Toshiba Boy
N+1er
- Location
- By the beach, West Zummerzet
Time trial stage, different scenario.Tell that to Laurent Fignon
Tour de France 2015 - may contain nuts and SPOILERS
- Thread starter rich p
- Start date
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bikeman66
Senior Member
- Location
- Isle of Wight
we can debate the rights and wrongs of Nibali's move today forever. He definitely saw Froome had an issue and immediately stepped on the gas. Historically, it has just not been the done thing to attack the Maillot Jaune in situations like that. Right or wrong? It's a matter of opinion I guess. The main issue for me was that Nibali denied even seeing that Froome was in trouble, when clearly he damn well did.
mr messy
Veteran
- Location
- Sunny? Glasgow, the friendly city...
So no one thinks Nibali was ready to go and seen Froome bottled up on the inside?
U
User482
Guest
Time trials aside, how long has that been the case?
Stonechat
Guru
- Location
- Staines, Middlesex
Nibbles seems a bit like Arsene Wenger "I saw nothing"!
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Only since 1947, so not very long, admittedly.
U
User482
Guest
Thanks. Is it a rule or longstanding convention?
mcshroom
Bionic Subsonic
- Location
- Egremont, Cumbria
He was starting to set up an attack anyway, but I think the second look back to check after Froome stopped suggests he knew.
Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
I can remember Zoetemelk in 1979 making a genuine attempt to overturn Hinault's lead on the final stage. Also Delgado (vs Roche) in 1987, but rather more half-heartedly. More recently Sastre lost 7 seconds to 2nd placed Evans due to splits in the field n 2008. As far as I know time differences on the final stage count as they do on any other stage.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
If Quintana goes off-tradition he's going to piss off a lot of sprinters who've been climbing up and down mountains for a couple of weeks just for the chance to be there at the end, not to mention the sprinters' teams. And on the flat, Q would be mincemeat. So, as @smutchin said, it ain't going to happen. Saturday, not Sunday, is playtime for climbers.
Tomorrows stage looks spectacular and hopefully we'll see some fireworks from Quintana.... but it's all too little, too late I feel. He made up 30s or something today, and that was a nice brave attack. Froome looked a bit in trouble.
However I thought it was a rather calculated effort from Froome all the time. He didn't go completely into red just to try to peg back a couple of seconds - why should he with 3 minutes in hand anyway - just to risk to be completely worn out tomorrow for the final climb? He looked to manage his effort and the time gap quite well I felt. Yes he was labouring of course, yet it looked calculated.
Even if he get into difficulty on the final climb tomorrow... it's quite hard to see him losing two and a half minutes. Something extraordinary would have to happen for that. He would need to crack completely,, forget to eat the whole stage or something like that. It won't happen.
Yet, I hope for a bit of drama and will cheer on Quintana who hopefully will run attack after attack and maybe, yes maybye, make the impossible happen and make me eat my words?
On the Nibali v Froome saga: of course Nibali knew pretty soon that Froome had an issue. But does it really matter? I don't think so. Let's just assume the following for a moment: If Froome wouldn't have had the problem and still be in the position he was the whole time before, and Nibali would have attacked as he did, would it have changed anything on the outcome of today? Most likely not. Because Froome wouldn't have tried to close the gap anyway as Nibali isn't a threat. He would have gone off so or so. Therefore it is a non-issue in my eyes.
However I thought it was a rather calculated effort from Froome all the time. He didn't go completely into red just to try to peg back a couple of seconds - why should he with 3 minutes in hand anyway - just to risk to be completely worn out tomorrow for the final climb? He looked to manage his effort and the time gap quite well I felt. Yes he was labouring of course, yet it looked calculated.
Even if he get into difficulty on the final climb tomorrow... it's quite hard to see him losing two and a half minutes. Something extraordinary would have to happen for that. He would need to crack completely,, forget to eat the whole stage or something like that. It won't happen.
Yet, I hope for a bit of drama and will cheer on Quintana who hopefully will run attack after attack and maybe, yes maybye, make the impossible happen and make me eat my words?
On the Nibali v Froome saga: of course Nibali knew pretty soon that Froome had an issue. But does it really matter? I don't think so. Let's just assume the following for a moment: If Froome wouldn't have had the problem and still be in the position he was the whole time before, and Nibali would have attacked as he did, would it have changed anything on the outcome of today? Most likely not. Because Froome wouldn't have tried to close the gap anyway as Nibali isn't a threat. He would have gone off so or so. Therefore it is a non-issue in my eyes.
400bhp
Guru
What a different story if Quintana hadn't lost a few minutes in the first week. But I was right back then.
Maybe Quintana can put another 1/2 a minute on Froome. Can't see past that other than if Froom has a crash/mechanical.
Nibali had a couple of bad days but now appears the strongest rider. I didn't see it as bad form attacking when he did as he's not after Froome's hersey.
I think it shows there's not much between Nibbles, Froome & Quintana. Contador was, realistically, never going to do the double.
But of course Froome gets the (reportedly in the UK) bad press. And G & Porte must be doping
Maybe Quintana can put another 1/2 a minute on Froome. Can't see past that other than if Froom has a crash/mechanical.
Nibali had a couple of bad days but now appears the strongest rider. I didn't see it as bad form attacking when he did as he's not after Froome's hersey.
I think it shows there's not much between Nibbles, Froome & Quintana. Contador was, realistically, never going to do the double.
But of course Froome gets the (reportedly in the UK) bad press. And G & Porte must be doping
400bhp
Guru
Interestingly (well, for me anyway) it appeared that shortly after Nibali attacked, Valverde and Contador seemed to be looking over their shoulder and they appeared to be in two minds whether to follow Nibali or not, given Froome was off the back with a mechanical. Then didn't push on to catch Nibali.
Pro Tour Punditry
Guru
Van Avermaet has a daughter. Awwww. 
True, that probably would have made a difference if they would have followed him.
On the other hand Froome was rather quickly back with the group and there was plenty of time to go after Nibali and every chance for Contador and Valverde to attack as well, if they would have been strong enough. They seemingly weren't.
