iak Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Methinks Sky want a one/two in Paris. With this set up, the other riders have a conundrum. Do I mark G or Wobbly'ead? Brilliant. As for Sagan? The most naturally gifted rider I have ever seen, period. The fact he is also an entertaining, fun-loving bunch of silliness makes it even better. As his English improves, so his interviews become ever more hilarious... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Getting back to the important stuff (the scenery), today's stage starts by the Millau viaduct. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted July 22, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 22, 2018 As for Sagan? The most naturally gifted rider I have ever seen, period. Agreed. I wonder how he might have done in the Olympic mountain biking had he not had a mechanical failure. A truly multi-talented racer who does bring a smile to one's face. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted July 22, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 22, 2018 Another not particularly interesting or exciting stage again, as was mentioned as the peloton went over the finish line. One thing though, Sky/Froome/Thomas are running out of stages and viable options, hold on to your saddles, this could get interesting. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DIW Posted July 22, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 22, 2018 Getting back to the important stuff (the scenery), today's stage starts by the Millau viaduct. Many thanks for this post. I dashed and put on the TV just in time to see the viaduct. My lad was very impressed with the structure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Another not particularly interesting or exciting stage Typical of transition stages, at least the two this weekend have had significant breakaways so neither where the yawn that was Stage 7. One thing I wish French TV would do is when they give a list of whose in a group on screen put the rider numbers up as well, they oddly do that when they focus on a single rider and its pretty obvious who the caption refers to. Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) is out of the race having acquired a fractured elbow in the crash that affected the (lost) chasing group just before the end. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Hayter Posted July 22, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 22, 2018 Mike Sky/Frome/Thomas are running out of options to do what? How far ahead are you expecting them to need to be? GT has nearly 2 minutes lead on his next non-Sky rival. While I might be pursuaded the Dumoulin might catch Froome on the time trial with only 11 seconds to make up, I cannot see him gaining 2 minutes on GT. And Froomey is no slouch at the time trial either. It would not surprise me to see Sky setting the pace for at least one day in the Pyrenees in order to tire Dumoulin but that will be most effective on the last day of the mountains - not today or Tuesday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted July 22, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 22, 2018 Mike Sky/Frome/Thomas are running out of options to do what? How far ahead are you expecting them to need to be? GT has nearly 2 minutes lead on his next non-Sky rival. While I might be pursuaded the Dumoulin might catch Froome on the time trial with only 11 seconds to make up, I cannot see him gaining 2 minutes on GT. And Froomey is no slouch at the time trial either. It would not surprise me to see Sky setting the pace for at least one day in the Pyrenees in order to tire Dumoulin but that will be most effective on the last day of the mountains - not today or Tuesday. Unavoidable incicidents, punctures, crashes, spectators etc can soon eat into what seems to be a decent lead. To me, the interesting part of it all is what Dumoulin can/will do, he is the elephant in the room. Will GT be allowed to keep the yellow jersey to the detriment of CF? Yes, the time trial will be interesting if not decisive. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Jonboy Posted July 22, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) Gianni Moscon, a sky rider disqualified for punching another rider http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gianni-moscon-disqualified-from-tour-de-france/ Cottage of the punch here https://mobile.twitter.com/eurosport_uk/status/1021111137524469760?s=21 Will losing this domestic eat into sky’s dominance? Edited July 22, 2018 by Jonboy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Hayter Posted July 22, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 22, 2018 It certainly won't help and especially since the team has to support 2 lead riders. This may be the straw that westernenterprise was suggesting that will let someone else in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted July 22, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 22, 2018 It would be interesting to know why he did it though. Something we are unlikely to ever find out. Whether or not it affects Sky's tour, it is bound to add more grist to the mill for those who don't like Sky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted July 23, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 23, 2018 It would be interesting to know why he did it though. Something we are unlikely to ever find out. Whether or not it affects Sky's tour, it is bound to add more grist to the mill for those who don't like Sky. Read the lips of the bloke who got 'punched' before the incident. Looked more like a don't try to kiss my back wheel, mate! Who knows. At least there won't be any incidents today except in the pub or Sauna Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 It would be interesting to know why he did it though.... Individual reactions to drugs vary widely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted July 23, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 23, 2018 Individual reactions to drugs vary widely. Ouch! I'm surprised there are not more bust ups with all the bunching and 'positioning' that seems to go on from some of the riders. However, the respect from most of the others for their peers is admirable. I saw there were a couple of flare incidents yesterday. One resulted in a rider attempting to knock the flare from the idiot's hand. It wasn't Froome. I don't have problem with the SKY team as such (maybe the actual Sky Company.......but that's another story) however I can see why they are unpopular with some as they seem very driven and some can't accept that. Anyone know if Nibbles is OK? P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Anyone who has the kind of success that Sky have had will be unpopular outside their own supporters in most sports, and in cycling it's even more so since the last one to dominate in such fashion was Armstrong. