TDF Stage 14 - Somewhere - Tourmalet

DanDublin1982

That was something else. Hugely enjoyable few hours on the couch.

Inquitus

Latest Odds for the winner, Ala into evens:

c.p.w.g.w

Some stage managed to watch the last 2 hours on my phone in work. Alaphilppe that was some ride. Delighted for Pinot

Inquitus

I have to say Ala's performances this year have more than raised a few eyebrows:

Beat Sagan in a flat sprint at MSR.
Wins TDF Stage 3 on a Murito.
Finishes with the leaders on the PdBF.
Wins TDF ITT.
Comes 2nd (after a quiet word in his ear) in the First TDF High Mountain Summit Finish Stage, leaving a litany of who's who in High Mountain TDF stage luminaries in his wake.

MPFGLB

He gifted that win to Pinot I think ...he looked like he could follow him with ease

Inquitus

MPFGLB wrote: »

He gifted that win to Pinot I think ...he looked like he could follow him with ease

I'd agree, it was either a gift, or purely for the optics.

equivariant

Just wondering, who was the last rider to win San Remo and the Tour in the same year? Merckx? Its brilliant to see JA contending in the tour. Even if he doesn't hold on this year, he surely now believe that he can win it and will look for a team to do it. Will/can quickstep build a team to contend at the tour? Anyway, it has been the best 2 weeks of a Tour for years. Hopefully the last week will continue the same way.

Eamonnator

Inquitus wrote: »

I'd agree, it was either a gift, or purely for the optics.

Or because they're both French.

Boscoirl

Dan lost 5 1/2 minutes today.

Inquitus

equivariant wrote: »

Just wondering, who was the last rider to win San Remo and the Tour in the same year? Merckx? Its brilliant to see JA contending in the tour. Even if he doesn't hold on this year, he surely now believe that he can win it and will look for a team to do it. Will/can quickstep build a team to contend at the tour? Anyway, it has been the best 2 weeks of a Tour for years. Hopefully the last week will continue the same way.

Moser in 84.

MPFGLB

Cycling is such a hard sport

Quintana ...where does he go from here ?
Porte ...His big pay packet at BMC and again at Trek and no results in GTs
Mas...well if Movistar pay £3 million for him they need to think again
MScott ... and their 3 top riders were set to win GTs in years to come but Yates bros may have hit a high with the Vuelta and Chaves has had a terrible few years..Hope he is back fro Vuleta 2019 as could get them their GT win this year ...but given all the potential they had in GTs ??
Dan Martin got a good pay deal from UAE of 2 million but he hasnt delivered either in GTs
Landa can climb but he cant do much else even stay on his bike ...been to all the big teams but cannot produce a GT wining performance
Bardet...not long ago he was going to be the first Frenchman to win the Tour but looks like it wont happen now

In cycling potential is everything ...reality is very different

Eamonnator

MPFGLB wrote: »

Cycling is such a hard sport

Quintana ...where does he go from here ?
Porte ...His big pay packet at BMC and again at Trek and no results in GTs
Mas...well if Movistar pay £3 million for him they need to think again
MScott ... and their 3 top riders were set to win GTs in years to come but Yates bros may have hit a high with the Vuelta and Chaves has had a terrible few years..Hope he is back fro Vuleta 2019 as could get them their GT win this year ...but given all the potential they had in GTs ??
Dan Martin got a good pay deal from UAE of 2 million but he hasnt delivered either in GTs
Landa can climb but he cant do much else even stay on his bike ...been to all the big teams but cannot produce a GT wining performance
Bardet...not long ago he was going to be the first Frenchman, since 1985, to win the Tour but looks like it wont happen now

In cycling potential is everything ...reality is very different

fixed that for you.

Eamonnator

I had to check that twice. Imagine, 34 years since a Frenchman won the Tour.

Angliru

If I was Movistar I'd bin Quintana and keep Landa. Quintana is like one of those Nigerian lads who faked their age. Landa has nearly always had to play second fiddle and even so he's been more consistent than Quintana.

There's absolutely no way Chaves has faked his age but his fall has been ridiculous. Went from being unlucky to having a couple of GT wins to being barely able to finish one. Really good lad and a really entertaining and brave cyclist, I really hope he can make a comeback.

Lopez isn't a million miles away from winning a GT but he'd need to improve more and more in the TT.

Might even be a French duel for the win this year.

And 43 years since a Belgian won it

irishrover99

I think comparing alaphilippe‘s performances this year to that of froomes is not a great comparison.
It’s not like alaphilippe has came from nowhere, like froome did, riding gravel roads in Kenya or wherever he grew up.
He’s been marked as a serious up and coming contender for a few years now just as all the others over the last few years have been but perhaps he is the first one to live up to the expectations.
Anyway if Thomas can win it when it not been a great climber why can’t alaphilippe. I remember Roche won it against much better climbers in 87.

