frame

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Starting immediately, all new users must be approved by a moderator (due to spam issues). #sworry
You can dismiss this message by clicking the little 'X' in the top right this box.
If you are a pro triathlete, please click here to DM AaronWebstey for access to the 'Pros-only' private forum. Don't forget to include your real name, and a link to pro race result would be great if you're a 1st-year pro.

Tour de France 2018

145679

Comments

  • Options
    MartinMartin Member, Rooster Endurance Member
    wchevron said:

    Matt said:

    Does Sagan have enough points to win the 2019 Green Jersey?

    Yes, they were saying after his crash he basically just has to finish in Paris and it's his.
    Man, this is not looking like a certainty right now. Hope he can power through this.
    Aaron WebsteyJennifer Post
  • Options
    MattMatt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member
  • Options
    idking90idking90 Member, Pro Triathlete
    Roglic on this descent
    Robert RankinMattwchevronAaron WebsteyCraig_DMartin
  • Options
    Guess when you live through this, not much scares you

    MartinKenElPescadoPelado

    Fattest BQ on record--- *allegedly
    2016 (and last) Rev3 Cedar Point champ- don't google the time though
  • Options
    Robert RankinRobert Rankin Member
    edited July 2018
    mbrekk44 said:

    I’ve got this thing in the bag with Thomas, Dumoulin, and Landa.

    mbrekk44 said:

    This will be the third shirt that Webstey has provided me. This one should probably be yellow.

    Quoting for when you get done having fun at RAGBRAI
    ;)
    Jennifer Post

    Fattest BQ on record--- *allegedly
    2016 (and last) Rev3 Cedar Point champ- don't google the time though
  • Options
    RashRash Member
    Gotta say, Froome even "cracks" well. Still caught back on after shutting down the initial Roglic attack. He's obviously missing a few gears this Tour, but he's still fighting hard.
    Martin
  • Options
    wchevronwchevron Member, POTM
    This has been the best tour in the past few years. Can't wait to see how everything shakes out at the TT tomorrow.
  • Options
    MattMatt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member
    wchevron said:

    Can't wait to see how everything shakes out at the TT tomorrow.

    It'll be close...

    Against the Clock - Dumoulin vs Thomas

    Over their career, Dumoulin and Thomas have raced TTs against one another 12 times; Dumoulin has won 11 of them. Unlike with Froome, Dumoulin and Thomas have not raced a time trial against one another in 2018.

    On Stage 10 of the 2017 Giro d’Italia, Dumoulin rode the 40km course 49 seconds faster than Thomas, who finished second with a dislocated shoulder after he was hit by a motorbike the previous day on the climb to Blockhaus. At the 2017 Tirreno-Adriatico, Thomas rode the 10km course seven seconds faster than Dumoulin.

    At the 2016 Olympic time trial, Dumoulin rode the 54.6km course 110 seconds faster than Thomas. On Stage 13 of the 2016 Tour, Dumoulin rode the 37.5km course 120 seconds faster than Thomas, and on Stage 18 he rode the 17km uphill course 108 seconds faster.

    Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that Thomas was riding in support of Froome at the 2016 Tour de France, however Thomas’ seventh-place finish on Stage 13 demonstrates that he was not saving his legs. Thomas finished 23rd on Stage 18, where Dumoulin finished second, and may not have been giving a 100 percent effort.

    Adding those five most recent TT contests together, Dumoulin holds a 380-second lead over Thomas across 159 kilometres, for a time differential of 2.4 seconds per kilometre. Extrapolating that out over 31km, Dumoulin would take 74 seconds from Thomas — not enough to win the Tour, assuming their time difference on GC stays the same.
    Aaron Webstey
  • Options
    MattMatt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member
    Also, Taylor Phinney is the new Laurens Ten Dam.

    Phinney crashed on one of the early descents in the stage and hit a tree. He broke his nose and the Tour’s doctor had to re-set it out on the road. Phinney was allowed to continue and soldiered on.


    Aaron WebsteyTad_MMartin
  • Options
    MartinMartin Member, Rooster Endurance Member
    edited July 2018
    Matt said:

    wchevron said:




    Against the Clock - Dumoulin vs Thomas

    Adding those five most recent TT contests together, Dumoulin holds a 380-second lead over Thomas across 159 kilometres, for a time differential of 2.4 seconds per kilometre. Extrapolating that out over 31km, Dumoulin would take 74 seconds from Thomas — not enough to win the Tour, assuming their time difference on GC stays the same.
    If Dumoulin takes 74 seconds out of Thomas (barring a crash), I will drink this gluten free beer that has been sitting in a warm closet in my house for the past year.

    At the Dauphine, Thomas averaged over 50 km/h over 6.6 km and lost only 20 seconds to Kwitkowski despite this happening:



    (Funny how similar this wipe-out is to Froome's Giro TT crash...)

