Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[Paddingtonwolf]

Wait until you see Thursday's...

 

[machin05]

Wait until you see Thursday's...

Is that the one that finishes on the Alpe D'Huez?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Yep. Absolute horror. 3 HC Climbs and also the Cat 2 Lacets De Montvernier, which is only that category because it is short - 3 km at 8.2%.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Saying that - they could have added about forty extra kilometres to the stage and sent it over the Madeleine, Galibier, Croix de Fer and finish on the Alpe. That would have been brutal.

 

[Wombat del combate]

I'm interested to see how the 60-odd km stage works out. In my mind it'll be like when Richie and Eddie played chess in Bottom.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Looks like Sky have arsed this up today and Van Avermaet is going to increase his lead over the GC. Alaphilippe is having a superb ride in front.

 

[Jabbawolf]

Brilliant stage by Sky - well done G and Froome - stunning finish.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Followed it online until 5k to go and thought they were just going to settle for G getting yellow! Can't wait to see the highlights now.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Nice crowd reaction...

 

[Johnny75]

Fantastic ride by the Sky train. Thomas looked very good. I wonder if Sky are running with the same tactics as they did at the Giro and peaking him for the final week.

Pleased for Thomas and it looks like it's Sky's to lose with all their rivals blowing up bar Doumulin.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think Sky have a plan to get Froome and G so far ahead that they can duke it out without damaging the team result. They will be the 1-2.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Alpe D'Huez today. Can't wait.

Rigoberto Uran has abandoned this morning. Not surprised - he looked very second hand yesterday.

 

[Wombat del combate]

Cav was eliminated yesterday, over an hour behind Thomas. Hard to see him passing Merckx's record for stage wins now?

Did anyone else see the interview with Froome where he was asked about the Vuelta and he fudged an answer? The prospect of him doing all three grand tours and winning them is mind boggling.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Can't see it. The race starts on 25 August and the route is a beast.

 

[Johnny75]

Very good ride by Thomas. Cracking stage blown apart by Krusjwijk (?) so Thomas and Froome had to go balls out. Great stuff and even a sprint finish!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Geraint did amazingly there. To win on the Alpe is a spectacular addition to his Palmares. He has a decent lead over the Froomedog to take into the time trial, which isn't that long. Unless he bonks in the Pyrenees, I think he might just have this in the bag.

 

[Tony Towner]

Geraint did amazingly there. To win on the Alpe is a spectacular addition to his Palmares. He has a decent lead over the Froomedog to take into the time trial, which isn't that long. Unless he bonks in the Pyrenees, I think he might just have this in the bag.

My guess is Sky will pull him back as Froome is still owed one for the Wiggins year. I hope I'm wrong

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Not a chance. This will be the two of them fighting it out unless Dumoulin gets involved.

 

[Tony Towner]

I hope you are correct. You are a passionate fan, who knows their stuff whereas I'm an interested observor

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The Froome v Wiggins thing up to Plateau Les Beilles was a bit different. Wiggins was already in yellow. In the last section of the climb the Froome attack put Wiggins into trouble, and favourites from other teams could have taken advantage. That is why Froome was called back, angry as he was about it at the time.

Now we have Geraint 99 seconds ahead. And he is a great time trialer, so the 31kk ITT is unlikely to see him lose over 90 seconds to Froome. I suspect what will happen is that the first of Pyrenees stage they will work together to destroy Dumoulin and co, and that 67k stage the day after will be a straight fight. The leader after that will get the complete Team Sky support over the Aspin, Tourmalet, Soulor, Aubisque stage. Maybe a little scrap in the ITT. For me G probably has this.

(ta - for calling me a passionate fan who knows his stuff! Means a lot. I have been watching the TDF since the highlights first came on C4 in the early eighties. Roche v Delgado is the first one I really remember - that was awesome.)