- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Cross country mountain bikes
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
forum
Tour de France discussion (spoiler alert)
Thought it might be good to have a thread to discuss the race, etc.
First comments from me are Sagan is exciting. A real talent. Hope to see much more from him.
Secondly, poor Tony Martin. What a terrible first 2 stages. Just unfortunate or not fully 'up to speed' after injury? What do you reckon?
Finally, who said Cav needs a lead out train?! His wheel hopping was first class today.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
Latest Forum Topics
Latest Comments
- David9694 38 min 21 sec ago
Something occasionally pricks drivers about cycling and they feel a need justify their driving and come up with a range of reasons why they cannot...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 13 min ago
Japan - luckily people can see what that's about through the power of the Internet. Short - not transferrable (although bringing in kei cars and...
- tony.westclassics@live.co.uk 1 hour 35 min ago
Just a rail with sliding hooks, about as safe as the property its fitted in ,plus over time damage to wheels, plus it doesnt stop parts being removed
- Hirsute 1 hour 39 min ago
All sorts of people are subject to hatred and othering under the fascist, nazi regime of trump and musk. I'm sorry I did not give a exhaustive list.
- ChrisA 1 hour 44 min ago
Blade Mews is private, so you have to ask why the council thought it reasonable to (legally) restrict cycling on a public right of way, that...
- Rendel Harris 3 hours 45 min ago
That's correct, but it raises an interesting question: if the defendant used a knife the starting point for a minimum term is twenty-five years, if...
- Born_peddling 7 hours 52 min ago
To be fair as much as I like to see decent public rack being put up just not at the cost of taking spaces like these specifically designed to allow...
- Hirsute 12 hours 16 min ago
You've missed the bit where it's going to court.
- froze 12 hours 40 min ago
The Silca is not that great, if you go online to Silca and look at the scale they use it is very poorly designed with the readings far to close...
- froze 12 hours 52 min ago
I gurantee you this is happening to millions of products sold all over the world.
Add new comment
53 comments
Sky have THE BEST mountain men of any team this year.
Don't doubt them, its not like they're going to surprise, they have a very definite plan
I've said it before (many times) and I'll say it again. US Postal/Discovery had one leader and 8 riders to support that leader all of the time. There was never a plan B (other than maybe if LA had crashed out then whoever to take his chance). They won 7 times. This has nowt to do with doping whether it existed or not. There was one plan. One leader, 8 injuns. Wiggo IMHO was already 1 to 2 support riders down before a wheel was turned in anger. He has now lost another. I am concerned. That is why you have 8 support riders so you can "afford" to lose one to unforeseen circumstances.
I don't doubt Brad's ability, I am just very concerned about the teams.
I wonder if Cav was included as a contractual obligation to get him on to Sky. If so that was a mistake.
I like Brailsford but do wonder if he suffers from hubris?
Hmm, I tend to agree with Boardman - if they were picking a team for weeks 2 and 3 then Cav and Eisel shouldn't have been in it. Hopefully they can still pull it off - Porte, Froome and Rogers is still possibly the best support trio that any of the GC guys will have in the mountains.
Can't wait for the mountains - hoping to see some big attacks from the climbers after they lose time in the TT. Should be awesome racing.
Ah, righto, cheers!
I don't think they could not pick Cav - it would be disrespectful to the rainbow and green jerseys. Besides, Cav would have made sure that was an agreed point before signing for Sky. Eisel a strong guy and an experienced road captain, which gives them options.
I don't see a problem for Sky yet - bit of a close call yesterday being behind the crash, and only avoided losing time because of the 'last 3km' rule.
Come on Wiggo.
Yeah, don't get me wrong I'm glad Cav's riding, he's great value, I was just saying that if their only priority was Yellow in Paris, then he wouldn't be. Hopefully they can still pull it off, with Overall for Brad and more stage wins for Cav in the rainbow jersey. I still make Brad the favourite, but he'll need big performances from Froome, Porte and Rogers. If he has a bad day in the mountains and they're not there, he's buggered.
