Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**

[mjr]

Did Froome have a neutral service wheel on the front during the descent.

I was wondering why he looked to have mismatched wheels...

 

[mjr]

I wouldn't want to hit a pothole riding like that

Stunts you should only do when the roads are repaired and swept for you?

 

[mjr]

No expert at any of this, but to me it appears one of Froome or Brailsford is a fibber. I think it's Froome.
That was planned.

I think it's Brailsford. The big gears were mainly in case it came down to a chase or reduced bunch sprint into the finish, but Froome had been experimenting in the wind tunnel and training and decided now was a good time for a race test, as his rivals had seemed unhurried to bring him back after he snaffled the previous mountain points.

 

[mjr]

That chain flopping around crazy.

Downside of oval chainrings?

 

[mjr]

Eurosport are just going live

France televisions claimed to go live at 1250 UK time (if they didn't sneak any live shots into their "Village Depart" show). No idea if they did because I was out riding my bike in the rain to a country pub

 

[mjr]

Froome is only in with a chance on a long uphill finish,

I think you annoyed him

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Froome didn't invent the top tube pedalling jobby, but he's now thrown it into the GC game. It'll be interesting to see whether it now becomes part of the top riders' skill set. Good fast sweeping descents might never look the same again in the mountain races.

And Sky were looking so much like Sky until then....

 

[Foghat]

... However, the style is not new; it was invented by Slovenian cyclist Matej Mohorič

It's much older than that. I first used it in the Alps in 1988, and I was just trying out something I'd seen done by several riders on tv coverage of the Tour. It must have been going on for years before that. Mohorič seems to have developed an ability to use it for extended periods, though.

Never used it much myself, as it's so uncomfortable, and certainly couldn't sustain it for any great distance, despite the fact we raced every Alpine descent flat out and viewed getting to the bottom first as a matter of descending honour. Plus it's far too unstable (and eye-watering) on anything but very smooth and even roads........so unsuited to virtually all British descents.

 

[coffeejo]

It is painful to see Contador suffering in this way. Like an old lion ousted from its pride.

I almost feel sorry for him.

Almost.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Froome didn't invent the top tube pedalling jobby, but he's now thrown it into the GC game. It'll be interesting to see whether it now becomes part of the top riders' skill set. Good fast sweeping descents might never look the same again in the mountain races.

And Sky were looking so much like Sky until then....

I'm expecting to see a new range of bikes with flattened top tubes ....

 

[coffeejo]

I'm expecting to see a new range of bikes with flattened top tubes ....

With padded headsets and stems.

 

[400bhp]

Stunts you should only do when the roads are repaired and swept for you?

Well, I have seen it several times this year on the UK circuit, the first time on the Chorley GP this year and the roads wouldn't have been repaired & swept for that.

 

[rich p]

What about Yates?

Yes, there are others. Teejay, Valverde for instance.
Do you think Yates is strong enough to podium?

 

[Tin Pot]

With padded headsets and stems.

And boxing gloves that shoot out of the left shifter.

 

[rich p]

It is painful to see Contador suffering in this way. Like an old lion ousted from its pride.

An old lion who is vegetarian these days?