one more tobelerone for bradley wiggins

Did I hear correctly, he lives in Wigan?

and we see it as ‘boring’ because all Sky have had to do is hang on.

Its been lacklustre because all the others are hanging on. I suppose Sky have (so far) ridden a perfect race.

Vockler has been supurb!! Awesome riding from someone who might not have started. Would have been more interesting had he been firing at the start.

To correct a few Sky are not making it boring, it’s the fact nobody can match then that is. Like saying Aaron Gwin should slow down a bit to make it more interesting. Thats Not Racing

listen, lets not take anything away from what has been a lifes ambition for a top english bloke. He and the team have had a plan and executed it perfectly. You can only race and deal with whats there at the time. He has been the best rider and they have been the best team. End of.

Yes.

it’s almost like the difference between the first 20 overs of a test match, where the name of the game is hanging on and not losing too many wickets, vs a 20-20 innings. One may be thrilling but the other is tactically compelling.

Once everyone else has shot their bolt, whoever’s left standing wins. Currently, that’s Brad.

sky don’t have to do anything they are in the lead, no point in showboating and risking it. It’s up to others to attack and when they have sky have just upped their tempo, riders getting dropped from the peleton en masse, caught up the attacker then taken control again.

But yeah maybe not quite as thrilling as a couple of pumped up ‘roidheads stamping all over each other

Vockler has been supurb!! Awesome riding from someone who might not have started. Would have been more interesting had he been firing at the start.

To correct a few Sky are not making it boring, it’s the fact nobody can match then that is. Like saying Aaron Gwin should slow down a bit to make it more interesting. Thats Not Racing

This… and was it ever much different when Amrstrong/Postal or Mig etc dominated?

It’s been a classic TDF and fascinating to watch IMHO… yesterday was awesome and I was on the edge of my seat when Nibali attacked and Froome/Wiggo upped the tempo and clawed him back… nail biting as usual. I love the TDF 8)

Mark Cavendish on Twitter :
“Today’s stage can be put into perspective by the fact that by the end I didn’t care that I was just puking over myself.”

Theres a lot of talk about Froome being better but I just dont see it.
A couple of times he has blown in the mountains and dropped back a bit to recover towards the end. If he was on another team Wiggins may have attacked him at that point.
Each of the times he has looked strong (His stage win and the surge that he aborted) where very short shows of strength (in relative terms) yes he was powerful on both but Wiggins is playing the long game and when Froome accelerated away after catching Nibali Wiggins still looked very strong and I suspect he may have simply brought Froome back in the same way that he and Sky have brought almost every other important attack back, gradually.
Wiggins has shown his strength in the TT and for those that say the the route suits him if there were another 2 mountain days tell me who would be able to take advantage and overhaul him?

my second man of the tour is chris froome

he is a GC winner for future im sure as long as they build a team for him.

I think the Tour’s been gripping this year. I’ve been a bag of nerves watching it since Wiggo took yellow. I think some folk need to take a moment to remember: a Brithsh rider has a realistic, if not very good chance of winning The Tour De France!!!!
O.K. the racing hasn’t been too animated among the leaders, but I can understand Sky wanting to conserve as much energy from day to day as possible. You never know what’s around the corner.
As I was watching this week, I got to thinking that it might be an idea to bring back the time bonuses for stage finishes, to give more incentive to attack? That should liven things up a bit.
What do you reckon?

I cannot believe the trolling negativity, actually I can.

Hold up – I don’t think anyone is trolling. I had this discussion with a very patriotic work mate yesterday. He’s happy that Sky have shown total dominance and Wiggo has held onto Yellow, for him its been a great tour. Personally, I’d like to have seen him lose it early on, only to get it back after an attack in the mountains.

I find this ‘sitting on the front, dictating the pace’ boring to watch. Compared with last year and the year before, with Schleck attacking Contador/Evans, that was exciting. Yes, probably drug fuelled but it made it much more exciting to watch than what we currently have.

It’s not trolling, its an opinion. Just because he’s British and Sky are a British team doesn’t change the fact that (IMO) this has been a bit of a dull tour.

Bradley Wiggins – Tyres from Spaced

Same person?

apparently to be worthy of yellow you need to attack attack attack – what happens when tomorrow comes and you have no legs because you attacked for nothing ? if i was in wiggos shoes id be doing exactly the same thing right now.

That’s not what I’m saying, and Wiggo is riding the race in exactly the way he should. I’m not knocking Wiggo or Sky, it’s just the case that the combination of factors (course, relative strengths of the main GC contenders and their teams) have made for a tour that is interesting, sure, but not particularly compelling.

