Forum menu
Did this also co-incide with no power meters? Genuine question.
I think Power meters used in races (rather than training) is only really something that's come in during the last 10 years or less. From a quick trawl of images on the internet it seems 2009 a few risers were by 2010 then the majority of riders were using them.
I went right off him when I found out he'd had his nostrils 'rebored' so he could get more air in - seems like surgical doping to me
Is this true?
If so, I like him more now.
I've not seen one post on here pining for Phil and Paul to come back to ITV. Well done Ned and David. Far more engaging and insightful if not a little verbose at times.
I might be in the minority but I miss a TTT.
Watch out for Roglic and Benoot in years to come.
You couldn't move in the peloton for disc brakes.
Sky have gotten better over the years at varying tactics but still aren't great. Putting Landa up the road yesterday was a good move but they still work too hard on the first half of stages. Still a bit one dimensional but it clearly works.
I can. If I were a pro racer I'd want to be like him. Good, clever and a nice bloke.
Hmmm, nope not for me - I don't doubt he's a nice bloke and an unbelievable cyclist but I just struggle to get behind him. Maybe it's because he's never been an underdog (bar the year when he could have clearly trounced Wiggins) or maybe the way in which he (or rather Sky) win the tour just means I struggle to support him. I'd much rather see Bardet win this year, or Barguil or someone else. Had high hopes for Porte but obviously not to be. And credit to Froome, I don't think Porte can match him even when he's on top form.
MrBlobby - did Indurain and Armstrong have a team of potential tour winners supporting them though? In the same vein as Landa, Kwiato, Kiryienka, Henao (not this year obvs!), Nieve and Thomas? Genuine question as I was too young to remember fully, apart from big George for US Postal (and I'm not sure he could have ever been a potential contender for the GC?).
EDIT: I've just had a look and yeah, maybe postal did have similar talent - Landis, Hamilton, Levi...
Well done Ned and David. Far more engaging and insightful if not a little verbose at times.
Agreed.
Both annoy me mildly in their own right, but they work great together and I think Ned has found his niche.
Dave sounds genuinely excited when it all kicks off on a climb or whatever.
Postal definitely employed similar tactics to sky. The fact that Sky look tactically similar to the dopest* team in modern tour history is what makes them the pantomime villains for many non English speaking fans.
* Not meant in a hip hop type of way.
I've enjoyed the second half of the tour... even though after the race nothing much seems to have changed each day, there seems to have been lots of promise and possibilities.
I like the idea of binning the power meters, HRM's, and/or radios. Any of these will re-introduce uncertainty for the riders and likely result in more opportunities being taken / missed
The fact that Sky look tactically similar [s]to the dopest* team in modern tour history[/s]
... to any other dominant team in a GT since the dawn of time 🙂 (well in the modern era of GT anyway)
Those of you advocating no radios & power meters (which isn't gonna happen), do you really think they've had a big negative impact on this tour?
To my eye it's been quite different to recent TDFs, with the racing more attacky and Sky much less dominant.
My feeling is the atypical parcours this year has spiced things up nicely, and the racing for GC is nice and closely matched.
When I listen to Froome'a interviews post race, I'm always reminded of Kelly Slater's (12x surfing world champion) post-heat interviews. Clearly not just very talented but with the intellience to critically analyse events. Both slightly robotic but if that's what it takes to be the best...
So 12 TdF yellow yerseys?
Froome'a interviews post race
I'd add that he also takes an awful lot of crap from the media in good grace (more than can be said for potty mouthed Wiggins and Brailsford.)
Looking at the GC time gaps you'd think it's been a thrilling race.
did Indurain and Armstrong have a team of potential tour winners supporting them though?
Armstrong definitely did even more so than Sky IMO. Armstrong over the years had support from the likes of Reberto Heras, Tyler Hamilton, Christian Vande Velde, Floyd Landis, Levi Leiphiemer, José Azevedo, then later on Paolo Savoldelli and Ivan Basso.
Indurain and Banesto I'm not so sure of but they did have Jean-François Bernard and Pedro Delgado.
