OP
OP
Noodley
Guest
I say "no" but it can't be too far off. lukesdad has been saying for years it'll happen so he's bound to be right one of these years.
Tour de France 2013 *spoilers*
- Thread starter Noodley
- Start date
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I say "no" but it can't be too far off. lukesdad has been saying for years it'll happen so he's bound to be right one of these years.
kedab
Veteran
- Location
- nr cambridge
hahaha! 'DING DING!'The French haven't got the determination to win a GC - lots of one trick ponies like Pinot, Rolland and Tommy V
oldroadman
Veteran
- Location
- Ubique
Ramble mode on....
Cortisol - levels in your body change dramatically if you play with adding cortisone to your system, and then you are out for 8 days for "health" reasons.
Richie Porte will be around on the climbs until it gets down to one on one stuff with the big players, I think. He'll probably be last man to do his stuff and drop off, preceded by Kiryenke (can't spell that, sorry!) doing a big effort keeping the pace high. Then in Spain others will do that for Porte to give him the best chance on the very nasty "Alto" finishes in the last week.
Alberto seems to have lost the TT edge, so he will need to gain in the mountains, which will be a big ask versus Froome.
Provided all the players get safely into the mountains, things should be very interesting, although doubtless some people will accuse Sky of: a) being boring; b) being on some magic stuff that can't be detected; c) having specially round wheels (remember GB/France at the Olympics?
), d) training too much and spoiling the fun for everyone else by making it too hard.You can't please all the people all the time, just do what you need to do (legally) to win.
Ramble mode off...
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
The French haven't got the determination to win a GC - lots of one trick ponies like Pinot, Rolland and Tommy V
Pinot might yet turn out to have a bit more in his locker. Needs to work on his TTing though.
At least Démare looks like a green jersey winner in the making.
Yes, I agree! It was a pre-match wind-up really but with an element of truth!
Pedrosanchezo
Veteran
- Location
- Perthshire, scotland
Nothing wrong with a good ramble.Ramble mode on....
Cortisol - levels in your body change dramatically if you play with adding cortisone to your system, and then you are out for 8 days for "health" reasons.
Richie Porte will be around on the climbs until it gets down to one on one stuff with the big players, I think. He'll probably be last man to do his stuff and drop off, preceded by Kiryenke (can't spell that, sorry!) doing a big effort keeping the pace high. Then in Spain others will do that for Porte to give him the best chance on the very nasty "Alto" finishes in the last week.
Alberto seems to have lost the TT edge, so he will need to gain in the mountains, which will be a big ask versus Froome.
Provided all the players get safely into the mountains, things should be very interesting, although doubtless some people will accuse Sky of: a) being boring; b) being on some magic stuff that can't be detected; c) having specially round wheels (remember GB/France at the Olympics?
You can't please all the people all the time, just do what you need to do (legally) to win.
Ramble mode off...
Ah so it is Cortisol. Thanks for clearing that up. It was purely on memory of what CW said. No official report, simply saying what CW wrote in their mag this week.
It is a touch odd that Sky's supremacy is touted as boring. They have only been dominant for one season and have failed notably in the classics/one day races - this has been scrutinised in the press as we all know. Besides it's up to the rest of the peloton to defeat Sky and if they don't have the answers then it's hardly Sky's fault that no one can match them. Sean Yates mentioned recently that he couldn't believe how Sky were allowed to boss the Tour in 2012. He was mystified as to why there was not more attacks, more disruption. The bunch just allowed Sky to set a tempo and sat in. Such was Sky's dominance, i think.
It's not impossible that they are on some "magic stuff that can't be detected" as we couldn't know that, but i remain 99% sure that they are one of the cleanest teams in the sport, if not the cleanest. The doubt is merely the shadow cast by the sports mirky history.
If they are simply training too hard and much better than everyone else then the rest better catch on quick or Sky could be the most dominant team since Molteni or Postal.
thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
Kimmage article in the Irish Independent on Dan Martin.
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Crikey, Uncle Steve doesn't come well out of that!
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
There are at least three sides to this story - Kimmage clearly makes as much as possible in the interview of the Martin family animosity towards Roche, and asks some very leading questions, largely because of his own anti-Roche agenda.
Although his comments/reactions were not pointed to the TdF decision of his team.. I do believe it also spurred Devolder in Belgium
(And by the way, seeing Thomas De Gendt, JVDB and Gilbert getting - deservedly - beaten by "Volderken" in a race which was much more an Ardennes track than a Flemish Ardennes track doesn't bode well for their current form and what to expect from them in the Tour)
By the way, for the people who haven't seen the race, but want to keep informed for people to watch-out for... I was surprised by the strong form that Bakelants and Van Marcke have shown on a track that I would have assumed a bit to hard for them.
dragon72
Guru
- Location
- Mexico City
I really really hope we get a decent Tour this year.
Sorry Wiggins fans, much as I admired Sky's efficiency in delivering their man to the top of the podium over a TT-heavy parcours, but last year's tour was a bit dull - at least as far as GC was concerned.
I want to see some proper racing!
Sorry Wiggins fans, much as I admired Sky's efficiency in delivering their man to the top of the podium over a TT-heavy parcours, but last year's tour was a bit dull - at least as far as GC was concerned.
I want to see some proper racing!
this has just been on the national news here
http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Jalabert-positif-a-l-epo-en-1998/381138
Jaja positive for EPO in the '98 Tour. Wonder if he'll still be commenting on the telly when this year's Tour kicks off? How is he going to explain this away?
http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Jalabert-positif-a-l-epo-en-1998/381138
Jaja positive for EPO in the '98 Tour. Wonder if he'll still be commenting on the telly when this year's Tour kicks off? How is he going to explain this away?
