Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[Paddingtonwolf]

Brilliant by Froome today.

Put a fork in it. The Vuelta could be done already

 

[Pompey Wolf]

I really hope he wins this, his palmares looks a little lop-sided with the 4 Tour wins and no other grand tour and he has clearly wanted the Vuelta for a while.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Just about to start the final climb today up to Sierra Nevada. 2510m top out, 28.9km climb with gradients that are really rather nasty. This should be a lot of fun for any cycling fan

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Comfortable for Froome, he can finish this in Tuesday's TT.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

It is done already

Really enjoyable stage though. What a mountain. Lopez looks like the future, and very unfortunate for Yates to get caught after a valiant effort.

The only way Froome loses is a crash, an illness, or a disaster on Angliru.

 

[Johnny75]

I've enjoyed the whole tour. Not as beautiful as Le Tour but the stages are as gruelling and the tactics from the teams have been ace. Sad to see Adam Yates blow up so close to the end.

Some great riders though and Astana have a new star.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think the Vuelta is MUCH tougher.

 

[Johnny75]

I think the Vuelta is MUCH tougher.

In terms of winning it then I'd agree. You have to be a proper mountain goat to win it and I never knew Spain was so mountainous!

Not a lot for the sprinters in this tour though which I guess is why you don't see the Kittel's and Sagan's of the tour on this.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Not as high - although today's finish would only be beaten by the Col D'Angel, the Galibier and the Cime De La Bonette in France and Stelvio in the giro, but the average gradients on these Spanish hills are bonkers.
EDIT: Forgot to include the Galibier as I thought it was 2500m dead, but it is actually 2645m

 

[thehistorymakers]

I am in Blyth today for the Tour of Britain.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

You definitely put a fork in this now. Froome has nearly two minutes.

 

[Kenny]

I am in Blyth today for the Tour of Britain.

Did you win?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Forgot to mention this yesterday

Froome now guaranteed to win as the final stage is processional. Hats off to Contador to win his final mountain stage and up a beast like Angliru. Such a shame he couldn't quite sneak on to the podium but it was a monumental effort.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Yeah that was something to see yesterday, Contador winning on the Angliru solo to close off his career, great stuff. Been a really good race (as it usually is) and pleased that Froome's finally got himself a Vuelta. Got to try that Giro-Tour double now really.

 

[Johnny75]

Yeah that was something to see yesterday, Contador winning on the Angliru solo to close off his career, great stuff. Been a really good race (as it usually is) and pleased that Froome's finally got himself a Vuelta. Got to try that Giro-Tour double now really.

Could he try that next year and be the first man to hold all 3 at the same time?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

No reason why not. He would need to adjust his early season training because bar something minor like the Tour of Oman he is usually in hibernation until The Criterium.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

I'd like to see him go for it but it's whether he wants to take the risk of trying to win it slightly undercooked and peaking for the Tour (as presumably he would always prioritise that) or peak for the Giro and hope his form holds for the Tour (as it did for this Vuelta).

Or he could just go fuck it and try all 3!

 

[Wombat del combate]

Tour route for 2018 looks a bit cheeky: dirt roads, cobbles, a TTT and a super-short mountain stage. Plus, only eight riders to a team.

 

[Johnny75]

Tour route for 2018 looks a bit cheeky: dirt roads, cobbles, a TTT and a super-short mountain stage. Plus, only eight riders to a team.

There's some evil stages in that, particularly the cobbles and 40 mile mountain stage which is essentially all mountains.

 

[Wombat del combate]

Paddy'll be fapping himself silly over the queen stage: 200km with all the lumps.