Here's Eddi Merckx' view:
I’ve followed all the stages, but they weren’t really very interesting. It was not a great tour, there hasn’t been much drama. Many stages were quite boring. I often watched the start then went and did something else. I didn’t just spend hours watching television.
Something has to be done about these long and flat stages. Almost nothing happens: there’s an escape that is taken in the final kilometers. There were too many stages where you knew in advance that nothing would happen.
I was still expecting some [kind of battle] in the mountains. Froome always rode defensively, defended himself very well and could count on a very strong team. So nothing happened in this Tour. Many team leaders have done nothing but wait. Froome himself has never attacked. He will win the Tour, and has defended well, but he didn’t do anything exceptional. There was just no one to beat him. He deserves to win. Of course, we still have to wait for the time trial, but I don’t see who can still beat him.
I think it is fair to say that this Tour Sky have perfected the cycling equivalent of Catenaccio. I think the way to beat it, is to have a few cards to play, so Sky are made to mark more than one rider. If Fulsang hadn't crashed then the double of Fulsang and Aru might have been able to work it, as they did at the Dauphine.
he didn’t do anything exceptional
Except get back onto the group on that day he broke a spoke.
He did try a few attacks, they were just matched. He couldn't get away. To comapre with other sports, it's perfectly possible to have a tense exciting 1-0 football match.
Great last 5k's racing.
Froome gives interviews in French every day. Respect.
I was never a Froome fan, as other have said he was a bit of a charisma vacuum. Rides like an octopus falling out of a tree, etc, etc.
But I've really warmed to him, he seems like a genuinely good bloke, very few in the peloton have a bad word to say about him and he seems to have real tactical nous as well.
Sure he hasn't really attacked, by then why should he? He's already winning!
Bardet has also been excellent, descends like a maniac
Barguil is the best polka dot winner in years.
I look forward to seeing what they can do in future tours
Sagan has been missed, lack of summit wheelies has been a real let down.
Another quite exciting thing about this tour has been the finishes at the bottom of descents - so the descending has been important and the rides have gone for it - or so it looks to me.
Merckx basically nails it (ransos's post above).
Froome is the best.
The Tour has been a bit boring.
It is...not sure that description applies to this years tour. The big surprise for me this year is that I've warmed to Froome, I think he's done a good job.it's perfectly possible to have a tense exciting 1-0 football match.
When Froome lost the yellow jersey (to Aru) I enjoyed seeing Sky and Froome ride a different race. But Aru gave it up in a day, so it was over too quickly.
Somehow, we need Froome to be 1 minute behind the leader, so he rides in a different way. Then we would have a very different race, and I think Froome would get it done it done this way too.
"Kepi", maybe ? 😀 (don't suppose there's a pic or vid of it ?)- that gendarme on the motorbike for straightarming that guy into the gutter , chapeau !
Aru looks like Ed Miliband
Cycling observations can wait until I have something worth saying
Perhaps more costal windy stages and more mountain top finishes on long climbs. And TTs have their place - can we have the AdH one back?
I have enjoyed seeing some non-sky brits in the mix Dan Martin and Simon Yates.
I would have liked it if Kittel and Cavendish were still in the green jersey chase, that aussie chap's nice and all, but he's just sort of the default winner now the real contenders have crashed out.
Uran is a wheelsucker. Nobody likes a wheelsucker. He needed to up his game.
I haven't seen today's highlights so don't know how close the GC will be going into the TT, but I sort of want Uran to upset the apple cart a bit, his wheelsucking is tactical, he has to do it because he lacks the team support, if he were to get closer today and even overhaul Froome in the TT tomorrow (big 'if' really, but why not) he'd be the ultimate "bad guy" for next years tour... Baddies make it more interesting.
Bardet has been a pleasure to watch, and I like him too, his condemnation of the French fans Booing Froome the other day confirmed that impression for me...
Barguille's face coming over the line yesterday was great, seeing someone that genuinely happy is just nice...
