The Bicycle Racing Thread 2014

[The Boy]

And froome getting smoked of the GPS is accurate.

 

[hash tag]

Just seen the fall, it looked a good forward roll to me, after he cleared the handlebars.

 

[stavros]

Just seen the fall, it looked a good forward roll to me, after he cleared the handlebars.

ITV4 must've hit double figures with the number of times they managed to show it in an hour highlights package.

 

[hash tag]

Looks like their was/will be a good previously untried climb in store tonight.

 

[The Boy]

Interesting stage though think that could be it as far as GC goes.

 

[Numbers]

Really enjoyed the final climb today.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Interesting stage though think that could be it as far as GC goes.

Yep. Quintana is out and Froome just doesn't have it. It's the wrong parcours for Purito.

It's still tight enough that things could go wrong for Contador, but it's his to lose. His team is shit, but there aren't the kind of stage routes that might allow someone to take advantage of that.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Really enjoyed the final climb today.

Yeah. I thought Froome showed real mental toughness to keep coming back like that.

 

[Ted Striker]

Don't think Contador's going to let anyone go now. Seemed to be doing his dance pretty effortlessly.

 

[Numbers]

Yeah. I thought Froome showed real mental toughness to keep coming back like that.

Reminded me of a boxer looking like he's done, but finding that something extra. I thought he was going to proper attack at one stage but Conatador was having none of it. From my limited knowledge Contador looks/looked comfortable (I love his dancing on the pedals) and a shoe in for the overall.

Always remember you saying how boxing and cycling were in some ways similar, I really see that now. I love cycling almost as much as boxing.

 

[The Boy]

Re: the final climb. Thought it could have done with some climbs to soften them up a bit first. As it was there was a lot of team mates around to drive the pace. Reckon there could have been carnage of they had a couple of cat 1/cat 2s in their legs.

 

[The Boy]

Yeah. I thought Froome showed real mental toughness to keep coming back like that.

He did indeed. Odd tactics from Sky though. They kept driving the pace even when froome was dangling off the back.


Edit: he might actually have been the big winner today, only losing a second or two when he was obviously not in good shape.

 

[The Boy]

Also, Jens voigt taking on the hour on September 18th.

 

[Numbers]

'Shut up legs'

 

[Nigel Irritable]

It may have been a typical nothing happens until the final climb stage, but the final climb was pure comedy.

 

[stavros]

I found out the Tour of Britain is finishing the Bristol stage up a hill I used to do when I lived there. Coming up from under the Suspension Bridge to the Downs, Bike Hike reckons it gets up to about 28%.

 

[The Boy]

So, is Froome riding into form while Contador is fading, or was it just a much smarter ride by the former today? I mean it was anyway, but is that the sole reason for Froome chipping away at the deficit iyswim?

 

[stavros]

Round one to Kittel in a very messy sprint. Cav only appeared right at the end so I couldn't see if Renshaw took him to the last 100m.

 

[The Boy]

Can't believe Eurosport decided to show the tour of Britain instead of vuelta. Baffling decision that left me having to watch highlights on ITV with Phil fucking Liggett.

Cracking day's racing though. Froome doing his yo-yo, the Spanish armada bickering like girls and barguil attacking left right and centre for no reason other than her fancied losing a few more second needlessly.

And Dan martin has no luck. Didn't cost him too much, but that long chase back on could have been a disaster.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Pretty pissed off about that Eurosport schedule.

Martin apparently got knocked down a ravine when someone clipped his wheel. Exactly the same thing happened to Kennaugh I think at the Tour last year. According to the team, Haas had to climb down six meters to help him out of the foliage. Given that and the long chase back, his performance was pretty great.

Barguil is amazing to watch.

 

[The Boy]

Combativity award for brambilla?

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Combativity award for brambilla?

Funniest thing that's happened all race

 

[The Boy]

Funniest thing that's happened all year

Ftfy

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Fun last climb today. Contador winning the Rodriguez/Valverde way.

 

[hash tag]

Has anyone noticed the Tour back home. I understand cav was third yesterday, not yet checked todays news.

 

[stavros]

Has anyone noticed the Tour back home. I understand cav was third yesterday, not yet checked todays news.

See my last post. Cav doing some horrendously close streaming behind a team car after fixing his shoe, and apparently coming a cropper off camera.

 

[The Boy]

Iglinksy (Valentin) popped for EPO. I'm amazed.

And I still haven't forgiven myself for not backing his brother at 150/1 the year he won L-B-L>

 

[stavros]

OK, the ToB riders went up Bridge Valley Road a wee bit quicker than I used to, but it was still gratifying to hear the commentators say how steep it is.

 

[hash tag]

Anyone else seen the story behind alberts amazing recovery from the leg break? All those stitches, infection, loads more stitches, lots of time off the bike coming into the vuelta...too good to be true!

 

[DownwardDog]

too good to be true!

We all know what that means in pro cycling...

Excellent stage win for Hansen; he must be the fittest java programmer in the world.