Exactly.
Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**
- Thread starter rich p
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Pro Tour Punditry
Guru
The descent into Morzine is brutal in dry conditions, so in the conditions today the descending was outstanding. I think I might have even stood up at one point and cheered.
Foghat
Freight-train-groove-rider
Not that unexpected though - he did crash descending in the rain yesterday.....and he'd just moments beforehand seen Pantano nearly take a trip off into space. Nibali's fall yesterday may not have looked especially serious, but it's still damned painful, and when you're carrying the muscle and bone bruises and the skin removal from such falls it's normal for even brave, skilled descenders to lose a bit of confidence and reign it in slightly in such conditions.
I found Pantano's reaction to his own near off on the Joux Plane today interesting - he appeared not remotely fazed and even seemed to use the adrenalin rush from it to re-catch and pass Nibali.
The Joux Plane was the first big Alpine descent I ever did, and Pantano's wayward moment brought back fun memories. My friend had taken over the lead at one point, and on a different left-hand bend lower down he went off the road just like Pantano (further off in fact, but we had dry roads so were going faster). Being on our first trip to the Alps, as well as very young and excitedly racing each other down, I was a bit too close and followed him off, but luckily the verge was forgiving and we survived intact, not even needing to put a foot down as far as I can remember. And just like Pantano we were spurred on by our near miss, although my descending since became more measured while still pretty full on.
Last edited:
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
No.
(Well, not unless Quintana gets badly injured in a stupid crash, or suffers a serious illness overnight which stops him riding!)
Rohloff_Brompton_Rider
Formerly just_fixed
Hmmm,
I seem to remember some team that used Kryptonite to destroy mere mortals. I'm pretty sure they (he) dominated the LtdF for best part of a decade. But I'm getting old so maybe a figment of my imagination.
Anyone else see the Armstrong film on Netflix...nothing new but still good to watch.
Pro Tour Punditry
Guru
Another minute's silence tomorrow?
andrew_s
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gloucester
Last year was officially a wet finish, which meant they took the times on the first passage of the finish line, with the 10 laps of the Champs being neutralised.
I also seem to remember that traditional is a post-finish lap of honour, and last year there was some reason that didn't happen, possibly something to do with a car that got shot by the police at the Arc de Triomphe, and the circuit of the roundabout being replaced by a U-turn.
Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
This is quite correct. I was thinking of 2013, when everyone in the Sky team conceded almost a minute because they slowed down to finish in formation in a group separate from everyone else. The detailed results show that the field was well split up that day, and the Sky riders were a long way from being last, but it does look as though they'd decided in advance to allow themselves to be dropped and to lose time. Winning the Tour is about fighting tooth and nail over practically every second for three weeks, and giving a chunk of time away at the end for the sake of a photo opportunity felt completely wrong.
We'll see what happens tomorrow!
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Including a succession of tours where there's no winner...
I don't think many GC races go to the final day but this one barely seemed to get started.
Pro Tour Punditry
Guru
I have liked it; it's tough going to do what Sky have done. And Sagan is immense. Loads of decent stages that have not gone to plan as well. And Cav; feck me!
Foghat
Freight-train-groove-rider
Imagine how brutal it was in 1988 when I first did it and it was rough as hell in a lot of places but still really fast. I remember watching Roche get away from Delgado down there in '87, in another gripping Joux Plane episode. We stayed in the youth hostel at the foot of the descent by a sharp left turn into Morzine - I wonder if it's still there.....
Nice smooth surface now it seems. Still brutal as you say, though.
Last edited:
Pro Tour Punditry
Guru
Kelderman looked a bit beaten up at the finish, here's why
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGKm9uzLiqY&feature=youtu.be&t=14
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGKm9uzLiqY&feature=youtu.be&t=14
Seevio
Guru
- Location
- South Glos
My biggest disappointment of the tour was that we were waiting for the entire race for one rider to crash and when it finally happened on stage 19 there was not a single Reichenbach falls pun. Come on people, it's elementary.
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
One thing that has struck me about this Tour is the low number of withdrawals. I've just checked and there are still 175 riders left, which I think is a record number of finishers - assuming they do all finish today.
Louch
105% knowledge on 105
- Location
- Kingdom of Kinnard
They weren't the only team with Krponite, they just used it better than others. Maybe if superman had died he woud have the same compassion for him the likes of Pantani has, another decent documentary on nEtflix. Shame the clean spirit one is gone as I really enjoyed that one and don't have the dirty taint through it
