Forza Belgium!
Criterium du Dauphiné, 8-15 June 2014 ***spoilers***
- Thread starter smutchin
- Start date
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ayceejay
Guru
- Location
- Rural Quebec
I would like to hear/read an official report on the state of Froome's health as the difference in his whole demeanor after the crash changed.
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
Sure, that's what he said - we all know that. However, who knows if he was being sincere or bluffing or some mixture? In any case, however unexpected it was for him to be in yellow on the final day, if you were trying to tell me he was happy to let that lead and the overall victory go, you would be deluded. He's an exciting rider but tactically he got it wrong today.
He did get it wrong indeed, but he basically needed to pick his poison.
He was all alone, Froome was not. He gambled that Froome (and his team) would not allow the others (Talansky first of all and later on Kelderman) to ride too far away, since he could defend his 2nd place (and still go for first place). He was wrong since Froom obviously didn't have the best of days.
Contador probably shouldn't have let Nibali and Kelderman ride away, but I believe others could have made the same error, by not wanting to jump on every possible attack. He jumped clear from the moment the 2nd last climb started, so in the situation he was at that moment, still a good move.
(I only saw the stage at the point when Froome did the little attack in the "peloton" and Contador responded, not much later Kelderman and Nibali rode away with Contador looking at Froome to close the gap, but I didn't see the race before that, so might have missed something important though)
I am betting Bertie was still pretty gutted not to win
, but the feeling that he was - probably - strongest (and definitely stronger than the pre-Tour co-favourites Froome or Nibali) must still feel a pretty good feeling with him. Tinkoff does need to fix the strength of his Tour team though.
jdtate101
Ex-Fatman
- Location
- Boring Birmingham
Any team with a hurt rider in contention will never give the full extent of that riders injury, or how it's effecting him, as it would be like a red rag to a bull for the other teams. Chris was always going to come out to the press and minimise how it was effecting him, saying he was ok and had an ok nights sleep, where as the reality was clear for everyone to see. He was obviously deeply effected by the crash as the difference in performance was very obvious. I do think SKY need to rip up their current tactics book as it's just not working with Contador on top form, they need to work out a plan to isolate him and break him. Not sure how they can do this as he's a rider who can handle changes of pace well. The tactic in the 2012/2013 TdF were right as SKY could ride others off the wheel, but this yr it just won't work. I'm sure there will be a lot of head scratching in SKY senior management over the next few weeks.
thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
Come the Tour, sky just need to know when to pick their battles. Front running for a couple of weeks will play into Bertie's hands on this showing. If they can get Contador to defend a small lead for a week while having two well placed riders then that can give them dangerous options.
A bit of fakery scundered Contador yesterday. Sometimes it pays not to be in control - perhaps they should aim to take yellow only in the ITT...
A bit of fakery scundered Contador yesterday. Sometimes it pays not to be in control - perhaps they should aim to take yellow only in the ITT...
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I got in from a long drive from ooop North yesterday and was making myself a cup of coffee and rounding up the biscuits when my wife shouted me from the living room to the excitement unfolding on the telly. I watched the last 20 minutes of that stage with great excitement.
Supporting teams and individuals in sport is essentially an irrational process (it is for me at least). I'm surprised to find that I'm becoming something of a Dirty Bertie fan. "Go on, Conters old chap!" I was shouting.
Supporting teams and individuals in sport is essentially an irrational process (it is for me at least). I'm surprised to find that I'm becoming something of a Dirty Bertie fan. "Go on, Conters old chap!" I was shouting.
Apollonius
Guru
- Location
- South Staffordshire
I am liking the way young riders like Kelderman, Aru, Yates et al are really showing some promise. It was great seeing how much that win meant to Talansky yesterday.