Worst thing by far has been the UCI, inconsistent application of their own rules for things like taking bottles at the wrong time or turning a blind eye to fisticuffs after the line and their treatment of Sagan have yet again reinforced the negative image they have, and again if you wanted pantomime, having it presided over by bungling, corrupt old men adds to that aspect, but for me they're still a real lowlight.
UCI, inconsistent application of their own rules
Every year. Part of what makes the tour special.
I would have liked it if Kittel and Cavendish were still in the green jersey chase, that aussie chap's nice and all, but he's just sort of the default winner now the real contenders have crashed out.
I agree completely, but much to the credit of Matthews, he himself acknowledged that he would have rather taken the green in a proper battle than under the current circumstances.
Bardet has been a pleasure to watch, and I like him too, his condemnation of the French fans Booing Froome the other day confirmed that impression for me...Barguille's face coming over the line yesterday was great, seeing someone that genuinely happy is just nice...
'Yes' to both of these statements. That overwhelming sense of good sportsmanship is what has made this tour a pleasure to share with my kids.
Been some exciting racing (mainly ag2r trying to make stuff happen) but not so many exciting finishes to stages. More mtn top finishes please!
Great to see G win a stage and get yellow.
Enjoyed todays win also.
My observation is that Dan Martin is nails! And someone earlier wrote Kelly Slater is robotic .... erm no .... he did not compete for years (when he was winning)as he felt the judges could not truly progressively assess his style / ability. I do appreciate he is now getting older and maybe "slowing down" but robotic is harsh.
Can they not have outriders on proper electric motorbikes who would chaperone the leaders up the mountains and barge all the stupid ****wits out of the way.
Those idiots should show the riders just a bit of respect.
It's been a great tour to watch this year. Agree with many of the observations.
Froome is a class above - but it's hard to watch him ride a bike. He defines the word "ungainly".
Bardet could do more - I'd really love to see him push Froome more
Landa and Kwiato have been superb lieutenants for Froome
Been great to see Barguil - BAR-GHEE - do so well - I like team Sunweb
Bling Matthews - is a shame Kittel crashed out- - the battle for green would have been something
Not a fan of Astana - but do like Fulsang (sp?) - hope he moves teams
Dan Martin has battled hard
It's a pity Bertie has not so well. I like his style
Wish Porte well - the tour is poorer without him
It's been a dramatic tour - and it's not over yet.
But Sunday I shall be lost without daily fix - look forward to La Vuelta
I think it is time to drop the respective yellow jersey bollocks. Dan Martin should win simply for getting up from his awful crash and fighting on. Yet Froome was able to hold up his hand and stop the race.
I think it is time to drop the respective yellow jersey bollocks. Dan Martin should win simply for getting up from his awful crash and fighting on. Yet Froome was able to hold up his hand and stop the race.
Just a different scenario. On that descent the race was well and truly on. Had Porte collected Froome instead of Dan Martin they would not have waited. Like Froome's wheel swap and chase of a rampaging AG2R, no one was waiting. Aru incident was different. Had Aru attacked a few seconds earlier and been up the road then no one would have stopped. And it's not specifically yellow either, the same rules would have applied had any of the GC contenders had a similar incident. The riders themselves see it as the honourable thing to do so who are we to disagree.
Was interesting to hear Dan Martin say after the broken wheel stage that he was happy to see Froome get back on as that wouldn't have been the right way to lose a Tour.
[quote=cookeaa ]I would have liked it if Kittel and Cavendish were still in the green jersey chase, that aussie chap's nice and all, but he's just sort of the default winner now the real contenders have crashed out.
and Sagan so the competition was over a week ago? 😈
Not that Matthews wasn't a real contender (in the absence of Sagan). I'm not sure how Cav would have affected things, but likely not at all given his form. Quite apart from not wanting to see riders crash out, especially those contributing to the race, it was a shame not to have a fight for the green with Kittel though - it would certainly have changed the way today's stage was run.
I should have added that I am quite impressed with Simon Yates. He seems quite likeable, but it will be interesting to see him develop.