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I couldn't understand why the live coverage I'd recorded didn't include Stage 8 and thought I must have deleted it by mistake. It turns out the Tivo had decided it was too close to capacity. I then checked the course and realised that stage just happened to run along most of the preserved Chemin de Fer de la Vallée de l'Eure including its main station at Pacy-sur-Eure. . https://www.cfve.org Drat, Drat and double Drat !! I knew this line quite well about ten years ago after going to its tenth anniversary weekend in April 2008 ( In June this year it celebrated its 25th anniversary !!??) It preserves a section of the former Rouen-Orleans railway a little to the south of the section that ran through Acquigny ("Rive-Reine") that featured heavily in the 1964 Burt Lancaster movie The Train. That section had closed without being dismantled much earlier than the line to Pacy though it was revived more recently for a few years to serve a large paper mill) Stage 2 did offer a glimpse of the Chemin de Fer de la Vendée's "dining" train of ex CIWL Voitures Restaurants, obviously carefully placed in a strategic spot on its track somewhere between Les Herbiers and Mortagne-sur-Sèvre. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 (edited) BoD, on 22 Jul 2018 - 21:59, said: It would be interesting to know why he did it though.... Individual reactions to drugs vary widely. Are you implying what it sounds like you may be implying? Edited July 23, 2018 by Pacific231G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted July 23, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 23, 2018 Ouch! I'm surprised there are not more bust ups with all the bunching and 'positioning' that seems to go on from some of the riders. However, the respect from most of the others for their peers is admirable. I saw there were a couple of flare incidents yesterday. One resulted in a rider attempting to knock the flare from the idiot's hand. It wasn't Froome. I don't have problem with the SKY team as such (maybe the actual Sky Company.......but that's another story) however I can see why they are unpopular with some as they seem very driven and some can't accept that. Anyone know if Nibbles is OK? P I'm just reading that Moscon has 'history'. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killybegs Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Ouch! I'm surprised there are not more bust ups with all the bunching and 'positioning' that seems to go on from some of the riders. However, the respect from most of the others for their peers is admirable. I saw there were a couple of flare incidents yesterday. One resulted in a rider attempting to knock the flare from the idiot's hand. It wasn't Froome. I don't have problem with the SKY team as such (maybe the actual Sky Company.......but that's another story) however I can see why they are unpopular with some as they seem very driven and some can't accept that. Anyone know if Nibbles is OK? P I think I heard that he had a couple of cracked vertebrae but is hoping to be fit for the Vuelta. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bimble Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Read the lips of the bloke who got 'punched' before the incident. Looked more like a don't try to kiss my back wheel, mate! Who knows. At least there won't be any incidents today except in the pub or Sauna I seem to recall that though it's a "rest" day, they still put in +120km in because the body can't deal with actually stopping for a day, and then carrying on the following. They will probably be reccying bits of tomo's stage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted July 23, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 23, 2018 Steven Kreijsweijk put in a very leisurely 25 Miles today with a few team mates. here. Romain Bardet hasn’t recorded anything interestingly. May have just used the turbo trainer. Will be interesting to see what Sky do in the Pyrenees, obviously Thomas isn’t going to drop himself, so all things being equal he’ll take the lead into the TT, where he’ll probably hold it. He’s not as good as Froome or Dumoulin, but it’s not a long TT, and he’s not bad (unlike Bardet!). Dumoulin needs to attack, but I’m not sure he’s got the legs to break them both. I just hope Sky don’t screw it up for both of them by backing Froome at the expense of Thomas, and then finding Froome can’t answer an attack by Dumoulin, but given their hugely data-driven and analytical approach to things that seems unlikely. Should be good! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Are you implying what it sounds like you may be implying? Implying be damned! This sport has been pharmaceutically assisted long term, by open acknowledgement of the likes of Anquetil and Merckx, so since 'forever'. There's no way it is suddenly lily white now. Just better managed now with formulations and dosage regimes that are more difficult to detect. (Frankly it's probably in every sport where there is serious money at stake, far better to cease to regulate beyond requiring the competitors to actualy declare what they are using.) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted July 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 24, 2018 Of course it’s rife in every sport, cycling is just more open about it. There are more failed drugs tests in tennis, they just bury their heads in the sand. That said I think it’s immeasurably cleaner than it was. Geraint Thomas’s ascent of Alpe d’Huez didn’t even make the top 20 fastest times. Nearly 20% slower than the quicker times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 You want a sport with a PED problem then watch the NFL. A 4 game ban is no deterrent at all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted July 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 24, 2018 Baseball didn’t even test a couple of years ago, think they may have started. The Icarus docu-drama on Netflix is worth watching, quite enlightening. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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