@lunge my thanks again for these threads

But agree he isn’t as charismatic off the bike when shoved in front of a TV camera as others.

FTFY. Seems to be better liked by his team mates than Wiggo ever was too. To claim someone is a personality void just because they are professional when dealing with press is a bit harsh.

Looks like Nairo is already thinking about a consolation Vuelta. Contador confirmed for the Vuelta too.

He’s just a great rider destroying the field. Wasn’t so long ago everyone was saying he couldn’t handle a bike. Well that downhill escape was pretty amazing on top of just being plain stronger than everyone else.

FTFY.

good point, going infront of camera being asked often obvious, sometimes bloody stupid questions is not a proper reflection of their personaility.

There’s also often a conflict between being “a professional” and “a personailty”

See, I really like the guy. He comes across as very humble and also able to take the proverbial out of himself, his Twitter feed particularly is often very self depreciating. I suspect he won’t wind too many people up and generally would be someone you’d want to work with.

I like Wiggo too, but I can also see how he’d be a right pain in the derrière, I don’t get that with Froome.

I do like Wiggo too… but he was a moody petulant prima donna who needed Yates or Sutton to keep him on track. I think he was being truthful when he said he was close to walking out on the Tour he won over the Froome incident. Would have been amusing to see how he’d have handled the broken bike incident on Ventoux (not that he’d have been following Porte’s attack.)

Froome vs Wiggo threads are all a bit 2012 though, it’s been thoroughly done to death!

I’m warming to him. He has learned a lot along the way both on and off a bike. If he didn’t ride like a giraffe on a bike he would be being hailed as ‘a great’ by now. Maybe.

ITV4 live coverage just started – looks like we are getting the full stage today as they are still in the neutralised zone

Bad weather + mountains = Nibali will win. Maybe he’ll take back the hours he needs to win the tour overall. Maybe.

In all seriousness, I like Froome and his racing style is often more exciting than he is given credit for. However, I’d rather someone else won because underdogs are more fun.

I say Chapeau to Froome and Brailsford for giving interviews in French (Johnny W used to do that at Toulon also), they are making an effort to directly engage with the public and that’s great.

ITV4 live coverage just started – looks like we are getting the full stage today as they are still in the neutralised zone

Yes French TV started 1 hour earlier than usual too

I’d like to see Thomas and Henao get into a break.

See, I really like the guy. He comes across as very humble and also able to take the proverbial out of himself

Yeh that’s the impression I get, just a nice genuine guy, won’t get caught up in the hype and think he’s a rock star like wiggins did. Not that I don’t like wiggins but he does tend to believe his own hype.

Thomas DeGendt forcing the break. His team mate Greg Henderson described his method on Twitter last night: https://storify.com/mrstevious/degendt

Inrng is reporting that a break has gone:

Breakaway of 20 with >2mins, includes De Gendt, Majka, Navarro, Vuillermoz, Bennett, Lutsenko, Pantano, Berhane, Rolland, RuiCosta, Buchmann.

getting interesting, pleased i remembered my headphones!

Breakaway of 20 with >2mins, includes De Gendt, Majka, Navarro, Vuillermoz, Bennett, Lutsenko, Pantano, Berhane, Rolland, RuiCosta, Buchmann.

Astana not happy with that though, they’re properly killing it on the front!

Aye looks like it will be a full on race all day.

Aru looking for the stage, great stops it being two races. Stage win for Froome a possibility now.

Aru looking for the stage

This early on, more likely they really wanted someone in the break and are not happy with it as is.

Like the De Gendt facts… 🙂

To get in the break..he sits @500w 4 5min. Then he knows who holds his wheel will be strong enough to ride and he will drop them later.

They have a man in the break!

Big thanks to lunge for these threads! They really do add to my annual tour experience, they make me sound way more knowledgeable when discussing the tour with my mates 😉

I like Froome, this year he has shown a level of aggression and opportunism that I didn’t know he had! As for how British he is, I was born in Africa but hold a uk passport so if he isn’t British then I am
F***** 🙂

I don’t reckon this stage is about winning the tour, but the fight for the podium is going to be epic!

They have a man in the break!

Hadn’t spotted that. Maybe they want more in the break. Something about it they’re not happy with. Can’t see them hitting the front with 110k to go for any other reason.

Come on come on come on…
Home from the pub so apologies out there but…
Come on Richie, ride for tasmania, roar like the tiger!#

Conversation in the pub tonight was he is probably a contender next year, the one to match Froome on the climbs and if TJ is done in the team maybe a GC team like Cadel had.

I’ll place bets on him doing a podium, strongest of those in the top 10 and a great bloke

Break is only 3 mins up.

Isn’t Lake Annecy beautiful, what a playground for skiing, mtb, roadies, water skiing … 🙂 I recall there was an STWer living in Alex just above the Lake, lovely.

maybe a GC team like Cadel had.

… but with someone who can support him on the climbs! Maybe send Tejay to the Giro and have Porte for the Tour with Tejay in support role.

Reminds me of the comments from Froome earlier about them being pretty much the only team totally dedicated to just winning the GC. No sprinter, no stage win aspirations (other than Froome but then only for GC time), no one ever going in breaks, and 5 very good climbers in support, not just a bunch of bodyguard roulers for the flat stages.

Something about it they’re not happy with.

Yes, theyvwant the peleton to go hard so that Aru can move up the GC and have a crack at the stage

was getting really confused looking at the live tracker, but it seems it not working!

Maybe. A long way out to put most of the team on the front though. Vino is a despicable cheat but he is also a wily old fox so probably has something up his sleeve.

Some big engines in the break, if they can get over the otop in front they might stretch it out a bit.

Notice BMC have two riders in the break too. Could come in handy.

Astana bickering already!

Astana bickering already!

Possibly because they’ve spent the entire race so far smashing the crap out of it and got precisely nowhere…

Astana bickering already!

Discussing WTF they’re doing chasing down a break that has their own man in it. While Froome sits on their wheels quietly giggling to himself.

I am staggered that there seem to be no other team like Sky who plan and think things thru and seem to have alternate plans should things alter significantly. Is it Dave Brailsfords guiding hand ?

It seems odd when Sky aren’t sat at the front of the peleton, Astana still there, AGR with them, Froome just sitting on the wheels, waiting.

I am staggered that there seem to be no other team like Sky who plan and think things thru and seem to have alternate plans should things alter significantly

Sky have traditionally been absolutely useless at having any sort of Plan B.
On the one hand that avoids any distractions like trying to cater for a sprinter and a GC contender within the same team. On the other hand it really screws things up when your GC contender crashes out (Wiggins in 2011, Froome in 2014).

I am staggered that there seem to be no other team like Sky who plan and think things thru and seem to have alternate plans should things alter significantly. Is it Dave Brailsfords guiding hand ?

You say that but I wonder what Sky’s plan B would have been? They are all in for Froome.

Sky don’t do Plan B’s, but they do Plan A’s very well indeed.

Dumoulin out, injured his hand in a fairly innocuous crash by the looks of it. Not sure who my Tour man crush is now, any suggestions?

Dumoulin abandoned? Injured or Rio on his mind?