Feel sorry for the poor chap trying to cycle with a broken hip!
Geraint Thomas is the chap you're looking for, putting professional footballers to shame!!! It'll be interesting to see how Sky use him in the Team time Trial tomorrow.
Sorry I was being a bit lazy not looking up his name - Olympic champion from last year I think?
Feel sorry for the poor chap trying to cycle with a broken hip!
Geraint Thomas is the chap you're looking for, putting professional footballers to shame!!! It'll be interesting to see how Sky use him in the Team time Trial tomorrow.
Sorry I was being a bit lazy not looking up his name - Olympic champion from last year I think?
Don't worry about it, yeah that's him. He did another amazing job today and stuck with team sky until the last 1 kilometer even with his broken hip. Also for those at work etc Sky are currently second in the team time trail behind Omega Pharma, David Millar has just missed out on yellow to. Orica Green-Edge have just set the fastest time by less than a second, so close!!!
just heard orica green - edge were at 16/1 to win this stage.
not sure about them holding on to the yellow jersey for long. but it just shows you can't ever discount the aussies. got to take them seriously and that includes the ashes as well.
I got a bit excited when Quintana took off. Although I only got 28-1 on him ew I'm still happy that's vfm along with my Porte ew bet. You could get 40's on Quintana this morning with Coral, now 20's. Froome is something stupid like 1/7. I have to say,despite his obvious ability, I find watching him a bit like watching Paula Ratcliffe running.
I got a bit excited when Quintana took off. Although I only got 28-1 on him ew I'm still happy that's vfm along with my Porte ew bet. You could get 40's on Quintana this morning with Coral, now 20's. Froome is something stupid like 1/7. I have to say,despite his obvious ability, I find watching him a bit like watching Paula Ratcliffe running.
Did Frome stop to 'relieve himself' then?
Quintana looks like he should be playing his wooden flute with a poncho on at Paddington Station.
Was at the Montpellier finish thursday. Great experience, unlike London you're right next to the riders after the race and can get right next to the finish line: no massive poxy vip area.
Thinking about your comments bfr, you're right about not trying to take too much time in Corsica. Also I neglected the fact you don't get time bonuses in the tour.
I've seen Froome cycling away from Brad plenty of times. He wouldn't have attacked without a strategy or thought he'd got the nod. Yates wasn't exactly going crazy in the car, he was asked to stand up. Considering he cycled him up loads of mountains in the Vuelta in 2011, and the Tour I'd say he most definitely is a team player unlike Hinault, Gadret, TJ and many others.
As for the Vuelta it's not relevant for multiple reasons. He rode after working for Brad in the Tour. On the bigger steeper climbs of the Vuelta he rode without team mates: they won't be doing gradients anywhere near that. He was squeezed by three top Spanish riders, who rode for each other and to assist Contador all they could. The Spanish can do any hot sauce they want in their home country: enforcement and testing is woeful, hence Cobo could perform again after his mates Rocha and Piepoli were banned in the Tour he was doing well in. If he'd have had one rider to support him, like the Spaniards had each other, then it would be a relevant point.
Well this is turning into one hell of a stage. Froome isolated and the Sky train including Porte all dropped, Sky regrouping now. Gonna be a cracker!
They are either paying for all the graft yesterday or are being targeted. It looks like the pace at the front is being kept up to stop them bossing the day's stage. Froome has a lot of hard work on his own to do.
Watching from the start teams just went crazy. Every team attempted an attack, and then seemed to try again. French Tv couldn't believe Porte got detatched so easily on the second 1 st category. Indeed looking at Froome's use of the radio he looked bemused.
They'll have to race Porte like a sprinter, and save him for specific days. You can't choose tt'ers who can climb, and have won a non tour gt mountain stage, and expect them to stick on todays stage. Michael Rogers can do, but he's in a different class: if a previously dubious class.
Great stuff eh? It looks like Sky are the target of all the other main contenders. I'm sure they have a plan B, C and D to cope but it's not going to be a walkover, assuming Froome has a bad day somewhere. Looks like my ew on Porte is down the pan then!
Moment missed by Movistar, should have gone hard on the second from last climb, come the Alps the gap will be bigger as Froome should out do the main Movistar riders in the TT, and so Froome, and hopefully Sky can recover on the sprinters stages, and have some bodies for the Alps.
But, what a ride from Froome, massive balls to stick with it.
Just got back from spending the weekend out there, blinding weather, both days fantastic. Took a cable car to the top of the stage on saturday, decided to walk down about 2k, en route bumped into two American press officers from Movistar, ended up giving us free VIP tickets as they had too many and we were English! Ended up spending the afternoon sipping free champagne and watched the race in our own private section 100 metres from the finish. Topped the day of by meeting Ned Boulting who reckoned Froome won it yesterday, tend to agree. The speed at which he finished the stage after hitting those gradients was unbeliavable.
It's gonna be tough for Froome and co now, effectively two men down with G's pelvic problems, and Froome hasn't had an off day so far, or any serious mechanical issues.
There's still a long way to go, but on yesterdays showing he's getting inside their heads. Movistar could have killed it off earlier.
