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Starting to get excited about the tour?

Last Post 07/02/2016 07:32 PM by Nicholas Arenella. 24 Replies.

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Orange Crush

Posts:4499

06/28/2016 05:03 PM
Quintana seems to be doing a lot of good and I like the guy. As to Columbia in general, it is well known that the domestic racing circuit is about as dirty and dangerous as it gets. When at same time one sees a whole bunch of cyclists from one country coming to the fore, that has got to raise some ? http://cyclingtips.com/2015/10/death-threats-doping-and-disillusion-the-troubling-state-of-cycling-in-colombia/

SideBySide

Posts:444

06/28/2016 05:38 PM
I am only mildly interested, because I am afraid it will be a snoozefest.

longslowdistance

Posts:2886

06/28/2016 09:13 PM
Agree goofy skybot with nose pegged to power meter probably will win. Ban the radios. Ban the power meters. Re-introduce Intuition and L'audace to the skills needed to win Le Tour.

Orange Crush

Posts:4499

06/28/2016 09:29 PM
First and foremost you need smaller teams to bring some audacity back.

stronz

Posts:447

06/29/2016 09:59 AM
Ben - very interesting - didnt know any of that.

jookey

Posts:200

06/30/2016 06:17 AM
The reason this has usually become a snore fest is that they treat it as a race of attrition. When you are battling against a rider/team with a grip on the Tour (~Lance, Indurain). Most just were satisfied with 2nd or 3rd and hope the favorite faltered. If the contending teams attacked the leader over and over, eventually you will crack the team. But, likewise, you might crack or it could be one of the other contenders that gets away. It's a gamble they didn't want to take. You can't be afraid of losing to win. They were happy with 2nd or 7th or whatever. This is evident when the sixth place rider is up the road and the fifth place team goes to the front. Or you send your top domestique up the road. If they let him go, he could win (Cunego way back when!)

Red Tornado

Posts:159

06/30/2016 11:30 AM
http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/author/oleg-tinkov-blog-we-will-kick-team-skys-ass-at-the-tour-de-france/ As always, OT trying to liven things up a bit. Green jersey for Sagan? I could go with that. Yellow for Contador? I don't know......

Nick A

Posts:625

06/30/2016 12:32 PM
I don't follow all of the ins and outs of pro racing anymore, but at least I haven't heard any doping allegations about Quintana. So at least I can root for him and be naive. Plus, I've always been partial to climbers. For other fellow cable cutters, last year I bought the iPhone Tour app, and could watch every second of coverage for I think like $20. I recommend it. Nick

79pmooney

Posts:3189

06/30/2016 12:42 PM
More on Quintana and a good read: http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/06/feature/who-is-nairo-quintana_411674 He grew up at 10,000 ft. He has to descend 400 meters just to get to the highest point in Europe a road bike can get to. The Tour's "high passes"? Not for that guy! I love that he is a complete bike racer. I have been noticing that the past couple of years. Rode was it Flanders? to get cobble experience. And finished OK with no issues at all. That article talks about his both skills and confidence riding with the "big boys", both figuratively and literally. Unlike that Kenyan who Sky should protect like a precious gem (not protecting him on a flat early sprinter's stage cost Froome/Sky a Tour), Quintana can fend for himself. And the peloton knows that. I'm hoping Quintana doesn't get caught out early in say a crosswind or behind a crash like two years ago. Apparently Moviestar is down one strong flat ground rider and this could be critical for them the first week. May no one except Contador come between Quiintana and yellow in Paris. Both are champions. Both are class acts. And both are a lot of fun to watch! Ben

Nick A

Posts:625

07/02/2016 07:32 PM
For the sake of completeness, I must un-recommend the viewing app. They've jacked up the price to include other races, and worse, they force you to set up an account with NBCSN, where apparently they spam your e-mail. I might still be desperate enough, but felt compelled to share this.