Tour de France 2015 - may contain nuts and SPOILERS

[smutchin]

Thanks. Is it a rule or longstanding convention?

As far as I know time differences on the final stage count as they do on any other stage.

If Quintana goes off-tradition...

It's not a tradition (in the sense of a cultural phenomenon to be respected) or a rule (unwritten or otherwise), it just doesn't happen for racing reasons. Yes, minor positions may change, but not the lead.

The last time the lead changed on the final stage, not counting ’68 & ’89 (time trials), was 1947. That's more than half the lifetime of the Tour ago. And probably before all except a very few of us were born. Can anyone can give me a good reason why it might be different this year?

As @Aravis says, Zoetemelk tried it in ’79 but not only did he fail, Hinault went on to win the stage (I'm not old enough to remember this, I've only read about it).

 

[jarlrmai]

One thing whomever wins the stage tomorrow is one tough athlete this has been one if the most brutal series of mountain stages I can recall.

 

[mjr]

Just watched the end of the stage. Bad attack by Nibali. He only got away because those who could go with him from that group were higher up the classification and wary of attacking the first placed rider while he had a mechanical problem. Least worthy former winner since a certain now ex winner?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Oh dear, AG2R's kit was not designed with the polka dot jersey in mind...

It doesn't appear to have been designed for much except for masking mud and so on.

Actually, I heard Cav had diar... Di... A dire rear the other day there and the first thing I thought was that he should have asked to borrow a pair of AG2R shorts!!

AG2R's kit was designed by a blind man.

Ah but that is why I like them, they stand out from the rest! It wouldn't quite be the same without the brown!

Bardet too. What a fun young rider he is to watch. I just want to pat him on the head and ruffle his hair and tell him what a clever boy he is. Arthur Vichot may have the cheekbones, but wee Romain has the racing chops.

It is just a pity his teeth look crap.

Seriously though, watching him (and certain others) descending has been a joy to watch. Its just a pity he had that mechanical problem toda... Yesterday.

 

[HF2300]

Time trial stage, different scenario.

Really? I had no idea.

 

[HF2300]

Least worthy former winner since a certain now ex winner?

Seriously?

 

[HF2300]

Heard of French tv that Europ Car will not sponsor the Tour next year. I wonder who will take over from them?

The Tour, or the team?

 

[HF2300]

I think the commissaires should investigate whether Froome is obtaining an illegal advantage by having a small helicopter built into his helmet

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/07/24/17/2ACF183F00000578-3173629-image-a-39_1437754486326.jpg

 

[JMAG]

Can someone explain why it's bad form to attack when another rider is delayed? Suppose Nibali was planning to attack at a certain point anyway, should he change his plan? How does a rider evaluate the nature of his competitors delay? i.e. if Froome's frame had snapped or if he pulled a muscle, would there be the same reaction?

I'm not supporting Nibali, just trying to understand why it's deemed bad form?

 

[Flying Dodo]

Tradition.

 

[coffeejo]

Respect for the jersey rather than the specific rider. On further consideration, my thoughts are that I no longer care.

 

[coffeejo]

Chris Froome and the French - BBC News

Reading British newspapers on the Tour de France, you might be excused the impression that the French are collectively frothing at the mouth at the prospect of another win for perfidious Albion. [...] But French journalists covering the race insist there is no particular animosity towards Froome.

 

[Aravis]

The last time the lead changed on the final stage, not counting ’68 & ’89 (time trials), was 1947. That's more than half the lifetime of the Tour ago. And probably before all except a very few of us were born. Can anyone can give me a good reason why it might be different this year?

The smallest gap a leader has brought to the final road stage is, I believe, 40 seconds. That's still quite big. One day - tomorrow perhaps - there will be a much smaller gap. We'll soon know.

 

[HF2300]

I think the commissaires should investigate whether Froome is obtaining an illegal advantage by having a small helicopter built into his helmet

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/07/24/17/2ACF183F00000578-3173629-image-a-39_1437754486326.jpg

https://missshortskirt.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/alligators-all-around.jpg

 

[Hont]

Can someone explain why it's bad form to attack when another rider is delayed? Suppose Nibali was planning to attack at a certain point anyway, should he change his plan? How does a rider evaluate the nature of his competitors delay? i.e. if Froome's frame had snapped or if he pulled a muscle, would there be the same reaction?

I'm not supporting Nibali, just trying to understand why it's deemed bad form?

It's deemed to be bad form if you attack when you see that a rider (especially the race leader) has been delayed by something not his fault. If the race is already on, that's usually considered a different matter, beacause sh*t happens and you can't keep stopping the race. What is considered bad form is seeking to take advantage from another's misfortune. So if Nibali had attacked 2 seconds before, his gain would have been down to luck rather than opportunism.

However there are plenty of historical incidents that fly in the face of the unwritten rules. Stephen Roche won the '87 Giro after a Nibali-sequel move (iirc). Jan Ullrich waited for Armstrong on Luz Ardiden after the musette incident, despite the fact that the race was already on. There was huge debate after "Chaingate". That's the problem with unwritten rules, their enforcement is a little bit ad hoc.