I don't get why Movistar didn't attack in the Valley's or on the penultimate climb, its like their happy to get a podium position. Valverde will get blown out of GC tomorrow in the TT, Quintana might be a tad closer, but Froome could be 3 minutes up on GC, with a week of flat sprint friendly stages for the likes of Porte, EBH and Kennaugh to recover on.
Rode up Ventoux on Saturday, be sure to take your sun cream!
Did you watch all of it Rothko? If memory serves me they played their cards on the Peyresorde, when they dropped a man back to get Quintana and Valverde away from Froome. Then Quintana attacked four times on the final climb. Where are they going to get away in the Valleys, with a big group of GC riders with them? I guess they couldnt get away without some epo and lots of extra blood. After four category 1 climbs and a category two, do you expect them to float up on the final climb like Armstrong?
Chapeau has to go to Cadel Evans as well, fought back with as usual little support and stayed with the main group to the end.
I watched it all Colin, and think they should have gone for it on the Val Louron-Azet with the riders they had, throw someone up the road and then tried to blast Froome away at St Lary Soulan and up the Acrizan.
Quintana was never going to make them stick cause it was going to do Valverde more damage then Froome. Instead Froome got to ride 5th wheel in the Movistar train up the hills, and didn't look massively at risk.
I don't get why Movistar didn't attack in the Valley's or on the penultimate climb, its like their happy to get a podium position. Valverde will get blown out of GC tomorrow in the TT, Quintana might be a tad closer, but Froome could be 3 minutes up on GC, with a week of flat sprint friendly stages for the likes of Porte, EBH and Kennaugh to recover on.
They tried a few times to drop Froome but he kept coming back at them although he looked pretty knackered, but then I doubt Movistar were that fresh as well, they put a huge shift in yesterday. Maybe the fear was that the 30k downhill ride after the last mountain might have allowed him to escape and put time into Valverde if he couldn't respond. Movistar did effectively end Porte's tour though.
Not sure if any of you are aware but there is a Tour De France fan park in Canary Wharf for the last week of the tour. Me and the missus will be there on the final Sunday watching it all live on the big screen and drinking large amounts of wine before falling into the Ibis Hotel just over road.
Comments
not sure about them holding on to the yellow jersey for long. but it just shows you can't ever discount the aussies. got to take them seriously and that includes the ashes as well.
Froome now in yellow.
All he's got to do is hang on to it now for another two weeks.
Froome is something stupid like 1/7. I have to say,despite his obvious ability, I find watching him a bit like watching Paula Ratcliffe running.
Quintana looks like he should be playing his wooden flute with a poncho on at Paddington Station.
Thinking about your comments bfr, you're right about not trying to take too much time in Corsica. Also I neglected the fact you don't get time bonuses in the tour.
I've seen Froome cycling away from Brad plenty of times. He wouldn't have attacked without a strategy or thought he'd got the nod. Yates wasn't exactly going crazy in the car, he was asked to stand up. Considering he cycled him up loads of mountains in the Vuelta in 2011, and the Tour I'd say he most definitely is a team player unlike Hinault, Gadret, TJ and many others.
As for the Vuelta it's not relevant for multiple reasons. He rode after working for Brad in the Tour. On the bigger steeper climbs of the Vuelta he rode without team mates: they won't be doing gradients anywhere near that. He was squeezed by three top Spanish riders, who rode for each other and to assist Contador all they could. The Spanish can do any hot sauce they want in their home country: enforcement and testing is woeful, hence Cobo could perform again after his mates Rocha and Piepoli were banned in the Tour he was doing well in. If he'd have had one rider to support him, like the Spaniards had each other, then it would be a relevant point.
They'll have to race Porte like a sprinter, and save him for specific days. You can't choose tt'ers who can climb, and have won a non tour gt mountain stage, and expect them to stick on todays stage. Michael Rogers can do, but he's in a different class: if a previously dubious class.
Looks like my ew on Porte is down the pan then!
A good stage for Garmin and Dan Martin, but considering Sky blew up Valverde and Contador missed a great opportunity to gain some time on Froome.
But, what a ride from Froome, massive balls to stick with it.
It looked to me that Kennaugh was deliberately taken out.
There's still a long way to go, but on yesterdays showing he's getting inside their heads. Movistar could have killed it off earlier.
Onwards and upwards.
Am off there on Friday for Ventoux on Sunday, gonna be v warm over there.....
Did you watch all of it Rothko? If memory serves me they played their cards on the Peyresorde, when they dropped a man back to get Quintana and Valverde away from Froome. Then Quintana attacked four times on the final climb. Where are they going to get away in the Valleys, with a big group of GC riders with them? I guess they couldnt get away without some epo and lots of extra blood. After four category 1 climbs and a category two, do you expect them to float up on the final climb like Armstrong?
Chapeau has to go to Cadel Evans as well, fought back with as usual little support and stayed with the main group to the end.
Quintana was never going to make them stick cause it was going to do Valverde more damage then Froome. Instead Froome got to ride 5th wheel in the Movistar train up the hills, and didn't look massively at risk.
http://tourdefrancefanpark.co.uk/