<Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Now we have something / quite-a-lot to discuss and celebrate.
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[XAP]Bob
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<Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by [XAP]Bob »

And crashes - is that three times Froome has come off so far?

And out :(

Could Richie Porte come though?
Last edited by [XAP]Bob on 9 Jul 2014, 2:46pm, edited 1 time in total.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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nicmarsh
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain....

Post by nicmarsh »

Froome out on the stage no one fancied him on, never even got to the cobbles!
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain....

Post by [XAP]Bob »

nicmarsh wrote:Froome out on the stage no one fancied him on, never even got to the cobbles!

Loosing a little time is one thing, losing Froome altogether is another.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
nicmarsh
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by nicmarsh »

cracking and very watchable stage anyway, some terrific cycling and cycle-sport though poor Froomy must feel pretty rotten right now
Postboxer
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by Postboxer »

As will Wiggo, hopefully Geraint Thomas can do well, although I might have to take him out of my fantasy tour team, as have already had to replace 3 riders! Think it might be all my fault.
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Si
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by Si »

I'm still not convinced about cobbled stages in a big stage race - too much random chance. Yes, I know that he went down before they got to the cobbles, but I am fairly sure that the knowledge of there being cobbles right from the early part of the stage meant that a lot of teams were fighting really hard to keep leaders up front and so the wheel clipping and gap diving will have started real early unlike in the latter stages on a normal rolling or flat stage.
nicmarsh
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by nicmarsh »

Postboxer wrote:As will Wiggo, hopefully Geraint Thomas can do well, although I might have to take him out of my fantasy tour team, as have already had to replace 3 riders! Think it might be all my fault.

whats your team, who else you put the spooks on? Nibali today was stunning, Thomas rode exceptionally well, Wiggo would have loved it, Cav would have hated it!
nicmarsh
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by nicmarsh »

Personally I am inclined to think it is a positive addition to the tour. Obviously today the weather played a greater part than it may have done on another day in July. It has had an immediate and significant impact on the GC in the same way a TT or mountain stage does but a flat stage generally doesn't and is like the spring classics, requiring different skills and aptitudes. Great bike handling skills a must!!
Postboxer
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by Postboxer »

This is my fantasy team, on another website.

Now Nibali subbed in, Thomas there already, Tony Martin, Kittel, Sagan - So some of them doing ok, Simon Clarke, Elia Viviani, Tom Dumoulin, Svein Tuft. Some of them there to make up the numbers with the limited budget, currently 1853/3065 but I missed out on some points because I did it wrong so didn't get any points for the first two stages as I was rushing out of the house, ironically to go and watch something...
Brucey
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by Brucey »

conspiracy theorists will doubtless mutter that this stage was included specifically to eliminate Froomy. It is literally the case that he'd have won twice as many races in the past if he could have stayed on the bike. Yesterday's initial crash was, I think, initiated by an astana rider. Coincidence? You decide.

I'm not saying that Froomy's crashes in the last two days were avoidable (who knows) or that he was in any way to fault, but today's was a brutal stage and it was no coincidence that a former world CX champion won it. Deservedly so, too; he displayed some impeccable bike handling skills; at one point the camber on a slippy section took him into the gutter; he very calmly let his front wheel go with it (where others might have tried to steer and gone down instantly) and once in the gutter, he simply bunny-hopped out of it and back onto the pave.

It'll be interesting to see who in this (now fractured) race grasps the nettle and attacks; no one team will be able to keep a lid on it every day so we are practically guaranteed some exciting racing.

cheers
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Jezrant
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by Jezrant »

It's debatable whether there should be a cobble stage in the TdF, but if it had been raining like that during the two stages in Yorkshire, Froome might have come off then too. Would one then say that the Yorkshire stages were put in to eliminate Froome? Froome was just in particularly bad form yesterday. He came off twice, both times on flat surfaces before even reaching the first cobble section. He's over-rated. And how we miss Wiggo now! Personally, I think it was a brilliant stage. A CX champion won it, but it was very interesting to see how well others who are neither CX or Spring Classics champions managed on the cobbles.
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NUKe
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by NUKe »

Sad day for Chris Froome. It was never going to be easy with a possible hairline fracture. I have nearly finished reading his book, a very Gutsy rider but has been accident prone throught out his entire career, he crashed out last year even before the first stage was nutralised. G seems to be the elected spokes person, even if Ritchie is now the leader.

Already the British press are ready to abandon the Tour. After today the BBC probably won't mention it. At least its still on ITV 4
Last edited by NUKe on 10 Jul 2014, 11:02am, edited 1 time in total.
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honesty
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by honesty »

The thing is, they all knew the stage was coming. If the teams or the riders were that worried about just staying on why not just put them on CX bikes with cantis and big semi slick tyres. Yes they would have lost time, but they would have been able to go faster over the cobbles and in the rain and it would have been harder to slip off... I know that some of the riders in Paris Roubaix ride CX frames so its not something that the UCI has disallowed.
Jezrant
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by Jezrant »

You can't blame it on the bikes. Sky et al were on bikes like those used for Paris-Roubaix with fat 27mm FMB tubs run at low pressure.
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Si
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Re: <Spoilers> Rain.... [SPOILERS]

Post by Si »

Has anyone really suggested that the stage was put in just to eliminate Froome?
Surely the stage was put in to up the blood and gore stakes and thus get more viewers and increase advertising revenue?
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