    This has been a good Tour so far, Fantasy aside. It would have been amazing had Nibali and Uran hung around, but a bit of attrition at the top is part of the game at this event. The Bahrain squad looked like they would have been solid in the hills. (Damn, imagine Nibbles and Roglic taking that downhill today...)

    Lotto was the revelation for me. I had high hopes for Roglic and he did not disappoint. Kruijswijk carried his good form from Switzerland through to the Tour. They offered a stronger one-two than Movistar. The Roglic-Bernal showdown at the 2020 Tour is going to be amazing. And they brought a sprinter to the Tour, so they take home a couple additional wins along with a possible podium.

    I'm also impressed with Dumoulin. He lost a road captain in Matthews early, and with all due credit to Geschke (a vegan!), this is not Sunweb's strongest squad. Add Oomen and Kelderman to the mix, assuming they can learn to grind, and that's a badass squad for the hills. I'm not sure it matters though. The guy just rides comfortably in his zone. He can follow the Sky train and when he feels good he takes a dig. When they take off on him, he puts his head down and raises his watts by the minimum number it will take to catch them before the finish line. I'm sure he would appreciate having a lieutenant to fetch him water and help him if he flats, but he has managed just fine so far.

    Curious to see what happens tomorrow, before Demare's win in Paris. Side note: This will be the lowest number of finishers since 2008 when Astana was excluded just before the race started, and Sastre won the Tour on a breakaway up the Alpe d'Huez.
    M_WareMattRobert RankinCraig_DAaron WebsteyRashKenElPescadoPelado
  • Options
    Tad_MTad_M Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter, POTM
    edited July 2018
    Thanks to @Martin for taking time out to give this commentary during the event. Really interesting, really appreciated! and @Matt for the assist.
    MattRobert RankinCraig_DMark_after_DarkJennifer PostAaron WebsteyRash
    visit Michigan July 19th to 24th 2023 - The Sworry Trials Impossibleman and Ode to Laz
    https://www.facebook.com/sworrytrials/
    https://www.facebook.com/OdetoLaz/
  • Options
    MattMatt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member
    edited July 2018
    Windmill wins the stage by 1 second over Froome, 14 seconds over Thomas.




    Overall GC

    Robert RankinM_WareMartinAaron WebsteyCraig_DKenElPescadoPelado
  • Options
    Craig_DCraig_D Member, Rooster Endurance Member, POTM
    I agree. I haven’t been able to watch much this year so relying on getting my updates here. @Martin is the Howard Cosell of the Roost. I fully expect that he will be POTM for July. However since this is the TdF thread, I fully expect @Matt to be announced as the winner (when the results are finally released in October) due to “special circumstances “. His TEE (Temporary Editorial Exemption) will become the focus of debate for years to come.
    wchevronsimonsen77M_WareMartinRobert RankinAaron WebsteyMattTad_M
    Canadian Division
  • Options
    MartinMartin Member, Rooster Endurance Member
    edited July 2018
    Wout Poels climbed off his bike at one point in the TT, shared an ice cream with a fan, let three people pass him, then got back on and rode himself back into position. (This did not actually happen.)

    Six Sky riders in the top 25 of the last TT, including positions 2-3-4, with the lowest of the six being Bernal who was on the same time as Majka and Bardet despite being just 21 years old and a climber. New. York. Yankees. Want to win the Tour de France? Find a sponsor with unlimited resources.

    (Landa rumoured to be headed back to Astana next year. Hope he signed his papers before losing 3:11 in the TT today. I don't expect him to be within 30 seconds of the specialists, but this was hardly a flat course, and he gave up a bucket of time to Bardet. How much better is the Argon 18 than the Canyon?)

    So does GT go for the Grand Slam now? He hasn't raced all that much this year. The Vuelta is a climber's paradise, with 9 hilltop finishes, an 8k TT , and a 32k TT. The World Championship's course is in Innsbruck, so it's not one for the sprinters, either. You can bet Nibali is eyeing that. Lots of options...
    M_WareAaron WebsteyRash
  • Options
    MattMatt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member
    Landa to Astana if he becomes a GT leader? HA! They already have Lopez, and Fuglsang. I heard whispers that Valgren is going to Quick Step though.
  • Options
    Tad_MTad_M Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter, POTM
    In twitch fashion, please dispense with all this relevant discussion regarding the athletes, and tell me more about how great the Argon 18 is vs. the Canyon....... I need to know.
    MartinMattRobert Rankin
    visit Michigan July 19th to 24th 2023 - The Sworry Trials Impossibleman and Ode to Laz
    https://www.facebook.com/sworrytrials/
    https://www.facebook.com/OdetoLaz/
  • Options
    MartinMartin Member, Rooster Endurance Member
    That tracking camera is great for sprints.
    RashMattRobert Rankin
  • Options
    RashRash Member
    Wish Sagan was healthy enough to win, but still glad it wasn’t Démare.
    MartinRobert Rankin
  • Options
    KHilgendorfKHilgendorf Member, Rooster Endurance Member, POTM
    I’m just glad Demare was allowed to race. His 3rd place as my fantasy captain helped me pip @Martin by 9 points for 15th place.
    MartinAaron WebsteyRobert RankinTad_MKenElPescadoPelado
  • Options
    Jennifer PostJennifer Post Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter
    Congrats to @Robert Rankin on the Fantasy win.
    MartinAaron WebsteyRobert RankinKHilgendorfMattsimonsen77Tad_M
  • Options
    Aaron WebsteyAaron Webstey Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member, Rooster Endurance Officers
    Ditto - congrats to @Robert Rankin ! And thanks yet again to @Martin , I too used this thread as my sole source of TDF info (other than @uli 's Twitter account which basically has me convinced that every rider is doping himself, his family, and probably his pets for good measure).

