mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Nah, he'll crack this weekend, sadly. Reportedly he's not spent much time at altitude and this weekend's stages do...
julian alaphilipe
- Thread starter cyberknight
- Start date
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hoopdriver
Guru
- Location
- East Sussex
Possibly he'll crack - but I think he has announced himself on the world stage in a big way, and next year's tour might see him better prepared and flanked by better help. That said, I think if he had Team Ineos around him right now, protecting him, and running tactics, he'd be a big chance.
I have picked him in my fanatisy team before, but somehow overlooked him for the tour 
he has far exceeded my expectations of him, the TT win was class,
I don't think he will hang on, but I don't think he will surrender the lead easily, in other words I have no idea, but it should make good viewing.
he has far exceeded my expectations of him, the TT win was class, I don't think he will hang on, but I don't think he will surrender the lead easily, in other words I have no idea, but it should make good viewing.
Mo1959
Legendary Member
- Location
- Perthshire,Scotland
I've always liked him so not that surprised he's doing well. He can be second to Thomas if he wants. Lol.
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
He's one to watch, that's for certain. Last year's King of the Mountains by a country mile and this year's best time trialler. Finished pretty well on the first mountain summit (Planche des Belles Filles) too. If he stays in yellow through the Pyrennees then a few bookies will start to get nervous. Couple that with any mishaps for main GC contenders (G does seem accident prone) and you have a recipe for a real chance of at least a podium finish.
Personally though, I'm becoming somewhat disillusioned with the "King of the Mountains" competition that he won last year. The current points system seems to reward riders who charge off half cock (Thomas Voeckler style) putting on a show of bravado and racing to the top of the first few mountains in first place, only to fade away badly. They usually get overtaken by half of the peloton before the final climb or summit finish. Just hoover up all the early points on offer, then let the GC contenders fight it out for the remaining points at the end of the stage. Do that every day in the mountains and the polka dot jersey is yours. I would suggest factoring in more points for top ten stage finishes in all mountain stages. (A bit off-track so far as this thread goes, but I put that bit in to make the point that his KOM crown might not be as significant to his GC chances as it might at first suggest).
Personally though, I'm becoming somewhat disillusioned with the "King of the Mountains" competition that he won last year. The current points system seems to reward riders who charge off half cock (Thomas Voeckler style) putting on a show of bravado and racing to the top of the first few mountains in first place, only to fade away badly. They usually get overtaken by half of the peloton before the final climb or summit finish. Just hoover up all the early points on offer, then let the GC contenders fight it out for the remaining points at the end of the stage. Do that every day in the mountains and the polka dot jersey is yours. I would suggest factoring in more points for top ten stage finishes in all mountain stages. (A bit off-track so far as this thread goes, but I put that bit in to make the point that his KOM crown might not be as significant to his GC chances as it might at first suggest).
iandg
Legendary Member
- Location
- Dumfries and Galloway
Would be nice to see him in Yellow all the way to Paris - but don't think it will happen.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Only catching-up on the TdF (recorded highlights), just got to the rest day (yeah, also know the current standings).
Just wanted to say that this is one of the best tours I have watched for years. Some exciting stages, some daring riding from the likes of Alaphilipe, De Ghent and others. No really dominant sprinters and Ineos not in the same dominant form as a team.
Would love to see Alaphilipe triumph!
Just wanted to say that this is one of the best tours I have watched for years. Some exciting stages, some daring riding from the likes of Alaphilipe, De Ghent and others. No really dominant sprinters and Ineos not in the same dominant form as a team.
Would love to see Alaphilipe triumph!
I have to agree with you about the KOM competition, I used to regard it above the points competition, but it seems to have dimished in importance to me, it does need something to spice it up.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
I feel that the term "prepares" is forever tainted by dopers for me now.
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
It’s a tricky one for the organisers, they have to offer big points to the early hills to animate the race.
In 2015 Froome won the polka dot and yellow, presumably because they weighed the points in favour of the big summit finishes.
nagden
Über Member
- Location
- Normandy, France
He Was my tip early on. I just hope he proves his doubters wrong. It makes a Nice change to see someone different.
IanSmithCSE
Guru
- Location
- Worcester, Worcestershire
Good morning,
I have been trying to make sense of Ketone drinks, apparently they were funded by DARPA and created at Oxford University hardly a combination of "nutty health food wierdos" :-).
The rules are quite clear that they are legal and some teams are reported to have stated that they are using them and there are some other arguments they may or may not be suitable for use in the TDF.
I didn't really know much about JA before looking him up but he does have a good history so perhaps his current team have prepared him better, he has just got a bit better with age and experience and perhaps these drinks do work.
A recent study published by Peter Hespel, a Belgian sports science researcher who works with the WorldTour Quickstep cycling team, has demonstrated the effect that liquid ketone bodies can have on recovery. The subjects conducted an intense training camp of three weeks to simulate the load and duration of a competition like the Tour de France.
https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections...are-the-tour-de-frances-top-teams-using-them/
From last year
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling...-riders-ready-fuel-ketones-mysterious-energy/
Bye
Ian
I have been trying to make sense of Ketone drinks, apparently they were funded by DARPA and created at Oxford University hardly a combination of "nutty health food wierdos" :-).
The rules are quite clear that they are legal and some teams are reported to have stated that they are using them and there are some other arguments they may or may not be suitable for use in the TDF.
I didn't really know much about JA before looking him up but he does have a good history so perhaps his current team have prepared him better, he has just got a bit better with age and experience and perhaps these drinks do work.
A recent study published by Peter Hespel, a Belgian sports science researcher who works with the WorldTour Quickstep cycling team, has demonstrated the effect that liquid ketone bodies can have on recovery. The subjects conducted an intense training camp of three weeks to simulate the load and duration of a competition like the Tour de France.
https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections...are-the-tour-de-frances-top-teams-using-them/
From last year
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling...-riders-ready-fuel-ketones-mysterious-energy/
Bye
Ian
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
I always knew Thomas was a potential GT winner from early in his career - I said (to anyone who would listen) when Sky launched that they should focus on him rather than Wiggins. His problem was that because he was brought up through the BC system with its focus on Olympic medals, he wasted too many of his prime years fannying about on the track. OK, so that might partly have been wishful thinking but once he put his mind to it, and really started to believe in himself as a top road racer, he came good for me. Of course, he also had a huge amount of luck with other elements of the race going in his favour last year - but no one ever won the Tour without a bit of luck on their side.
Alaphilippe has had that luck so far this year, with Froome out, Quintana and Nibali passengers, Pinot having his standard bad day to lose time on an innocuous stage, and no other stand-out contenders. Thomas seems to be a diminishing force and Valverde is looking positively geriatric.
He has only been a one-day specialist and stage hunter so far because that's how the team is set up, but he clearly has the raw talent, and is a genuine all-rounder. He also has a pure racer's instinct. All it will take for him to win a GT is applying that instinct to a different style of racing (ie looking at the long game rather than individual stages) and getting a team of first-class GT-specialist domestiques to support him (and maybe a DS who understands how to win a GT). As others have said, a bit of altitude training probably wouldn't hurt either.
I'm rooting for him to do it. (Although I'm a bit torn because I also want Pinot to win. Those two on the top two steps of the podium would make me very happy in either order.)