Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[Paddingtonwolf]

Nibali has absolutely destroyed the field on the Hautacam. He is going to win this stage by minutes I think.

 

[Wombat del combate]

Nibali goes past the leader like the guy was standing still.

 

[Knockout Ned]

A complete transformation from his days with Cannondale, well done Nibali.

I'm off to spend the rest of the Tour in the garden, it's sunny out there...

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The last time trial has been reduced to a complete irrelevance. All Nibali has to do is just stay upright and he is coasting to Paris.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Sky had no second game plan after froome retired from the race.

Nibali has deserved this tour .Had an extra gear when needed.

 

[Kenny]

Sky had no second game plan after froome retired from the race.

.

They did but he was ill on the vital stage for him and the chance was gone.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Porte has been suffering all season following illness, would be very surprised if he was a genuine 'Plan-B'.

More like they expected Froome was (rightly) their best chance but that went south after that innocuous touch of wheels in the bunch.

Not many teams can afford to carry passengers, the Tour is brutal.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Plus Wiggins was never an answer. He has got himself ready for the velodrome, and that extra weight would mean annihilation in the mountains

 

[Wombat del combate]

I wouldn't say that Nibali has deserved this Tour as he's been blessed - and us robbed of a potentially titanic battle - by Contador's abandonment. I would disagree with Paddy's note on Wiggins though as I believe he only went to the Commonwealth Games after being told he wasn't in Sky's plans so the extra bulk wouldn't have been there, however having him as an option - or any team having a similar situation - would have been difficult to manage in terms of how long do you let them compete at an even level (or who is whose domestique) or when you make a call for Plan A or B.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Wiggins has been building for the velodrome because he knows he can't do a tour any more. He's done.

We were robbed of a titanic three-way by the loss of Froome and Contador. Looking at the way Nibali has destroyed, I think he may well have won it anyway, but today's time trial would have still mattered as Contador and Froome would never have lost seven minutes plus.

 

[nimrod]

Wiggins has been building for the velodrome because he knows he can't do a tour any more. He's done.

We were robbed of a titanic three-way by the loss of Froome and Contador. Looking at the way Nibali has destroyed, I think he may well have won it anyway, but today's time trial would have still mattered as Contador and Froome would never have lost seven minutes plus.

Back from hols tomorrow but have kept up with the action just. Agree with above. The battle for me would have been Froome v Nibali with Contador a maybe. Nibali has looked in great form and shows he was well prepared for tougher opposition who just weren't able to stay on their bikes. Not his fault and doesn't diminish his win ( assuming he hasn't fucked up today).

Much as I love Brad and don't like Froome, for me the latter is a class above on the road as along with Nibali, Contador and Quintana, Froome can take a mountain stage for minutes that brad can't. Brad got an opportunistic tour win which when he started for me was unthinkable. Love that but he did the right thing in quitting and is always a hero.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Back from hols tomorrow but have kept up with the action just. Agree with above. The battle for me would have been Froome v Nibali with Contador a maybe. Nibali has looked in great form and shows he was well prepared for tougher opposition who just weren't able to stay on their bikes. Not his fault and doesn't diminish his win ( assuming he hasn't $#@!ed up today).

Much as I love Brad and don't like Froome, for me the latter is a class above on the road as along with Nibali, Contador and Quintana, Froome can take a mountain stage for minutes that brad can't. Brad got an opportunistic tour win which when he started for me was unthinkable. Love that but he did the right thing in quitting and is always a hero.

Contador had a good chance this year.His team had important stage wins , which is important , if you are going to win the tour.
It is very difficult to win the tour , without a strong team.

Brad deserved his win .You can't win the tour by luck.It's a long slog.
Nibali has deserved his win.Always had an extra gear.Would have been interesting , what might have happened if Froome and Contador had completed the tour.Who knows.I take my hat off to Nibali .

 

[Knockout Ned]

Eisel saying on Eurosport that Porte was indeed plan-b.

Pretty fucking stupid one given his form all year. Unless it was just a hasty afterthought...

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Following the above two posts - I totally agree Brad deserved his win. 2011 was a course totally set up for him, but the crash denied him. 2012 he and team Sky were even stronger and he basically won in the Indurain style - stick with the goats on the hills and destroy them in the time trial. Definitely not luck - an excellent performance.

Regarding Porte as plan B. Sky had a superb plan B available. Rigoberto Uran. They let him leave the team.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Brilliant rides today by Lizzie Armitstead, Emma Pooley, and Geraint Thomas. Fabulous road race event.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Time to resurrect this thread. Chris Froome was absolutely brilliant in today's stage of the Criterium du Dauphine. Him and Teejay Van Garderen just annihilated the rest of the Tour favourites (bar Contador who isn't racing this one). Nibali was destroyed. Froome looks in good form for the big race in three weeks.

 

[Johnny75]

I've been following this race and Froome didn't look good yesterday but Simon Yates did. Nice to see Froome bounce back and in a quality field too.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Van Garderen looks VERY good as well. Not sure if Quintana has been entered into the tour. Hope he has. Would like to see Froome v Contador v Van Garderen v Nibali v Quintana. I imagine Ritchie Porte will be in there as Froome's right hand man as well, along with Nick Roche. Hopefully Rigoberto Uran can get his form back as he was poor in the Giro, and then it could be a cracking race.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Chapeau Chris Froome!! Wins the last two stages and takes the Dauphine by about 5 seconds! Brilliant.

 

[Jabbawolf]

Was great to watch - He was like a machine the way he just rode away from a broken Van Garderen