# Paris-Nice *Spoilers*



## thom (4 Mar 2014)

Wowzers, the winter is over and the racing keeps coming with Paris-Nice starting this Sunday.

Details on the steep-hill dash-board : http://www.steephill.tv/paris-nice/

I think Contador is doing Tirreno-Adriatico but Nibali is doing Paris-Nice.


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## smutchin (4 Mar 2014)

Nibali vs Porte vs Rui Costa vs Betancur vs Tejay

Take your pick of three of those for the podium? Can't see any other obvious big contenders. Maybe Gerrans? One of the Schlecks?

Should be a good race. Sky are taking a very strong team, even without Froome, who's doing Tirreno-Adriatico instead. AG2R and Astana look well set up to support their man too.


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## rich p (4 Mar 2014)

smutchin said:


> One of the Schlecks?
> .


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## rich p (4 Mar 2014)

Without a TT or a mountain top finish this is a hard race to predict a winner.


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## montage (4 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> Without a TT or a mountain top finish this is a hard race to predict a winner.



for some


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## The Couch (5 Mar 2014)

Indeed, without mountain finishes normally you'd go for the best Time Trial cyclist (that can climb a bit), but without TT even that's out of the question
If Kwiatek would have been in this one, I would have gone for him... he should be one of the best descenders/sprinters that can get over the mountains.
Hell.... if Sagan would start and he'd put his mind to it, he might even have an outside change

Movistar though really throws the towel in for this one... they named John Gadret as team leader. 
(I guess in reality it will probably turn out that Izagirre becomes team captain after a couple of stages)


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## smutchin (5 Mar 2014)

I didn't realise they'd dropped the Col d'Eze this year. Good. It will make the race a damn sight more interesting.

Seems the resurgence of Tirreno-Adriatico has forced ASO to up their game a bit. I like. Although it would be even better if they didn't clash, really.


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## smutchin (5 Mar 2014)

Just a thought... with no mountain-top finishes, can Boonen be considered a contender for overall victory? OPQS are taking most of their Classics boys, and I can't imagine they'll be there just to make up the numbers. They'll definitely fancy one or two stage wins but maybe their ambitions are set even higher. Hmmmmm...


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## The Couch (5 Mar 2014)

smutchin said:


> Just a thought... with no mountain-top finishes, can Boonen be considered a contender for overall victory? OPQS are taking most of their Classics boys, and I can't imagine they'll be there just to make up the numbers. They'll definitely fancy one or two stage wins but maybe their ambitions are set even higher. Hmmmmm...


Naaa, he's not that good of climber (and there all still somewhat heavy climbs around ), a Jan Bakelants in last year's form might be an outside bet though

Wondering what Bob Jungels can do in his first important stage race


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## rich p (5 Mar 2014)

Col d'Eze is still in it but not the finish. They descend, quickly!, and finish on the Prom des Anglais


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## jowwy (6 Mar 2014)

I'm going for porte to win this one


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## Mattonsea (6 Mar 2014)

jowwy said:


> I'm going for porte to win this one


He needs to start showing a hunger to win , be good to see him win .


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## jowwy (6 Mar 2014)

Mattonsea said:


> He needs to start showing a hunger to win , be good to see him win .


I do believe he's defending last years win


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## Mattonsea (6 Mar 2014)

jowwy said:


> I do believe he's defending last years win


Granted, but I'm not convinced he is the finished article.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (7 Mar 2014)

jowwy said:


> I'm going for porte to win this one



I'll bet you £1m he won't win...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-out-of-tirreno-adriatico-with-sore-back


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## rich p (7 Mar 2014)

Marmion said:


> I'll bet you £1m he won't win...
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-out-of-tirreno-adriatico-with-sore-back


Blimey! All change, all change!
The P-N may actually suit GT though and it will be interesting to see how Wiggo and Porte go together in the T-A.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (7 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> Blimey! All change, all change!
> The P-N may actually suit GT though and it will be interesting to see how Wiggo and Porte go together in the T-A.