It would be interesting if Nabali was better, or Wiggins wasn’t as good, in the time trials. I think then you’d get more fireworks in the mountains.

Lazybike +1

I know there is no point debating this with the experts.

I have really enjoyed Tommy V’s return to form mid race.

The thing is, the tour will only be exciting as the men in 2nd and 3rd. When fantastic climbers who can’t time trial attack in the mountains, then all hell breaks loose, it’s not Wiggos or Sky’s fault that nobody can apply enough pressure to make them respond.

trail_rat – Member

my second man of the tour is chris froome

he is a GC winner for future im sure as long as they build a team for him.

i’ll be interested to see how this pans out. for all he has slightly ridden brad off his wheel a couple of times, he has benefitted from exactly the same support in a sense on each and every climb.

whilst he is also riding for brad as last man he has had the benefit of rodgers etc. right up until that final point. will need a hell of a team of his own, i.e. Sky Mk2.

Which is basically the same for any of the other GC contenders…

Personally think Froome has come accross as a bit cocky in this tour. Great to see a ‘brit’ doing well, but IMO the willy waving will come to an abrupt end once he’s out of the sky monster train.

I think it’s been compelling.
– Cav’s win
– Sagan
– Greipel
– Voeckler
– Millar
– Pinot
The Cadel/ TJ saga.
Four British stage winners.
The hilltop finish that Froome won.
The crashes in the first week.
Wiggo swearing at cameramen and journos.

We’ve had one boring stage – on Monday.

And most amazing of all, we have P1 and P2 in the GC because of an amazing Sky team who have dominated and crushed the opposition. In my opinion, that’s not boring.

Agree, the Sky team have been immense. I’ve been more impressed with Richie Porte than with ‘Vroom’. He has wrecked the peleton so many times over the last couple of weeks.

Essentially Brad has followed Miguel Indurain’s ‘How to win the TdF’ manual to the letter, and look at the result.

I’d love to see Brad attack and win the stage, but as above I can’t see ‘incremental gains’ Brailsford allowing it. In his position I would be the same.

Matt

another alternative opinion….

was last year boring because HTC built a team around 4 or 5 world class sprinters just so they could make the last dash for the line a (relative) formality? Oh, cavendish has won again, dull!

It’s just that Sky are doing the same in the hills at 1/5 of the speed, with less headbutting and elbows.

Like a great novel, this is compelling without being ‘thrilling’.

Sky are but one team, and they can only race what is put in front (or next to) them. Mandy Schleck was a pre-race favourite before breaking her collarbone and missing the start. Evans has struggled a bit all tour and apparently was properly sick yesterday, which would otherwise have been the day we might have expected him to attack.

It hasnt been a patch on 2011 which had far more going on, GC contenders fighting closely, Voeckler clinging on to the Yellow way longer than they said was possible, Mandy’s brave* attack, Thor completing his conversion from sprinter to all-round riding god of thunder, Cav struggling to get his stage win and in tears of relief on the podium. I’d rather see Wiggins win a thrilling, close fought battle, but I’ll settle for a win! It could all change again next year, no reason to think this year has set the template any more than last year did. Maybe Froome will be the team leader? Maybe having achieved project yellow jersey they will split the team between GC and Green, rather than leaving Cav with one rider? Maybe Cuddles will come back fresh and with a team that can ride with him?

*would have been brave if he were riding only for himself. From Frank’s post-race interview it appears that was Plan B, he commented that “it didnt go according to plan….” and explained Plan A was that Frank would have launched a counter attack after the other GC had exhausted themselves chasing Mandy down.

Did I hear correctly, he lives in Wigan?

Small village near to Wigan. I know the lane he lives on, but I’m, not about to start a STW fanfest outside his house….

Bradley Wiggins – Tyres from Spaced

😉 “my stomachs the size of a walnut”

The Cadel/ TJ saga.

I wondered why TandemJeremy had gone quiet on us – he’s busy racing for* Evans..!

*against

I initially thought that Evans wss off form and I’m being wise after the event but when the first surge a few days ago went nowhere the writing was on the wall and I actually dont think its just form I just think Wiggins is a much better GC rider.

Mandy Schleck was a pre-race favourite before breaking her collarbone

Pelvis wasn’t it?

I think its the lack of main contenders this year that has made it a bit dull. Yes, Sky have been dominant and have dictated the pace to the point where its been to much for many teams to contend with, yesterday being a prime example.

Last year we had Contador, the Schlecks, Wiggo and obviously Evans. Not to mention Tommy V and Thor. There’s a lot of talent missing this year (not to detract from Wiggins, I think he’d have won it anyway) but it makes you wonder what would have happened if Bertie had been on form – he’s a bloody good time-trialler.

