Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[thehistorymakers]

Hahahhhaahhah

 

[Wombat del combate]

Waiting to see if Bardet gets a 20s time penalty on GC for taking a drink in the last 10k...

 

[thehistorymakers]

Contador and Landas have opened a 2.13" advantage over Froome and Aru.I can't see Contador holding on to this. Contador just doesn't have the back up from his team, that Sky have.

 

[machin05]

Watched the last 20km or so. Couldn't really get my head around the tactics tbh :/

 

[Wombat del combate]

I read it as an insurance policy by Sky, similar to what Movistar tried to execute in the Giro: by putting two men in GC contention it makes it harder for the opposition to mark them - one goes up the road and one stays, who do you mark? And, if one crashes, you've got a plan B ready to launch.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Watched the last 20km or so. Couldn't really get my head around the tactics tbh :/

Aru has to do everything on his own. He is one for the future. Contador and Quintana are too far behind, so Froome wasn't too concerned with them. He tried to break Aru a few times, but Aru stuck on in there, but being basically on your own like Aru, means you don't have much of a chance to win the Tour. The time trial will also do him. Froome has not been his normal self in my opinion, but he still will probably easily win this Tour.

 

[Johnny75]

Watched the last 20km or so. Couldn't really get my head around the tactics tbh :/

As in they confused you or you couldn't understand why Froome's ego wouldn't let the breakaway get further out?

I have no idea why he didn't back Aru, Bardet and Uran up and let Landa get as close to yellow as possible. It would mean having at least 2 of them in the mountain stages to come. As it is Landa is still up there but Froome was daft trying to close the breakaway down.

 

[Johnny75]

I read it as an insurance policy by Sky, similar to what Movistar tried to execute in the Giro: by putting two men in GC contention it makes it harder for the opposition to mark them - one goes up the road and one stays, who do you mark? And, if one crashes, you've got a plan B ready to launch.

Exactly, it's why Froome was daft to try and close it down. He should've let Landa get as close to yellow as possible.

 

[machin05]

I read it as an insurance policy by Sky, similar to what Movistar tried to execute in the Giro: by putting two men in GC contention it makes it harder for the opposition to mark them - one goes up the road and one stays, who do you mark? And, if one crashes, you've got a plan B ready to launch.

Ah OK. Makes sense. Couldn't understand why Froome kept trying to close the gap to Martin and Yates etc.

 

[Bit on the shaggies]

Sky know that Froome can easily make up the six seconds he needs on the second to last stage (time trial) so all he has to do is follow Aru till then. However, if Aru gets another stage win, and the 20 second bonus that comes with that, Froome could be fucked even if he crosses the line right behind him.

Sending out Landa and Kwiatkowski (sp?) with the breakaway makes sense if their success (i.e. getting the breakaway to the finish line) means that Aru, nor Bardet for that matter, can get a stage win.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

What he said. Sums it up perfectly.

 

[Johnny75]

Sky know that Froome can easily make up the six seconds he needs on the second to last stage (time trial) so all he has to do is follow Aru till then. However, if Aru gets another stage win, and the 20 second bonus that comes with that, Froome could be $#@!ed even if he crosses the line right behind him.

Sending out Landa and Kwiatkowski (sp?) with the breakaway makes sense if their success (i.e. getting the breakaway to the finish line) means that Aru, nor Bardet for that matter, can get a stage win.

That's why it doesn't really make sense for Froome to close down the breakaway. He would still have been with Aru, Bardet and Uran and would've dragged Landa up too. Bit daft on his part.

 

[thehistorymakers]

I agree with all the above, although for the first time yesterday, It appeared that Froome was left standing when Aru decided to break away. Froome looked like he had nothing more to give. Of course Froome will still win the Tour, but it would have been interesting if Aru had tried to break a little earlier, yesterday.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

If he had gone earlier then he would have been dragged back. The last kilometre break was his best chance and he did amazingly to get enough for yellow.

 

[nimrod]

If he had gone earlier then he would have been dragged back. The last kilometre break was his best chance and he did amazingly to get enough for yellow.

the sort of stage where a strong second like a valverde could have made a significant difference. fair play to aru though, he's been great. so how much time is likely to be needed on froome for the last TT?

was a fun stage today if lacking significant movement - wouldn't have happened without the change of yellow.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

22K time trial with only one significant bump in it. One minute and Froome reels it in. 90 seconds and it gets interesting. 2 minutes and Aru holds on.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Tomorrow will be fairly routine bar a puncheur at the end, which now won't be Dan Martin as he is too close, but Sunday looks a belter of a stage for someone in GC to go for a Chiappucci style long break.

After that we are probably waiting for the Galibier stage and then a big fight on the Izoard.

 

[Bit on the shaggies]

That's why it doesn't really make sense for Froome to close down the breakaway. He would still have been with Aru, Bardet and Uran and would've dragged Landa up too. Bit daft on his part.

He was never going to catch Landa on the descent, and he only attacked on the ascent once the breakaway group was already well on its way down. I think it was just Froome showing Aru that he isn't dead yet and that he'll have to stay on his toes.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

It was "my legs are back so cower in fear"

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Hope you enjoyed the yellow jersey Fabio...