Le tour 2018

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RC Vikings]

I love watching the last ten miles of these races, the battling for position, the whole flow of the peloton and the ability of these riders to race along at over thirty miles per hour on tiny narrow streets and not just end up in one big pile every day is amazing to me.

[creekster]

I thought it was a pretty ragged TTT today. Nibali's team was awful. Porte is sitting nicely and, of course, Froome made back a lot of the time he lost on a lot of GC guys in stage one.

Btw, does anyone else think that Richie Porte looks like he has lost weight this year? I don't think he has ever looked quite this lean. It might be good for him in the mountains.

[creekster]

Peter Sagan sounds like Latka from Taxi.

[mtnbiker]

Peter Sagan sounds like Latka from Taxi.

He may sound funny, but he's a heck of a bike rider and handler.

[creekster]

He may sound funny, but he's a heck of a bike rider and handler.

I couldn’t agree more. He’s my favorite rider. His apparent joie de vivre makes him very likeable.

[RC Vikings]

Peter Sagan sounds like Latka from Taxi.

It always freaks me out a little when he starts talking because it's so different than what I expect. Roll and Vande Velde were talking about how amazing it was that Sagan never goes down, just says a lot about his bike handling ability and being in the right place.

[mtnbiker]

It always freaks me out a little when he starts talking because it's so different than what I expect. Roll and Vande Velde were talking about how amazing it was that Sagan never goes down, just says a lot about his bike handling ability and being in the right place.

He seems to have a pretty high racing IQ, too, knowing where to be in the peloton, being in the right place (the front) when things happen. Unlike Nairo Quintana, who seems to have no feel at all. Just the other day he got dropped by everyone when he flatted both tires. What a comedy watching the neutral service bike guy trying to figure out how to change a tire. Meanwhile, everyone else disappears into the distance, no team car, no teammates.

[creekster]

He seems to have a pretty high racing IQ, too, knowing where to be in the peloton, being in the right place (the front) when things happen. Unlike Nairo Quintana, who seems to have no feel at all. Just the other day he got dropped by everyone when he flatted both tires. What a comedy watching the neutral service bike guy trying to figure out how to change a tire. Meanwhile, everyone else disappears into the distance, no team car, no teammates.

Sagan's strategy so far seems to have ben to sit on Graviria's wheel and use him as a leadout. It's one of the things that sort oa amazes me about Sagan; he pretty much uses other teams riders for his own lead out in every stage (and has done this for years now). He's like the kid in the neighborhood that always shows up when you are having a BBQ or passing out ice cream or doing something fun in the yard. You never know how he knows something is up but he is just there and because he is friendly and disarming, you just include him anyway.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Ritchie Porte having another case of the Stage 9s. Bummer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RC Vikings]

I think BMC showed how much faith they have in Tejay doing well, none in fact Van Avermaet went to the front and pushed the pace just after van Garderen went down. Crazy stage today.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I think BMC showed how much faith they have in Tejay doing well, none in fact Van Avermaet went to the front and pushed the pace just after van Garderen went down. Crazy stage today.

We're watching the stage as I type this and while it's pretty exciting, the route seems rather sadistic.

[creekster]

Stage 9 was pretty fascinating. Carnage all around. Teejay's race is over. Groenwald lost a fork?? wth? Richie Porte crashes out BEFORE the pavés and is done, while Ohowicz, who is told that Porte actually did not break any bones, coldly tells him that his bag is waiting for him back in town and Porte can go home and heal (recall Ochowicz and BMC were, before yesterday, going to be done at the end of the year and Porte has already signed elsewhere), Toms Skujins stars in a video (which i think was from stage 8) showing him picking up his bike from the side of the road and all of the sudden his rear wheel starts spinning madly, sending the twitter-verse into an apoplectic orgy of Mechanical doping claims (The best analysis I saw, however, said it was spinning because he had thrown his chain, had put it back on and then spun the crank with his hand just as he picked the bike up). And what about bardet?
How many flats and mechanicals can one guy have when he weighs less than my left thigh? Does Bardet's bike even know it is being ridden? TO his great credit, he came back and only lost 7 seconds on the stage. What a mash up. In the past I was not a fan of the pavé But they have grown on me (from the comfort of my recliner, snack and drink in hand).

Can I just say how much I love the Belgians? In general they are very nice people. Friendly. Good, fattening foods. Lots of beer that would make Funk happy. And they almost nevber win. In fact, they are very rarely even very aggressive. They would prefer to be left alone with their beer, chocolate and gaufres Belge. So on one weekend, they get to the elim round in the World cup but end up finishing third and the Belgians are very happy. Third is pretty good, they think, an no one invaded afterwards! In the Tour, they have the yellow jersey! for multiple days! But in a bit of ominous foreshadowing the yellow cloaked Van Avermaet not only cant win the stage when he is sitting in second of three at the final sprint, he loses so badly that he just gives it up before the line. Belgians finish second and third on the day. And to whom did they lose? A German. A damaged, confidence-lacking German. How fitting. I bet that nothing has made the Belgians distrust Trump more than his recent urgings that the Germans increase their defense spending. Try being the speed bump of Europe and see how an better armed Germany looks. Is he crazy? Van Avermaet will not be in yellow at the next rest day, but we can hope that some other 'gique, like Gilbert, carries the mantle.

P.S. Ochowicz announced today that his team's sponsorship was picked up by a Polish company and so they will be around next year. He also admitted that Porte did, in fact, break his collar bone.

[mtnbiker]

That's a pretty good summary. Keep them coming. That's pretty funny about Skujins' bike wheel; I really hope he really did spin it by hand. All they need is another scandal.

Poor Porte. He keeps getting touted as a possible winner, and never comes close. Seems to fold like a cheap lawn chair toward the end. But couldn't get that far the last 2 years. I had heard the initial diagnosis was dislocated collar bone. so it's broken, huh?

What kind of Polish company picked up the team sponsorship? When I first read your post, I imagined them riding around with big Polish hot dogs on their kits. That would be hilarious.

[creekster]

That's a pretty good summary. Keep them coming. That's pretty funny about Skujins' bike wheel; I really hope he really did spin it by hand. All they need is another scandal.

Poor Porte. He keeps getting touted as a possible winner, and never comes close. Seems to fold like a cheap lawn chair toward the end. But couldn't get that far the last 2 years. I had heard the initial diagnosis was dislocated collar bone. so it's broken, huh?

What kind of Polish company picked up the team sponsorship? When I first read your post, I imagined them riding around with big Polish hot dogs on their kits. That would be hilarious.

I think it’s a Polish shoe company. As opposed to a shoe polish company! Hah ha. Sorry.

Also, here is the Skunin video. For all you conspiracy fans.

https://twitter.com/ordvoskin/status...944695296?s=21