Pro Cycling Discussion Thread 2015

A good stage, but it's starting to turn into a procession to Paris. SKY are just too strong (not that that's their fault), and the rivals are sub-par. SKY ride climbs at the maximum sustainable speed, so any attacks get drawn back straight away. Clever, but it's strangling the race a bit for me now.
 
Most teams only have a couple of strong riders up front, if not just the one GC candidate. Sky did most of that climb with both Thomas and Porte supporting Froome, so they have a huge advantage. Thomas is proving to be an amazing asset at the moment.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Most teams only have a couple of strong riders up front, if not just the one GC candidate. Sky did most of that climb with both Thomas and Porte supporting Froome, so they have a huge advantage. Thomas is proving to be an amazing asset at the moment.
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Astana and Movistar are both well supported; Saxo less so. Geraint is having an incredible Tour. I do hope he's being well looked after by SKY.
 
Much the way it goes. Astana done it even more so at the Giro this year :(

Don't see it as a procession at all right now though, all the big contenders together and attacking each other yesterday. And the stage Froome won was awesome and great to watch regardless what team he was riding for.

Yesterday seen an awesome ride from Rodriguez and the day before an awesome ride from Dan Martin and Majka. I don't really get the procession thing, there's been lots going on :)
 
xdcx said:
Don't see it as a procession at all right now though, all the big contenders together and attacking each other yesterday.
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I agree. Gee + Richie did a great job of pulling back the attackers each time but I think that was only because there were individual attacks.
If sky try to do the same again and a couple of riders get away (or 1 gets away and another 1 or 2 bridge up to him) I dont think they'll be able to pull that back.
At some point in the Alps, I expect Froome is going to have to make the decision to either go with a big attack (and become completely isolated from his team) or decide to sit in and have faith that they can slowly pull it back.

It's great to watch - I just wish the time gaps were a little smaller.
 
You guys are watching a different race to me then.

SKY riding too hard for any attacks to succeed from the favourites. No point going off the front for 20m to just get wound back in when you're blowing out of your arse. You can see AC is riding clean, he just hasn't anything like the same recovery. He used to be able to attack, consolidate, attack again ad nauseum.

Froome has so much time on every significant challenger that he doesn't need to attack, he just has to follow. I just wish it were a lot closer between the top 5 riders and Froome had an actual challenge.
 
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George Hincapie said:
You guys are watching a different race to me then.

SKY riding too hard for any attacks to succeed from the favourites. No point going off the front for 20m to just get wound back in when you're blowing out of your arse. You can see AC is riding clean, he just hasn't anything like the same recovery. He used to be able to attack, consolidate, attack again ad nauseum.

Froome has so much time on every significant challenger that he doesn't need to attack, he just has to follow. I just wish it were a lot closer between the top 5 riders and Froome had an actual challenge.
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AC won a 3 week grand tour in May. Absolutely everyone was skeptical about him being able to pull off this double and rightfully so. He is suffering and simply cannot be at 100%

Nibali hasn't been on the level of these guys all year to warrant us expecting any different really.

Quintana is the big disappointment on the mountains for lack of spice. I still suspect he will be the one to put a chunk of time into Froome in the Alps.

Sky are doing what is needed to win a grand tour, controlling it for their guy. I don't think they can maintain that until Paris though and throughout the alps, bodies break down and things change. But comparing it to what Astana done in the Giro, that really did make the Giro boring and a bit dull I thought but this tour so far I think is a lot more exciting and fun to watch than you are making out after only 3 mountain stages really.
 
xdcx said:
AC won a 3 week grand tour in May. Absolutely everyone was skeptical about him being able to pull off this double and rightfully so. He is suffering and simply cannot be at 100%

Nibali hasn't been on the level of these guys all year to warrant us expecting any different really.

Quintana is the big disappointment on the mountains for lack of spice. I still suspect he will be the one to put a chunk of time into Froome in the Alps.

Sky are doing what is needed to win a grand tour, controlling it for their guy. I don't think they can maintain that until Paris though and throughout the alps, bodies break down and things change. But comparing it to what Astana done in the Giro, that really did make the Giro boring and a bit dull I thought but this tour so far I think is a lot more exciting and fun to watch than you are making out after only 3 mountain stages really.
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I didn't say it wasn't fun to watch! The first week was superb. I just find that now we're in ther mountains it's not the GC battle I hoped for.
 
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