[Closed] Tour de France Stage 9 - Nantua / Chambéry - From doe to cat, it's wild world!

As is normal for the corrupt uci no sanctions for sky however they cheat!

You are the Donald and I claim my £5.

Just catching up on this after a day with zero internet/TV/social media.

I picked the wrong weekend to be away!

I'm getting a bit annoyed at Brian Smiths commentary, squealy Scottish accent.

He's dreadful.
ITV4 have been amazing - now they've got shot of the useless Liggett/Sherwen, upgraded Boulting from interviewer to commentator and brought in Millar, the commentary and general chat is superb. It was good last year but this is a step up again.

Reports from mavic neutral service saying Urans hanger was bent and he told them just to put it into the 11t cog 8)

I'm getting a bit annoyed at Brian Smiths commentary, squealy Scottish accent.

Mentioned this in the Philippa thread. The guy must be pretty knowledgable being a former pro rider and team principal but he doesn't come across that way when commentating. He might just be trying to dumb it down a bit but it just comes across as being uninformed. Either way he's annoying.

I'm guessing they'll be lenient on the time cut today cos of the weather and the sheer number of riders caught out by it.

Willing to bet there'll be an agreement "in the interests of the race" to reinstate them.

I know Brian's history, his background in the sport, his knowledgeable insight but ye' Gods, stop squeezing man.

As for the time cut off, you could be right. Booting off a Frenchie like Demare would be equivalent to wearing Sarkozy shoes and running up Monmatre.

know Brian's history, his background in the sport, his knowledgeable insight

Indeed, does make me wonder why he's as bad as he is. When asked for some knowledgable insight the stuff he comes out with is either hugely dumbed down or plain wrong, does he really not know his stuff? Puzzling.

Looks like Aru is saying it was a coincidence and he didn't see Froome's hand go up.

He might be saying that but the footage clearly shows him right behind Froome when his hand goes up and him then forcing his way to the front and attacking.

Millar and boulting live on periscope from a maserati laying into Aru. I love social meeja sometimes 🙂

https://twitter.com/millarmind

https://www.pscp.tv/w/1dRKZAYlOdmxB

Interesting that on the 7pm highlights they mention that in the Richie Porte crash, as Dan Martin somersaulted over Porte his foot hit Uran's rear mech and was the possible cause of the problem.

BMC just tweeted, fractured collar bone and pelvis for Porte

Crazy stage.
Aru scores maximum tool points
G does what he does best
Gutted Porte is out, and shame for Martin to be caught up in an incident that wasnt his fault at all
Delighted NQ has lost time
And they better not let Demare back in, if you are dropped in the first 60s of the stage you don't deserve to be there.

BMC just tweeted, fractured collar bone and pelvis for Porte

Nasty but could have been a lot worse, that was one hell of a crash and a great days racing. I'm also over the moon about Quintana losing time.

Got to say I'm getting fed up with the preciousness of the 'not attacking the yellow' unwritten rule.

I see it like this:

1) Froome's issue was apparently with his front mech, reminded me of Schleck vs. Contador.

2) To me this says either poor technique from Froome (shifting under power or an acceleration?). Probably unlikely though. So what? Poor set up by the mechanic of probably the biggest and most well funded team in the race? Or just poor equipment choice, those ovoid rings that Froome chooses to run can't help the front shifting, perhaps he could 'choose' to do away with the advantage they give him in order to guarantee better shifting?

3) In the era of race radio and riding to power meters, is it really what the race needs to 'neutralise' any attack which is deemed to have been launched at a 'dishonourable' time when the leader of the biggest and most well funded team in the race is momentarily inconvenienced?

I shared Aru's frustration when the other guys pulled it back. I'm sure the guys who used to 'tour' France whilst repairing their own bikes in the local smithies workshop would have an opinion too 8)

Bugger. We drove past Nantua on our way out of Geneva this afternoon... Missed it.

Brilliant stage!

Was lucky enough to be in Chambery today, 2k away from the finish. Here's a wee vid of the front runners:

Glad to hear Richie's ok, sore and a bit broken ... but ultimately ok.

I hope he reads STW 😆

Personally I'd rather see a race decided by cycling and tactical skill than mechanical failure.

Do the teams even have full say over what components they choose? suppose a team was sponsored by shimano but felt that campag were more reliable, I doubt they would be able to make that choice.

Glad Ritchie is not completely broken, that looked horrific. Geraint... I'd love to see him win a tour, and you could say that his repeated crashes in this years tour were mostly bad luck, but you need to be lucky and talented to win!

Uran.. legend. That must have been horrific grinding away in that gear and then to still win.. awesome.

Apparently Porte will be off the bike for 4-6 weeks, so plenty time to go for the hat-trick and **** the Vuelta too!

I shared Aru's frustration when the other guys pulled it back

He could have just cracked on himself - they just wouldn't go through so he was just annoyed that nobody else would work with him.

To be honest I don't think it would have been any different had Froome not had the mechanical, he was a major GC contender who put in a dig, Porte etc. shut it down and sat on him which is pretty much standard practice.

