Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**

[jarlrmai]

David Millar's hat, GO!

 

[smutchin]

i assume it will be Castelli to help more men who are a bit podgy and on bikes with a short reach and long head tube feel 'pro'.

Would be interesting to see DHB or another 'lesser' brand, if they could ever pull it off...

Unlikely to be DHB, purely because it's more a 'value' than 'performance' brand.

If it's going to be a British brand, Endura would be the stand-out candidate - high-tech kit, British made. The skinsuit they developed for Alex Dowsett's Hour record was reckoned to be a game changer. Wonder if Movistar have some kind of exclusivity deal?

I've heard the names Assos and X-Bionic being bandied about. X-Bionic is a particularly intriguing one - would be guaranteed to generate a lot of heated discussion.

Vulpine is another Brit brand that could be a good match for Sky - much like Rapha, they make high quality kit but haven't been traditionally involved in the sportier end of the market before, but they've recently launched some very decent 'performance' kit for the Hoy label, so maybe that's a sign of a change of direction for them.

 

[HF2300]

I've heard the names Assos and X-Bionic being bandied about. X-Bionic is a particularly intriguing one - would be guaranteed to generate a lot of heated discussion.

Thinking unfair performance advantage per the swimsuits of a few years ago?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Interesting that the TdF website is still listing Cavendish as second in the points comp even though he DNS today.

OK, "interesting" was possibly a poor word to have chosen.

 

[coffeejo]

David Millar's hat, GO!

Unlikely to be DHB, purely because it's more a 'value' than 'performance' brand.

If it's going to be a British brand, Endura would be the stand-out candidate - high-tech kit, British made. The skinsuit they developed for Alex Dowsett's Hour record was reckoned to be a game changer. Wonder if Movistar have some kind of exclusivity deal?

I've heard the names Assos and X-Bionic being bandied about. X-Bionic is a particularly intriguing one - would be guaranteed to generate a lot of heated discussion.

Vulpine is another Brit brand that could be a good match for Sky - much like Rapha, they make high quality kit but haven't been traditionally involved in the sportier end of the market before, but they've recently launched some very decent 'performance' kit for the Hoy label, so maybe that's a sign of a change of direction for them.

 

[HF2300]

Gutted for Cav, I'm sure it's even more disappointing for him than it is for the rest of us that he won't get another crack at the Champs-Elysees this year, but I guess with four very tough days to go before Sunday, there's no guarantee he'll make it there, so I can understand the decision to withdraw.

Absolutely, and he's got to have an eye on the Olympics - chance of yet another Champs Elysees win vs. chance of a not yet achieved Olympic medal. I hope he gets it or it'll be devastating.

The double-climb at the finish of today's stage looks like a good opportunity for Movistar to attempt something - if, say, Valverde goes on a kamikaze attack on the Forclaz and forces Sky to use up their domestiques, the descent is short enough that they wouldn't be able to regroup and Froome would be isolated for the final climb. Whether or not they could actually make such a tactic work is another matter, but they really do need to try something a bit more inventive than saving their attack for the final 3km of the final climb, because that isn't going to work either. Part of the problem appears to be a lack of self-belief. The rest of the team don't appear to have much faith in Quintana.

Self belief, conventional tactics, and I don't know about faith in Quintana but he does seem to be a guy who relies on the team to organise things rather than someone who takes the lead and gets the team to pull for him, which makes a lot of difference. Or I might be completely misinterpreting the situation!

I caught Hinault's comment yesterday on the highlights programme about leaders not attacking from way out these days, and it struck a chord. The 'attack on the last climb' tactic is highly conventional and will have been anticipated. Quintana's not the only man who could attack on the double climb though.

Meanwhile, back at the race Sagan's giving it death again...

 

[smutchin]

I caught Hinault's comment yesterday on the highlights programme about leaders not attacking from way out these days, and it struck a chord. The 'attack on the last climb' tactic is highly conventional and will have been anticipated. Quintana's not the only man who could attack on the double climb though.

Yes, I saw that. Interesting observation.

Of course, there may be other reasons why riders don't go on long-range mountain attacks like they used to in the days of Virenque and Landis...

 

[mjr]

Part of the problem appears to be a lack of self-belief. The rest of the team don't appear to have much faith in Quintana.

Do we think they should have left ValvPiti at home? Has Quintana ever won a stage race with Valverde in his team?

 

[brommers]

According to the tracker Gorka is still in the race?

 

[SWSteve]

Unlikely to be DHB, purely because it's more a 'value' than 'performance' brand.

If it's going to be a British brand, Endura would be the stand-out candidate - high-tech kit, British made. The skinsuit they developed for Alex Dowsett's Hour record was reckoned to be a game changer. Wonder if Movistar have some kind of exclusivity deal?

I've heard the names Assos and X-Bionic being bandied about. X-Bionic is a particularly intriguing one - would be guaranteed to generate a lot of heated discussion.

Vulpine is another Brit brand that could be a good match for Sky - much like Rapha, they make high quality kit but haven't been traditionally involved in the sportier end of the market before, but they've recently launched some very decent 'performance' kit for the Hoy label, so maybe that's a sign of a change of direction for them.

Would the Sky fanbois be able to wear Assos? Don't they tell people who are a bit porky to not buy their kit?

Sticking with a Britiah manufacturer looking to move into the performance domain could be good, and see a combination/use of branded equipment which is in fact manufacturered by someone else (see Rapha's early skin suits for Sky). Evans would probably love Vulpine, as they stock all the Hoy bikes/kit and also offer the Team Sky regalia to all those who want it.

 

[SWSteve]

According to the tracker Gorka is still in the race?

Is his bike on a car?

 

[Dogtrousers]

I hope they go for Aldi. Then I'll become fashionable overnight.

 

[smutchin]

Vangarderen has gone pop!

 

[Dogtrousers]

Why is Sagan still beating himself going out hunting intermediate sprints ? He has about a zillion point lead on Kittel, and Cav's gawn.

 

[coffeejo]

Why is Sagan still beating himself going out hunting intermediate sprints ? He has about a zillion point lead on Kittel, and Cav's gawn.

Testosterone?