Tour de France 2017

Lanterne Rouge bantz on twatter

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Inorite? Looked like a gymboi sprinting in today.

Slayer rep

Mollema's win undermined by his sock length.

This. What was he thinking?

Has anyone specified what the mechanical problem was. It didn't look right, but then what would be the advantage of faking a mechanical and then rinsing your team mates?

Popped a spoke, apparently.

I think it was a puncture. (or a popped spoke it seems)

The advantages I can imagine are either trying to force the peloton to stop for you to slow down the climb, or getting a bike with a motor (or in this case, I guess it would be one of those fancy wheels with motors).

There is no advantage at all, particularly at that point, when the race was on and AG2M were drilling it at the front.

Nope, I prefer Mrak's answer mechanical doping- the race refs need to get hold of that wheel for investigation.

Would explain how Kwiatkowski has been so strong so far!
(I don't for one second believe that Sky could get away with mechanical doping)

yeah, Kwiato didn't look so fast after giving that wheel away, did he.

For the record, I don't think that's what's happened. Just trying to work out Jalabert's comment which Andy mentioned.

I'm guessing Knees and Kiryienka have been keeping a low profile ahead of Weds/Thurs and, given that Landa, Nieve and Kwiato are all still looking imperious, Sky will have plenty of cards* to play through the week.

• http://www.velonews.com/2017/07/tour-de-france/landa-might-skys-ace-hole-joker_443756
  

I don't think he's saying that those are the only people that can claim to be British. More that it's hard to claim another nationality if you have such a singular upbringing.

Froome must have made his best effort of this Tour, catching up after the wheel change. AG2R were going full gas and then some. Maybe Jala thought that was suspect?

Yeah, maybe - but the comment (again, as reported by Andy) was about mechanicals, and them being at the foot of climbs. Sounds more like a mechanical doping accusation to me.

Do people think Landa will leave sky at the end of year? I'd have thought he will definitely be leader next year for the Giro if he wants it. What does he have to gain by going anywhere else? Leader of a slightly worse team for the tour?

Leader of a slightly worse team for the tour?

No idea if he'll leave, but the logic is there: He looks like he can beat Chris Froome. If he thinks/believes he can, why would he stay with a team where he won't be given that option?

It all sounds a bit Norman tebbit.

Mind you I'm watching Taylor Phinney. Everyone sounds like Norman tebbit after that.

Well Froomey/Froomedog bided his time when it looked like he was right up there with Wiggins, and he got his chance in the end.

As people have said upthread, based on that alone, there's a better precedent for riders staying on and leading the team in GCs than leaving Sky and doing well in a 'lesser' team.

Guess it depends to some extent what Sky are saying to him - they were relatively ruthless in dropping Wiggins the next year in favour of Froome, I can't see them hanging onto Froome until he starts losing stuff.

Edit: I don't remember what shape Wiggins was in that next year - he certainly made noises about the Giro, but didn't seem motivated.

Froome has a wheel replaced with a motorised one and still decides to spin like a madman on the smallest ring. Fair play to him.

Do you think Sky would stick with Froome even if all the numbers suggest someone else is stronger? Could it be in his contract that he leads the tour?

Dutch journo's from Spain say it is a 'public secret' he will move to Movistar