MPFGLB

How long since a dutch rider won it ...now that is more pertinent especially that is where I have my money.
And who was the strongest team to day ...the ketone boys

MPFGLB

irishrover99 wrote: »

I think comparing alaphilippe‘s performances this year to that of froomes is not a great comparison.
It’s not like alaphilippe has came from nowhere, like froome did, riding gravel roads in Kenya or wherever he grew up.
He’s been marked as a serious up and coming contender for a few years now just as all the others over the last few years have been but perhaps he is the first one to live up to the expectations.
Anyway if Thomas can win it when it not been a great climber why can’t alaphilippe. I remember Roche won it against much better climbers in 87.

Roche had pedigree in climbing and was placed high in Tour before plus he had help

irishrover99

MPFGLB wrote: »

Roche had pedigree in climbing and was placed high in Tour before plus he had help

Help. That’s what I was talking about.

irishrover99

MPFGLB wrote: »

How long since a dutch rider won it ...now that is more pertinent especially that is where I have my money.
And who was the strongest team to day ...the ketone boys

Kruijswijk really rinds me of Cadel Evans in style and tactics. Can’t see him winning it this year as he doesn’t really attack enough.

MPFGLB

MPFGLB wrote: »

And who was the strongest team to day ...the ketone boys

Bodes well for Dumoulin next year

Fusitive

irishrover99 wrote: »

I think comparing alaphilippe‘s performances this year to that of froomes is not a great comparison.
It’s not like alaphilippe has came from nowhere, like froome did, riding gravel roads in Kenya or wherever he grew up.
He’s been marked as a serious up and coming contender for a few years now just as all the others over the last few years have been but perhaps he is the first one to live up to the expectations.
Anyway if Thomas can win it when it not been a great climber why can’t alaphilippe. I remember Roche won it against much better climbers in 87.

The Tour was different back in Roche's day too. There was 5 Time trials in 87 and they were much longer than you see nowadays. iirc, Roche won the long ITT and Carrera won the TTT. Delgado was a better climber than Roche but Roche dominated the TT's but Roche was still a really good climber

letape

MPFGLB wrote: »

Alaphillipe was leading out Viviani a few days ago,he was pushing on the front in the cross winds, he was sprinting , he won the IT and now he looks at ease on the Tourmalet with top climbers gone and buried

Reminds me of Laurent Jalabert at the latter part of his career - how he developed from a multiple times green jersey winner and went on to win the king of the mountains, Tour de France podium and Vuelta winner. He could do everything in his Once days.

letape

Angliru wrote: »

If I was Movistar I'd bin Quintana and keep Landa. Quintana is like one of those Nigerian lads who faked their age. Landa has nearly always had to play second fiddle and even so he's been more consistent than Quintana

They’re both leaving Movistar at the of the season. Valverde staying and team signing Mas.

Landa needs a setback before he gets into gear. It's as if he only thrives once the pressure is off.

Darkglasses

Apparently Buchmann reckoned the pace was "pretty slow" when he went to the front.

Gaudu (sp?) was fantastic

gordongekko

This was froomes breakthrough GT https://vimeo.com/69171459

JA has always performed well. Just maybe not in a three week tour but its nothing like as big as transformation as froome

c.p.w.g.w

Quintana is finished as a grand tour contender. His been declining for the last 3 seasons, as a GC guy, seems to have a bad day in him which you can't afford in a GT.

With saying the above, if he had a team built around him he might be able to compete, but his had a couple of days in the mountains were his run out of gas, which for a climber is strange.

Fr D Maugire

irishrover99 wrote: »

I think comparing alaphilippe‘s performances this year to that of froomes is not a great comparison.
It’s not like alaphilippe has came from nowhere, like froome did, riding gravel roads in Kenya or wherever he grew up.
He’s been marked as a serious up and coming contender for a few years now just as all the others over the last few years have been but perhaps he is the first one to live up to the expectations.
Anyway if Thomas can win it when it not been a great climber why can’t alaphilippe. I remember Roche won it against much better climbers in 87.

No doubt that Alaphilipe was a top rider beforehand, but he is winning classics, leading out sprints, winning Tour TTs and now climbing with the best. Stretches credibility a bit to say the least, but then every year the level of credibility seems to be stretched with the likes of Froome and Thomas morphing into Tour dominators/winners.

Roche was a toutued Tour winner from early in his career. A good all-rounder, he didnt morph from being a classics rider to Tour contender overnight.

Itziger

letape wrote: »

Reminds me of Laurent Jalabert at the latter part of his career - how he developed from a multiple times green jersey winner and went on to win the king of the mountains, Tour de France podium and Vuelta winner. He could do everything in his Once days.

I know, weird right?!