Tour de France 2015 - may contain nuts and SPOILERS

[The Couch]

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

Can't agree with that, Quintana had the Giro in his legs and (even him) at his age isn't up for the double (if anybody really is)
Froome was looking pretty awful throughout last year (barring the end of the season with the Vuelta)
Contador would have indeed give him a good run for his money

But don't mistake this Nibali with previous 2 years' Nibali
I was thinking originally (like at the Mur de bretagne) it might have been the 2 crashes he had in the first week that bothered him, but looking at how much he was sweating yesterday, I am thinking he might be sick
(maybe there is a flu going round in the bus...Boom had 2 days of fever and left the race and except Fuglsang, no Astana has looked anywhere near impressive yesterday or even the days before)


I wouldn't look to deep into yesterday's performance of GT, he has proven he can do this, but personally I still see him dropping as the race goes on. I don't see a real 3-week GC contender in him... but then again, have great form and holding on can get you pretty far...see Kwiatkowski in 2012, who ended in 11th place

Nice rides as well from Gesink, Gallopin and Rolland. If Gesink can keep this sort of form up, he could still vie for a podium spot (although he'll apparently will have to contest with El Imbatido... but I am silently hoping the fading we've seen from him last year in the Tour will repeat ).

If Rolland is smart, he goes in the attack/escape today... unless Movistar is already going to be thinking about stage victories, this stage has successful breakaway written all over it. He is clearly the strongest rider right now, that will have enough freedom to go in a successful attack (i.e. that will be allowed to take enough time).
(I am making the assumption that Porte will continue to play the perfect domestique, so stay by Froome's side and won't go in a break-away)

He could be setting himself up high for the polka-dot jersey and should probably be the best from the break-away

 

[rich p]

I read a suggestion elsewhere that the 'sudden' drop of form of some of the main contenders might be down to the introduction of the threat of night-time testing. Pure speculation of course!

 

[smutchin]

I wouldn't look to deep into yesterday's performance of GT...
Nice rides as well from Gesink, Gallopin and Rolland.

I don't think GT's performance was any more or less surprising than Gallopin's. Both are riding exceptionally well at the moment but yeah, I'd expect both to fade in the Alps.

Gesink is looking great. Pleased to see him properly over his various problems. Would like to see him vying for a podium spot.

Rolland needs to put himself in the shop window, so an assault on the polka dot jersey seems likely. Part of me would like to see him succeed, part of me reels in horror at the prospect of him in that outfit again.

 

[smutchin]

There's against the rules, and against the spirit of the rules.

This is where I'm slightly dubious about over-generous use of TUEs.

Hope they're not using Tramadol, it's horrible stuff.

Michael Barry claimed he was given Tramadol while at Sky. They denied it and have called for it to be banned.

Then there was the time Froome had a TUE for corticosteroids. I'm sure the paperwork was all in order but I take the view that if you're ill enough to need that kind of medication, you're too ill to race.

I don't think they're whiter than white but I don't think they're cheating. It's simply that Froome is one of the top four riders in the world right now and the only one of those four at peak form.

 

[400bhp]

I hope we are going to see Quintana go for an early break (say 10k out), like he did in the Giro last year when he utterly pummeled the opposition. It won't be today, but he is still capable of winning this.

 

[400bhp]

2) The same Geraint Thomas giving the same old man a push over the line to give him fifth place. Aww...

I missed that.

 

[400bhp]

Michael Barry claimed he was given Tramadol while at Sky. They denied it and have called for it to be banned.

Then there was the time Froome had a TUE for corticosteroids. I'm sure the paperwork was all in order but I take the view that if you're ill enough to need that kind of medication, you're too ill to race.

I don't think they're whiter than white but I don't think they're cheating. It's simply that Froome is one of the top four riders in the world right now and the only one of those four at peak form.

I agree with you to some extent, albeit they (the Sky cycle management) are probably conflicted, in that they are expected to produce a certain level of results each year (could be defined or quite wooly) to maintain sponsorship.

Was that (the TUE) at the Romandie last year? I think you were proved right and it would have benefited him surely to have a rest, given his latter half of the year.

 

[smutchin]

Hutch again...

 

[The Couch]

Me... I am sticking to the... "Damn that was some impressive racing" and" what a shame something will probably need to happen to Froome to make the GC (for spot 1) interesting" (although Froome has shown he tends to drop form in the 3rd week, while Quintana seems to get better) and of course "let's hope it isn't, but we'll see in a couple of years if this was all done without doping"

But for the people who are interested in a theory someone told me about this weekend (which is too hard/natural to even be put under doping):
A story about Ketones and anorexia in cycling
(sorry for using Google translate, but couldn't find a same extensive article in English and it's too long for doing a translation myself)

 

[suzeworld]

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.

Yup - and apparently they pulled really hard (and pointlessly) on the flat sections, so they wore themselves out ... shame! I adore Quintana ...

 

[The Couch]

Matthews hanging on strong:

Mollema is already warming us for his aggressive game plan today:

Etappe 11! Wachten op de slotklim. #TourvanBauke #TDF2015

(Stage 11... Wait for the final climb)

 

[suzeworld]

Surely, if Team Sky were doping, they would make things a little more subtle than to showcase what they did today. I actually believe they hit that stage like that today (A) because they could, and (B) because they have nothing to hide.

Recent (and not so recent history) has turned us all in to doubters. If no-one will believe any rider is capable of extraordinary feats of endurance riding clean, there is ultimately absolutely no point and no hope not just for the Tour, but for professional cycling period.

^ THIS - yes, indeed.

I dont see the point in even bothering about the tour, or any other cycling race, if you dont think there is something better going on these days .... unless you just watch it for the scenery, I suppose.

To me it boils down to this: I either choose to think they are clean now, or stop watching it altogether . ..... the endless cynicism is tedious and pointless .. who are these nay-sayers, what are they getting out of it? I'd rather not bother, if I thought they were still cheating to that extent. Even after the horrilbe feeling I had at being decieved by Lance I can still allow hope to triumph and enjoy this year's race with an open heart.

 

[Beebo]

Why has no one mentioned the tiny motors that team sky have fitted inside the bottom bracket.

 

[mjr]

Then there was the time Froome had a TUE for corticosteroids. I'm sure the paperwork was all in order but I take the view that if you're ill enough to need that kind of medication, you're too ill to race.

What's the argument against TUEs requiring withdrawal from a race unless it's already started and you're within x% of top GC time?

 

[huwsparky]

I hope we are going to see Quintana go for an early break (say 10k out), like he did in the Giro last year when he utterly pummeled the opposition. It won't be today, but he is still capable of winning this.

Sky would never let him go, thinking about it you could add BMC and Tinkof to that list as well.