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TdF STage 12: Brian...
 

TdF STage 12: Briancopn - Alpe d'Huez (spoilers!)

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using the MTB logic, a lot more of us on here would be descending Gods out on road bikes, i know for 1, i'm absolutely bloody awful on a road bike.


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 10:08 am
 beej
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And I'm rubbish on an MTB but pretty good on a road bike.


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 10:16 am
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a lot more of us on here would be descending Gods out on road bikes, i know for 1, i’m absolutely bloody awful on a road bike.

Are you as good as Pidcock on a MTB though?!


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 10:16 am
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2 of the best consecutive days racing I can remember.

This^^
The skill used getting up to the break and working with Froome was a thing of beauty, then that final attack,absolutely superb.


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 10:24 am
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Traditionally didn't it used to be sprinters as the best descenders: hushovd, Sagan. But now you've got froome, Bardet and now pidcock
I spose the climbers are at the pointy end of mountain stages though


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 10:33 am
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Traditionally didn’t it used to be sprinters as the best descenders: hushovd, Sagan. But now you’ve got froome, Bardet and now pidcock
I spose the climbers are at the pointy end of mountain stages though

I think generally the sprinters still are the best overall, you just don't see them on TV. You see the break and the GC riders as they're at the front, you don't see the grupetto making up time so they can go up the climbs slower!

Hushvod and Sagan were both active in breaks so ended up on TV.


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 10:38 am
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13thfloormonk – I forgot to say in my opinion. Obviously it’s not your opinion.:0

Sorry, was just in jest 😎

I was so slow at descending on an MTB (or, in my defence, I preferred slower techier descents) that it had literally no bearing on my ability to descend on a road bike, but I'd swear I've gotten better at cornering once I started dabbling in CX.

Traditionally didn’t it used to be sprinters as the best descenders

Didn't they just have a weight advantage? And the likes of Cav were probably (compared to climbers) heavier whilst also still compact and reasonably aero?


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 10:39 am
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Didn’t they just have a weight advantage? And the likes of Cav were probably (compared to climbers) heavier whilst also still compact and reasonably aero?

Heavier and ever so slightly unhinged


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 11:03 am
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I love the fact people are hanging on "he's a mountain biker so is amazing at descending" the young chap is just sublime on a bike, with the ability to push it to the limits and way past them as seen during this years CX season when he had a few lay downs while figuring out how his new Pinarello handled.


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 12:08 pm
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I did wonder if there might be some use of a dropper for descents as Mohoric used in Milan-SanRemo but I expect none of the higher-end Pinarello range have round seat-posts anyway so perhaps not an option for Pidcock.


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 12:14 pm
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Yes, the whole mtbers are better at descending thing is a load of hokum. He's just great at descending whatever the bike, in the same way that some people are terrible at it, whatever the bike (me).


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 12:15 pm
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I love the fact people are hanging on “he’s a mountain biker so is amazing at descending”

That line has been trotted out by the likes of Liggett / Sherwen for decades though and a lot of the current crop of commentators have picked up on it. Up there with similar cliched trite phrases like
"such a strong rider" (no shit, someone riding the Tour de France is "strong", who'd have thought it?!)
"attack off the front" (what, as opposed to the more usual attack off the side...?)
"look at the pace!" (yes, it's a bike race, I'm kind of expecting it to be fast...)

Is someone going to tell Lizzie how to pronounce Pogacar? 🙂

Glad I'm not the only one being irritated to hell by that.

The best moments in commentary are when they're talking normally. Ned, David and Lizzie had a genuinely interesting chat the other day while not a lot was happening and it was just normal intelligent conversation.
Hugh Porter was the worst for inane burble.


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 12:16 pm
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If Nino Schurter and Mathias Flückiger were watching I bet they hope Pidcock sticks to the road.

He hinted on insta that he'll be back in Les Gets in 6 weeks...


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 12:41 pm
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He is there so inconsistently though that it makes little difference to overall standing. More something to demoralise the MTB racers who do that as their only thing (although that is not his reason for competing)


 
Posted : 15/07/2022 12:58 pm
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