Tour de France 2016, July 10, Stage 9: Val d'Aran / Andorra Arcalis *SPOILERS*

retalivity

I wouldnt consider porte any threat to yellow either, and certainly not when froome is wearing it.

godtabh

Thought that was a great stage. Only say the last 30-40km and it kept me entertained.

Pity Porte dropped the wheel. Cost Dan a few seconds

pelevin

Dan Martin

retalivity wrote: »

I wouldnt consider porte any threat to yellow either, and certainly not when froome is wearing it.

Maybe not but in general with Porte you could say it's his usual bad day that does in his chances, otherwise he has it in him to be right up there on the big slopes. I don't think TVG has that capacity but maybe is less prone to Porte's kind of calamities.

I suppose whichever way you argue the Porte TVG scenario today it shows theoretically the 2 team leaders can be a potent weapon but it's not without its problems either like today with Porte obviously much the stronger put in a very awkward position of do I gain time back on most of the GC elect or do I wait for my much weaker teammate. It's not like that teammate has a history of podiums or even stage race wins either. Porte has had much more success in week long races anyway than TVG.

whacker00

Great stage today and brilliant stuff by Dan Martin, he was putting in all the attacks and showed great determination to get back on at the end .Brilliant to see an Irish man really in the mix with the top GC contenders, very interested to see how he will TT against the big guns

Kaisr Sose

Eamonnator wrote: »

I reckon Nibali will support Aru, as long as it suits Nibali.

That's a bit harsh on Nibali. If he feels (or is going) better than Aru, what does he do in the road? If there is a chance of a stage win while GC boys watch/mark each other he would be right to go for it! Sponsors have to get a return for their investment and they won't mind who it is in the podium or getting TV time.

Brian?

pelevin wrote: »

I thought they were supposed to be joint team leaders, and I'd also say in general Porte has been a better cyclist in the mountains than TVG, so I'd consider Porte to be as much or even more of a threat to the yellow jersey than TVG, even with his extra time deficit. I don't consider TVG any threat to yellow.

They were joint team leaders until Porte lost 3 minutes. At that point everything goes into supporting Teejay. Or that's how it should have been.

pelevin

Dan Martin

Brian? wrote: »

They were joint team leaders until Porte lost 3 minutes. At that point everything goes into supporting Teejay. Or that's how it should have been.

Porte is one minute behind TVG. I don't consider he should be solely as a domestique for a rider who doesn't look to have form or results of late to justify the position you suggest. He is also only 2 minutes 10 seconds down on Froome, not 15 minutes or something.

Thud

Pity Dan doesn't have a bit more help later in these stages

Darkglasses

Nairo Quintana

Just noticed Mark Renshaw is gone, what happened to him?

Dr. Bre

If Quintana can be within one minute of froome going into final week I think he can take him. Froome traditionally does his best work in the first 2 weeks. Quintana finishes the last week normally very strong.

dastardly00

Darkglasses wrote: »

Just noticed Mark Renshaw is gone, what happened to him?

He fell ill last night, started the stage, but then abandoned.

Burial.

Dr. Bre wrote: »

If Quintana can be within one minute of froome going into final week I think he can take him. Froome traditionally does his best work in the first 2 weeks. Quintana finishes the last week normally very strong.

Froome has apparently delayed his peak until the last week for many reasons. To counteract the Quintana last week surge as well as prep for the Olympics and a lesser extent the Vuelta. Quintana looks ridiculously strong though. If he has the mental game of Contador or Niabli he'd be unstoppable on current form.

Kaisr Sose

Dr. Bre wrote: »

If Quintana can be within one minute of froome going into final week I think he can take him. Froome traditionally does his best work in the first 2 weeks. Quintana finishes the last week normally very strong.

When interviewed by ITV prior to Stage 1, Froome noted that traditionally he had been weaker/vulnerable in week 3, so this year he had been holding back preparations so he did not peak as early. Time will tell if this has worked or whether he can control his form /fatigue levels in week 3. Maybe...it's all about those marginal gains for SKY!