<rumour-monger> Maybe it's a plan. Maybe it's been Wiggo-Porte for the Tour all this time and we have been duped; Froome has an "injury"...


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## rich p (7 Mar 2014)

Marmion said:


> <rumour-monger> Maybe it's a plan. Maybe it's been Wiggo-Porte for the Tour all this time and we have been duped; Froome has an "injury"...


I bet the rumour mill in the Clinic is going into overdrive!


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## smutchin (7 Mar 2014)

G as team leader! 

I've just had a little moment in my trousers.


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## thom (7 Mar 2014)

Interesting to see how keen Sky are to move riders around rosters in order to accumulate World Tour points.
While Porte looks set to be GC lead, the message is that Wiggo makes up in the two TTs for something that Porte cannot cover for Froome.
Or maybe that is reading too much into it - just odd Wiggo wasn't in the team that did include Froome but is now Froome dropped out.


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## Monsieur Remings (9 Mar 2014)

Great win for Bouhanni today, looked like some right argy-bargy at the last, but glad he crossed the line first after a disappointing tour last year. Plus, of course, he'd been involved in a crash.

For the GC it looks as if some aspiring favourites are now on the back-foot.


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## Flying_Monkey (9 Mar 2014)

Great finish. Look at the overall, though. Thomas is serious about winning this.


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## thom (10 Mar 2014)

Monsieur Remings said:


> For the GC it looks as if some aspiring favourites are now on the back-foot.


Just saw some highlights - looks like in the extended run in there were some narrow roads and there was a crash caused by the riders being very tightly bunched at the front. It split the peloton and Romain Bardet was one of the losers. Also explains why EBH, Thor and some other sprinters weren't involved at the end.


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## The Couch (10 Mar 2014)

Delftse Post said:


> There's new UCI rule which stops riders doing this - they're supposed to stay on the road.





The Couch said:


> Still... the rule is too much open for interpretation, since apparently even the UCI-head commissioner (Peter Judez) said himself, if 1 rider does it we disqualify him, if 30 riders do it, we don't do anything.



Apparently Andy Schleck doesn't watch the cycling in Flanders... 
he has the "honour" to be the first one to get a fine 200 Suisse Francs for breaking the above UCI-rule. He went straight through some fences where the riders needed to go left and right (and it wan't even in the first loop of the stage). The could have disqualified him as well, but I guess since he is already 2 minutes down in the GC after 1 flat stage, even the UCI realizes Andy still isn't much of a threat to the GC


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## The Couch (10 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> Just saw some highlights - looks like in the extended run in there were some narrow roads and there was a crash caused by the riders being very tightly bunched at the front. It split the peloton and Romain Bardet was one of the losers. Also explains why EBH, Thor and some other sprinters weren't involved at the end.


Indeed, after the fall the peloton was broken up in about 4 pieces. The first group waited a bit, so that 1 group could get back
(I believe Costa was actually signaling Giant to take it a bit slow so that this could happen)
however the other 2 groups (who joined each other) couldn't make it back anymore with the speed ramping up for the sprint

I guess this effectively makes Betancurt the appointed leader for Ag2r (Bardet losing time), Stetina for BMC (Cummings losing time and Tejay dropping out), Ion Izaguirre for Movistar (Gadret losing time - even faster than I had expected-), Simon Yates? for Orica (Gerrans and Albasini losing time) and Bob Jungels for Trek (both Schleck lost time)


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## smutchin (10 Mar 2014)

Flying_Monkey said:


> Thomas is serious about winning this.



It really is about time he won a proper big race. I've always thought he had the potential, as I may have mentioned once or twice before.

Suffice to say, I would be over the moon if he did.


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## Crackle (10 Mar 2014)

How many stages before Andy Schleck retires?


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## smutchin (10 Mar 2014)

Crackle said:


> How many stages before Andy Schleck retires?



Should have had that as the bonus predictor question.


