind them are Sky stalwarts, such as Richie Porte, Peter Kennough, and Geraint Thomas. All six of those riders are all but assured a spot. The final two will likely be decided between riders such as Mikel Nieve, Sergio Henao, Ian Stannard, Danny Pate, Vasil Kiryienka, and David Lopez"

Looks like they are not even regarding Philip Deignan as being in with a shout....

Thing is SKY have alot of very strong riders .. I think if you want to ride the Tour you might have to leave

Almost any other team would pick Deignan/Nieve/Lopez as mountain doms...Bet Contador would love to have them

happytramp

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

"At the beginning of the year, Sky raised the stakes by signing several high-profile riders to back Froome in a bid for a second yellow jersey, including Nicolas Roche, Leopold Konig, and Wout Poels.

Behind them are Sky stalwarts, such as Richie Porte, Peter Kennough, and Geraint Thomas. All six of those riders are all but assured a spot. The final two will likely be decided between riders such as Mikel Nieve, Sergio Henao, Ian Stannard, Danny Pate, Vasil Kiryienka, and David Lopez"

Looks like they are not even regarding Philip Deignan as being in with a shout....

In my opinion Ian Stannard is a must to guide Froome through the early cobbled/Ardennes style stages. Henao would usually be another favoured rider except he's been injured and an unknown quantity right now. Deignan looked pretty comfortable in the crappy weather last week which is something SKY have been fairly poor at dealing with in the past. The dept in that squad is astounding. (unfortunately, since I really don't want Froome to win )

pelevin

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

"At the beginning of the year, Sky raised the stakes by signing several high-profile riders to back Froome in a bid for a second yellow jersey, including Nicolas Roche, Leopold Konig, and Wout Poels.

Behind them are Sky stalwarts, such as Richie Porte, Peter Kennough, and Geraint Thomas. All six of those riders are all but assured a spot. The final two will likely be decided between riders such as Mikel Nieve, Sergio Henao, Ian Stannard, Danny Pate, Vasil Kiryienka, and David Lopez"

Looks like they are not even regarding Philip Deignan as being in with a shout....

Well all those quoted words are just the journalist's. I don't see any given reason to believe they're the inside word on Brailsford's thinking.

dastardly00

Is König guaranteed his place?

Yes he has proven that he can perform in the Grand Tours (Giro '15 6th, TdF '14 7th, Vuelta '13 9th), but can he perform as a domestique?

There were some questions being asked about his domestique abilities in the first week of the Giro, but we never got to see how that panned out because Porte abandoned.

pelevin

Was thinking that earlier - I'd not be at all surprised if Konig rode the Vuelta, & as Froome/Wiggins stuff showed, Sky can be very hard in their notions of who fits the desired Froome team in all its aspects. They have proven perfectly willingly pick a less strong but more reliable rider personality-wise, even at the cost of massive UK pr disaster like last year.

retalivity

Id be shocked if nieve doesnt make the tour team

MPFG

dastardly00 wrote: »

Is König guaranteed his place?

Yes he has proven that he can perform in the Grand Tours (Giro '15 6th, TdF '14 7th, Vuelta '13 9th), but can he perform as a domestique?

There were some questions being asked about his domestique abilities in the first week of the Giro, but we never got to see how that panned out because Porte abandoned.

I think the exact same way about Konig

Don't remember seeing him do any Dom work this year ..At the Giro he was very concerned with his own performance and didn't ride with Porte...He even gave interviews saying he was co leader
His interview the day Richie Porte lost all the time (not the wheelgate or the crash but later ) was very telling....Didn't want to talk about Porte at all
Almost like ..Who ?? So back to me ??

I would bring Deignan before I would bring Konig
Konig has a great TT but he is a follower and a diesel on long climbs..I think I have never seen him at the front this year
Deignan is a better Dom
I think Koing would be happy to go to the Vuelta as co leader ...he indicated as much at the Giro...almost saying but not quite 'I suppose I will have to go to the Tour to work for Froome' when asked about his plans

MPFG

retalivity wrote: »

Id be shocked if nieve doesnt make the tour team

I won't be...On form he is a great climber but his form at the Giro wasn't great

And at last years Vuleta he was not as strong as Philip Deignan on the climbs