Tour de France 2015 - may contain nuts and SPOILERS

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Some of the coverage was odd today, talking about riders being 'caught behind' as if the teams and riders concerned really cared. So far as I can tell, none of the GC or sprint favourites were in the second group that was split as a result of the wind, so there was no-one really 'caught behind'. It was basically a load of domestiques who sat back and cruised home after the split happened, and why not? They all want to save their energy for supporting their teams' contenders in the harder days to follow next week.

Commentators are not interested in imparting any knowledge to the viewers re tactics and reasons why people are not "on the rivet" for the win all the time - much easier to babble nonsense and shout a bit. I look forward to the day this changes, the "pundits" do try to add a sense of reality but it's difficult when a gibbering baboon has the majority of airtalk time.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Roche not getting much sympathy from Thomas after yesterday's stage:

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

And Roche has now just tweeted that he rode into some of the crowd today and hopes he didn't hurt anyone - I doubt it, not unless they were upset by him looking for sympathy...

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Can someone tell me why Niki Terpstra isn't at the Tour? I know he withdrew from the Dauphine before the finish, but I don't know why - was it a crash or just feeling a bit poorly? He seems to have recovered well enough to win the Dutch national road race but obviously wasn't deemed fit enough to make the EQS Tour squad. Would have been handy in Cav's leadout on a day like today.

I've been thinking the same. He'd have been perfect for the first week (former Roubaix winner and member of EQS's TTT squad).

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Astana have released a statement re Lars Boom's health http://astanaproteam.kz/en/page/news/6735-lars-boom-official-statement/

 

[roadrash]

I love the punchline at the end

Astana Pro Team have been, currently are and will remain strong supporters of anti-doping measures taken by the UCI and the MPCC

 

[Berk on a Bike]

I don't much fancy Orica-Greenedge's chances in the team time trial on Sunday. Albasini called it quits tonight with a broken arm, adding to previous abandonners Simon Gerrans and Daryl Impey. Michael Matthews rides on but with two broken ribs.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

That woke me up!


For those of you watching it on ITV4 who will not have heard the explanation on today's Eurosport commentary ... apparently the electronic gear shift had jammed on the bike that he was abusing.

I guess Marmion is all catchedy-uppity by now. I saw a clip on l'Equipe where he said something about a ''plateau'', which is the French for chainring, but there was so much attitude in his voice that I couldn't work out what he was saying nor why he was saying it. From which I gather that he must have been stuck on the small chainring as the pace was high and that part flat. But, oddly, he didn't seem to be spinning madly. So I'm none the wiser really.....

 

[smutchin]

Matthews got the combativity prize today. Chapeau.

 

[MisterStan]

From the inrng.com;

53×11: Thibaut Pinot’s gears gave up leaving him in top gear. But his biggest problem was riding alone, he is the team’s climber but he was alone in the front group over the cobbles so when problems struck there was nobody to help. FDJ are big on the cobbled classics, in part because Marc Madiot won Paris-Roubaix twice but when Pinot’s problems struck all the team’s classic specialists had been dropped. Still the pressure drops now and the French media will start pestering Warren Barguil.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

From the inrng.com;

53×11: Thibaut Pinot’s gears gave up leaving him in top gear. But his biggest problem was riding alone, he is the team’s climber but he was alone in the front group over the cobbles so when problems struck there was nobody to help. FDJ are big on the cobbled classics, in part because Marc Madiot won Paris-Roubaix twice but when Pinot’s problems struck all the team’s classic specialists had been dropped. Still the pressure drops now and the French media will start pestering Warren Barguil.

Cheers. So, front and rear dérailleurs? Costly technology.

 

[robertob]

Was quite obvious as well that Valverde wasn't in any way bothered to look if Quintana was still around (since he was mostly in the front and Quitana struggling in the back)

Yes, and there is one particularly situation from yesterday still very clear in my mind, when towards the end of the race, Quintana made his move up to the middle of the group - finally - where Valverde was riding as well; Nairo didn't look particularly comfortable, it was quite an effort obviously, but Valverde just glanced over his shoulder,gave him an abasing look for a couple of seconds, turned around and went off again. Great team mate to have I guess....

Not sure how the roles are distributed in Movistar, whether Valverde is allowed to ride on his own and doesn't need to work for the team's GC contender... but you certainly wouldn't see the same kind of behaviour at Sky or Tinkoff.

Today: Greipel - once more! Looked like he wouldn't go anywhere 300m out but once in the clear you saw his pure determination to get up there. Da Gorilla is rocking! Very impressed with Sagan as well. Works his socks off for Contador as far as I can see, but still tries something in the finish when possible. He's a cool dude.

 

[mjr]

Cheers. So, front and rear dérailleurs? Costly technology.

Just fit a hub gear and have done with it! Might slightly slow rear wheel changes though

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Great seeing the maillot jaune giving a long pull up front in the final 2-3 km.

 

[rich p]

I'm not sure if ValvPiti is co-leader, I seem to have heard that said, but he's dickhead anyway.