|
Tour de France Discussion
|
| ember |
Posted on 11-12-2014 09:01
|
Team Leader
Posts: 7066
Joined: 27-03-2008
PCM$: 900.00
|
Van Heerden looks to back to his normal level, just outside the top 10. Hope he can be lucky on one flat stage and get a top 5 again the coming week. I won't be able to follow his performances and the general drama of the Tour, though, as a trip to Switzerland awaits. Hopefully I'll be taken by surprise by JVH's and our team's results when I get back 
Amazing leadout from Good Energy. For one moment I actually thought Guarnieri was going to give it away to Vantomme as he never launched, but he did just enough. Congratulations, rjc_43.
The TT will be very interesting considering the GC as it's critical for especially Schleck of the top guns. Pluchkin and Phinney must fancy their chances for yellow, but Sicard's gap is pretty big, which should make it close.
|
| |
|
|
| beagle |
Posted on 11-12-2014 09:32
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4235
Joined: 06-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
After win yesterday, party got out of control 
no sprint + loosing jersey = bad stage for us
Manager of Polar in Man-Game
|
| |
|
|
| Alakagom |
Posted on 11-12-2014 09:56
|
World Champion
Posts: 10452
Joined: 19-11-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Ahhh, if Vantomme was slightly better positioned at the end he could have won that same way like stage 3. Still a great result, gladly take 2nd, nice and consistent.
Nice win for Energy, after coming close last few times!
|
| |
|
|
| Roman |
Posted on 11-12-2014 12:31
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4279
Joined: 29-05-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Oh, once again just perfect positioning from Howard, too bad he once again run away energy in the final hundred meters so soon.  Still a nice result for me I believe, big thanks and congrats to Good Energy train. 
|
| |
|
|
| rjc_43 |
Posted on 11-12-2014 12:37
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6490
Joined: 13-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Thanks guys for the congrats, it's nice to see the train in action perfectly. I'm very lucky to have had Luke Rowe for so long and that he is the perfect lead out man - he now gets better results as a lead out than he did when he was going for solo success (Mark Renshaw springs to mind!)
After the close results, I am very glad to have won my first Tour sprint stage! Less enthused about Paolo crashing and losing 4+ minutes though. That's a shame.
[url=cleavercycling.co.uk]  [/url] |
| |
|
|
| alexkr00 |
Posted on 11-12-2014 20:53
|
World Champion
Posts: 13569
Joined: 05-08-2008
PCM$: 400.00
|
No big time loses for Henao so far. He might not agree with my hunting stages strategy.
|
| |
|
|
| tsmoha |
Posted on 12-12-2014 08:38
|
Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11786
Joined: 19-07-2010
PCM$: 300.00
|
The Big Z!
Wow, didn't see this coming. But a cool story to see this oldie performing so strong. Hoping for Rogers to do the same on the Isle of Man Anyway, good to see the specialists going strong. Smowzy won't be too happy with just a 3rd, but at least Coppel was in the mix.
|
| |
|
|
| Smowz |
Posted on 12-12-2014 09:15
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6386
Joined: 09-04-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
Well Zabriskie rolls back the years with a great performance - I am disappointed with Coppel but it wasn't as if the whole GC depended on it. In fact there will be far more important TT's for him to perform in later on in the year.
I was initially thinking he may struggle to make top 10 when his time came through first espeicially when old man Dave Z beat it but actually his time held out okay. There are plenty more who will have lots to complain about. Cornu 22nd... for example.
I was deliberating pre-season whether to train Alarcon +1 MO or Coppel +1 TT. I think I made the right decision (and was lucky with the Vuelta as a race and a startlist)!
For GC it sets up the classic situation which modern day GT planners seem to not realise. The TTing stage racer Phinney takes huge amounts out of everyone on a long chrono it is then up to the others to attack in the mountains - one look at the GC fills nuetral with much excitement for the race to come.
|
| |
|
|
| trekbmc |
Posted on 12-12-2014 09:21
|
Team Leader
Posts: 7336
Joined: 11-07-2014
PCM$: 700.00
|
A great race, I'm hoping Schleck can make up that gap in the mountains.
