Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Although you or I might think this appropriate for the conditions, the pavé was only about 15k which leaves about 135k on tarmac - not so great for full set up MTB!
Tour de France *Spoilers*
- Thread starter Pro Tour Punditry
- Start date
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I don't have much knowledge about the gear (so someone else might give some more info or correct me), but...
indeed they use special tires (bigger grip), less pressure in the tires, some extra tape around the steering handles, gloves (for people who usually don't wear them).
There was originally talk about them using different bikes (Paris-Roubaix like), but I believe in the end no team actually did so (although I do assume that the mechanics probably have set-up the bike-parts in a much different way than for the regular stages)
laurence
Veteran
- Location
- in the aeroplane over the sea
i find it hard to cheer for anyone in astana colours, but Nibbles has been a contender for years, he hasn't suddenly sprung up. His bike handling was always touted as a boon on the cobbles and so it proved. there were a couple of sequences where he was just flying over the pave.
Bertie's 'mechanical' looks to be a bit of a smokescreen, why not change bikes or rear wheel? Kwiato punctured on the penultimate pave section (when the top 4 broke away) and rode to the end to get a spare wheel, so why didn't Bertie get help? methinks he doesn't want to admit he wasn't up to it - all part of the mind games that goes on, such as Froome saying he was ok after the crash the day before
should be another interesting one today - pan flat until the very end. Kwiato and Sagan to go head to head?
Bertie's 'mechanical' looks to be a bit of a smokescreen, why not change bikes or rear wheel? Kwiato punctured on the penultimate pave section (when the top 4 broke away) and rode to the end to get a spare wheel, so why didn't Bertie get help? methinks he doesn't want to admit he wasn't up to it - all part of the mind games that goes on, such as Froome saying he was ok after the crash the day before
should be another interesting one today - pan flat until the very end. Kwiato and Sagan to go head to head?
w00hoo_kent
One of the 64K
- Location
- Maidstone or Greenwich
Yeah, 'mud in the gears' sounds like something that could be sprayed clear with water in short order to me.
Louch
105% knowledge on 105
- Location
- Kingdom of Kinnard
Sky used their Paris- roubaix bikes, was on the cyclimg podcast that they had carried them sound solely for this stage. 73psi in tyres too
MisterStan
Label Required
- Location
- Out there somewhere
From another thread - some info on the bikes and equipment used on stage 5 - note the tyre pressures some ran....
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Re: the bikes - this was posted in another thread...
http://velonews.competitor.com/2014...ve-pretenders-will-gc-men-ride-cobbles_335092
It says Cancellara was using not just the same kind of bike but the exact same bike he used for Paris-Roubaix.
Edit: SNAP!
http://velonews.competitor.com/2014...ve-pretenders-will-gc-men-ride-cobbles_335092
It says Cancellara was using not just the same kind of bike but the exact same bike he used for Paris-Roubaix.
Edit: SNAP!
I agree, sounds like an excuse. It had been raining persistently since late afternoon the previous day so there was A LOT of standing water to clear any thick mud deposits. I could understand how the drivetrain would be stripped of lube double quick which might cause a few problems but nothing at catastrophic as Bertie is suggesting.
Hont
Guru
- Location
- Bromsgrove
My understanding was that he couldn't change rings, so it would have had to have been a complete bike change. You would have thought, as team leader, that he would have a spare bike available, so you may be right, but you could just as easily take what he said at face value - given his answer would have been translated from Spanish he may not have meant 'mud' as we understand it.
w00hoo_kent
One of the 64K
- Location
- Maidstone or Greenwich
Suitably large bits of gravel wedged in the front mech would be believable I guess.
Hont
Guru
- Location
- Bromsgrove
Two questions on stage 7:
1) Why did Phil and Paul dither over the result when we'd already seen the photo?
2) What the hell was Talansky doing looking to his right in the middle of a sprint?
1) Why did Phil and Paul dither over the result when we'd already seen the photo?
2) What the hell was Talansky doing looking to his right in the middle of a sprint?
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Wooo Great ride from my favourite Kwiatkowski.
laurence
Veteran
- Location
- in the aeroplane over the sea
that was a cracking stage! they'll be hosing the blood off the streets of Nancy tonight.
laurence
Veteran
- Location
- in the aeroplane over the sea
he's a great rider. i love the little flower.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
A Polish pun. Respeck.
He's been a favourite of mine really since last year when he gave Cav a handsling in the stage with the echelons last year. I hope he can hold up through the mountains - he had one horrible day in one of the races earlier this year (Dauphine? Can't remember).
