Cycling Thread

[Baz]

Didn't I read Quintana blaming his form on allergies? Plus I wonder if they'll change the tour up a bit next year now Froome is pretty much dominating more mountainous tours?

As for Yates he's done superbly well to finish 4th, I don't think anyone would have expected that at the start of this tour.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Spectacular Kelderman crash and two Brits poorly trying to piece together how the race had gone...

 

[Super_horns]

How many more can Froome win?

Where does he stand against the likes of Cav and Wiggins who are maybe more popular than Froome?

Well done to Yates - great achievement to be 4th in his 2nd tour.

 

[Baz]

How many more can Froome win?

Where does he stand against the likes of Cav and Wiggins who are maybe more popular than Froome?

Well done to Yates - great achievement to be 4th in his 2nd tour.

It's impossible to say how many more he can win as it's all down to the route. The year Wiggins won, Froome could have easily won that one too but had to follow team orders of course, he could have blown Wiggins out of the water a couple of times that year haha. It would be awesome from a British standpoint to see him win one or two more, however I think the other grand tours may turn into a priority for him now in order to cement his legacy.

I can't answer about his popularity as each of them are different. Cav & Wiggo had the following from track cycling and are more sprinters than Froome who is a mountain workhorse. Personally I can't stand Wiggo, but Cav is also seemingly nice enough.

 

[Super_horns]

Strong sprint from Greipel at the end - least one German kept his head.

Well done Chris Froome and Team Sky..

 

[Baz]

Kittel lost it in his head more than anything else, even more so after that horrific bike change haha.

 

[Baz]

As a side note, will Froome get a knighthood now after winning three? Wiggins got one for winning one (Amongsts countless track stuff granted) but surely Froome's achievements outranks those of Bradley now?

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

If i have to listen to years of commentators saying SIR Chris Froome every time he appears on screen then i'm gonna find a new sport.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Sir Adam Yates has a better ring to it.

Froome still not in the same tier as Wiggins imo.

 

[Madejski]

Froome went a tier above Wiggins after he won his first. Let alone three now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Wiggins' palmares are unique in the history of the sport, and so distinct that they make any comparison with peers thorny, and mostly a referendum on how highly one values a track championship or Olympic medal versus a top tier stage race, I reckon.

Froome is obviously now in some very elite company with three TdFs, and the folks ahead of him in that particular category are all Mount Rushmore types.

So YMMV (and clearly there are many elephants in the room whenever one starts sifting though cycling history, which hardly helps matters). But I'd be curious to hear the rationale for that. ^^^

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

More important rankings here anyways, post Tour UPDATE:

Lancaster Pro Cycling still miles ahead with some seriously suspicious wattage numbers, but the race for the podium spots behind in a doozy. Creg last seen 5 mins behind the grupetto and requiring a miracle to get inside the time limit.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Lancaster Pro Cycling still miles ahead with some seriously suspicious wattage numbers

I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry that you can't dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles.

 

[Baz]

Froome is going to do the Vuelta 10 days after the Olympics, mad man there.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Great Only in Cycling Moment at San Sebastian: 2nd place finisher of 2007 edition of the race brought onto podium and given trophy because original winner has just been banned.

 

[lordofthepies]

bout time mollema actually won something too

 

[Super_horns]

Good effort by Thomas going solo in the Ride London race but the sprint won out in the end.

Hopefully not knackered himself for next week..

 

[TimeyWimey]

Oh Lizzie...

 

[Super_horns]

Never looks great and will add suspicion to those cynical minds/views...

One might be an accident/not your "fault" but 3 is carless.

The Russians will probably jump all over this sort of verdict.

 

[MJA]

I'm sorry but the Lizzie Armistead thing is a joke really. The process of allowing 3 strikes with regards to missed drugs tests is to allow for events occurring in somebody's life that might affect said competitors ability to attend a test. I find it difficult to believe that anyone would miss 3 drug tests unless they wanted to hide something.

I listened to some of an interview she has done about it and it might just be my cynical side but I didn't buy the emotional approach one bit. To claim that since missing test number 2 and knowing a 3rd failure will result in a ban she kept her phone on 24/7 and checked it regularly except on the day that the call came for test number 3 is just embarrassing

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Pretty much. The best possible explanation is that she has been sloppy and negligent to a degree which a world champion really can't afford. And quite why you'd wait until you had professional & reputational armageddon on your doorstep before protesting the first missed one.......... it's not a good look, is it.

As an aside, it's startling to me how close this came to being completely unreported, and never making it into the public domain at all. Rather makes one wonder what else might be going on that us great unwashed never get to hear about (in this sport and others).

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Dwars Door Het Hageland is my new favourite race ever. They are battering along an muddy, unpaved canal tow path at the moment.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Lovely win for GVA yesterday, but gotta wonder why Sagan didn't think he could wheelie to a gold in that one.

 

[RavenBish]

Once fell off my bike and went through a fence panel whilst trying to avoid a wasp so I know how that feels.

 

[Super_horns]

Finally Mark Cavendish gets a medal - silver.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Vuelta thoughts?

A race which has spent most of its history trying to carve a niche for itself seems to have found one over the last few years. If the TdF is the tentpole blockbuster and the Giro is art-house cognoscenti's choice then this is now the weirdo unpredictable b-movie IMO.

Froome... previous tilts show how hard it is to carry that TdF form thru to September, and he's had an Olympics in the middle this time too. Team hardly weak, but not the July supersquad either. Win seems a lot to ask for, but 80% of July-Froome is still enough to podium.

Quintana... TdF was a bit of a disaster. Timed his form wrong and will be arriving here sharp? Or a TdF in his legs and looking at a lost year? I've no idea. Also accompanied by Valverde (doing his 3rd GT of the year!), so another opportunity for that entente to go south.

Contador... bookies' fave. Not the rider he was, but was not flogging himself over the Alps and Pyrenees in July either, and has had a few weeks to prepare.

Chaves... 5th last year, 2nd in the Giro. Has had an eye on this race specifically. Yates could go well, but not much of a supporting cast otherwise.

Or someone else: Kruijswijk redemption story? Handsome Hugh Carthy to win by 45 mins?

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

2m 50s for Lopez's race to go wrong. Nice.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Rode up Coll De Rates this morning in honour the start of the Vuelta.
Think Froome will win it as he'd probably have won last year but for his injury. Time trials will help. Would love Chaves to win it tho.

 

[TimeyWimey]

I did Vall d'Ebo and Tollos this morning, two second cat climbs from Stage 20. Not wishing to to overshadow what Quintana is doing, but it was fun.

 

[lordofthepies]

Another brilliant day at the Vuelta. This tour has been absolutely fascinating. I wasted quite a lot of my annual leave to watch the Giro and the Tour so I haven't managed to see anything like enough of this race, sadly.