    W
    M_WareRobert RankinCraig_DJennifer PostKenElPescadoPelado
    #KOAT
  • Options
    MattMatt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member


    The chart shows the GC standings of the top-5 over the three weeks. As you can see the others fell away from Thomas quickly, Chris Froome lost 51 seconds on the opening day; Primož Roglič and Steven Kruijswijk suffered in the team time trial and then Tom Dumoulin’s losses add up on Stage 6 at Mûr-de-Bretagne. Dumoulin rode into Romain Bardet just before the crucial finish at Mûr-de-Bretagne, forcing him to stop for a new wheel and chase back, this cost him 53 seconds plus a 20 second time penalty for a blatant draft behind the car. This accounts for two thirds of Dumoulin’s time losses to Thomas, then come 30 seconds in time bonuses taken by Thomas, against 12 for Dumoulin, the net 18 seconds equate to one fifth of the lead to leave just 17 seconds in straight racing of which the 20 second gap between Thomas and Dumoulin at La Rosière was the biggest gap between them. It’s a marked change from recent editions where we’ve seen riders more or less match each other until a time trial stage when suddenly they fall away from Froome. Here the lesson here isn’t one of addition and subtraction, more one of equality between the first two. Thomas looked the strongest and the most assured, he even never had to attack.

    And more from INRNG - How the 2018 Tour was Won
    Aaron WebsteyCraig_Dsimonsen77
  • Options
    MattMatt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member
    BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan
    "Geraint Thomas wins Tour de France: What does victory mean for Team Sky?"

    In terms of reputation, Geraint Thomas' Tour de France victory appears a blessing for Team Sky after a year of controversy - and perhaps a relief for the wider sport too.

    Certainly, a more straightforward cause for celebration than a fifth win by team-mate and fellow Briton Chris Froome might have been.

    Just a month ago remember, organisers tried to bar the then-reigning champion from entering the race because of the saga over his salbutamol case.

    Froome was then cleared on the eve of the event when governing body the UCI dropped the case after the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said there was no breach, despite him having been found to have more than the permitted amount of the substance in his system.

    But that did not stop spectators on the roadsides of France making their anger and suspicion towards Team Sky known. And had Froome claimed another win, rather than finishing third, one can only imagine the reception he might have received as he stood atop the podium yet again in Paris.

    There were no boos for Thomas on Sunday night, only cheers from the many Welsh fans present, for whom this is being described as one of their country's proudest sporting achievements.

    Thomas' name did not feature when, in 2016, the Fancy Bears hacking group revealed former team-mate Sir Bradley Wiggins' controversial use of the banned anti-inflammatory drug triamcinolone for allergies before major races through a series of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs).

    Unlike Wiggins - and Froome - the 32-year-old Welshman has never applied for a TUE, nor does he require asthma medication.

    Indeed, in March, he recommended they be scrapped. Unlike in the past when team-mates have gone head to head, there was no tension with Froome, the man and friend whose crown he has now taken.

    This is a humble winner, liked by both the peloton and the media, and his journey - from Cardiff to the Champs-Elysees, has been seen as inspiring and uplifting. His pedigree and development as an athlete is regarded as more plausible than some others, even if he was a late-bloomer as a climber.

    His is a victory therefore, that undoubtedly serves as a much-needed morale-booster to both Team Sky and the sport at large - one that will be portrayed by the team as vindication of their approach, helping them refer once again to their meticulous planning, and the obsessive hunger of chief Sir Dave Brailsford.

    For many, it will restore trust when it is most needed, and the narrative has certainly shifted. In the interviews that Thomas conducts on various television studio sofas in the coming days, the questions will no doubt focus on his upbringing, personal story and emotions, rather than on the specific details of how - like Wiggins - he managed to lose weight, while retaining power, and transform himself from Olympic pursuit rider, to Grand Tour champion.