Got to say I'm getting fed up with the preciousness of the 'not attacking the yellow' unwritten rule.....and so on

I'm coming round to this way of thinking too. One thing to all agree to stop for a single fish, or slowing to grab food/water. But it's so well supported these days does it still need an unwritten rule to neutralise ordinary cycling bad luck? I can't think of another type of race where everyone stops to allow someone to tie their laces or fix a puncture or unwedge their underpants or whatever.

Personally I'd rather see a race decided by cycling and tactical skill than mechanical failure.

Well yeah, but it's part and parcel of cycling at the end of the day, everyone else has to accept the risk of mechanicals, it seems a bit perverse that the only guy who is 'protected' is the guy who's actually winning. The 'honourable' thing would be for the yellow jersey to wait every time one of his competition has a problem. Did Froome slow down when Contador had his wee off?

Re: tactics, if this was purely a mechanical, then what was at fault? With Schleck it was suggested that he had ditched the chainkeeper to save weight. To me that is tactics. Perhaps Froome should have been running stock rings, designed for perfect shifting, rather than wobbly rings designed for a small power advantage.

Uran.. legend. That must have been horrific grinding away in that gear and then to still win.. awesome.

Exactly, mechanical failure and he still managed to win the stage and nobody expected the rest to sit up 😉

Off the bike to 4-6 weeks with a broken pelvis?

No chance, if he's broken his pelvis, that's potentially career ending.

Can't have broken pelvis if back on bike in 4 weeks.

Off the bike to 4-6 weeks with a broken pelvis?

No chance, if he's broken his pelvis, that's potentially career ending.

I guess there's broken and there's broken. Presumably they are calling a crack in the pelvic bone "broken"

I'm getting fed up with the preciousness of the 'not attacking the yellow' unwritten rule

You dont attack because it could happen to anyone and that is no method to decide who is the best cyclicist. Your win would be tarnished by you having won only due to luck.Thankfully some still understand why this matters
This was worse, he saw the arm go up and then attacked deliberately, which is the actions of a scoundrel.

I can't think of another type of race where everyone stops to allow someone to tie their laces or fix a puncture or unwedge their underpants or whatever.

Winning matters but not at all costs and one still has to have a sense of fair play

The 'honourable' thing would be for the yellow jersey to wait every time one of his competition has a problem.

Race leader Bradley Wiggins was praised by organisers for "fair play" after halting competitive racing following the incident on the final climb[/url]

the yellow jersey is expected to honour the jersey and defend it and competitors are asked to respect it as well.

Mad stage hope Porte and G get well soon. But Porte won't win anything major with such poor descending skills and G needs to find some magic luck from somewhere.

No one waits in any other form of bike racing, so what's so special about pro road racing?

Blimey in other sports if a player is injured then they get deliberately targeted. So why can't riders with mechanicals be attacked?

Blimey in other sports if a player is injured then they get deliberately targeted

so what's so special about pro road racing?

Safety car at the f1?
Football players kicking out the ball
Triathlete helping brother to finish race
Yachts stopping racing to go rescue someone
sure there will be others

I don't agree that any of these are equivalent to a minor mechanical e.g. the safety car wouldn't come out because somebody had mashed their gearbox or ragged their tyres to pieces. Likewise footballers don't kick the ball out just because somebody stops to tie their laces or something.

Personally, as one who probably obsesses too much over the function of his bikes and not enough about his own personal fitness or ability ( 😳 ) I just feel that riders and teams should be responsible for the function of their own bikes, and it shouldn't be up to the rest of the field to wait for them.

Crashes - yes. Punctures - maybe, it seems less easy to avoid than gear issues although arguably perhaps teams could run more puncture proof tyres?

Not sure what all the fuss is re Aru's attack. Everybody was so psyched up, Aru saw Froome have a problem, attacked and was then told to cool down by the other GC guys especially Porte. Didn't see Froome have a go at Aru. Storm in a teacup if you ask me. Great stage. Froome definitely the strongest but not by much. All could change on the Galibier.

Remember it's a three week race. Not a one day event. In classics races nobody waits, you can be unlucky. But it's just one day. In the grand tours it's a three week war. Each day is just one battle. At the end of the war, everyone wants general agreement that the strongest won. Luck should not factor in this. Everyone respects the jersey, including the one wearing yellow, who would not attack a rival with a mechanical.

Aru really showed his (lack of) class today. It we seen as a defining moment in his career.

I don't agree that any of these are equivalent to a minor mechanical e.g. the safety car wouldn't come out because somebody had mashed their gearbox or ragged their tyres to pieces. Likewise footballers don't kick the ball out just because somebody stops to tie their laces or something.

This is because motor racing is a test of the driver's skills AND the car he drives. Cycling is a test of a rider's fitness and skill: The bike itself is merely a tool.

With regard to the football analogy: There are 10 other players on the pitch, of which the player with the loose shoe lace is just one. The GC in the Tour is an individual race, assisted by a team, not a team event assisted by individuals.

