Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**

[ManiaMuse]

I love the pomp and ceremony of the TdF and ITV4 coverage but agree it really needs a year soon where there is a race for yellow. The only thing really grabbing the interest is the young lad "yeah" Yates. Brilliant

Agree, assuming the top riders are riding clean then it has become a bit like F1 Mercedes dominance except there isn't really an intra-team rivalry either.

 

[SWSteve]

Agree, assuming the top riders are riding clean then it has become a bit like F1 Mercedes dominance except there isn't really an intra-team rivalry either.

So when Red Bull were winning it all then?

 

[smutchin]

Given the performance of Poels, Nieve and Henao on the climbs this year, it's scary to think that Sky could be even stronger next year with the addition of Rosa. Even their subs bench is stronger than some teams' First IX - slightly disappointing to see the likes of Konig and Golas languishing in the reserves when they could be doing a job at the Tour for a different team, but presumably they'll be called on for the Vuelta?

 

[Booyaa]

Has Poels been more effective for Froome than Porte and Thomas have been in previous years and more so than Froome was for Wiggins in 2012? Every attack he just seems to reel in and i think this demotivates the peleton in a subconscious way.

Sub-question - will Poels go the same way as Porte and attempt to break out to do his own thing or will he get a team leader role within the Vuelta or Giro assuming Froome will lead at Tour as he seems to be hinting.

Not sure about that, in the last week or so he has been good but did very little prior to that, probably to keep him as fresh as possible for the last week. From memory Porte and Thomas both finished quite high up the standings but Powels is no where near the top 20.

 

[Starchivore]

I know it's about winning first, but with Le Tour… I’m uneasy with teams “hoarding” so much talent.

I think it goes against the spirit and tradition a bit. If you are good enough to challenge for the top 10 GC places then surely you shouldn’t be riding for someone else. Or at least there shouldn’t be more than one “superdomestique” in each team. One as a wingman, sure, but surrounding the leader with riders who should be leaders of teams themselves, and not really going for any other stage wins or anything? I just think that’s against the spirit of the competition.

I say that as someone who likes Froome and absolutely wants him to win.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I guess it depends how long Sky are prepared to keep pouring money in. They've already dropped, or are dropping the BC sponsorship. We may have a recession on the way and things could get tighter.

One view could be (I was going to say "I think" but I haven't thought it through at all) that the big Sky budget, possibly combined with the blurring of lines with BC has resulted in a team with money and resources sufficient to control the tour, to the detriment of its entertainment value. A levelling of the playing field in terms of budgets could be to the good. (Or that could be utter cobblers that I've just made up).

 

[T4tomo]

How about Fat Lad at the Back?

(OK, I know they only brand, not manufacture shirts, but humour me anyway, please!)

Bit harsh on Luke Rowe?

 

[T4tomo]

Moving on from that, I think it was Hinault that was saying, that none of the GC riders or teams attack from a long way out any more. Porte for instance was feeling good yesterday, yet attacked with 2km to go, he could have been a clear second or better had he gone much sooner.

I know it's slightly different now as you rarely had whole teams riding in support of their GC hope back in the day, and large quantities of EPO made it a bit easier, but no one attacks Pantani style on the 2nd of 4 climbs etc. Everyone sits marking each other until so far up that last climb.

 

[smutchin]

I think it goes against the spirit and tradition a bit. If you are good enough to challenge for the top 10 GC places then surely you shouldn’t be riding for someone else.

It's nothing new. In 1923, Ottavio Bottecchia was signed by Automoto-Hutchinson to ride as a domestique for Henri Pelissier, even though he was strong enough to win it himself (which he subsequently did, twice).

Henri Desgrange would have been of the same opinion as you but he was a fruitcake.

 

[Twizit]

I know it's about winning first, but with Le Tour… I’m uneasy with teams “hoarding” so much talent.

I think it goes against the spirit and tradition a bit. If you are good enough to challenge for the top 10 GC places then surely you shouldn’t be riding for someone else. Or at least there shouldn’t be more than one “superdomestique” in each team. One as a wingman, sure, but surrounding the leader with riders who should be leaders of teams themselves, and not really going for any other stage wins or anything? I just think that’s against the spirit of the competition.

I say that as someone who likes Froome and absolutely wants him to win.

I'm not saying I disagree - indeed I think I agree a lot and would like to see more competition - but I don't see the current Tour position as being that different from other sports. Think football, rugby etc and there's usually one or a small number of clubs (usually those with money - Leicester an exception this year) at any one point in time that tend to dominate the top of the tree.

Beyond the Tour though, is there such an issue in cycling? Sky are so focused on the one race that they know how to dominate - but I'm not sure the same applies elsewhere so is there really an issue? Equally Froome has done a hell of a lot this year to make the Tour more interesting - think frog on a skateboard descending and breakaways into the crosswinds with Sagan - so I'm not sure you can put too much at Sky's door. Personally I think the other teams need to step up and take a few more risks and try to challenge beyond trying to nab a few seconds on the last hill of each mountain day. (and yes I might be swayed a bit by Hinault and his recent press interviews )

 

[smutchin]

Just had a look at the live data feed on the Tour website. Bizarrely, the second checkpoint is showing similar problems to the previous time trial, with fewer riders clocked than at the third checkpoint. Is it cursed?

 

[Starchivore]

It's nothing new. In 1923, Ottavio Bottecchia was signed by Automoto-Hutchinson to ride as a domestique for Henri Pelissier, even though he was strong enough to win it himself (which he subsequently did, twice).

Henri Desgrange would have been of the same opinion as you but he was a fruitcake.

Being a young ‘un and not having witnessed anything pre-Armstrong I probably have some fantasised notion of the past.

But I don’t think there is a problem with having one guy supporting who is good enough to be a GC contender. I think the issue is when there are three riders supporting the leader who are at that level. That seems to me to be a bit much.

 

[jarlrmai]

Anyone else unable to sign in to watch ITV4?

 

[jarlrmai]

nvm it works now.

 

[Crackle]

Just had a look at the live data feed on the Tour website. Bizarrely, the second checkpoint is showing similar problems to the previous time trial, with fewer riders clocked than at the third checkpoint. Is it cursed?

I have it open in hope but it seems to be partially working in a parallel universe.