Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**

[Foghat]

I think you need to breathe after that, and get out more. That you felt out of sorts changing bikes points to your own weaknesses , doesn't mean they are shared by others.

More than the 250-300 miles a week I do?

Before pontificating on a subject you clearly know little about, you need to realise that people like Millar, and all the experts fitting pro riders to their bikes, know a lot more than you. Such wilful ignorance is amusing but does make you look a bit dim.

 

[coffeejo]

Uh oh, another wet descent.

 

[Foghat]

Sure, it's not ideal having to race someone else's bike up a mountain, especially when you're a bit sore after a crash, but these are professional cyclists, not racehorses.

I can't recall exactly how often writers, over the 30-odd years I've followed pro racing, have described professional cyclists as being the human equivalent of racehorses, but 'often' is probably near enough.

 

[Crackle]

Shamefully nicked off twitter

I reckon it means beware of low flying Pierre Rolland's

 

[HF2300]

Shamefully nicked off twitter

View attachment 135811

I reckon it means beware of low flying Pierre Rolland's

Alaphilippe.

 

[smutchin]

I can't recall exactly how often writers, over the 30-odd years I've followed pro racing, have described professional cyclists as being the human equivalent of racehorses, but 'often' is probably near enough.

Yeah, I didn't just pluck the comparison out of thin air. But here's the thing: they're not racehorses, are they?

 

[HF2300]

I reckon it means beware of low flying Pierre Rolland's

And if you're not careful @Dogtrousers will get all pedantic about that superfluous apostrophe

 

[HF2300]

For those just catching up:

Breakaway is Sergio Henao (Sky), Imanol Erviti, Ion Izagirre and Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Peter Sagan and Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff), Ben Gastauer, Cyril Gautier and Alexis Gougeard (AG2R-La Mondiale), Wilco Kelderman and George Bennett (Lotto-Jumbo), Frank Schleck and Jasper Stuyven (Trek), Jarlinson Pantano (IAM), Pierre Rolland, Tom-Jelte Slagter and Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale), Patrick Konrad (Bora), Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Thomas De Gendt and Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Sylvain Chavanel and Fabrice Jeandesbosz (Direct Energie), Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Chris Juul-Jensen and Michael Matthews (Orica).

Barguil and Teklehaimanot are at 38 seconds

Feillu is at 2.50.

Peloton at 4 minutes after 40km of racing.

(Shamelessly cut and pasted from the Tour ticker)

 

[Dogtrousers]

Leaders are forever taking teammates' bikes. It's a frequent occurrence. Why is this one any different? Just because it was Froome?

Meh

 

[Foghat]

Yeah, I didn't just pluck the comparison out of thin air. But here's the thing: they're not racehorses, are they?

Well no - but why do you think the comparison is made?

I would suggest it's because professional racing cyclists (epecially when competing at the sharp end of an Alpine Tour stage final climb) are, like racehorses, incredibly finely tuned athletes that are very susceptible to physical and mental problems and waverings that could prevent them from competing for the win, or even staying with ultra-capable rivals trying to drop them (or would at least make it significantly harder). Anyway, 'a bit sore' is rather understating the effect of hitting the road like that has on the body.

Why do people think so many riders are incredibly particular about their positions? I suppose they just think they are being prima donnas, rather than wondering what's behind it. Millar was saying (and I rather doubt he was just making it up), that many riders have strong preferences within their own supposedly identical bikes because even those can feel different.

It's extremely odd that some people are so desperate to disbelieve Millar on this, given his clear level of expertise, especially when the evidence supports his comments.

 

[HF2300]

Racehorses can't take their team-mates' bikes - the cleats won't fit their hooves.

 

[HF2300]

What a strangely pink chateau.

 

[HF2300]

Apparently Dumoulin (T) has a clean break of the radius bone but is optimistic about still being able to compete at the Olympics.

 

[smutchin]

Well no - but why do you think the comparison is made?

Because it sounds clever. Still essentially nonsense though.

No one has said Millar was wrong, only that he was rather overstating the case.

 

[smutchin]

Apparently Dumoulin (T) has a clean break of the radius bone but is optimistic about still being able to compete at the Olympics.

See, if he was a racehorse, he'd be on his way to the glue factory by now.