Pro Cycling Discussion 2016

I've just caught up on yesterday's stage... What a shocker from sky. Half the team just not paying attention and completely in the wrong place leaving Froome on his own. Fitting that he would lose the Vuelta to Quintana as a result of ending up on the wrong side a split after what happened to Quintana on the Tour last year...

Froome better have a hell of a time trial.
 
Just watching the stage 2 highlights. Bad memories for me going up the struggle. And that it was, a struggle, mentally, physically and every-other-ally.

That first bit coming out of Ambleside was a nightmare, as was the very last set of hairpins up to the pub at the top.
 
physichull said:
Cosimo, can we stop having the video links please, it just slows the loading time of the forum. If you must, just link to them.
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I like the video links... I go through on my tablet when ironing and add them to a YouTube playlist which I then open on my NowTV box (YT app) and play! :D
zophiel said:
Well they executed that plan to the best they could between tinkoff and movistar, left froome isolated and with nothing to counter with.
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Was very interesting to see two teams working like that vs Froome. Although do feel much of the tactics deployed vs Froome/Sky are a little unfair, but guess that's the price you pay for winning the TdF! I personally wasn't expecting him to win after his Tour/Olympics and first weeks antics. I don't think any rider could physically ride like he has done without suffering later in such a brutal stage race like the Vuelta - the rest of his squad struggling just shows how much effort it's taken to keep him shielded and get that high up GC. Although he does like to prove us wrong time and again - I don't think he'll ever be an 'underdog' again (which is where I think he's previously thrived). Contador/Quintana mark him a little too much, like they're trying to make up for failures in The Tour! Rather than marking riders from OGE/OCS who are snapping up the stage wins!:rolleyes:
One More Solo said:
Not feasible to kick whole teams out but it's not in the spirit of the sport having the grupetto take a day off once they were totally dropped. Just docking points off riders is not a deterrent.
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Agreed, although for that many to miss the cutoff really does show how brutal a stage it was and how many were struggling after the previous day. Should have a recalculated cutoff to not drop so many, like say 30% of the 92 or those below a certain rank/overall position.
Bear said:
Ian Stannards strava for the stage win yesterday https://www.strava.com/activities/702669518 :eek:
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MACHINE!
Still think his white/lime jawbreakers with the black/blue kit is an utter fashion disaster!
 
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Tour of Britain going through my home town of Dursley today. Nice descent on the way in, and steep climb on the way out.

Don't work or live in the town any more, and am working today, so can't go stand by the road and wave, unfortunately.
 
Tour of Britain stage was more interesting than la Vuelta today! Great finish with the peloton missing the breakaway by seconds on the line. Well done to Jack Bauer.

Tomorrow could be interesting - summit finish on Haytor. It could be the right finish for Steve Cummings to pull back the seconds he needs to take the lead. Would be good to have a British winner.
 
Quintana quite chirpy yesterday saying he'll lose than a minute today. Obviously playing media and mind games but fair play. Really interested to see what happens today. Contador will be going ahead of chaves for sure. But froome took 2mins out of quintana at the tour on similar length with 2 great lumps in it. He could really take some serious time on this flat one.
 
Millar said yesterday that it's worth recalling that Movistar said they wanted a buffer of 2:30 going into the time trial so that must be the sort of amount they fear they could lose. I do think Quintana is being optimistic to think he'll be counting his losses in just seconds. The question is whether Froome can smash him on the time trial and then follow it up with a thrashing on the summit finish tomorrow. It might depend on whether his team turn up tomorrow. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Froome hammer the time trial while the rest of Sky roll round hardly trying in order to save themselves.
 
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