Tour de France

[Norder]

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Have just been looking to find some figures - gains or losses for Aru on the stage 14 run in - no joy, as is usual, there's little Detail to be found, only Aru saying he was too far behind (loss), made a huge effort to get back up there (gain) - and he paid for it. Why he was too far behind is the unanswered question - but he fought back, had the legs for it, and gave it everything. The only seeming weakness was in the mistake....which again "could" come down to teamwork.

As Colner - a rest day..........then flat....then on to the Mountains.

[oldcolner]

Norder
Illuminating stuff. I thought if the yellow went down there was a convention not to benefit from it, does that only apply to crashes and not breakdowns?

[sinkov]

Just on Froome getting back on, maybe up front they were depending on AG2R to distance Froome, none of the top riders would be wanting to put themselves into the red to do it, especially as this meant they'd be giving Landa a free ride. So it was down to the AG2R domestiques, and with due respect to these guys, hard as they might try, they're not going to be going up that climb faster than Nieve/Froome, especially with the jersey and potentially the race at stake.

It was Landa being up there that allowed Froome back on, IMO.

[Norder]

Norder
Illuminating stuff. I thought if the yellow went down there was a convention not to benefit from it, does that only apply to crashes and not breakdowns?

I think perhaps it was because of the Sky confusion "before" the mechanical...they were split and Froome was mostly isolated so waiting would have lost them their worked for advantage - also with Landa of Sky in the mix...and pushing on, and being he would have received radio instruction, if they did think anything...could have been, well if he isn't making any noise, we'll continue.
I still think it odd why AG2R doms didn't push on harder, burn out for Bardet...it's what they're there for...and Landa only dropped when Froome was near on them, Sky weren't going to risk him losing out as well....but I still would have expected Aru or Uran to make a move.
Maybe there was the idea that they'd keep a strong pace going, but only somewhere near level with their earlier "fair" advantage...just wouldn't go all out and break into a concerted attack...lose some honour etc.
Anyway -has kept it close for the coming stages....but they'll need time on Froome before the TT....maybe they're kicking themselves now.

Cheers.

[sinkov]

Don't you think you're being a bit hard on AG2R Norder ? I watched the stage and they seemed to be pushing on as best they could to me. Froome said they were riding hard and Bardet had no complaints about their efforts. Those guys had been working for Bardet all day, they were on a Cat1 and they're not specialist climbers, they're basically bottle-carriers. They were never going to ride away from Froome and Nieve on that climb, it just couldn't happen. Maybe Aru, Uran and Bardet could have gone for it, but Landa would have been sat on their back wheels grinning at them, so that wasn't really an option either. So Froome got out of jail, lucky boy.

[Norder]

Don't you think you're being a bit hard on AG2R Norder ? I watched the stage and they seemed to be pushing on as best they could to me. Froome said they were riding hard and Bardet had no complaints about their efforts. Those guys had been working for Bardet all day, they were on a Cat1 and they're not specialist climbers, they're basically bottle-carriers. They were never going to ride away from Froome and Nieve on that climb, it just couldn't happen. Maybe Aru, Uran and Bardet could have gone for it, but Landa would have been sat on their back wheels grinning at them, so that wasn't really an option either. So Froome got out of jail, lucky boy.

I dont know their numbers/wattage Sinkov....but I can't believe they were "all" pushing into the red if Froome can drag them back from being 40s or so behind....especially with Nieve who had to go so deep, the man he really needed was Kwiatkowski, losing him when he had to donate his wheel, looked bad....but Froome bridged the gap regardless - and Bardet still had 3 of his AG2R teamates with him.....so why not go full gas then - burn them out, Vuillermoz looked solid and there was still the strong Bakelants up ahead to help take Bardet to the finish, they would have had help....Uran/Aru/Martin etc and even better...would have put Landa and Team Sky on the spot, pressure time....as what would they do, abandon Froome and let Landa go or have Landa wait for Froome.
But they did nothing....but anyway, it's all in the head now Sinkov....can play around freely with what happened - without changing it.

Cheers

[Norder]

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Stage 16.


Le Puy - Romans-sur-Isere....165km.



....from the mostly undulating hills of the Massive Central - to the 55km of flat rolling roads in the Rhone Valley.

[sinkov]

Sorry to bang about the previous stage again, but it's such an intriguing story I've re-run that climb again and decided I've been incredibly unfair on Froome saying he was a lucky boy. AG2R were pushing on to such an extent at the foot of the climb that a 40 second gap had extended out to 50 seconds, then Froome got on Nieve's wheel and started reeling them in. AG2R were still setting such a strong pace that Contador and Quintana were dropped, Quintana tried to hang onto Froome's wheel as he passed but gave up in seconds. The AG2R domestiques were putting themselves into the red and being shelled out one after the other, when Froome got back on Bardet was up front now with just Vuillermox left for company. Less than a minute after Froome was back on, Bardet and Uran attacked off the front and opened up a gap, Froome was soon back on their wheels though and that was that.

So what had been suggested didn't happen, that AG2R didn't try to bury Froome, and that none of the top riders attacked after Froome got back on, actually did happen, or at least Bardet and Uran attacked. None of it was enough though, that was an absolutely awesome ride by Froome. He said afterwards that he was just now finding his legs and expected to get better. You can never trust what they say, they know the other riders are listening, so he would say that wouldn't he, but if he is telling it how it is, then this race is over. Which makes my suggestion a few days back that he might be finished seem ridiculous.

We'll see.

[Norder]

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Matthews (sunweb) Wins stage 16....his second on this years tour, taking another 50points and bringing him to within 29 points of Kittel and the Green Jersey.
No change at the top of the General Classification but Dan Martin of the depleted Quick-Step Floors lost 51s and slipped to seventh place - boxed in and distanced...he was unable to close the gap when crosswinds caused a split in the peleton.


Stage 17....La Mure - Serre Chevalier....183km






....the games afoot - Enjoy.

[sinkov]

You have to credit Sky for causing that split and getting rid of one Froome's big rivals. It was all proceeding nicely until Sky went off the front, upped the pace, stretched out the peleton, and let the crosswind do it's worst. There's no doubt it was done deliberately at that point with a view to isolating one or more of the top men, and it was the unfortunate Dan Martin they snared. Just shows how right the riders were to be worried about this stage, on a flat finish Martin lost almost a minute in the last 10k, you wouldn't expect him to lose that much on Cat 1.