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Tour de France 2018 - General Thread

MPFGLB · 2018-07-01 11:04:43

So its nearly upon us...The Tour !!!!!!!!!!! And already its full of controversy ...going to be a hot 3 weeks in France https://www.letour.fr/en/overall-route Start list :https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-de-france/2018/startlist Dan Martin has leadership of a weak UAE team and there is alot of TTing to be done .…

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#452 29-07-2018 1:36am
Dr. Bre

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dastardly00 wrote: »

Using this year's race as an example, if he was on a better team, he wouldn't have lost as much time as he did during the team time trial. That would have been a huge benefit.

If he was on a better team he would have had more support in the mountains (i.e. better domestiques), so he might have limited the time losses he suffered. So he would have been higher up in GC... But then as a result he might have been closed down quicker during the attacks that he made.

His individual time trialling would be still the same (i.e. quite poor), unless the better team forced him to focus more on his TT ability.

If he was on a really good team, his best chance of winning the Tour de France would be if there was very little time trials. If the individual time trial was a mountain climb (the organisers do that every now and again), then that would suit him more than a flat time trial.

Or if he was on sky he would win lol

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#453 29-07-2018 4:42am
SharpshooterTom

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Been a pretty good sporting year for Wales.

Mark Williams winning the World Snooker Championship
Gareth Bale scoring a brace and a worldie in the final of the Champions League
Gareth Thomas winning the Tour de France.

Only 3 millions people. Congratulations Wales.

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#454 29-07-2018 9:07am
Lusk_Doyle

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ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Been a pretty good sporting year for Wales.

Mark Williams winning the World Snooker Championship
Gareth Bale scoring a brace and a worldie in the final of the Champions League
Gareth Thomas winning the Tour de France.

Only 3 millions people. Congratulations Wales.

Gareth Thomas!

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#455 29-07-2018 9:36am
Eamonnator

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What's a worldie?

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#456 29-07-2018 9:47am
neris

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Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Gareth Thomas!

I think he means thomas geraint

https://twitter.com/ukcyclingexpert/status/1019685365546921984

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#457 29-07-2018 9:53am
NIMAN

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As an outsider to the sport, do any of you cycling fans think anyone in that TDF this year is clean?

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#458 29-07-2018 10:01am
neris

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NIMAN wrote: »

As an outsider to the sport, do any of you cycling fans think anyone in that TDF this year is clean?

Don't go there

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#459 29-07-2018 10:13am
letape

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NIMAN wrote: »

As an outsider to the sport, do any of you cycling fans think anyone in that TDF this year is clean?

The sky fanboys believe in miracles - others don’t!

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#460 29-07-2018 10:42am
NIMAN

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I don't follow the sport at all, but see the old news story about it.

I know all about the packages being sent to Team Sky in the mail, but I would have thought that with all the LA story and him having his titles taken off him, that the sport might have been forced to clean itself up. I did read that the times slowed up in the next couple of TDF after his downfall, but I watched a BBC news report last night and is that now 6 of the last 7 TDF that have gone to British riders? How did they suddenly get so good? Very suspect.

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#461 29-07-2018 10:56am
magicbastarder

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NIMAN, there are forum rules on doping speculation - best have a read of them:
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056898013

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#462 29-07-2018 11:08am
NIMAN

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magicbastarder wrote: »

NIMAN, there are forum rules on doping speculation - best have a read of them:
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056898013

Apologies.

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#463 29-07-2018 11:16am
MPFGLB

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https://twitter.com/Peter_SagFan/status/1023496973331128325

So 2 GTs together ..Dumoulin and Froome and only 13 seconds in total seperates them

So all those who doubt Froome...maybe you should be doubting big Tom the TT specialist too ? After all he has done 2 GTs back to back and finished 2nd in both and who thought 2 years ago he would be a contender

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#464 29-07-2018 11:52am
velo.2010

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MPFGLB wrote: »

https://twitter.com/Peter_SagFan/status/1023496973331128325

So 2 GTs together ..Dumoulin and Froome and only 13 seconds in total seperates them

So all those who doubt Froome...maybe you should be doubting big Tom the TT specialist too ? After all he has done 2 GTs back to back and finished 2nd in both and who thought 2 years ago he would be a contender

Your missing the point/whataboutery etc. Even if all his rivals took drugs, they were still better than him at every stage of their early careers. If Froome IS clean then he made such a giant stride in performance that it would be the greatest sporting improvement ever seen and make him the best ever sportsperson.

To your point specifically. It would be more likely that Dumoulin is clean and has simply raised his performance on the climbs over the last few years. 3 years ago he was one stage from winning the Vuelta and he was 6th in the 2012 Vuelta Andalucía at 21.

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#465 29-07-2018 12:25pm
Macy0161

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This whole ceremonial stage thing is only really since the 90's, and grew out leaders being so far ahead.