Oh I know what you're saying, and in some ways I agree, but i suppose what im saying is, that harks back to the bigger question of whether he should have moved to Sky, because this scenario was an obvious one. Had they chosen to omit the reigning world champion and green jersey holder in favour of another domestique, I think the team and brailsford would have been pariahs within the sport.
Sky have picked a team for weeks 2 and 3, not for week 1. I think that is obvious from the names.
They will boss it up the climbs even without Sivtsov.
Lets hope they employ a better stratergy on the hills than the tactics they're employing on the open stages.
You wait till we get to the mountains and SKY start TTTing straight up them.
I wouldn't be surprised if they got two on the podium, like they did at Vuelta.
And that was before they started these crazy dominating tactics.
Hope So.
I'm looking forward to the mountain stages; and I'm hoping Sky will be in a position to get over them in front; but, it's not looking too promising for them at present. They need to get their act together.
I'm not sure about them even getting two in the top 10. Froome has last 1:40 and Porte over 6:30, Rogers is still in touch with the leaders but I think they'll end up burning through the whole team once we get to the bumpy stuff.
I'm sure that on a few days BMC and Liquigas will just let Sky do all the heavy lifting then try and blow them up on the last climb and isolate Wiggins, it's what I'd do. If they've come into the tour prepared to work every day, make them work every day and save your own legs.
What rubbish (although I did tell you at the time!)
It's like drheaton aiming at a dartboard, on a wall, in his house, and landing in the wrong street.
Fair enough, I'll admit that I always underestimate Sky but it's early days and to keep that up through the really big mountains will take some doing.
One of the most telling comments in the live commentary on ITV yesterday was on the make-up of the Sky and BMC teams. Evans has a team of strong guys around him capable of keeping him out of trouble on flat stages, Wiggins has a team around him built for the hills.
I was surprised by how isolated Evans was at the end but massively impressed with Wiggins and Froome. One thing I will say though is that Evans may be isolated from team mates but he'll have plenty of help in trying to break Wiggins from Nibali, Van den Broeck, Schleck etc who are all looking to pull back huge chunks of time.
Have Sky chosen the right men for the tour team? they seem to be outclassed by many of the other teams in the TOUR.
Cavendish has not lost the power to go for it; and he's doing it all alone; well, Bernie is doing his best to help.
Sagan, is a possible GC contender. Although, he says he want's the Green Jersey; I can see a Yellow for him, in the not to distant future.
Hesjedal is very quiet in the peleton?????
I predict a sprinters day for the 4th stage? Maybe Greipel? or Cav?
His bike has WEIRD geometry, look it up.
Sagan the man again!
I first saw him and took notice last season, iirc tour if California. He has had a bigger and certainly quicker impact than I expected though.
Feature on the Tourminator bike please guys?
...brown shorts.
Pretty much what SD said.
Lol at Marcel Kittel's twitter feed, he's even posted a pic of a suppository prescribed by the doc!
@Dave - sorry, don't get "if you were on AG2R you wouldn't have to worry so much" - am I being thick?
Chavanel to make a bid for yellow on stage 3 maybe?? - in my fantasy team just in case.
I'm rooting for Gilbet, though - I'd love him to win stage 3.
Outside bets - Iglinsky or Nuyens??
Probably be a repeat of stage 1 though!
@marcelkittel's twitter feed gives some indication of why he was off the pace today... one comment "if you were on AG2R you wouldn't have to worry so much.”
1) Chapeau to Argos-Shimano and Tom Veelers today - to still get 4th after realising Kittel wasn't going to make it was great to see.
2) Glad they've stuck with just the one intermediate sprint, for me one of the best improvements to the Tour in recent years.
3) I have absolutely NO IDEA what to expect tomorrow! These Classics-style stages are difficult to predict, and we don't really know who is on form (although Gilbert and Sagan will presumably be up there). Iglinsky? Albasini? Mollema?
sagan is probably sending massive panic through the other big teams. hes a strong rider. well impressed, clearly though its all about the bike... oh look i have a cannondale as well, i must be as fast
Is it true what Magnus B says? Will Sagan become a GC rider?
Ryder's going well as well.
Pages