Tour de France 2017 ***SPOILERS***

[brommers]

Could you imagine the panic in the peloton if there were crosswinds and gaps formed similar to last year's world championships.

 

[rich p]

Could you imagine the panic in the peloton if there were crosswinds and gaps formed similar to last year's world championships.

Works it be uncharitable of me to hope that Prudhomme is struck by lightning when his head is poking of the sunroof?

 

[Crackle]

I expressed silent scepticism when Marmion said it was a boring parcours but it turns out he was right. Possibly the worst tour route in memory

 

[SWSteve]

The most interesting bit of last nights highlights, by far, was Chris Boardman wittering on about tubeless sealant.

I enjoyed Ned waving a inner tube around next to a penny farthing

 

[SWSteve]

We've never had it so good.

You've got to feel for him, sitting in a room for 5 hours pretending the break won't get caught...

 

[SWSteve]

Wanty Groupe Gobert in the break again. This time it'll be different.

Did they all meet at the team bus before the start?

 

[jarlrmai]

You've got to feel for him, sitting in a room for 5 hours pretending the break won't get caught...

Trying to come with new ways of describing Voeckler's riding style.

 

[mjr]

The most interesting bit of last nights highlights, by far, was Chris Boardman wittering on about tubeless sealant.

Did you notice him trolling this thread by suggesting Porte crashed due to carbon rims not offering braking as good as alloy ones?

 

[Tynan]

yes, the hills have been so exciting and the sprint stages so dull

why can't bigger groups make more aggressive breakways? I'm new to watching more than highlights, has it always been this cut and dried on so many stages?

 

[roadrash]

has anyone got a link to video of boohoohani hitting out at riders in yesterdays bunch sprint,

 

[Archie]

 

[BrumJim]

Delighted to see the Ginger Frederiaertk Backaert in the break again.

 

[Beebo]

yes, the hills have been so exciting and the sprint stages so dull

why can't bigger groups make more aggressive breakways? I'm new to watching more than highlights, has it always been this cut and dried on so many stages?

The peleton will only let certain riders escape. If the group is too dangerous they won't let them go. So the breakaway is basically self selecting.a big group of heavy hitters is unlikely to escape.

 

[smutchin]

The peleton will only let certain riders escape. If the group is too dangerous they won't let them go. So the breakaway is basically self selecting.a big group of heavy hitters is unlikely to escape.

There's more to it than that though. In the past, a breakaway like today's would have been allowed to build up a much bigger time gap - maybe 20 minutes or more - but the current trend seems to be for the peloton to keep them on a much shorter leash.

I guess it makes it that bit easier to reel them in when it comes to the business end of the stage, and therefore less likely for a miscalculation in the chase that allows the break to succeed.

And I guess this in turn makes some riders less inclined to take part in the break, unless they're part of a team like WGG that values the TV exposure for the sponsors.

 

[smutchin]

More questions for the Tour directors to answer - recklessly endangering Dario Cataldo's life* by including these treacherous flat, straight roads and forcing riders to tackle them in fine, dry conditions.


*wrist