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## beastie (10 Mar 2014)

Crackle said:


> How many stages before Andy Schleck retires?


Oh the irony of him wearing a " one " on his back


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## Crackle (10 Mar 2014)

Not looking like EBH's race and Andy Schleck going for another fine by hopping the rdbt.


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## Crackle (10 Mar 2014)

Tweet from Inner Ring

_Meersman getting motopaced back to the peloton by the team car. He might as well put the bike on the roof and take a seat inside_


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## raindog (10 Mar 2014)

Great sprint from Hofland - Degenkolb bust a gut trying to get past, but couldn't quite make it. Bouhanni 3rd.


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## smutchin (10 Mar 2014)

G up one place to fourth overall. Can't quite work out how though... Has he been contesting the intermediate sprints or something?

[ETA: I see he's on 13 seconds, one second up on a bunch of riders on 14, and he did indeed pick up one bonus point/second on one of the intermediate sprints on stage one.]


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## raindog (10 Mar 2014)

Meersman has copped a 1m 10s penalty for the "assistance"


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## smutchin (10 Mar 2014)

Further clarification: there was a split in the peloton at the finish today, and G did well to finish in the top 15 on the same time as the winner. Betancur was in the second group at five seconds.

Sylvain Chavanel, who also picked up a bonus second on stage one and so was equal on time to G, finished today's stage in the third group, seven seconds down.

The way the race is set up, these bonus seconds and small time splits could prove crucial. My boy is playing a canny game.

Looking forward to watching the highlights later.


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## thom (10 Mar 2014)

smutchin said:


> Further clarification: there was a split in the peloton at the finish today, and G did well to finish in the top 15 on the same time as the winner. Betancur was in the second group at five seconds.
> 
> Sylvain Chavanel, who also picked up a bonus second on stage one and so was equal on time to G, finished today's stage in the third group, seven seconds down.
> 
> ...


It's good to see him getting experience as a contender. He's showing a remarkable versatility as a rider but I wonder whether this type of GC stage racing is going to set him off the course for the cobbled classics. We shall see.


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## 400bhp (10 Mar 2014)

raindog said:


> Meersman has copped a 1m 10s penalty for the "assistance"



Good!


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## Monsieur Remings (10 Mar 2014)

raindog said:


> Great sprint from Hofland - Degenkolb bust a gut trying to get past, but couldn't quite make it. Bouhanni 3rd.



It was so blatant it was ridiculous; there he was rifling past other riders caught out by the crash at about 80kph...and following his own team car. What a nobber.

Degenkolb didn't look too happy getting pipped again and who was the Katusha rider who came down on the last corner, anyone know?

Also saw the first Voeckler gurnerage of the 2014 season working on the front inside the last 10-15km. Great breakaway too though; fair play to the Latvian lad.


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## smutchin (10 Mar 2014)

Just watching the highlights now...

Meersman wins the Nobber of the Day award. 

Great to see Voeckler working on behalf of someone other than himself for a change.


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## beastie (10 Mar 2014)

D'ya think OPQS will be whining about moto pacing behind the bikes back in the classics after that. Never have I seen such blatant yet skillful drafting, he was absolutely gunning it.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (11 Mar 2014)

I watched Eurosport Player video last night - they showed Meersman's drafting but not the finish 

I must admit I was laughing quite loudly at his blatant drafting.


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## The Couch (11 Mar 2014)

Stupid... yes (also from the team manager in the car, who should have seen that they are filming the whole stuff)
But wanted to make the comment that I didn't hear that many people/press commenting on Nibali doing roughly the same on the World Championships

Still ... he got a deserved time penalty and he's even leaving the race with a bruised pelvis due to the fall 
(which might make the high-speed drafting even more impressive )

Boom is out as well with a fracture in his elbow
And... although nobody probably cares ... Boeckmans will probably leave as well since he got a concussion yesterday hitting his head onto the head of Tom Jelte Slagter (at least it's not the ground's fault for once)


And this is pretty cool as well... makes me think of the location where the Night's Watch were residing


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## rich p (11 Mar 2014)

Ironically Meersman got a 30 second penalty for the handsling and only 20 each for the drafting!


