TdF Stage 5 – A Stage Riddled With Dangers [Spoilers]

Frank’s team leader though isn’t he? Even nominally. What are Trek riding for now?

Haimar Zubeldia.. Like, from the start? 🙂

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tdf-stage-6-one-for-the-brave-spoilers

I think they were still around 40k from the first section weren’t they?

Dunno, it was just a thought. I only saw the highlights on ITV4 and it was all a bit jumbled up.

Anyway, I agree Froome was just trying to ride off his injuries and it wasn’t happening.

It’s gonna be a hell of a race now.

Bertie was blaming a mechanical for his tardiness…

of all the teams you have to say Astana handled it well

Definitely. When most of the teams and GC contenders were just thinking about surviving, Astana saw it as an opportunity to attack. All preplanned with Westra up the road. Chapeau!

A bit puzzling to see Cancellara missing out on the winning break. Sagan maybe being cautious with the green jersey.

I can’t decide how I feel about introducing such a lottery to a grand tour, but then every stage is a bit of a lottery frankly, as said repeatedly the cobbles really didn’t have anything to do with Froome’s crash(es)/retirement.

Only that it heightened the tension and nervousness in the peloton. As Talansky said, it was panic for 150k. The Froome incident aside, I’m still not sure it has a place. Pretty much everyone seemed to come off at some point on that stage, and they’ve still got over 2 weeks of Grand Tour racing to do. Very lucky not to lose more riders.

Bertie was blaming a mechanical for his tardiness…

I read that he lost a fair few gears. Oleg will be ranting about SRAM again.

Yesterday’s stage was just mental. A proper Paris-Roubaix amongst a 3 week grand tour. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing, I guess it depends if you’re riding, or watching (with a bag of crisps and beer in hand)!

I’d like to have seen Froome do well, and it’s never good to see anyone go out like that, but it seems it may have been Tuesday’s crash that was the beginning of the end for him.

Nibali though… He’s absolutely smashing it. Allez Nibali!

A bit puzzling to not see Cancellara missing out on the winning break. Sagan maybe being cautious with the green jersey.

It was quite interesting to see Sagan pulling Cancellara. Usually it is Cancellara shouting at Sagan for not doing any work.

Thinking about Froome (and Sky generally) last night when I was out and above avoiding the potholes, I realised that the one thing Sky seem to largely ignore, is race-craft. It’s fine concentrating on wattage spinning up a billard table road up to Mt Teide but if you look at the number of crashes their riders have had this year alone, I think they under-value the ability to read the bunch, dodge road furniture and deal with wet roads. Nibali has it in spades and Contador is also miles ahead (notwithstanding his dislike for cobbles).

Get Team Sky racing cross over the winter 🙂

RealMan – Member

Haimar Zubeldia.. Like, from the start

Ah okay, was sure I’d read that Frank was the GC going into the tour. Definitely not now though!

I don’t understand all this lottery talk. It wasn’t even the cobbles that caused most of the crashes, it was wet tarmac. Do we stop racing now when it rains?

Froome was clearly already injured and it was probably touch and go whether he would get through the stage anyway.

Meanwhile Astana played a stormer.

Fat tyres
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/07/cobble-gobblers-the-bikes-of-le-tours-pave-day/

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/07/tour-de-france/pave-pretenders-will-gc-men-ride-cobbles_335092

30mm tyres
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAp4qrriGjM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYEEGy9TSI

30mm tyres

Sure I read somewhere that ironically a few riders went down because they were just unfamiliar with the feel of fatter tyres at lower pressures!

Sure I read somewhere that ironically a few riders went down because they were just unfamiliar with the feel of fatter tyres at lower pressures

That was one of Talansky’s comments, I think. ‘Low pressure tyre squirm’ had him off at one point, he reckoned.

“Sure I read somewhere that ironically a few riders went down because they were just unfamiliar with the feel of fatter tyres at lower pressures!”

Makes you wonder how people stay on those crazymountainbikethings, with 2inch wide tyres at 30psi?

Cracking days action, but nearly 100 miles in 3hr 18min 35secs over that crap in that weather just goes to show how super human they really are!!!Take my hat off to them all!!!

Cracking days action, but nearly 100 miles in 3hr 18min 35secs over that crap in that weather just goes to show how super human they really are!!

Super human plus a massive tail wind 😛

whatnobeer , if that was the case then it should be flagged on strava if any have the cheek to log it!!! Doddle with a tail wind 😉

Geraint Thomas certainly didn’t look too fussed!

I’d imagine him and Porte are smiling in private. 3 weeks of slogging round france for someone else and now they have a chance to show what they can do on their own.

Same as a load of OPQS riders didn’t look to fussed Cav was out (Jan Bakelants, I’m looking at you)

A good ride for G could be particulalrly timely since his contract is up.

Sky would be mental to let anyone else get hold of G

Makes you wonder how people stay on those crazymountainbikethings, with 2inch wide tyres at 30psi?

That’s why we are all excellent bike handlers….

and superb downhill

http://www.strava.com/activities/163860374

Boom’s ride on Strava.

Average speed, 28.5mph…

That’s berzerk.