    But Thomas' sensational triumph cannot turn back time or rewrite history. It cannot change the damning Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee report less than six months ago that shredded his employers' long-stated vow to be an outfit the sport could finally be proud of.

    It was a report which concluded that Wiggins and Team Sky had "crossed an ethical line" by using drugs allowed under anti-doping rules to enhance performance, instead of just for medical need, "contrary to the testimony of Dave Brailsford". And it condemned the "serious failure" to keep proper medical records, despite the team's reputation for thoroughness and 'marginal gains'.

    Thomas' win does not solve the continued mystery over the infamous medical 'jiffy-bag' delivered to Wiggins in 2011, who even during this year's Tour said he had discovered "very sinister" details about the scandal.

    Nor does it end the intrigue surrounding former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman, who having not been well enough to speak to the MPs at a hearing, released a book on the eve of the Tour and who remains under investigation by the General Medical Council over a delivery of testosterone patches to the national velodrome seven years ago.

    Wiggins, Freeman and Team Sky continue to deny any wrongdoing, but Thomas' victory will not end scrutiny of the handling of Froome's asthma drug case, with US Anti-Doping chief Travis Tygart - the man who brought down drugs cheat Lance Armstrong - describing the process as a "blow" to Wada's credibility.

    He demanded more transparency over how the decision to clear Froome was reached, regardless of Team Sky's 'data-drop' on the eve of the Tour as they sought to explain his remarkable victory at the Giro d'Italia - a tactic Froome's team-mate turned rival Richie Porte dismissed as "fake news".

    Nor is Thomas' win likely to entirely heal the wounds left by a Tour that at times brought the sport into disrepute: the bitter war of words between Brailsford and the head of the UCI David Lappartient, who suggested that Froome had effectively had his legal victory bought for him thanks to the wealth of Team Sky; the appalling behaviour of some of the crowds during the race, leading Brailsford to suggest that spitting was a "French cultural thing", a comment for which he later apologised; and the antics of Team Sky rider Gianni Moscon, who was kicked out of the race for punching a French rival.

    Whether you like it or not, cycling's tainted history when it comes to cheating means that every winner of this gruelling event will naturally now be viewed by some with a degree of scepticism.

    Sadly, even if a rider, like Thomas, has done nothing wrong, he can no longer assume that he will be given the benefit of the doubt.

    Thomas cannot avoid the fact that he has has been part of Team Sky since their formation in 2010. And he cannot avoid the fact they have now won six of the past seven Tours, a reign that will inevitably evoke suspicion, alongside admiration, jealousy and increasing apathy.

    He cannot help the fact that his was the first victory following the various crises, mistakes and mysteries of recent years - something which perhaps explains the dramatic decline in television audiences for the race.

    He cannot escape the association.

    Now Thomas has won, some will find it easier to believe. But for others, it will understandably change nothing.

    Too much has happened in both the distant - and much more recent past - for them to share in the joy and excitement that this victory once would have brought.


    M_Ware
  • Options
    Robert RankinRobert Rankin Member
    edited July 2018
    Thanks! What I lack in actual physical abilities I make up for with my fantasy abilities. I second, possibly third or fourth by now, the thanks to @Matt and @Martin for their insight on this thread. I have to much free time and was able to watch every stage, but your coverage was better than them. Also huge thanks to @AaronWebstey for keeping this whole forum alive. Don’t think that gets said enough man.
    M_WareAaron WebsteyCraig_DJennifer PostTad_M

    Fattest BQ on record--- *allegedly
    2016 (and last) Rev3 Cedar Point champ- don't google the time though
  • Options
    Aaron WebsteyAaron Webstey Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member, Rooster Endurance Officers
    I'm just a nerd who got lucky. You guys are the ones keeping this place alive.
    Jennifer PostTad_M
    #KOAT
  • Options
    Tad_MTad_M Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter, POTM

    I'm just a nerd who got lucky. You guys are the ones keeping this place alive.

    Leave it at nerd
    Craig_DMark_after_DarkAaron Webstey
    visit Michigan July 19th to 24th 2023 - The Sworry Trials Impossibleman and Ode to Laz
    https://www.facebook.com/sworrytrials/
    https://www.facebook.com/OdetoLaz/
  • Options
    RashRash Member
    @Martin and/or @Matt and/or anyone else - what are your thoughts on Lappartient? I sort of thought he might be a nice breath of fresh air when he took over the UCI, but he seems like a worthless blow hard at this point. Not any worse than the past regime, but no better and much more a fan of getting himself in the press. Am I way off here?
    Martin
  • Options
    MattMatt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member
    UCI knows where the bread is buttered and ASO is the dairy farm.
    Martin

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file

The Roost

@ 2018 The Triathlon Roost, All rights reserved.

Contact us

webstey@triroost.com

Get In Touch