Tour de France 2018 **SPOILERS**

[smutchin]

There is also the possibility of Dan Martin doing a deal with another team to make a concerted effort.

Did you see Dan Martin and Bardet chatting away together for ages towards the end of yesterday's stage? One for the conspiracy theorists!

 

[roadrash]

in the interview after the stage , dan martin was asked about alliances, he said its something to think about

 

[smutchin]

Froome will do a Finisterre

He'll bore his rivals into submission by reading the shipping forecast at them?

 

[smutchin]

(btw @smutchin Finisterre got renamed to Fitzroy ages ago)

Yes, I know that, but I'm not one to let the facts get in the way of any opportunity to make a cheap gag.

 

[Crackle]

I knew I should have just quickly looked that up......

 

[Bollo]

in the interview after the stage , dan martin was asked about alliances, he said its something to think about

I saw the same question asked of Dumoulin about alliances in general. He pretty much dismissed it, although that's not the same as not doing it.

I'm looking forward to stage 17, to see if it's a masterstroke of race planning or a daft gimmick that will be nullified by the competitors.

I remember some race or other recently (I must pay more attention) that had a whacky arrangement of closely spaced intermediate sprints, possibly with a name like "PowerZone" or something. "Let's see what exciting racing this produces" said the commentators. Everyone completely ignored it.

(btw @smutchin Finisterre got renamed to Fitzroy ages ago)

I remain a little baffled by the point of the starting grid, but can see the fun in an ultra-short hilly stage. I was poking around the tour website and they've made this <informative> yet impossible to embed video clip. Apologies if its already been posted.

http://dai.ly/x6nks2m

I like the horse-racing style paddock before the start. With Sky as popular as they are, it could be like the coliseum in Gladiator. Maybe they missed a trick by not having a tiger hidden under a trapdoor.

 

[Beebo]

Yes, I know that, but I'm not one to let the facts get in the way of any opportunity to make a cheap gag.

It’s a shame that Greipel didn’t show enough German bight.

 

[rich p]

Moscon is a Dogger to add insult to injury...
...allegedly

 

[smutchin]

I remain a little baffled by the point of the starting grid, but can see the fun in an ultra-short hilly stage. I was poking around the tour website and they've made this <informative> yet impossible to embed video clip. Apologies if its already been posted.

http://dai.ly/x6nks2m

Thanks - I've definitely not seen that before.

One of the interesting things is that the graphic shows the polka dot jersey at the head of the second row, but I presume that's just artistic licence because the voiceover says that it will be the top 20 on GC who occupy the front end of the grid. This means Alaphilippe (41st overall) will be starting in the third wave - behind Barguil who is 23rd overall, so will be starting in the second wave. If Alaphilippe has any sense, he'll try to gain a few places on GC in the next stage. But also Barguil might try to get himself inside the top 20...

Majka in 21st and Bernal in 23rd are two more riders who might be trying to gain a few GC places in the next stage. Kwiatkowski and Poels are out of the reckoning down in 67th and 69th, so will be starting in the fourth wave - I imagine they'll find it very hard to fight their way to the front once it all kicks off.

Movistar have all three of their leaders in the top 20. That could prove very valuable, as long as they work together as a unit. You'd expect Valverde to go off like a rocket and burn himself out on the Peyresourde to set up Landa and/or Quintana. Likewise Latour (14th) for Bardet.

It's going to be fascinating to watch. And probably utter carnage.

 

[smutchin]

OK, who wants to predict the winner's time on stage 17? And therefore what will the cut-off be?

I'm going for 2hrs 4mins (slightly ahead of the fastest schedule), so assuming the cutoff is 25% as advertised, that will be 2hrs 35mins.

 

[Crackle]

From that video, they all start together? I thought it was staggered, so all that will happen is that everyone will wait for teams to re-form and then begin the chase of anyone foolish enough to have set off by themselves. In other words, it looks like a load of old bollocks.....however, I'll wait and see.

 

[smutchin]

all that will happen is that everyone will wait for teams to re-form and then begin the chase

I'm not sure... Will the Movistar trio have anything to gain by waiting for Amador to catch up? And who would Bardet and Dan Martin wait for?

Gesink in 40th is in the second wave so could be useful to Roglic and Kruijswijk. Tolhoek is 61st on GC (fourth wave) so will have a fight on his hands to get to the front - he's another who might try to climb a couple of places tomorrow.

I wonder if we'll also see teams using blocking tactics to stop lower placed Sky riders moving up the peloton.

 

[Dave Davenport]

My (probably totally wrong) prediction; Froome attacks, TD chases, G get's on TD's wheel who either closes down Froome (with G still sat on) or Froome gets away and takes yellow. Tour winning position for Sky either way, (I've got another prediction in which G blows and TD makes a tour winning attack which is just as likely to be codswallop).

 

[400bhp]

Did you see Dan Martin and Bardet chatting away together for ages towards the end of yesterday's stage? One for the conspiracy theorists!

I did and in my view this is what the fringe GT riders in "weak" teams need to do-form alliances Vs Sky.

They are both bobbins in the TT though so they might just have been whinging to each other about that. Martin rides so un-aero on his road bike.

 

[Beebo]

The TT is going to be crucial.
All 3 main contenders are very good Sky should be worried as they could get leapfrogged.