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2013 Tour De France Discussion Thread!
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 11-08-2013 19:15
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Poor Pluschkin, could have won his 1st Tour here.  |
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| Smowz |
Posted on 11-08-2013 19:21
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You still have that feeling Madrazo will Take this, I feel as if Pluchkin would have been dropped at the end there, but we will never know.
Just about the worst moment for a puncture, it is the big risk though for a team like b and o. Could have a big impact on the final team standings.
Too tough for Moinard, but again delighted with teams activity.
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| Roman |
Posted on 11-08-2013 20:54
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This is really bad for Pluchkin and his manager, I really feel for them. What a bad luck.
Henao at least tried, good sign. A stage win from him would be amazing.
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| niconico |
Posted on 12-08-2013 00:28
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Hmm 11th place.... I see, well there's always next year....
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 19:24
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 12-08-2013 06:40
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This is so bad, i feel sorry for Pluchkin and niconico, this was going to be great three horses race, now reduced to two of them. Madrazo is my favourite now, because of TT and yellow jersey bonus after that.
Great stage win from Medvedev and mountain jersey gain from Pinot!
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| ember |
Posted on 12-08-2013 13:04
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That was incredibly unfortunate for Pluchkin and Team B&O, and I suspect that will hurt thinking of relegation.
Cunego against Madrazo should still be a great battle though, and there are still lots of great climbers who hopefully will try to shake things up like Schleck has done on pretty much every mountain stage.
I fancy Madrazo for the overall win now, as no more hilly stages and another time trial should give him the decisive advantage over Cunego. The Italian must look to extend his gap on the coming stage 14, though, that's obviously easier said than done.
For our performance, it doesn't look like we have the strength to be part of strong breakaways in the mountains, meaning we must hope for Impey on the flat stages.
Great reporting, CountArach! |
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| SotD |
Posted on 12-08-2013 18:43
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Oh man that sucks nico.
I'm rooting for Pluchkin to fight his way back into the top 5, and take a couple of stagewins in the making!
Will be interesting to see if Guerao can do anything at all here without Sinner to start the train. I guess Lavoine is still fast enough to position him decently, but he might be starting from too far behind. Steurs have been making the catch in the stages he won, and I suspect that he is now the man to take over for Sinner. And Rolland, Dees and C.A. Sørensen can't be worth much in the sprint train.
I'll take whatever comes my way. I would be very surprised if Guerao can make more top 3s from here on.
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| Kami |
Posted on 12-08-2013 20:43
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Intxausti has been doing splendid so far, and by splendid i mean not losing any significant time on hilly stages. Baring any bad luck he might be able to achieve top 5. That will mostly depend on Tenorio though, if he gets dropped somewhere because he has to work for Madrazo.
Madrazo/Cunego is turning out to be a real thriller, but i could have been a 3-way battle, if Pliushkin wouldn't have had that puncture. Although it would still have been the question if he could have kept hanging on if he would have lost the yellow jersey bonus somewhere.
Seasons almost done, and i still have no win, and it's looking like i won't get any this season, unless Intxausti goes hero-mode in the rest of the tour, or the Vuelta a Colombia.
Took some time to read up on the reports (been enjoying my summer  ), but was a very pleasant read. Great reports!
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| Levi4life |
Posted on 12-08-2013 21:22
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-.-
I'm kinda hoping that Brajkovic goes up the GC table at some point, rather than slipping stage after stage.
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| CountArach |
Posted on 13-08-2013 02:32
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SportingNonsense wrote:
Would be interesting to see where he places in the KoM competition now - those standings are the only thing missing from an otherwise faultless report.
All fixed now.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 13-08-2013 04:47
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Getting closer and closer to that stage win, Anton was right there. I'm wondering if the roles were switched and that was Abal if he would have made it given the same circumstances. Either way with one week left Abal looks like a lock for a top 15 and Anton a top 20 in GC so that's great, but a stage win would be so awesome. 
Thanks for the suspenseful report Count. 
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| Smowz |
Posted on 13-08-2013 07:08
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A superb display by Cunego.
Madrazo still would be favoured to take yellow in the TT, though it could well be a tight trip through our third set of mountains.
Flat stages now, time to see if Benneti can step up.
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| dave92 |
Posted on 13-08-2013 07:10
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Bookwalter failing to take max points on the first two climbs or even show interest is inexcusable, even if that break made it to the line I couldn't see him winning the stage so might as well accumulate more points.
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| Heine |
Posted on 13-08-2013 07:15
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Cunego managing to steal some seconds, I doubt it is enough for him to keep yellow after the TT (even though he always have good TTs late in tours), but should keep it more exciting 
For my own team... I believe we could say we were not ready for TDF this year :-p
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| Sykkel_Freak |
Posted on 13-08-2013 08:16
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Duarte is trying to get away, which is positive. We should be more aggressive at the start of the stages on these mountain stages, though. We haven't been much present in the break aways, which is our best shot at winning a stage.
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| Kami |
Posted on 13-08-2013 09:25
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So far so good. Intxausti is being very consistent. 3 brutal mountain stages left though, which might cause some trouble if a rider like Pluchkin goes for a long attack.
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 13-08-2013 10:11
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Not to jinx it, but things are going pretty well so far... |
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| Rin |
Posted on 13-08-2013 10:55
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Cunego doing very very well and great that my team got together working this stage up.
But the 3rd week will be very tough and very exciting.
Even though the now main rival Madrazo is a bit weaker than Pluchkin in time trials I think Cunego will lose at least 1 minute and 40 seconds at the time trial.
So I have to hope:
- No break goes through the downhill finish so Cunego might sprint for the time bonus
- At the 2 mountain top finishes Cunego needs at least a Top 3 place and Madrazo behind him. Plus gaining 20 seconds on him.
- Cunego doesn't crash
Man that is going to be very close and much closer than I want it to be.
 Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 13-08-2013 11:02
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Hopefully Ponzi can start knocking some points back in against the likes of Cunego and now Madrazo.
Nice to see Ignatiev getting in breaks. Not really why I brought him along, but I can't complain that Wiggle are being aggressive in the race. |
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 13-08-2013 11:03
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This is probably going to be one of the most exciting last weeks of the Tour in a long time. Cunego vs Madrazo for the win and Schleck vs Amador for the last podium spot. Pluschkin might be able to grab the TT but I see if Madrazo doesn't reach the yellowe jersey in the TT, Cunego has this. |
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