I reckon the final stage to Paris will be a big thing for Sky, really drive home that they are head and shoulders above everybody this year. I’m really looking forward to watching the team sky machine leading Cav to the win.

jambalaya – Member
Sky and Bradley have squeezed the life out of the competition, which done at the top level of professional sport is mightely impressive.

+1

IHN – Member
…but I’d like to see the top guys battling a bit more.

also +1.

As impressive as Team Sky’s strangling of the oppo and brilliant team control has been (Froome and Wiggo’s reaction to Nibbles was quite brilliant yesterday), the Germanic-style discipline does have its downside (hence my SS Sky comment yesterday). It would be awesome to see them really rip the others apart today, but also unlikely. They have a strategy, its working and they will probably stick with it – and why not, from their perspective?

I think it’s been compelling.
– Cav’s win
– Sagan
– Greipel
– Voeckler
– Millar
– Pinot
The Cadel/ TJ saga.
Four British stage winners.
The hilltop finish that Froome won.
The crashes in the first week.
Wiggo swearing at cameramen and journos.

We’ve had one boring stage – on Monday.

And most amazing of all, we have P1 and P2 in the GC because of an amazing Sky team who have dominated and crushed the opposition. In my opinion, that’s not boring.

brakes +1

I think a lot of people are either too young to remember or have short memories of how the likes of Miguel Indurain’s and Lance Armstrong’s teams controlled past tour wins.

Big Wig and his team are just making sure of their first win and maybe saving the fireworks for next year. Just rejoice in the fact that we have our first British TdF winner however it comes about.

I personally think it has been fascinating.

I am hoping that Paris will have the yellow jersey leading out the World Champ jersey for a win on the last day… fairytale end IMHO

I’ve really enjoyed the tour, pros doing their job properly. Hopefully one or other of the teams will reach the same level next year or the one after when it will close up a bit more again.

In the meantime, really hope we aren’t all tempting fate and Brad wins

Anyone who says it is a unusually boring way to win – have you been watching the tour recently? Last 3 years:

2011 schleck had no choice but to attack early – evans brought him back (enough), did the same to contador the next day, and smashed them in the TT. Exactly the same as Sky except Sky have more firepower.

2010 was very closely marked, hardly any attacks at all, in the end came down to misfortune of a dropped chain

2009 not really that much in it – pretty much it came down to the final day on ventoux apart from a couple of successful attacks by a proven doper.

Its been a long time since someone won it from a do or die mountain attack

In summary do we all agree that we all want Sky and Brad to win…But its not been the most exciting Grande Boucle…..

I’ve enjoyed it.

Tommy V’s effort yesterday was superb, I hope he keeps the polka dot jersey.

Time trials are hardly thrilling but the way Wiggans smashed everyone was really impressive.

The battle between Nibali and Wiggans / Froome has been fascinated. I genuinely felt sorry for Evans yesterday, sometimes no matter how brave you are your body lets you down.

It’s just amazing there are two britsh riders 1 and 2 in the GC.

Still would quite liked to have seen big Thor smashing his way down a descent for a stage win like 2011 and Tommy V bunnyhopping into a car park, or Sammy Sanchez pulling and endo into a hairpin!

I think there have been a few characters missing who would have made it better.

Hushvold (sp?) would have been interesting going up against Sagan.
A Schleck and Contador in the mountains would have made it more exciting because there would have been more people to attack.

It seems Brad is just riding a timetrial around France. He has the ability and the team around him to just ride at a pace that others cannot. He doesn’t need to attack as he put down his marker in the TT and it is up to other to claw that time back.

Fascinating to watch but it would be better if there were GC contender getting 3-4 minuted up the road and then having the nerves as he chased them down.

One of the great things about the tour is that it is never boring. You’ve got the team soap operas, stage winners, suicidal breakes, mountain jerseys and green jersey all going on. Only one stage this year has been a bit dull.

Pelvis wasn’t it?

indeed it was, typing collarbone is automatic when talking about cycling crashes 😀 or “scaphoid” if your’e Paul Sherwen…

Had an argument about grand tours allegedly being boring with a mate who loves the one day classics, I likened it to watching a box-set compared to a film…

Wiggo swallowed the toblerone whole today 🙂

A colleague has just reminded me that team Sky are using the car I’ve helped design, the Jag XF sport brake. There’s some of my work on that there TDF 😀

Perhaps I’ll see if anyone on team wants to talk about the car when I go to Paris this weekend.
😆

which bit did you do?

The Body, the parts that differ from the saloon. As part of a team, obviously.
🙂

yeah, that’s my favourite bit.
you deserve a hug from Wiggo and a free Dogma bike.