Tour de France 2015 - may contain nuts and SPOILERS

[rich p]

Bardet and Pinot too. It possibly reveals how Nibali won so easily last year in the absence of Froome, Contador and Quintana.

 

[jarlrmai]

I said it at the time, no way Nibbles would have won the Tour with either of those 3 around.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Because of others' past form or because he just blew them all out of the water?

Because it reminds me too much of various bods from the past.
I'd like to believe it's all clean but the weight of history makes me look very sideways at such a dominant display. I just don't have faith.
Fair? Nope. Scientific? Nope. But that's how it is.

 

[Basil.B]

Still a long way to go, anything can happen!

 

[KneesUp]

Nibali, Contador all got dropped before the pace went up.
Inexplicably poor

Or inexplicably good?

 

[Wafer]

Hah, and G says it was frustrating sat behind TJ as he felt good and wanted to go but obviously didn't want to take TJ with him....

 

[rich p]

Or inexplicably good?

Que?
They got dropped way too soon.
My point is that Nibali was over-rated by only just beating Bardet and Pinot. Bertie is maybe proving that it's too tough to do the Giro Tour double (again)

 

[MisterStan]

SKY have put a 6 minute buffer over BMC in the team standings too!

 

[rich p]

Uran was blown away again too soon as well

 

[smutchin]

Worth noting as well that it was Movistar who did the real damage on the lower part of the climb, Sky just finished the job.

 

[DazTheDJ]

It's really not a nice place

Found it. I see what you mean

 

[Hont]

Nibali has looked off all Tour, so it wasn't a great surprise. Contador after the Giro was unknown. TJ has never really lived with the big guns on steep climbs. But for Froome to put over a minute into Quintana. That is an eyebrow raiser.

It was hot by all accounts, which does favour someone raised in Africa and who is tall and skinny, but over a minute ?? On one climb.

 

[PaulB]

I said it at the time, no way Nibbles would have won the Tour with either of those 3 around.

You can only kiss with the pock (Sp) you've got so he could only beat who was around last year. And he did so fair play to him.

 

[PpPete]

Nibali has looked off all Tour, so it wasn't a great surprise. Contador after the Giro was unknown. TJ has never really lived with the big guns on steep climbs. But for Froome to put over a minute into Quintana. That is an eyebrow raiser.

It was hot by all accounts, which does favour someone raised in Africa and who is tall and skinny, but over a minute ?? On one climb.

Acc to ES not as hot as predicted
IIRC high twenties, not mid 30s

 

[PpPete]

Worth noting as well that it was Movistar who did the real damage on the lower part of the climb, Sky just finished the job.

Shot themselves in the foot with that one, didn't they?
TBH I doubt it would have made that much difference for stage win.
What it did mean was that Messrs Porte and Thomas only had to pull for comparatively short efforts, and therefore both had plenty left in the tank to go on at pace all the way to the line.
G for a "plan B" or even a podium?
And Porte looking after the spots tomorrow ? At 45 mins on GC could he be allowed to go on for that on his own account?