Inquitus

Nairo Quintana

Burial. wrote: »

Froome has apparently delayed his peak until the last week for many reasons. To counteract the Quintana last week surge as well as prep for the Olympics and a lesser extent the Vuelta. Quintana looks ridiculously strong though. If he has the mental game of Contador or Niabli he'd be unstoppable on current form.

It only makes sense Froome put off his peak as there was no point with the Parcours being 100% for week 1 given the limited opportunities to put time into your opponents, we'll have to see how it plays out, but Quintana didn't look great today, nor did Froome, Richie looked strong, as did Dan who probably did a bit too much work, but he was making a push for the Yellow jersey you'd think, and nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Burial.

Inquitus wrote: »

It only makes sense Froome put off his peak as there was no point with the Parcours being 100% for week 1 given the limited opportunities to put time into your opponents, we'll have to see how it plays out, but Quintana didn't look great today, nor did Froome, Richie looked strong, as did Dan who probably did a bit too much work, but he was making a push for the Yellow jersey you'd think, and nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I'd have to disagree. I know it's quite hard to read Quintana but whenever he needed to follow he did so at ease. Almost reminded me of the old Contador following the likes of Andy Schleck. Now I know they weren't vicious attacks but he looks to be in top shape. The fact he hasn't lost silly time on the flats is a sign he's getting smarter too, no surprise with Valverde being a team player.

LRP frustrates the hell out of me at times. He resembled a dom for Froome at times today. He does look in decent form. He needs to forget about Teejay Van G. Dan is having a tremendous Tour. I think he's peaked too early though, he was immense at the Dauphiné and it's carried over well here. The likes of him are needed to animate a race now that Contador is gone.

Speaking of peaks, how precise can one time their peak and how is that even achieved? I mean the difference between a week is unbelievable at times for some riders, how do they even go about peaking too early and what not? Like Froome is always a monster at the start and tends to fade away, which could be explained by tiredness but it seems established that its past his peak for the race. On the flip side you have Quintana who always grows into a GT. How is this even done? The science is clearly too amazing for my little brain

Brian?

pelevin wrote: »

Porte is one minute behind TVG. I don't consider he should be solely as a domestique for a rider who doesn't look to have form or results of late to justify the position you suggest. He is also only 2 minutes 10 seconds down on Froome, not 15 minutes or something.

To be honest I don't think either of them have a hope. Whatever about waiting for TvG, which I still think he should have done, Porte sitting on the front of the Froome group and driving it on was shocking tactics. He wasn't attacking to take back time on the yellow jersey, he was working for Froome. His DS should have been screaming at him to sit on the back of the group unless he could get away from them.

pelevin

Dan Martin

Brian? wrote: »

To be honest I don't think either of them have a hope. Whatever about waiting for TvG, which I still think he should have done, Porte sitting on the front of the Froome group and driving it on was shocking tactics. He wasn't attacking to take back time on the yellow jersey, he was working for Froome. His DS should have been screaming at him to sit on the back of the group unless he could get away from them.

I'd be amazed by either of them winning too. I think Porte has much more the physical ability to slug it out with the elite than TVG but mentally I think he seems to really lack the mindset of a champion.

Brian?

pelevin wrote: »

I'd be amazed by either of them winning too. I think Porte has much more the physical ability to slug it out with the elite than TVG but mentally I think he seems to really lack the mindset of a champion.

First big day in the Alps, Porte will lose 10 minutes anyway!

Zzippy

Brian? wrote: »

To be honest I don't think either of them have a hope. Whatever about waiting for TvG, which I still think he should have done, Porte sitting on the front of the Froome group and driving it on was shocking tactics. He wasn't attacking to take back time on the yellow jersey, he was working for Froome. His DS should have been screaming at him to sit on the back of the group unless he could get away from them.

I think Porte knows he won't beat Froome, but he is targeting a podium place and driving it on prevents attacks from Dan, Quintana et al who are his main rivals for a podium at the moment. Suits Froome to the ground of course...