Tour de Romandie - may be Spoilers

[smutchin]

Meersman again. At least OPQS have one sprinter who can get over the lumps.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Perfect job by OPQS. Ironically, they seem to be doing a better job leading out Meersman than they had been doing for Cav.

 

[dragon72]

Oh yeah, I remember that Cav guy. Used to win races with Sky, I believe.

 

[smutchin]

Oh yeah, I remember that Cav guy. Used to win races with Sky, I believe.

Number of races Cav has won this year so far: 6 (plus one GC)
Number of races Cav had won by this point last year: 3 4 [edit: sorry, miscounted]

The defence rests, m'lud.

 

[dragon72]

Touché! I stand very much corrected. Chapeau to your research skills.
It just seems a bit crap that with such a big bunch today contesting the sprint that Cav couldn't be there in that big bunch too. Yes, I know it's been hilly stages on a hilly tour (not his forte) so far and that he's just getting used to lumps before the Giro, but still...

 

[smutchin]

On the other hand, in 2011 (the year he won Green in the TdF), he'd won only two races by this stage of the season, and he won three Giro stages last year compared to two in 2011, so he was actually doing better with Sky until the TdF...

Perceptions of his performance so far this year have been skewed by the fact that he heightened expectations by getting off to such a blistering start with his new team in Qatar. And it's not unfair to criticise the team's performances in the one-day classics. But hopefully that's just teething troubles - the Giro should be a better indicator of where things stand with the team, although it doesn't look like there's an awful lot on offer for the pure sprinters (stage 5, for example, which is billed as "flat", has a nasty kick before the finish which will probably rule Cav out of the reckoning - I'd say there are probably no more than three stages where Cav will be in contention: stages 1 and 6, and the final stage).

 

[raindog]

Mat Goss hasn't done any better than Cav in Romandie, in fact I think they've been riding in the same group every day.

 

[rich p]

It's a moot point whether Cav or the pure sprinters will get over all the hills to make it to Brescia for the last stage although Cav did so last year IIRC.

 

[raindog]

Col de la Croix cancelled today - snow on the summit and -2°

WTF's happening? - cold, rain and wind down here - more like february than april

 

[Twizit]

Froome pulling a stormer at the end it seems.

 

[raindog]

The stage is over - presumably Spilak will take it, and Froome will be happy with the time. Gap still going up

 

[fossyant]

Good attack that.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Very well played by Froome and Spilak. I think Spilak is also 2nd overall now. So, the rest really messed that one up.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Col de la Croix cancelled today - snow on the summit and -2°

WTF's happening? - cold, rain and wind down here - more like february than april

Yep, a Swiss relative says snow forecast above 600 metres, 6 degrees for the TdR. Northerly winds...

 

[Slaav]

Very well played by Froome and Spilak. I think Spilak is also 2nd overall now. So, the rest really messed that one up.

Working on the basis that I am still only now starting to realise quite how many different sets of tactics etc there are, who on Earth in the chasing group thought it was a good idea to let Froome go and catch Spilak? In doing so, did they think he would blow up and they would simply catch him?

Or did Froome play a blinder? He has got some legs to catch Spilak and then work with him to INCREASE the gap so much. The chasers were almost squabbling amongst themselves.... or we they simply shot to bits?