Interesting stuff there yesterday... and I eat (happily) my own words as Froome seemed all human the last two days. But I would expect that he didn't go to the limit yesterday knowing at a certain point that the race was gone anyway. Will be interesting to see how he can recover - or potentially improve for the Tour. Contador looked strong during the Dauphine, yesterday another impressive display of form. Also the interesting question here: Any more improvement left? Now, the Tour really shapes a really exciting renewal. Bring it on!
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
Looking at the race as a whole, there were several things to learn for all the leading contenders (and the others), particularly from the mistakes by leading riders and teams which show that no-one is the dominant favourite for the Tour.
1. Sky have the strongest squad. However, they didn't want to concentrate on keeping the jersey through all the stages, but they were forced to do so - rather like being forced into leading out in a track sprint. That shows that for all a team's power and ability to control any particular stage, it does not mean that they can control the whole race. Sky's power riding can also lend itself to being hijacked by a single rider without at team as Contador showed.
2. Tinkoff-Saxo had the strongest rider in Contador, but they also ended up unexpectedly in the lead and then didn't seem to know what to do about it on the final day, possibly because the team they deployed wasn't the strongest one and wasn't geared to defending a lead. They also (as per the discussion above) made a tactical mistake in letting a determined break containing several highly-placed riders get too far ahead and for all that Contador was the strongest, he couldn't pull them back on his own when many other teams (including Sky) were not prepared to help.
3. Of course, Contador, Froome and Nibali are far from done, but we're entering a new era in pro-cycling right now with some fantastic riders who are going to be competing for the top stage races over the next 10 years: Aru, Arredondo, Bardet, the Henao cousins, Kelderman, the Quintanas, Sagan, the Yates Brothers - and there and more than a few others who are yet to show their best like Alaphilippe and a whole bunch of other Colombians, not to mention the Eritreans who are set to be the next Colombians. It's an exciting time.
4. Finally, to add to the excitement, this race showed that even in the age of race radios and careful planning, opportunism and determination can still win stage races and turn what appear to be foregone conclusions on their heads. Attacking riding can win not just stages but whole races and that's a very good thing.
1. Sky have the strongest squad. However, they didn't want to concentrate on keeping the jersey through all the stages, but they were forced to do so - rather like being forced into leading out in a track sprint. That shows that for all a team's power and ability to control any particular stage, it does not mean that they can control the whole race. Sky's power riding can also lend itself to being hijacked by a single rider without at team as Contador showed.
2. Tinkoff-Saxo had the strongest rider in Contador, but they also ended up unexpectedly in the lead and then didn't seem to know what to do about it on the final day, possibly because the team they deployed wasn't the strongest one and wasn't geared to defending a lead. They also (as per the discussion above) made a tactical mistake in letting a determined break containing several highly-placed riders get too far ahead and for all that Contador was the strongest, he couldn't pull them back on his own when many other teams (including Sky) were not prepared to help.
3. Of course, Contador, Froome and Nibali are far from done, but we're entering a new era in pro-cycling right now with some fantastic riders who are going to be competing for the top stage races over the next 10 years: Aru, Arredondo, Bardet, the Henao cousins, Kelderman, the Quintanas, Sagan, the Yates Brothers - and there and more than a few others who are yet to show their best like Alaphilippe and a whole bunch of other Colombians, not to mention the Eritreans who are set to be the next Colombians. It's an exciting time.
4. Finally, to add to the excitement, this race showed that even in the age of race radios and careful planning, opportunism and determination can still win stage races and turn what appear to be foregone conclusions on their heads. Attacking riding can win not just stages but whole races and that's a very good thing.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Hindsight, as we all know, is a wonderful thing. Not only was the break determined containing high placed riders, it is significant that there were strong riders in the break. Hesjedal, for one, put in a mahoosive performance yesterday. Classic Garmin, maybe?
However it is analysed, it made for a great stage and a great race.
ayceejay
Guru
- Location
- Rural Quebec
Personally I find that 'win the first stage and spend the rest of the week being towed around', tactic boring and I am glad to see some intelligent riding that bodes well for the TdF.
