Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[Wombat del combate]

Quintana is wonderful to watch on his bike. So still and composed. Froome looks like a frog in a blender by comparison.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I don't think anyone could call Froome's style aesthetically pleasing.

 

[Wombat del combate]

The Mo Camara of cycling?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Maybe! If this carries to the summit the race could almost be over.

 

[Wombat del combate]

Already a minute on Contador and over two on Nibali.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Minute on TVG and over 30 seconds on Quintana now. Blown them completely apart.

 

[Wombat del combate]

I think Quintana has decided to let Froome go for it with a longer-term view. He had him in check early on in the attack but I think he has eased off.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Dunno - Porte has caught Quintana.

 

[Wombat del combate]

I may have to correct myself on this as I wrote that at 35", we're now looking at a full minute.

 

[Wombat del combate]

I think this is Froome's to lose now, barring a major mechanical or crash. Putting that much time into his opponents means he can ride relatively conservatively for the foreseeable.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Awesome ride today.

 

[thehistorymakers]

The Sky team are in another league.

 

[Johnny75]

The Sky team are in another league.

They were today THM. Outstanding stuff from Thomas and Porte to set up Froome. I'm surprised Valverde struck out when he did and didn't keep close to Quintana and Sky but I guess he blinked first.

 

[Wombat del combate]

I think Movistar's plan was to break one of Contador, Nibali and/or van Garderen but I don't think they anticipated Sky doing the very same thing to them.

Porte off to BMC next year apparently.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

That was really good viewing this afternoon, the endurance of these guys is amazing.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Was 4km from the finish today but had no idea what was going on, couldn't believe it when Froome appeared all on his own! Race absolutely ripped apart and a shame really that barring a crash it's all over I'd say. Froome won't ride conservatively though, if he's feeling good he can't help himself. Looking forward to tomorrow and the Tourmalet!

Wombat, PM you when I get a chance mate.

 

[Knockout Ned]

A lot of people are going to call doping because of the time he put into his rivals.

By his own admission Contador didn't have the legs today & Nibali's been steadily shipping time all Tour.

Chapeau Chris, stunning ride!

 

[thehistorymakers]

Sky as a team decimated the other teams today. Froome had other riders around him, where Contador, Nibali and the other main contenders, were left on their own.This would make a hell of a difference.
Sky who were only formed in 2009, will have won 3 TdF by the end of this race, all with British riders. To think that no other British cyclist had ever won the Tour before, then to win it two years on the trot, with different cyclists, who had never done anything of any note on the tour before, is amazing.
It is true, that the Sky Team have money and power, but to mention doping is very unfair without evidence.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Sky as a team decimated the other teams today. Froome had other riders around him, where Contador, Nibali and the other main contenders, were left on their own.This would make a hell of a difference.
Sky who were only formed in 2009, will have won 3 TdF by the end of this race, all with British riders. To think that no other British cyclist had ever won the Tour before, then to win it two years on the trot, with different cyclists, who had never done anything of any note on the tour before, is amazing.
It is true, that the Sky Team have money and power, but to mention doping is very unfair without evidence.

Thing is THM is this team was based in Moscow or Peking and did that rather then London, the tone of this thread I think would be a lot different.
As you said they have come from no-where, from a country with very little history in cycling before that and achieved all that, in a sport which is known for the biggest cheat in history and a long list of riders who have cheated and teams who have systematically cheated, plus ultimately owned by a man who is not exactly popular around the world, then mud is bound to be thrown at them.

With regards to Froome I nailed by colours to the mast a couple of years ago and debated it to death on here at the time (with Paddy I think), personally I think their is something definateley dodgy about him and nothing since then has convinced me different.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

That is fair enough Donegal. Cycling has been a filthy sport for years and so the questions are always going to be asked. I for one hope that this is clean. The innuendo without anything concrete to back it up is unfortunate. Cheers for that Lance.