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## The Couch (11 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> Ironically Meersman got a 30 second penalty for the handsling and only 2o each for the drafting!


You can't do a handsling?


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## thom (11 Mar 2014)

Both Sky & Astana working hard on the front to shepherd their GC riders


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## rich p (11 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> Both Sky & Astana working hard on the front to shepherd their GC riders


and movistar


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## rich p (11 Mar 2014)

Anyone else have to think twice when Robbie Hatch mentions...
Tom á Veau Claire?


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## thom (11 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> Anyone else have to think twice when Robbie Hatch mentions...
> Tom á Veau Claire?


I don't eat meat rich so I'm not biting


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## thom (11 Mar 2014)

Quemeneur certainly comes from the Voeckler school of facial expressions


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## thom (11 Mar 2014)

Degenkolb stomps to victory

Goss second ?!


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## Crackle (11 Mar 2014)

^ Yep.

Just managed to catch the end today.


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## raindog (11 Mar 2014)

Crikey, that was frantic stuff.
Completely soulless finish on a bloody great open motor circuit with no public though. Wonder whose bright idea that was?


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## fimm (11 Mar 2014)

I'm sure I've seen a clip of a race finish on a motor circuit before - it could have been Paris-Nice, but it could equally well have been some other race (though given that _I_ was watching it, it must have been a fairly major race, if you see what I mean).


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## rich p (11 Mar 2014)

fimm said:


> I'm sure I've seen a clip of a race finish on a motor circuit before - it could have been Paris-Nice, but it could equally well have been some other race (though given that _I_ was watching it, it must have been a fairly major race, if you see what I mean).


Yep, may have been in the Tour in the last year or two.


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## smutchin (11 Mar 2014)

I don't remember a race track finish but I do recall there was a TdF stage a couple of years ago that had a short but steep climb up to a plateau where there was an airfield, with the finish on the runway.

Edit: found it - 2010, stage 12, Mende Airfield, won by Purito in a sprint against Contador. And the final climb is known as the Montée Laurent Jalabert since he won there in 1995.


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## smutchin (11 Mar 2014)

And a stage of the 1989 TdF finished on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.


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## thom (11 Mar 2014)

fimm said:


> I'm sure I've seen a clip of a race finish on a motor circuit before - it could have been Paris-Nice, but it could equally well have been some other race (though given that _I_ was watching it, it must have been a fairly major race, if you see what I mean).


The 2012 Vuelta ?
Stage 7 finished at a motor race track in Alcaniz called Motoland Aragon


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## rich p (11 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> The 2012 Vuelta ?
> Stage 7 finished at a motor race track in Alcaniz called Motoland Aragon


That's the one I was thinking about!


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## montage (11 Mar 2014)

Goss is back!!


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## Monsieur Remings (11 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> The 2012 Vuelta ?
> Stage 7 finished at a motor race track in Alcaniz called Motoland Aragon



Yep, that's the only one I have in recent memory.


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## The Couch (11 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> Goss second ?!


Reallyyyy???!!?
that's like winning 3 stages (compared to his previous years' form)


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## beastie (12 Mar 2014)

Well just three days of PN is enough to re-enforce my preference for one day races. Roll on April.


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## Flying_Monkey (12 Mar 2014)

beastie said:


> Well just three days of PN is enough to re-enforce my preference for one day races. Roll on April.



To be fair, this is not your normal P-N. I'm really not a fan of the course this year. Tirreno-Adriatico looks so much better.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (12 Mar 2014)

Stage races have flat stages, get over it.


