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Tour de France 2014 |OT| Riding Around 101
- Thread starter Linkinito
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They announced he abandoned but he refused to stop.
Yeah, but I can't quite see him keeping up with Nibali on the climbs, I expect he'll be fighting for a podium spot, but not the first place. That's really Nibali's to lose at this point.
Confrontation
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Contador's about to leave. damn.
bobnowhere
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Contador's body language has changed in the last few k's. I suspect he'll pull out soon. 
Hope I'm wrong though.
Edit: Damn pulled out during the overly long add-break on Aus TV.
Hope I'm wrong though.Edit: Damn pulled out during the overly long add-break on Aus TV.
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There's nobody left after Nibali and Valverde isn't strong enough. It's gonna be a Lance-like cakewalk.
For sure. I'm pretty much hoping Nibali has a really bad day or drops out somehow, because then it's really exciting again with maybe as much as a dozen riders with a shot at the yellow. As it is right now though, Nibali will cruise to victory.
Mt Heart Attack
Member
Pls. He was dropped on the first half-serious climb.
Really sucks we didn't get to see Contador and Nibali fighting it off.
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Yup and he's got a really solid Astana team behind him to control everything. Although for us Belgians, VDB could get on the podium so there is at least something to look forward to (even if he already fell like a billion times so far).
please what...? If you followed the Tour, you would know that he dropped because he was sick that day.. his doctor sad he had some kind of stomach issue,
Oh yeah, the Giro really delivered this year, as it does most years. Doesn't look like this Tour will deliver :/.
Yes, a 1-2 for Astana is entirely possible. Ridiculous.
Mt Heart Attack
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I know he was supposedly sick, but you said that he isn't allowed to win because of Nibali, which somehow suggests that he would stand a chance if he wasn't a domestique. That's just a ridiculous statement imo, nothing he has done in his career so far has indicated he's anywhere near Tour de France winning material. He just isn't good enough, or if he is, he most obviously hasn't proved that so far, his best result in a Grand Tour is a seventh place and he's like 30 already. He's certainly a top dom though, just like Rogers is for Contador.
Ohhh I wasn´t saying he could win over Nibali.. I´m from Denmark, so offcourse I will support a Danish rider.. ;o).. I meant to say that Fuglsang isn´t allowed to win anything, because he is there to support Nibali. I´m almost 100% sure he will get 2nd. place in the tour now (unless he has an accident or gets sick)... He showed last year that he is a good classement rider. He is good in the mountains and has the stamina to ride for 3 weeks without problems.
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So Astana gonna give Kwiatek the yellow so they can have a couple days off, I assume.
That's what it looks like, yeah. Probably want him to get all the media hubbub on the rest day.
Mt Heart Attack
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He would certainly be good enough for a top 10 finish, but, at least on paper, Nibali, Valverde and probably Porte are clearly superior climbers and I don't really think he's good enough for a podium finish, he was Astana's captain at last year's Tour, if I'm not mistaken, yet he couldn't do any better than a 7th place. We'll see what happens in the mountains now
He would certainly be good enough for a top 10 finish, but, at least on paper, Nibali, Valverde and probably Porte are clearly superior climbers and I don't really think he's good enough for a podium finish, he was Astana's captain at last year's Tour, if I'm not mistaken, yet he couldn't do any better than a 7th place. We'll see what happens in the mountains now
Yeah if I remove my Danish Glasses I know he isn´t as good as Valverde and Co. But he still has to pull for Nibali, and if Nibali is a going for it in the mountains he will pull Fuglsang with him..
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You think Mollema can possibly get into the top 5, maybe even the podium aswell? Could be a battle between him and VBD for one of those spots.
Will be tough, but given that two major competitors are gone now, I could see top 5.
Also, on another topic, I sort of don't buy Tony Martin's performance today. Nobody can go that deep two days in a row.
CheDominik
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I think Martin will break down at the last climb and lose a ton of time, I mean he just has to, right?
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Yea, although I do think Martin will be left behind at the extremely steep Chevrères. If he manages to follow a guy like Rodriguez there, then there is definitely something going on.
I think there's already something going on. I mean, he's a great rider, but this is too much to be believable imo. This level of recovery in a day, I just don't believe that. At minimum blood bag I'd say.
Shanks D Zoro
Banned
Nibali to Paris. I am so happy that it is getting easier for him. The grand tour slam is in the making.
Hopefully he can keep his cool all the way and Astana can control the race.
Hopefully he can keep his cool all the way and Astana can control the race.
Either Nibali wants the yellow now or it's just about denying Kwiatkowski time gains.
Shanks D Zoro
Banned
I think it is the latter, although I can see Nibali try something on the final climb to see how his climbing legs are with the rest day tomorrow.Plus he was most likely expecting a fight up.
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Probably, but you hear stories around here that even the youngest riders who aren't even pros are already taking something. I just try to cancel all that out, believe that they all take something and it's still basically a level playing field. Enjoy the views aswell lol.
Guy from Telenet who hooked up my modem couple years ago was talking about how he was a competitive cyclist in his late teens but because of an injury he had to quit. He said that he already took some stuff that he knew wasn't fully legitimate and all he did was mainly ride 'Kermiskoersen' and those kind of races.
right now Gallopin is still in the Yellow Jersey..
and if Tony Martin is doped, then... I can´t even finish that sentence..
Shanks D Zoro
Banned
Martin will be caught if the climbers go on the final mountains. He is power and can go at a steady pace up a mountain, but if the climbers explode he will be done.
Although I Remember thinking that back when Wiggins finished 4th but managed to stay with everybody
Barring some sort of crash, Nibali should cakewalk to Paris. I think today they'll try and limit losses to Kwiatkowski but bury him in the high mountains. Kwia is a good climber, but tends to falter as the race progresses. Other than Nibali, maybe Porte, but he always has a really bad day which completely destroys his chances for a podium. Maybe he can avoid backsliding this time around, but it'll be hard; his team is already down two guys.
Valverde? Don't see it happening, although I'm sure he'll have a good stage or two. Really don't see anyone else competing for the yellow.
Like others have said, bring on the Vuelta! Going to have a lot of riders nursing grievances and wanting to exorcise some TdF demons.
Valverde? Don't see it happening, although I'm sure he'll have a good stage or two. Really don't see anyone else competing for the yellow.
Like others have said, bring on the Vuelta! Going to have a lot of riders nursing grievances and wanting to exorcise some TdF demons.
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As long as riders don't pull a Landis '06 solo or any sort of Ricco stunt, there will always be hope that they don't take anything.
bobnowhere
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Other teams coming forward at last, Movistar,Sky etc... Breakaway probably won't last to second last summit.
I can understand the worry about Martin, but remember that he wanted to evolve from time trials to winning multiple day races. He has worked on it.
Studies have shown even those guys that just go biking with their local clubs on sunday take doping. Checking has increased on the professional level, not on the amateur level which is why usage has remained high. It is even worse in gyms where people apparantly take it too for reasons I can't understand.
Studies have shown even those guys that just go biking with their local clubs on sunday take doping. Checking has increased on the professional level, not on the amateur level which is why usage has remained high. It is even worse in gyms where people apparantly take it too for reasons I can't understand.
Contadors bike looks to be in one piece here http://twitter.com/JohnMacLeary/status/488696934853795840/photo/1
I'm sure that Portes catastrophic days were because of his domestique duties. He'll manage much better riding on his own limits (hopefully)
I'm sure that Portes catastrophic days were because of his domestique duties. He'll manage much better riding on his own limits (hopefully)
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