Eddy Merckx saying people aren't attacking - every single rider in the history of cycling attacked less than him so it's not a fair comment!! 😉
I like Froomes style of riding. Why? It's different. I can't stand Contador but at least you can spot him - he's got a [i]style[/i]. Same with Froome, it's not pretty but it's his style. Everyone else has had their style beaten out of them with a million bike fits! Froomes body shape is just weird as well, his arms are sooooooo long.
I think the non Sky teams really missed their chances this year. Sky haven't really dominated as such, they've run a measured race but when they've been slightly weaker the other teams just haven't used the opportunity and played it safe instead. Such as when froome had the puncture, when he joined the group again they should have attacked, again and again as surely Froome would have cracked?? But no one tried anything. Weird.
Certainly will miss Voekler.
Dan Martin IS the Terminator. Looks like him and no matter what you do to him he'll come back and attack you!! Top bloke and made of nails it appears.
I am so glad someone hasn't been permanently injured. So many sickening crashes it's amazing someone hasn't been.
THE SCENERY. I don't know what they've done this year (Prudhomme said someone about helicopters in an interview) but every time I watch I just want to jump in the car and pedal round France. So many gorgeous areas to visit it's been ridiculous. Must go next year!!
Im definitely in the camp of ditch power meters and radios, they have killed mountain stages as everyone knows the magnitude of the big attacks and if they can be sustained and or pulled back at a measured pace.
Seems the race is going for smaller teams and considering a wage cap instead. The team size seems misguided to me, surely it will make no difference to the big teams with a deep talent pool but hurt those lower teams which rely on different riders on different days as they can't sustain a whole tour with the big boys.
they have killed mountain stages as everyone knows the magnitude of the big attacks and if they can be sustained and or pulled back at a measured pace.
Do you really think a pro bike rider can't gauge his output accurately and ride a hard but sustainable tempo uphill without a power meter? Banning power meters would make no difference to the racing.
I'd argue that banning blood doping has killed mountain stages as most remember them from the Pantani and Armstrong era 😉
Definitely think team radios should go. When someone's up the road they and the peleton shouldn't get constant updates on the gaps. Could also make sprint stages less tedious if it's harder to manage the timing of reeling in the breakaways.
There have been some exciting bits, but often for the wrong reasons. Disappointing to see so many people crash out, especially those with such high hopes and potential. And Sagan being disqualified was a crime.
Super pleased to see EBH eventually get a stage. Cav must be gutted - what a lead out man he would've had.
Dan Martin has to have been my favourite rider. Fighting all the way.
Where has Greipel been?? Only Grand Tour without a stage win? One stage left... I'll be rooting for him, he seems a nice guy.
AG2R lit it up. It probably would've been boring without them.
The Yates brothers are really proving themselves. I thought maybe Adam getting 4th was a bit lucky. The Simon getting a similar position in the Vuelta. And now smashing it again, riding Contador off his wheel.
OK, Contador isn't at his best. But I'm in the camp of, I never really used to like him, yet he's grown on me a lot. He doesn't give up. Probably where Dan Martin has been getting lessons from.
Uran has played it defensively, but still well within a chance of winning. And it's good to see him up there. In fact, whilst the GC battle could've been more exciting in place, it was good that there were so many different styles. Froome just smashes it with his strength. Bardet really dug deep and took every opportunity to take time. Dan Martin constantly going **** it, I'm winning this today...
Kittel. Meh.
Oh, and G in yellow. Awesome.
Participating in sport is better than watching it
Frome - great guy, ugly riding style, champion
Bardet - great guy, beautiful riding style, future champion
Contador.....every time he appears on the screen steak is shouted at the TV by the whole family. Not sure why he is still alowed to ride after depriving Andy Shleck the experience of winning the Tour and all that comes with it. Realy enjoyed the tour this year,Yes Sky/ Froome look like they have won using normal Sky tactics but its been a lot closer this year so made it more intresting.
I like watching the motorcycle chaps push over-enthusiastic supporters off the side of the mountain roads.
Certainly one of the highlights of this year's race. I quite liked the Unicorn on the Izoard too.