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
|
| |
|
|
| Ad Bot |
Posted on 11-12-2025 12:58
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
| IP: None |
|
|
| CountArach |
Posted on 12-12-2014 09:42
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8205
Joined: 14-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
Zabriskie winning was a huge surprise and a nice result for ING.
As for my lads...
| 13 | Rick Flens | | 18 | William Bonnet | | 22 | Dominique Cornu |
Que?
Edited by CountArach on 12-12-2014 09:43
|
| |
|
|
| rjc_43 |
Posted on 12-12-2014 10:55
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6490
Joined: 13-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Fun fact of the day: After being victorious on the previous stage, Jacopo Guarnieri is in the exact opposite position the day after - last!
[url=cleavercycling.co.uk] [/url] |
| |
|
|
| niconico |
Posted on 12-12-2014 13:10
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3926
Joined: 09-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
I hoped Pluchkin would fare better in the TT compared to Phinney.. but then again. Pluchkin should be substantially better in the climbs than Phinney, so if he can gain back what's lost, he is sitting in a really super position now!
Come on Pluchkin!!!!
|
| |
|
|
| rycadinho |
Posted on 12-12-2014 13:31
|
Protected Rider
Posts: 1042
Joined: 28-09-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
Absolutely ecstatic to see Dave take the win after he was the main catalysator last season to help us gain this PT experience!
Sicard lost way too much time, but with the way the season has been going will I just look past it and continue to celebrate Zabriskies performance.
|
| |
|
|
| knockout |
Posted on 12-12-2014 14:23
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8243
Joined: 21-12-2010
PCM$: 500.00
|
Just catched up. Nice to see Pokerstars performing good in the chaotic sprints at least. Dzamastagic with a great leadout on stage 4!
In the GC Taylor Phinney has already achieved quite a big gap. For the likes of Madrazo or Schleck the gap looks already a bit too huge but we'll have to see...
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
| |
|
|
| OlegTinkov |
Posted on 12-12-2014 14:46
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 2775
Joined: 31-12-2007
PCM$: 450.00
|
Had hoped for a little bit more from Kritskiy, still 4th in GC after 6 stages is good, so the top-10 goal is still alive!
|
| |
|
|
| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 12-12-2014 19:48
|
Team Manager
Posts: 31706
Joined: 08-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
 What an awful ride. This race has all the potential to be an absolute disaster.
|
| |
|
|
| Bushwackers |
Posted on 12-12-2014 22:54
|
Sprinter
Posts: 1986
Joined: 07-02-2009
PCM$: 300.00
|
Wow, 15th is really something special from my youngster Dillier. A sign of things to come!
But that was disappointing from Amador, he's going to need to do a little better to make up ground in the TT's. At least he didn't lose much ground to the other favorites.
Cool to see Zabriskie win!
|
| |
|
|
| roturn |
Posted on 13-12-2014 08:35
|
Team Manager
Posts: 22046
Joined: 24-11-2007
PCM$: 3900.00
|
Keizer losing time on such a stage is not good. Just getting a good position after the timetrial and gone again.
Nizzolo can't fight for a top10 somehow expected. But in this sprint field here, I had small hopes.
Tomorrow then the first mountain stage. Let the race begin. |
| |
|
|
| Smowz |
Posted on 13-12-2014 08:44
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6386
Joined: 09-04-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
Nice to see vaugranard in the action on a flat stage, there was an outside chance but the strong sprinters had their day kudos to them.
Really hoping my team can continue to show themselves in the breakaways on the mountain stages. kittel dropped on a 4th cat shows what an imposter he is in the mountains Jersey
|
| |
|
|
| Alakagom |
Posted on 13-12-2014 08:47
|
World Champion
Posts: 10452
Joined: 19-11-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Anonymous stage, good Marquez is loosing time. Surely prime candidate for breaks in 3rd week now. We couldn't expect Vantomme to make the final of this stage.
However it's mildly annoying how punchers are ignored, Froome and other pure punchers dropped on this stage is just bad..
|
| |
|
