Pro-cycling thread

It's Wanty Group Gobert I feel sorry for.

I'm actually really happy for him. Absolutely no shame in being a Grand Tour stage hunter - maybe that is what he is cut out for.

Not at all, but are BMC likely to keep paying him GC contenders bucks if so?

Also, can Pinot now legitimately threaten Quintana and Nibs podium chances? I know he went like a sack of in the last TT, but he has no rest day to throw him this time. Would be good to see after their fucking about today.

Would love nothing more than for them to both drop off and be replaced by people who want to ride their bikes.

Assume TD was asking why they weren't chasing their rivals for the podium and they preferred to stick with him. Short sighted. Top bants.

He says it for me.

Tom Dumoulin:

They are only focussing on me, and trying to make me lose instead of trying to win. In the last moment they lost a lot of time to the other competitors. I really hope that riding like this they will lose their podium spot in Milan, that would be really nice, and I would be really happy.

It would be a dream scenario if the other competitors didn't get any closer, but now Thibaut Pinot almost took a minute on me just because Nibali and Quintana made a pact, clearly. It's their right, but it would be nice if they lose their podium spot for that behaviour.

^ that, plus it's quite stupid and not helping their own chances the coming days. now other teams like FDJ and Trek will probably ride with Sunweb to get their contenders nearer the podium

FDJ closing down the moves while TD sat in. Perfect scenario today and it will happen again tomorrow surely.

meanwhile in the Tour of Belgium, Mathieu van der Poel bosses Philippe Gilbert and Wout van Aert, winning stage 2. I hope he will one day start road racing seriously instead of just as training for cyclocross end mountainbike competitions.

So happy for TJ. Hope he get's his mojo back.

Tommy D trash talking NQ on the rollers behind the podium is my new jam

"Why didn't you ride?"

Good lord. I did not expect that.

I can't have been the only one writing him off.

Ha ha - my pick was tongue in cheek

Hadn't actually seen the finish until now. Looked like Landa took wrong line through last corner again. Sky DS needs firing.

Rough translation of pretty funny tweet from a Belgian sports journo (always poking fun w hyperboles)

"If Landa has understood how racing works, he could well have earned two Tuscan summer houses by now. One might fear he has."

Eurosport seem to be cracking down on streams - Steephill haven't carried any links and Tiz was off line earlier (their Twitter has been suspended too). I watched a Columbian stream today. They weren't very excited.

Hardly surprising, Quintana looks a pale imitation of the rider he can be.

Love how calm Dumoulin was as he told Flecha he hoped Nibali and Quintana get shoved off the podium.

Bring it home Tommy.

Next two stages...

Plenty left for him to do but no hors cat monsters. Maybe Quintana has been bluffing for the last week and is going to go nuts today.

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I like how Tommy is doing this with panache.

fucking hell. Go to work and TJ fucking Van Garderen only goes and wins a GT stage. What are the odds?

Love how calm Dumoulin was as he told Flecha he hoped Nibali and Quintana get shoved off the podium.

Me too. Nibs didn't, he even brought up the word 'karma'(which is a bit rich coming from him imho) in saying TD shouldn't be so arrogant. Sounds like a threat.

^ I think Nibbles is doing a fair bit of projecting there. His and Quintana's tactics yesterday seemed to assume the podium was safe. It might be dawning on him that he could be made to look rather silly in the closing days.

It might be dawning on him that he could be made to look rather silly in the closing days

Especially if Pinot pulls a good TT out of the bag on the final day.

Quintana isn't bluffing. He's not the rider he has been.
Dumoulin is the strongest rider is the race, by far. I think we're witnessing the emerging and verification of a new great. I have a feeling he's going to go on to be incredible in the years to come.