Tour de France 2017 General Thread

py

Hoping the excitement picks up over the next few days, otherwise, I think it'll be all wrapped up by Sunday.

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Which Bora positive???

Ralf Matzka http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bora-reveal-2016-positive-test-for-ralf-matzka/

Itziger

In a statement, Denk explained that positive test was likely due to contamination of water and team decided not to go public to "protect the athlete".

Luckily I wasn't sipping the coffee when I read that bit.

Shedite27

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Bar last weekend – especially last Sunday – this years edition has been very flat (literally) on action and excitement. Can't see the viewers being glued to their seats depart to arrivé every day to date. Even the sprints are boring such is Kittels power. Least enjoyable tour for me that I can remember - and I remember quite a few!! Everything crossed for an action packed finale starting tomorrow!!

Yup, been an awful tour so far. The only talking points is who has crashed out.

Bad year for the broadcasters to cover it from start to finish each day

greenspurs

Jeez... i really did laugh out loud watching Rasmussen sprint up those Mountain roads... !
WTF .....

dastardly00

Cool slow-motion video of the peloton captured using some sort of high-speed camera

https://twitter.com/lionelbirnie/status/885166544568930304

neris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqxHWdqTtrw

neris

https://twitter.com/cycling_podcast/status/885413390579109890

dastardly00

dastardly00 wrote: »

Cool slow-motion video of the peloton captured using some sort of high-speed camera

https://twitter.com/lionelbirnie/status/885166544568930304

I think every rider in that video would love to see it

UCI have questions to answer here about watergate today. Apply the rules yes but apply them consistently :mad:

1bryan

Deleted User wrote: »

UCI have questions to answer here about watergate today. Apply the rules yes but apply them consistently :mad:

they just do what suits them. Penalise Uran and Bennett but not Bardet or any of the Sky riders who took feed bags inside the final 20km.

Decided by the same comissaires who decided to eject Sagan for doing not much of anything, but only imposed a meaningless time penalty on Bouhanni who was clearly seen throwing a punch, and who decided to ignore the Froome 'lean-in' on Aru, probably because no one likes Aru.

1bryan

huh, decision reversed now. They really are a pathetic bunch.

greenspurs

1bryan wrote: »

huh, decision reversed now. They really are a pathetic bunch.

Really?
Making it up as they go along ....... :rolleyes:

1bryan

greenspurs wrote: »

Really?
Making it up as they go along ....... :rolleyes:

you can be sure this was as a result of Bardet being caught on camera. Had that not have happened, the time bonuses would stay.

Also interested that they decided to reverse the decision rather than just impose the same time penalty on Bardet.

These lads would make Irish politicians look honest.

greenspurs

1bryan wrote: »

you can be sure this was as a result of Bardet being caught on camera. Had that not have happened, the time bonuses would stay.

Also interested that they decided to reverse the decision rather than just impose the same time penalty on Bardet.

These lads would make Irish politicians look honest.

And the Team Sly lads with their food bags ?!
( i 'think' they got musettes inside the 20km mark?) ...

Weepsie

greenspurs wrote: »

And the Team Sly lads with their food bags ?!
( i 'think' they got musettes inside the 20km mark?) ...

They're allowed get their food though are they not? The ones they get in the food zone have to be offical TdF sponsor approved or something, I assume it's because they seem to always broadcast them passing through the feed zone.

Any way here is the Guardians text on it yesterday

144km to go: Various Sky riders pick up jiffy feed bags before hitting the official feed zone.

greenspurs

Weepsie wrote: »

They're allowed get their food though are they not? The ones they get in the food zone have to be offical TdF sponsor approved or something, I assume it's because they seem to always broadcast them passing through the feed zone.

Any way here is the Guardians text on it yesterday

I dont think they can get food within the 20km to go...
Werent TeamSly at it a few years ago , when Porte went for Gels for Froome ?

Weepsie

greenspurs wrote: »

And the Team Sly lads with their food bags ?!
( i 'think' they got musettes inside the 20km mark?) ...

Ah I see, and I've checked and apparently that was changed to the last 10 km for yesterday's stage. Presumably due to the uphill finish.

greenspurs

Weepsie wrote: »

Ah I see, and I've checked and apparently that was changed to the last 10 km for yesterday's stage. Presumably due to the uphill finish.

Ahh ok.....
|I was wondering.

dastardly00

The teams cut it pretty close when it comes to bike weight...
The minimum weight for a bike is 6.8kg.
A selection of bikes are weighed after each stage.
Nairo Quintana's bike was 6.84kg (after the stage yesterday).
40 grams... that doesn't leave much room for error!

JoeyJJ

If my aunt had balls etc... however if Dan didn't lose 1,20 when crashing on Sunday he would be right in there now a couple of seconds ahead of Froome.

Weepsie

JoeyJJ wrote: »

If my aunt had balls etc... however if Dan didn't lose 1,20 when crashing on Sunday he would be right in there now a couple of seconds ahead of Froome.

If he didn't lose 1.20 he'd be 15 seconds behind Froome.

He may have however gained more time yesterday if he was not suffering

Boscoirl

JoeyJJ wrote: »

If my aunt had balls etc... however if Dan didn't lose 1,20 when crashing on Sunday he would be right in there now a couple of seconds ahead of Froome.

And probably finished stronger yesterday

StevieGriff

Weepsie wrote: »

If he didn't lose 1.20 he'd be 15 seconds behind Froome.

He may have however gained more time yesterday if he was not suffering

From his Twitter "Tried for the stage but have no power out the saddle in my back. Getting better every day though so hope to be back to myself next week"
I question his core strength/stability at the best of times, he's like a bobble head when climbing. Seems to work though.

JoeyJJ

Weepsie wrote: »

If he didn't lose 1.20 he'd be 15 seconds behind Froome.

He may have however gained more time yesterday if he was not suffering

Sorry I was looking at Bardet, mind melt. Looking forward to Astana refusing to control this and making sky step up.

Itziger

Romain Bardet is 300/1 to win today. 300/1??

And Aru 400/1.

What the heck! Think I'll put a fiver on them both.

Edit: five e/w on Aru in the end. Watch Bardet win it now!!!!!!!!!!

Kaisr Sose

StevieGriff wrote: »

From his Twitter "Tried for the stage but have no power out the saddle in my back. Getting better every day though so hope to be back to myself next week"
I question his core strength/stability at the best of times, he's like a bobble head when climbing. Seems to work though.

And Froome style looks like....?

Taxuser1

Nicolas Roche for today's stage

neris

was watching the stage yesterday and on one of the climbs froome and kwitakowski were trying to get away from the group and got handed bottles by a team sky person on the road side. is there etiquette around giving bottles to riders on other teams or other teams riders asking for bottles? or just not the done thing?

MPFGLB

Taxuser1 wrote: »

Nicolas Roche for today's stage

Has to set it up for GVA I'd say ...but if he didn't then he could go off the front

Itziger

Oooops, just realised I didn't use spoiler there.

Shocking from a certain team though. Awful stuff.