Tour de France 2015 - may contain nuts and SPOILERS

[huwsparky]

Just let them all take whatever they like. At least that would take away speculation and make it an even playing field!

I'll get my coat!

 

[mjr]

"Chris Froome plans to undergo independent physiological testing after the Tour de France in an effort to prove he is not doping."

Anyone else misread that as "psychological testing"?

No?

Just me?

IGMC.

 

[400bhp]

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

He is very capable of just riding away (note comment above that Quintana gets stronger through a 3 week race)

 

[400bhp]

^ 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.

Spot on.

 

[Globalti]

Froome emerged as a fast cyclist even when he was a youth in Nairobi. That he was brought up at 5,500 feet and above just adds to his physiological supremacy. As others have written, he just happens to be the best at this moment, that's all. The day will come when he fades and another will replace him.

 

[robertob]

Mollema is already warming us for his aggressive game plan today:
(Stage 11... Wait for the final climb)

100/1 to win the stage... odder things have happened before. Maybe took it rather easy on the final climb yesterday knowing today would be a better day to attack.

 

[raindog]

Am I wrong to be surprised that it's Adam, not Simon, who's up at the sharp end?

Simon's got a cold - he could bounce back before the end of the Tour. Adam has only just got race fit after his injury. Fabulous ride from him yesterday. The Yates lads, Tejay and keeping an eye on the French riders is about the only pleasure I'm going to get now till the end of the race.

This kind of crushing dominance can't be good for the sport?

 

[HF2300]

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.

Yes, I'd forgotten Barry.

I seem to remember Froome's had TUEs for quite a few things. I wouldn't want to deny anyone the opportunity to compete but at the same time TUEs often seem to me like a slippery slope - where do you draw the line between restoring someone to normal for them, restoring someone to normal for an ideal physiology, and pushing someone who really shouldn't be racing.

In the case of Froome's form yesterday, there's a lot of plausible explanation that doesn't require invoking doping.

Don't forget he also stormed the first mountain stage in 2013 to Ax-3-Domaines and everyone came back at him the next day. Mind you, he also won the Tour that year...

 

[jarlrmai]

Does anyone know how many time the rider in Yellow has won a stage of the TDF?

 

[MisterStan]

The results from the above stage; not so different to yesterday really....
Rider Team Time
1

Chris Froome (GBR) Team Sky 5h 03' 18"
2

Richie Porte (AUS) Team Sky + 51"
3

Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team + 1' 08"
4

Bauke Mollema (NED) Belkin Pro Cycling + 1' 10"
5

Laurens ten Dam (NED) Belkin Pro Cycling + 1' 16

 

[robertob]

Fuglsang the new Astana leader: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/jakob-fuglsang-to-lead-astana-at-tour-de-france-after-nibali-cracks

Well, he looked quite good at the Tour de Suisse actually. And confirmed his form with a decent ride on the big mountain yesterday. I'm pretty sure he's properly prepared for the Tour by Astana...

 

[Crackle]

Fuglsang the new Astana leader: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/jakob-fuglsang-to-lead-astana-at-tour-de-france-after-nibali-cracks

Well, he looked quite good at the Tour de Suisse actually. And confirmed his form with a decent ride on the big mountain yesterday. I'm pretty sure he's properly prepared for the Tour by Astana...

Vino would make a good diplomat wouldn't he.

 

[HF2300]

Ha, was just about to post the same!

“We gave the green light to Jakob to go ahead in the classification. Vincenzo needs a good mechanic because something is broken in his head"

 

[MisterStan]

Nice cliche at the end too - “The Tour is far from over yet, anything can happen.”

 

[HF2300]

Generally rolled out when it'd take bizarre circumstances or a miracle to put your rider up there.