Aru really showed his (lack of) class today

I agree: The footage shows it rather blatantly, followed by his petulance when told to reign it in. If attacking Froome when he has a mechanical is his trump card, then he needs to have a long, hard look at himself.

But Porte won't win anything major with such poor descending skills and G needs to find some magic luck from somewhere.

Porte has his weaknesses, and he's not the greatest descender, but I think that's a bit unfair. According to Dan Martin he locked his back wheel before going off the road, and looking at the conditions you can see how that's easily done. It was a pretty sketchy road. He's been in great condition this year, and he actually looked within a chance.

As for Thomas...is it luck? Does he take too many risks? Apparently someone went down in front of him, which you'd say there's not normally much you can do about. But he finds himself on the floor a lot. Some of it has do be down to his own making.

Gutted for the both of them though.

And Aru attacking... Not really very sportsmanlike to do so the second you see someone with a mechanical. Bit different to carrying on at the same pace when Contador crashes or whatever else. No one wants to see races won due to the misfortune of others, and taking advantage the way he did was very blatant. This was very different to the Giro say, where the race was on and no individual could stop it, as there was lots of other stuff going on. This was Aru taking advantage of the situation, plain and simple. He's looking strong too. He just needs to race.

Do the teams even have full say over what components they choose? suppose a team was sponsored by shimano but felt that campag were more reliable, I doubt they would be able to make that choice.

I suppose with some components they're tied in. But I believe it's quite common to 'rebrand' certain stuff. Particularly tyres and things like that.

You can't attack the yellow jersey when he's got a machanical but the yellow jersey can get everyone else to do the work for him when closing someone down who makes a legitimate breakaway.

I love Froome but for **** sake it gets tedious when all the GC guys work to reign in Bardet at the request of Froome whilst he sits at the back and takes the ride.

Bullshit.

A good stage for the extreme spectacular but it's highlighted some cracks.

As for Nairo Quintana, why is this bloke talked about as major contender every year? He's very underwhelming and fails constantly when the going gets tough.

You can't attack the yellow jersey when he's got a machanical but the yellow jersey can get everyone else to do the work for him when closing someone down who makes a legitimate breakaway.

There was a stage win in it for each one of them, and to be fair, Froome did more than his fair share. I think he may well have slipped away and took the stage if they started messing about.

it gets tedious when all the GC guys work to reign in Bardet at the request of Froome whilst he sits at the back and takes the ride.

Bullshit.

As for Nairo Quintana, why is this bloke talked about as major contender every year? He's very underwhelming and fails constantly when the going gets tough.

Apart from his two grand tour wins, you mean?

Its a test of cycling prowess and no decent rider would want to win because the best rider had a mechanical.

The flip side is where people like Martin who is having the race of his life drops time due to the Porte crash and nobody wants to neutralise to allow him to rejoin and with some cooperation Uran could have tried for a bike swap from a team car but the front group were never goign to let that happen. Part of it makes the yellow a defensive battle these days where you can dictate the run of the race.

The flip side is where people like Martin who is having the race of his life drops time due to the Porte crash and nobody wants to neutralise to allow him to rejoin and with some cooperation Uran could have tried for a bike swap from a team car but the front group were never goign to let that happen. Part of it makes the yellow a defensive battle these days where you can dictate the run of the race.

Apples and oranges. Bargeuil was already up the road and Bardet was going too. Who was going to neutralise them?

Even in football, which we all like to pretend is horribly beneath us, there's an expectation that the opposing team kicks the ball out of play if someone's injured.

The key difference is grand tour cycling is 5 hours a day for three weeks, the odds are everyone will have some bad luck so everyone acts fairly.

And it's not stopping, or even slowing down, its just not attacking. No one stops, or lets up for a breakaway with an issue (Froome running up Ventoux).

Aru has less class than I thought. Sure you can argue it's just bad luck and there shouldn't be any need to wait but if you've got the legs you don't need to wait until someone suffers a mechanical, attack legitimately and see if they have the legs to follow. Maybe a front shifting issue for someone that runs oval chainrings is a bit of a grey area but at the end of the day I don't want to see Tour's lost to punctures etc.

Lots of 'arm chair' expertise here about what should and shouldn't happen - clearly from lots of folks who've never ridden a road race. The bunch often has a moderating influence on the race - it's for everyone's safety - otherwise it would be carnage and chaos every race and this is drilled into riders from the earliest stage. If you behave like a dick, then you'll get called out, or simply worked-over by the bunch who will chase down every attempt at a break, or even worse. Aru/Astana don't have the firepower to control the race and can't afford to pi$$-off every team. Aru was trying to get everyone to work against Froome's misfortune - it doesn't work that way. Crashes however are an exception, except where it was caused by out an outside event e.g. spectator. Porte's crash was only down to his riding, wrong-line, too hard on the brakes - we should have more sympathy for Martin instead.

Crashes however are an exception, except where it was caused by out an outside event e.g. spectator.

the Giro proved that one wrong 🙄