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## rich p (12 Mar 2014)

I have just been looking at something on Twitter and it suggested I might like to follow Andy Schleck.
Bloody cheek, follow him? He couldn't keep up


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## rich p (12 Mar 2014)

As to the parcours, I think it is a brave attempt to do something different. To make every stage race into a mini-version of the GTs isn't necessarily a great idea.
The T-A, the Dauphiné etc are always won by the climbers; the Oman, Dubai ones by sprinters and I welcome Prudhomme's attempt to provide a course that could be more open to the rouleurs, puncheurs and the risk takers.
Whether or not he's got it right only time will tell.


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## The Couch (12 Mar 2014)

rich p said:


> The T-A, the Dauphiné etc are always won by the climbers; the Oman, Dubai ones by sprinters


Actually, you often do get quite some stage races won by TT/prologue-specialists as well
But indeed punchers (like e.g. Gilbert) don't really stand much of a chance to ever win a stage race

Then again... there are some stage races where it's possible, if you focus on them (Down Under, Arctic Race, Eneco Tour, Tour of Belgium, ...)


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## rich p (12 Mar 2014)

The Couch said:


> Actually, you often do get quite some stage races won by TT/prologue-specialists as well
> But indeed punchers (like e.g. Gilbert) don't really stand much of a chance to ever win a stage race
> 
> Then again... there are some stage races where it's possible, if you focus on them (Down Under, Arctic Race, Eneco Tour, Tour of Belgium, ...)


Yes, there are some I know but I was quoting a couple for brevity. The P-N is more prestigious and usually has the best riders which can't be said of Arctic, TdU and Eneco


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## smutchin (12 Mar 2014)

Flying_Monkey said:


> Tirreno-Adriatico looks so much better.



I was going to say the same. TA seems to have taken over from PN as the main warm-up for Giro contenders. Most of the big names riding PN are doing the TdF instead. 

PN still offers some good racing in my book. And the terrain starts to get more interesting from today...


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## smutchin (12 Mar 2014)

Two words, @rich p : Sean Kelly. 

I reckon Sagan could go on to emulate him as he matures. He's definitely got the potential for a GT if he can learn to deal with the really big hills. And this edition of Paris-Nice looks like it would have suited him perfectly.


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## Flying_Monkey (12 Mar 2014)

Marmion said:


> Stage races have flat stages, get over it.



A bit unecessarily rude, don't you think? It's not the flatness, it's the lack of serious variation in terrain. You've basically got flat stages and lumpy stages and that's it. No TT, no serious mountains. When even most of the top sprinters are at the T-A along with the top climbers, you have to at least question the route selection.


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## rich p (12 Mar 2014)

Flying_Monkey said:


> A bit unecessarily rude, don't you think? It's not the flatness, it's the lack of serious variation in terrain. You've basically got flat stages and lumpy stages and that's it. No TT, no serious mountains. When even most of the top sprinters are at the T-A along with the top climbers, you have to at least question the route selection.


As I said above, I'm not sure they've got the route right but I don't disagree with the idea of making something slightly different to the norm, but hey ho.
I think they've erred in making too many sprinter friendly stages so far though!


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

From here on in its lumpy though - I'm happy to see some variation from the norm and maybe see a different GC race dynamic.
Geraint Thomas may well benefit.


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## Crackle (12 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> From here on in its lumpy though - I'm happy to see some variation from the norm and maybe see a different GC race dynamic.
> Geraint Thomas may well benefit.


Yes exactly. I'm waiting to see what the next few days bring. it's extremely hard to predict what's going to to happen. I mean there are names you can put in the frame but there could also be some surprises and the field is full of younger riders who might want to make a reputation from this. need to get that first coat of paint on the door so I can watch this.


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## smutchin (12 Mar 2014)

I wonder if OPQS could really start to boss this race from here on in - even without Meersman, they've got several potential winners in their team.


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## smutchin (12 Mar 2014)

This is the climb that awaits 14km from the finish today...








Tasty!


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

smutchin said:


> This is the climb that awaits 14km from the finish today...
> 
> View attachment 39771
> 
> ...


ouch - Beaujolais country - there are very few French roads with those kinds of gradients


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## fimm (12 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> The 2012 Vuelta ?
> Stage 7 finished at a motor race track in Alcaniz called Motoland Aragon


 
That would be it, thank you.


