Purito is retiring at the end of the season 🙁 one of my absolute favourite riders, a proper pure climber.

This year’s race so far has reminded me of 2010 when Bertie and Andy Pandy basically stared at each other for the entirety of the mountains….. Hope either Froome or Quintana will actual have a decent stab at it on Ventoux.

What I want to see:-

For just one big mountain stage, make the entire peleton stick it to Sky time after time so that at the base of a big climb Froome is without team mates and has to ride on his own

NQ to mount a real fix bayonets shit or bust up the road for minutes gain stylee effort with none of this terrier on the wheel business.

Also wondering when Nairo is going to show his hand. I don’t agree that Valverde is riding domestique to him and wish he would properly commit to the role instead of thinking he still has a GC chance.

I wonder if Naior thinks he can put a dent into Froome on the mountain time trial like Contador did at the Criterium

so that at the base of a big climb Froome is without team mates and has to ride on his own

Like Dan Martin and Adam Yates.

I agree that it’s Froome’s to lose – so predictions on the other podium places?

Quintana second and Martin or Yates third? Any race of truth specialists within 1:30 of the top three?

so that at the base of a big climb Froome is without team mates and has to ride on his own

Saw a fair bit of that in the final week of last years tour. Froome seemed to cope very well with it.

Be great to see Yates or Martin on the podium. Failing that Bardet would be a pleasing 3rd.

I wonder if Naior thinks he can put a dent into Froome on the mountain time trial like Contador did at the Criterium

Maybe, but I think that the TTs are slightly tipped in Froome’s favour overall. The longer TT has only 4% climbs, and some longer rolling sections. The ‘mountain’ TT only really has 3Km of steep climbing.

For me, the best way for Quintana to win is to do exactly what he’s doing. Sit right up Froome’s ass until the 22nd/23rd. Let Sky control the race.

TBF froome was doing a lot of looking at his front tire on saturday.

Froome forgot his prescription glasses and be like: “Wait, WTF, where’s my stem? Where the f*&k’s it gone? Where is it? Where’s my stem? Shit! G. Have you seem my stem?”

Froome seemed to cope very well with it

I’m not anti Froome – would just prefer to see some more individual excitement.

Want to see Bardet on the podium and Yates in the top 5. And all the talking about how Martin is not a contender means he obviously is. Quintana to have a good day and a bad day. Froome for the win.

So:

1) Froome
2) Quintana
3) Bardet
4) Martin
5) Yates

Maybe. That was my thinking for team justgofaster. Just needs Pinot to take a stage and the polka dot jersey.

I’m not anti Froome – would just prefer to see some more individual excitement.

What, more exciting than riding at 90 kph with his bollox on the top tube? What serious GC contender has ever done something like that?

I would love to see him crush Quintana on the Ventoux again and then rub it in on the ITT the next day. But oh! Everyone would be saying “How boring, the Tour is over with a week to go”!

There’s about one puncture covering the top 10-15 places isn’t there?

This one’s got a couple of weeks to run I think.

I’d be amazed if Dan Martin is top 10 by Paris. He’ll lose an absolute packet in the TT’s…..then probably blow in the mountains too 😆

Seriously though, was it a couple of years ago in the Vuelta, that hew was reasonably well placed on GC…..think he lost 5 minutes in the TT.