Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[Johnny75]

I can see where you are coming from. Banesto dominated for years with Indurain. And then obvs Discovery and US Postal with He Who Shall Not Be Named.

I'm not sure SKY are dominating the sport like those two teams as they concentrate on Le Tour pretty much exclusively. Movistar and Astana are very strong on the other tours and I expect Adam Yates to have a go at another GT. If your only exposure to cycling is the TdF then it's SKY domination all the way.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Couple of questions (I may have asked these already but I'm old and forgetful)

1) Why is the leader unchallenged on the final day?

2) Has anyone lost the TfD after starting the final day in the lead?

Yes. One year they made the last day an individual time trial. Greg Lemond beat Laurent Fignon by about 17 seconds if I remember.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Yeah the last day is more for the sprinters, for the GC boys the race generally ends on the penultimate day.

I agree with THM in that Sky's superiority in the mountains was suffocatingly dull IMO though that is no criticism of them. Johnny makes the very important point though that Sky's dominance doesn't actually extend much further, they're a totally different proposition in the Giro and Vuelta and until this year a bit of a shambles in the classics.

 

[Knockout Ned]

The unofficial sprinters World Championship!

No competition for Sky, team stronger than any of Froome's rivals. And of the main rivals themselves Nibali had focused on the Giro, a fading Contador went home sick and Quintana failed to live up to expectations again. Although largely down to the strong pace Sky set on the climbs, Movistar not having the manpower to set the pace.

There's potential coming through but I can see Froome adding another couple of yellows before anyone gets their act together.

 

[From Distant Shores]

Sky have to concentrate on the Tour because their GC men seem to fall like skittles when it rains. The only tour they've lost in the last five years was because it rained in Belgium.

The can do well in the Vuelta as it doesn't rain much in Spain but I can't see them winning the Giro for a while.

 

[Knockout Ned]

They've had good classics wins with Stannard and Thomas, it's not all about Froome and the Tour.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

That's only been recently, for a number of years they were a disaster in the classics. I wish Thomas would concentrate more on them actually, he could win Roubaix or Flanders if he did but he's never going to win a grand tour. Poels won Liege this year which would be their best result I guess.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

This stage into Lagos De Covodonga has been absolutely brilliant. Quintana delivering a superlative performance but Froome has come back from being dropped to get back into the game.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Best climbing action of the season! Great fight by Froome. Brutal climb as well, always looks horrendous.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I love Covodonga. Up there with Angliru for the toughest Spanish climb.

Certainly sorted the men from the boys.

 

[thehistorymakers]

I love Covodonga. Up there with Angliru for the toughest Spanish climb.

Certainly sorted the men from the boys.

An absolutely beautiful place. I have been there many times, to see the virgin of course. Contador had a bad fall again in this race, a few days ago.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Have they still got the herds of wild cows up there? It is an amazing part of the world.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Oh yes, the last thing you want to see, when you go around a sharp corner. I'm on about the red ones. Asturias is well known for it's milk.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Very tough stage today.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Marie Blanque followed by Aubisque. Tasty.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Yates and Orica having a good day today, too. So many different battles going on, it's making it a very interesting stage.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Yates is riding brilliantly. Orica playing a great hand, and that actually helps Froome as it is making Movistar work in the Peloton rather than leaving it all to the Sky domestiques. The last climb is going to be tremendous stuff.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Yes, Simon Yates is showing what he is made of!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Froome v Contador v Quintana is sensational stuff. Attack after attack. And yet still Yates is pushing on further up the mountain.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Unbelievable stage today. You have to take your hat off to Simon Yates, he has been incredible. Froome as always has got not only the legs to beat anyone, but the psychological advantage to. The others know, however hard they try, he has anothet gear when needed. Today has been, one of the best stages I have ever seen. There were so many attacks, and so many battles going on. What a sport!