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## rich p (12 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> ouch - Beaujolais country - there are very few French roads with those kinds of gradients


Some Beaujolais is a bit steep


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## User169 (12 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> ouch - Beaujolais country - there are very few French roads with those kinds of gradients


 
Innner Ring has a write-up of the climb and is somewhat sceptical of the 25%claim (reckons max 15%). The challenge appears to be more continually varying gradient.


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## The Couch (12 Mar 2014)

smutchin said:


> I wonder if OPQS could really start to boss this race from here on in - even without Meersman, they've got several potential winners in their team.


OPQS only have Bakelants (who has yet to show form) and Stybar (who has yet to prove he can handle the mountains well enough) for GC. 
Can't see what else they have left to potentially use (Boonen isn't sprinter enough for the final stage and isn't climber enough to be in the mix on the other stages)
So can't see much chance for bossing around 

Their time will come:

starting today in TA with Uran and - perhaps even more - Kwiatek
potentially in MSR
but definetely when the races return to Flanders


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

I expect Astana to try stuff, to want to get one over SKY in particular (even though their big names aren't there). Nibali hasn't shown much form but these unpredictable lumpy stages and at times narrow roads ought to suit his style as a racer.


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

Betancur attacks on smutchin's hill

but doesn't go far


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

Slagter now takes off the front

and Geraint follows with his own attack !


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## Crackle (12 Mar 2014)

No way that was 25% and Degenkolb not far away from the front.


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## raindog (12 Mar 2014)

Geraint in yellow in theory


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

Thomas & Slagter had 5 sec over a small group who have now slowed down


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

20 sec advantage I think now & 4 km to go


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

Slagter from Thomas

nice finish - Thomas in yellow je pense


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## raindog (12 Mar 2014)

yep, he's done it for about 4 seconds


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## Crackle (12 Mar 2014)

Yep, 3 seconds.


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## smutchin (12 Mar 2014)

Go G!


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## smutchin (12 Mar 2014)

The Couch said:


> OPQS only have Bakelants (who has yet to show form) and Stybar (who has yet to prove he can handle the mountains well enough) for GC.
> Can't see what else they have left to potentially use (Boonen isn't sprinter enough for the final stage and isn't climber enough to be in the mix on the other stages)



And you were right. Stybar finished in the lead group but the next OPQS man was Bakelants, nearly three minutes back. I thought they might be able to get over these relatively minor hills, but I guess I was wrong!


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## MisterStan (12 Mar 2014)

smutchin said:


> Go G!


Can he keep hold of the yellow jersey though? I do hope so.


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## PpPete (12 Mar 2014)

MisterStan said:


> Can he keep hold of the yellow jersey though? I do hope so.


I think it's a question whether Sky have the resources to control the rest of the stages in the manner we've seen over last two years.
With Stannard & Kiriyenka that's a good start, they could probably probably do with a third, I don't know, maybe someone like Porte


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

PpPete said:


> I think it's a question whether Sky have the resources to control the rest of the stages in the manner we've seen over last two years.
> With Stannard & Kiriyenka that's a good start, they could probably probably do with a third, I don't know, maybe someone like Porte


Funnily enough it was EBH who was the last man with Geraint Thomas today


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

Post race analysis:


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## rich p (12 Mar 2014)

PpPete said:


> I think it's a question whether Sky have the resources to control the rest of the stages in the manner we've seen over last two years.
> With Stannard & Kiriyenka that's a good start, they could probably probably do with a third, I don't know, maybe someone like Porte


Isn't Stannard at the T-A?


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## SWSteve (12 Mar 2014)

Where are the highlights available?


