Tour de France *Spoilers*

[400bhp]

I am delighted for Kadri, after reading Nico Roche's autobiography I have always been delighted to see him showing well in races and it's great to see him win a stage in the Tour. Roche wrote warmly of Kadri in his book both as a rider and as a person, I reckon I probably liked Kadri more than I did Roche by the end of the book

Did you hear Kadri's interview afterwards? Lovely to hear him say he had to get rid of Yates before the final climb otherwise Yates would have beaten him.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Did you hear Kadri's interview afterwards? Lovely to hear him say he had to get rid of Yates before the final climb otherwise Yates would have beaten him.

I didn't hear that but Yates deserves that kind of credit. Still, he's moved up to 5th from 8th in the young rider contest.

 

[smutchin]

Was it just me who thought of the "bad old days" as Nibali looked untroubled and stayed in his saddle when Dirty Bertie attacked?

I'm not sure. I thought at first he was making hanging on to Contador's wheel look far too easy, but he looked done in by the finish and was visibly panting. Hmmmm.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I'm not sure. I thought at first he was making hanging on to Contador's wheel look far too easy, but he looked done in by the finish and was visibly panting. Hmmmm.

Maybe he just thought "Oh crap, I'd best look a bit knackered..."

 

[tug benson]

Contador will destroy nibali on the big climbs

 

[tug benson]

From what I think I saw today I would agree.

not just today but all season...if he starts to live with contador in the big climbs its doing to look dodgy, he has showed nothing all year

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Maybe he just thought "Oh crap, I'd best look a bit knackered..."

Richie Porte came up behind them pretty quick, he must be doping too.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Was it just me who thought of the "bad old days" as Nibali looked untroubled and stayed in his saddle when Dirty Bertie attacked?

His in the saddle climbing style reminded me of someone from last years tour.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Richie Porte came up behind them pretty quick, he must be doping too.

He looked to be expending a lot of effort.
I'm just passing comment on Nibali, he did look to me to be a bit too "relaxed" about it all. He's an Italian riding for a team with less than scrupulous morals and with team with an unrepentant doper as general manager, and makes sticking on Dirty Bertie's wheel look almost effortless.

 

[Crackle]

Nibbles never took his eyes off Contador as if, if he did, the elastic would snap. When Contador put in a final dig, his head went down and he couldn't respond. I think he'll lose time on the longer climbs.

 

[tug benson]

nibali was making it look easy to sit on contadors wheel on the last climb..but he sure looked like he was struggling near the end..not many can stay with contador when he goes for it on them steep climbs...

 

[rich p]

Nibbles never took his eyes off Contador as if, if he did, the elastic would snap. When Contador put in a final dig, his head went down and he couldn't respond. I think he'll lose time on the longer climbs.

Christ, in that case, I find myself in the uncomfortable position of hoping that an unrepentant ex-doper beats Nibali simply to show that Nibali is clean. (This assumes that Dirty Bertie is now clean)

 

[400bhp]

Nibbles is a hard bstard.

End of.

 

[beastie]

Chapeau Blel Kadri! Great to see the French get a stage victory and jeez' was he flying.

I do hope however that with no Quintana or Froome to spice up the GC, that the two horse race doesn't end up being decided by the cobbles. Bertram's team look stronger than Astana that's for sure and the next few days should reveal whether Contador has enough form to shake off the man on his wheel.

Sorry to have to say it, but I'd prefer to see the Spaniard win over Nibali (and yes I know he's behaved badly in the past) but he's great to watch when on form and at the Tirreno he was magnificent. I thought perhaps it was a case of testing the waters today, but his look as he crossed the line suggested an understandable frustration. 2' 34 is a lot to make up just for a few knobbly northern Napoleonic cobbles in **** weather.

?

grand Tours that are only contested by climbers/tt'ers who can climb can be boring and repetitive. I would absolutely love it if Nibali "won it on the cobbles". His was a masterful ride. I would like to see more variety in the stage designs not less. Stage 5 was about right. Bring on more medium mountains, some dirt roads, a downhill TT prologue, cobbles and a MTT.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Nibbles is a hard bstard.

End of.

Not quite, there's been lots of hard bÁstard dopers over the years. Being a hard bÁstard does not mean you'll not dope.