I can't remember if it's in his book or I heard it in an interview (and has definitely been discussed on the "this day in cycling history" podcast), but Roche did a deal with superconfex/ John Paul van Poppel that he wouldn't go for points if they helped keep control of the race as they were fearful of Delgado attacking. Roche was leading the points comp going into the final stage...

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#466 29-07-2018 1:22pm
mewso

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MPFGLB wrote: »

So all those who doubt Froome...maybe you should be doubting big Tom the TT specialist too ? After all he has done 2 GTs back to back and finished 2nd in both and who thought 2 years ago he would be a contender

I doubt everyone in cycling. Simple as that. Nothing I can do about it though and nothing I can do about my love of the Tour going back to childhood so I simply restrict myself to disliking the legitimate stuff that annoys me. Like team Sky in general

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#467 29-07-2018 1:30pm
Mint Sauce

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Last day of the TdF, and is it just me, or did the whole thing once seem so much more excitng, AND LONGER!

Loved watching it as a kid, seeing the highlights package on C4, and it seeming to last for ever.

Have still enjoyed it this year, and delighted some one other than Froome won it. Happy for G. Romain Bardet really caught my attention this year after his multiple puntures in ONE stage, and will be looking at him, amoungst others next year.

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#468 29-07-2018 2:52pm
neris

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https://twitter.com/procycletrumps/status/1023561753664413697

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#469 29-07-2018 3:15pm
bazermc

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Right so, when is the Vuelta starting ?

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#470 29-07-2018 3:23pm
Sal Butamol

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bazermc wrote: »

Right so, when is the Vuelta starting ?

What big names are going this year?

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#471 29-07-2018 3:25pm
Macy0161

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As clean as it's ever been. Cycling is as clean as any professional sport - most simply don't test, and the media won't investigate.

Do you think a cycling team could say in a press conference that a rider was having an injection to be fit for the next stage? Where as during the football world cup, injections to be fit for the next match were discussed at press conferences and put out in press releases without an eyebrow being raised...

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#472 29-07-2018 3:33pm
Boscoirl

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Sal Butamol wrote: »

What big names are going this year?

Movistar are saying Quintana, Valverde and Landa will all ride the Vuelta

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#473 29-07-2018 4:35pm
Sal Butamol

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Are Nico and Dan doing the Vuelta?

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#474 29-07-2018 4:50pm
Pudsy33

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Sal Butamol wrote: »

Are Nico and Dan doing the Vuelta?

Nico probably will, he tends to go well. Dan usually doesn't.

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#475 29-07-2018 4:52pm
selwyn froggitt

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ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Been a pretty good sporting year for Wales.

Mark Williams winning the World Snooker Championship
Gareth Bale scoring a brace and a worldie in the final of the Champions League
Gareth Thomas winning the Tour de France.

Only 3 millions people. Congratulations Wales.

I was listening to BBC Radio 5 live this morning,they were interviewing the PE teacher from Whitchurch High School in Cardiff where Geraint Thomas went to school,amongst other notable former pupils were Gareth Bale and Sam Warburton

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#476 29-07-2018 4:59pm
Lusk_Doyle

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Pudsy33 wrote: »

Nico probably will, he tends to go well. Dan usually doesn't.

The only bad thing is that Porte will probably want to ride it too if he is fit. Nico gets relegated to dom duties again.

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#477 29-07-2018 5:08pm
Boscoirl

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Aru will prob get the nod for UAE too

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#478 29-07-2018 5:11pm
Lusk_Doyle

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Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

The only bad thing is that Porte will probably want to ride it too if he is fit. Nico gets relegated to dom duties again.

Mind you TJ probably will fancy his chances too after his 29th place.

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#479 29-07-2018 5:25pm
Itziger

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Mint Sauce wrote: »

Last day of the TdF, and is it just me, or did the whole thing once seem so much more excitng, AND LONGER!

Loved watching it as a kid, seeing the highlights package on C4, and it seeming to last for ever.

Have still enjoyed it this year, and delighted some one other than Froome won it. Happy for G. Romain Bardet really caught my attention this year after his multiple puntures in ONE stage, and will be looking at him, amoungst others next year.

This was his 5th Tour. If anything he's gone backwards. I like the guy but his strengths and weaknesses are well known at this point.

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#480 29-07-2018 5:45pm
Dr. Bre

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Who will lead sky at vuelta?

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#481 29-07-2018 5:46pm
harringtonp

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selwyn froggitt wrote: »

I was listening to BBC Radio 5 live this morning,they were interviewing the PE teacher from Whitchurch High School in Cardiff where Geraint Thomas went to school,amongst other notable former pupils were Gareth Bale and Sam Warburton

And ?? Anything interesting said ?

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