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## MisterStan (12 Mar 2014)

Eurosport on repeat


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## SWSteve (12 Mar 2014)

MisterStan said:


> Eurosport on repeat



I lack Eurosport


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## thom (12 Mar 2014)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> Where are the highlights available?


here you go


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## beastie (12 Mar 2014)

We'll I enjoyed watching that stage. Thomas did some impressive pulls on the flat to hold off the chasers, and to be fair Slagter rode well too. I agree with FM that it's the lack of varied terrain that can cause the boredom. I don't mind watching the sprints, and I love the big mountain stages but I still prefer one day races, they are just more aggressive and attritional. 

Some of the stages in Grand tours that are based on classic type parcours make for great racing. Evans on the Strade Bianche at the Giro, the pave stage from 2011( Thomas rode well), and a Vuelta stage from the same year that Gilbert and Jrod IIRC were all great stages.


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## raindog (13 Mar 2014)

sprint today - Geraint to lose yellow?


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## thom (13 Mar 2014)

Nibali attacking on the final descent
Geraint Thomas had to defend himself - out of team mates now.


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## thom (13 Mar 2014)

wooah - Geraint nearly lost it on that corner


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## thom (13 Mar 2014)

Betancur now attacks!


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## thom (13 Mar 2014)

on the front, Geraint Thomas and John Degenkolb are swapping turns trying to bring back a 3 man attack to Betancur, Fuglsang & Bob Jungels


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## thom (13 Mar 2014)

Betancur gets it - Geraint in the peloton 3 or 4 secs back likely still in yellow


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## raindog (13 Mar 2014)

ha! that worked out well for Geraint - no massed sprint, so he keeps yellow.


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## smutchin (13 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> Betancur gets it





raindog said:


> ha! that worked out well for Geraint - no massed sprint, so he keeps yellow.



Woo! On both counts.


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## thom (13 Mar 2014)

Degenkolb got upset with his bike : https://vine.co/v/MbvuWAevgAi

edit - sorry, that's Kittel in the other race !


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## dragon72 (13 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> Degenkolb got upset with his bike : https://vine.co/v/MbvuWAevgAi


Maybe I'm terribly uptight and old-fashioned, but I reckon the UCI should fine for that sort of behaviour. Do they?


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## thom (13 Mar 2014)

dragon72 said:


> Maybe I'm terribly uptight and old-fashioned, but I reckon the UCI should fine for that sort of behaviour. Do they?


my mistake btw - that is Kittel in T-A...


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## smutchin (13 Mar 2014)

A propos of nothing in particular, can I just say...

Arthur Vichot, eh? Phwooaar! Not only does he pull off the rare feat of looking good in a skinsuit, have you seen those cheekbones?


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## montage (13 Mar 2014)

Degenkolb has been riding fantastically - not being afraid to lend himself to the chase towards the end


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## beastie (13 Mar 2014)

montage said:


> Degenkolb has been riding fantastically - not being afraid to lend himself to the chase towards the end


He could be right up there for MSR. Climbing very well indeed.


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## thom (14 Mar 2014)

David Lopez doing an awful lot of work for Geraint Thomas


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## thom (14 Mar 2014)

Epic fighting from Geraint Thomas but Betancur takes the win and with a time gap likely big enough to take the GC lead


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## Crackle (14 Mar 2014)

Nibali dropped on the final climb though, surprising.


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## smutchin (14 Mar 2014)

Great riding from G but Betancur and Rui Costa both look in imperious form.

Top effort from Stybar too.


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## raindog (14 Mar 2014)

GT did well to hang on for 4th on that terrible ramp. Great riding from Betancur.


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## Brightski (14 Mar 2014)

G was strong as an Ox to hang on today


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## The Couch (14 Mar 2014)

And ..... Andy Schleck is still in it.
If he could improve a bit, he can still turn into a somewhat decent domestique 
(like the water bringer or the one to absorb the wind for the first 100K)


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## Flying_Monkey (15 Mar 2014)

Betancur looking ominously good for someone who is still a couple of pounds over his race weight... Thomas did exceptionally well, but he seems to have the same issue as Wiggins (another ex-trackie, of course) with the very steep stuff. That hasn't stopped Wiggins from winning major stage races of course, but I wonder whether Sky would really go all out for Thomas in the same way... 

