Pro Cycling Discussion Thread 2015

touch · 12 Jul 2015 at 15:40

Vonhelmet said:
Movistar on the road just now, doing alright, might take first place with this run.

just as you post that it all falls apart for Movistar. Riders all over the place, whole team split apart. Boys at the back are frantically waving at the team car to tell those at the front to slow down.

It's back together now but they lost 10-20 seconds there.

Vonhelmet · 12 Jul 2015 at 15:41

I know, proper jinxed it didn't I!!

Vonhelmet · 12 Jul 2015 at 15:48

Movistar smashed it in the end. Good recovery. Sounds like Saxo are off to a good start as well.

touch · 12 Jul 2015 at 15:48

They still get the best time so far!
Great ride, I guess that little mishap didnt effect them too much.

Vonhelmet · 12 Jul 2015 at 15:54

Blimey, Sagan's got big thighs.

Vonhelmet · 12 Jul 2015 at 16:05

Very very quick through and off from Sky.

touch · 12 Jul 2015 at 16:16

Vonhelmet said:
Very very quick through and off from Sky.

Down to 5 riders now.
Dont know what Pauels was doing? Clearly struggling and hanging off the back then caught up and joined into the line again. Then he cracked and pulled out leaving froome a big gap to close down.

OOH! That's close!

tedmaul · 12 Jul 2015 at 16:18

ooft, how close was that?!

Incredible efforts by Sky and BMC!

Vonhelmet · 12 Jul 2015 at 16:18

Great run by Sky, leaves them holding on to yellow.

SoliD · 12 Jul 2015 at 21:58

Great first week of racing topped off by a good ttt! Don't usually get them that close! Good that nobody really lost big time. Nibali is surely out of this now, not a good enough climber against the guys ahead of him!

Be interesting to see how the next week pans out now, and who goes on the offensive and when.

Cosimo · 13 Jul 2015 at 07:18

Highlights of stage nine:

A rest day today as we head to the Pyrenees.

SoliD · 13 Jul 2015 at 07:26

Didn't realise uran was in 6th! To be o my 1min18 down after the ttt with the depleted eqs squad is day impressive!

Berger · 13 Jul 2015 at 08:04

BMC signing Porte.

I'm not sure why anyone would sign him as a GC rider in a GT domestique maybe or leader in smaller races like TOC or Tour of Turkey.

Vonhelmet · 13 Jul 2015 at 08:42

Is he a bit past it at 30?

Mind you, Chris Horner won la Vuelta at 42... :/

Thomas. PLease. · 13 Jul 2015 at 09:00

SoliD said:
Didn't realise uran was in 6th! To be o my 1min18 down after the ttt with the depleted eqs squad is day impressive!

Got a bet on him for best finisher minus the big 4. Hopefully he can do some decent work in the mountains.

xdcx · 13 Jul 2015 at 09:30

I think you will seem him vanish from GC contention when they hit the mountains. He was nowhere on the first week of the Giro and put in a few random decent performances but just was not consistent at all. Plus with the team missing TM who is a key rider I don't think they will be able to contend with many teams on the mountains. Cav and Stybar aren't going to be much help, Kwiat I hope comes to form as he is amazing but just hasn't shown much of his usual form so far.

I am team Tejay for this tour, I want to see him battling with Froome again on the mountains but at this point I seriously cannot see past Froome taking the GC he has a super strong team and he does look in the form of his life based on the GC already, his finishes and the big work he was doing on the front for the TTT yesterday.

Nibali I honestly think is not in the same league at this point. Contador has not shown himself at all yet but also has a super strong team so he will come to the fore when we hit the Pyrenees. Quitana, again hasn't come to the fore yet but the mountains is where we expect him to be incredible so lets see how that pans out. Tejay we have seen what he can do in the Dauphine and that was without a strong train on the mountains like what Froome had, here and now he has a stronger team so it's that battle I think will be the best

touch · 13 Jul 2015 at 09:44

I wouldnt be surprised to see Uran doing well in the mountains. He may just be focussing on the tour and riding the giro as a warmup. Etixx dont have any other GC contenders so they can put him in both races even if he isnt on top form for one of them. Other teams who have more GC riders can have one peak specifically for each race.
Saying that, I wouldnt be surprised to see him way behind either.

I think TJ is too inconsistent. He'll do well in the mountains, keeping up with the main favourites. Then one day he'll have a bad day and lose a load of time.

Vonhelmet · 13 Jul 2015 at 10:05

I think it'll be Froome and Contador fighting it out. Contador has been biding his time until now. We've seen it before where he'll just wake up one day and go on an absolute rampage and he'll regain a minute or more up some stupidly hard climb. That's where Froome's challenge will be. Quintana could be a threat as well, particularly given he has super-domestique Valverde to work for him. Nibali isn't even arsed, it seems.

Berger · 13 Jul 2015 at 10:36

Vonhelmet said:
Is he a bit past it at 30?

Mind you, Chris Horner won la Vuelta at 42... :/

Just coming into his prime, but he has no GT results to speak of and seems to crumble towards the middle or end of a GT.

Not sure why you'd pay big money for a rider with no big results really of his age.

One More Solo · 13 Jul 2015 at 11:10

I'm shocked Quintana appears to be second favourite in the bookies' eyes. His mountain form is a big unknown at this stage, although he's done well to be in this position now all the TTing and cobbles are out of the way. I'm not sure I can see him pulling back 2 minutes over Froome.

There aren't many riders better at back to back mountain days than Contador, and I can see him going on the attack in the Pyrenees. That will probably spell the end of TJVG, Uran and Nibali's hopes.