Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**

[mjr]

Mollema might have something to say about that. Yates is a minute behind Mollema and only 14 seconds ahead of Quintana. So his podium place isn't exactly secure.

I could say that I expect Mollema and Quintana to flounder, but instead I'll blame the rest day beer

What's the Rio course like? Does it suit the climbers, sprinters or Peter Sagan?

I think it's too hilly for Sagan but not out and out climbing but I didn't spot a good preview and I've got to go just now.

 

[Crackle]

From wikipedia: New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches which line the Irish Sea. New Brighton is home to the UK's longest promenade at 3.5 kilometres.

Sandy beaches! There's lovely.

Looks alright to me.

https://www.google.no/search?q=new+...hUKEwjc582x-P_NAhUoQZoKHVfKCAIQ_AUIBigB&dpr=1

It's a one horse town which the horse left but they brought in a Pony. it's a popular spot now.

 

[HF2300]

What's the Rio course like? Does it suit the climbers, sprinters or Peter Sagan? (although he's doing the MTB race I believe? Nutter...).

Sagan's doing the MTB because he tried the road course and decided it wasn't for him. The course goes out near the coast, loops round the ITT course, then comes back to Copacabana via four loops over a hill that would probably be Cat 3 or 4 on the tour. There are some cobbles as well, supposedly. It's probably a puncheur / classics rider course, which is why those sort of riders are getting interested in it.

I know everyone keeps saying "it's not over yet ... there's plenty of racing to come" but it's all pretty sealed up now, and short of Froome crashing out (again) it will be a defensive display all round, with Yates and Mollema desperately hoping not to have a bad day. Except Quintana won't be happy with 4th.

Froome looks strong and his team look very together. Quintana doesn't look strong and his team look fragmented. If he's going to get anywhere, he's got to attack and shake things up, but I don't think he looks like someone who's going to, and that time trial in a couple of days is going to be on everyone's mind and probably affect their commitment tomorrow. Defensive display all round? Froome's the guy who's done the attacking this year, in previous years he's tried to put in at least one decisive attack in the mountains, and he's not got a big lead at the moment. He might want to build more time to protect against a jour sans or crash, but maybe with his TT form he might want to try that on Thursday on the assumption that Quintana isn't sandbagging and isn't in mountain TT form.

 

[Big Dave laaa]

Whilst Froome has Wout Pouels with him no one is going to achieve anything. He's been the dominant force consistently.

 

[Venod]

Looks like Cavs gone home

.https://twitter.com/TeamDiData?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

 

[Crandoggler]

David Millar should be ousted from his role. His dull monotone drone and outrageously poor clothes style makes me want to tweezer my nostrils and poke my eyes out.

 

[HF2300]

David Millar should be ousted from his role. His dull monotone drone and outrageously poor clothes style makes me want to tweezer my nostrils and poke my eyes out.

Millar's not perfect (and I wish he's stop saying everything's perfect) but his and Boulting's commentary has been far more informative and insightful than any other Tour commentary I've heard - would you rather have P&P? And I'm not sure how his dress sense, or otherwise, relates to the quality of his commentary.

 

[T4tomo]

With a 5 man squad, they will want everyone to work for the chosen leader - there won't be any spares. If they want a wild card should the Froome plan go wrong, it could be Cummings on recent form - but then, there's someone else in that squad whose form's been a lot more consistent so far over this Tour, and is currently placed a lot higher than Cummings...

Its a classics course, I'd have thought Geraint is a better bet than Froome as leader, with Cummings as a wild card to get in a break if he can.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Looks like Cavs gone home

.https://twitter.com/TeamDiData?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

Makes sense, yesterday was always going to a long-shot to have enough left in the tank for the final 250 metres.

Paris is always dangerous and his rivals/the other sprint teams are going to be super keen to get a win because they haven't had any this tour at all.

Probably looked at it and thought did he really want to endure four more days of suffering in the mountains just to get to Paris which isn't a guaranteed win and a risky stage when he could be spending that precious time on the track fine-tuning his racecraft.

I'm sure he's not too fussed considering how he's exceeded pretty much everyone's expectations this year and seems back to his best.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

The Tour is decided. Only a major disaster will change that. Battle on for first losers spots and jerseys now. With the sheer strength and depth of Sky domestiques no one can challenge. The Sky paychecks must be huge to persuade otherwise strong GC potential riders be subservient riders.

 

[HertzvanRental]

The Tour is decided. Only a major disaster will change that. Battle on for first losers spots and jerseys now. With the sheer strength and depth of Sky domestiques no one can challenge. The Sky paychecks must be huge to persuade otherwise strong GC potential riders be subservient riders.

Is that right? I seem to remember reading that whilst Team Sky's budget was high, it was matched by some other teams. If so, it's surely more than just a paycheck?

 

[SWSteve]

Is that right? I seem to remember reading that whilst Team Sky's budget was high, it was matched by some other teams. If so, it's surely more than just a paycheck?

Movistar have similar budget I believe. There is the benefit that Sky have, where the riders aren't employees of the team but contractors, so may be able to beat manage their earnings.

 

[smutchin]

Team Sky's finances:
http://inrng.com/2016/07/the-finances-of-team-sky-2015/

 

[T4tomo]

Given Cavs history of getting ill after a tough 3 weeks, its the right decision. He's won 4 stages, rode in Yellow, moved ahead of Hinault. No point flogging thru 4 hard days just to get to Paris, its not like he hasn't won on the Champs before, but Olympic medal.....

 

[Dogtrousers]

Movistar have similar budget I believe. There is the benefit that Sky have, where the riders aren't employees of the team but contractors, so may be able to beat manage their earnings.

L'Equipe puts Movistar in 7th place with a €15m budget. Sky's #1 with €35m

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-team-largest-budget-262275

Quite what these headline figures mean exactly and how accurate they are I don't know.