After saying I wasn't that impressed with the parcours, I've enjoyed the last couple of stages. In theory at least, Thomas could still get the win if he gets time bonuses etc. However, in practice, I don't think the result is now any more in doubt than if it had been a longer mountain finish and Betancur had minutes instead of seconds over Thomas - assuming his team plays it sensibly on the final stage.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (15 Mar 2014)

Thomas crashes!


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## smutchin (15 Mar 2014)

Down and out. Out of contention, anyway.


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## raindog (15 Mar 2014)

Betancur very solid - can't see anyone taking this from him tomorrow.


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## smutchin (15 Mar 2014)

Rui Costa looking strong but not as strong as Betancur. Nice win for Slagter.

Nibali seems spectacularly uninterested in this race.


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## thom (15 Mar 2014)

Slagter "The Butcher" finished that really well.


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## Crackle (15 Mar 2014)

Back to the balance bike for Thomas.


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## thom (15 Mar 2014)

Crackle said:


> Back to the balance bike for Thomas.


Yeah he's abandoned - back with pedals for MSR next week though.


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## Crackle (15 Mar 2014)

thom said:


> Yeah he's abandoned - back with pedals for MSR next week though.


Seriously I'm a little disappointed in him and a bit frustrated. He's plainly got the potential but this must be the third time or more I can recall, when he's fallen in a good position.


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## Flying_Monkey (16 Mar 2014)

Crackle said:


> Seriously I'm a little disappointed in him and a bit frustrated. He's plainly got the potential but this must be the third time or more I can recall, when he's fallen in a good position.



Yeah, I agree. Poor descending skills seems to be another thing he shares with Wiggins... 

I've been very impressed with Slagter at the start of this season.


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## Keith Oates (16 Mar 2014)

Wiggins downhill performance has dropped back after he fell and broke his collarbone which is understandable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Flying_Monkey (16 Mar 2014)

Keith, I'm only stating facts. And if GT wants to be a serious contender, he's got to stop crashing so often, whatever the reason. It really is that simple.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (16 Mar 2014)

Good stage win for Vichot, who has had a very good Paris-Nice. He seems to have matured quite a bit in the French champions colours. Not so sure about the quality of his team tho, so that might be something he has to think about in terms of future development.


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## thom (16 Mar 2014)

Schleck got schlacked by the French champion on the line:



poor Franck - that old currency is worth nothing in these days


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## Strathlubnaig (16 Mar 2014)

Flying_Monkey said:


> Yeah, I agree. Poor descending skills seems to be another thing he shares with Wiggins...
> 
> I've been very impressed with Slagter at the start of this season.


The Elvis shades worn by the GRS guys are not a good look though !!


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## Flying_Monkey (17 Mar 2014)

A perfect win for Vichot really, in the French colours on the Promenade des Anglais - and it put him on the overall podium too... and no-one's mentioned that this is a first World Tour stage race win for Betancur, who won by both taking bold chances when he could and hanging on when he had too. 

Apart from Slagter and Stybar, who've already been mentioned, I would also highight the quiet but very effective performance of Eduardo Sepulveda, the young Argentinian rider for Bretagne - Seche Environnement, who finished in 20th, just 2 minutes behind the winner. He's one to watch.


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## smutchin (17 Mar 2014)

I'm increasingly impressed with Vichot. He wears his national colours well.


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## The Couch (17 Mar 2014)

Flying_Monkey said:


> ... I would also highight the quiet but very effective performance of Eduardo Sepulveda, the young Argentinian rider for Bretagne - Seche Environnement, who finished in 20th, just 2 minutes behind the winner. He's one to watch.


Nice performance as well from Jungels (it was also his first European stage race between the "big boys"), too bad he suffered a bit too much in the final stage to hang onto the peloton.


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## rich p (17 Mar 2014)

Simon Yates also has had some good placings so early in his career without pulling up trees.


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