Tour de France 2014

His wrist looked to be very heavily supported and they'd padded the fuck out of his bars. Fractured perhaps?

Brailsford was saying he was in a lot of pain, did everything but actually admit it was fractured. Wouldn't be surprised it if was. He was certainly favouring it after the last fall even though he landed on the opposite side this time.

Hearing Brailsford and Thomas speaking afterwards - a striking lack of concern that Froome is out. Both described it as a good day!

Brailsford was saying he was in a lot of pain, did everything but actually admit it was fractured. Wouldn't be surprised it if was. He was certainly favouring it after the last fall even though he landed on the opposite side this time.

What is the point in denying it is fractured if it is fractured?

Hearing Brailsford and Thomas speaking afterwards - a striking lack of concern that Froome is out. Both described it as a good day!

Brailsford hoping he can fool all the people, all the time?

not sure how intelligent/ethical it is to allow a rider to start a day like today's with a broken wrist? How was he ever going to get through it on the cobbles?

His superior genes.

maybe they were going to give his parasites some mini-knitting needles to stitch it back together....

Race will be much more spontaneous now, and every fucker will be seeing an opportunity to grab stage wins or the overall. Even Porte will have gone from being 'another super dom race for me' to being 'shit the bed I'm team leader' and be cranking it up a notch to further his own ambitions.

If Porte morphs into a genuine GC contender given the non-season he's had, the internet will burn, after that stuff about climbing the Madone faster than Lance. Should be fun to watch.

I'd like to see Sky protect him and Geraint, but I suspect the latter will be sacrificed for the former. Froome withdrawing and Contador losing time, and Nibbles looking so impressive has blown the race wide open. I wanted to see what Froome and Contador might do in the high mountains but you're right, there's a few that may fancy their chances now.

Fucking Tour de Fucking France, always brings the drama and the spectacle, best riders on the planet going toe to toe. Some call it a circus, I just call it glorious.

Hearing Brailsford and Thomas speaking afterwards - a striking lack of concern that Froome is out. Both described it as a good day!

Given that Porte and Geraint stayed at the front the whole day think they knew before the stage started a retirement was on the cards, else they would have dropped back too. You saw Froone getting passed pills yesterday after the crash, undoubtedly pain-killers. Wonder if he had really got over the crash in the Dauphine. One crash just piled on after the other: the fucker was a brave man to start today if he was in pain.

I mean fucker in the affectionate meaning of the word

Just looking again over the stage profiles... it's really not a good tour to take yellow early – Fugslang is going to be wasted by Saturday.

Given that Porte and Geraint stayed at the front the whole day think they knew before the stage started a retirement was on the cards, else they would have dropped back too.

Ah. Good point.

^^ Thomas and Porte were in the Contador group until Froome was out, then they moved up.

Eisel was shepherding Froome.

Sparticas has a winge. Shut up Fabo.

Yesterday:

"I've already been asked if I'll ask for the stage to be neutralised if it rains but this is different. I know that it’s not a nice stage for Froome, Contador, Nibali and even our GC riders. But my reply is: so why not take out the climbs to make it easier for us? That never happens, so it's only right we race on the cobbles. It’s a risk for everyone, including me, but we've got to live with it and calculate the risks involved."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-the-cobbles-are-going-to-be-carnage

Today:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-turns-against-cobbles-in-the-tour-de-france

WHAT a stage though, Nibbles was epic.

If Porte morphs into a genuine GC contender given the non-season he's had, the internet will burn

Can you think of anyone else who has had a non-season until morphing in to a GC contender (and national champ)?
I think Porte has been Sky's Plan B, and directed towards finishing in second behind Froome, since Sky saw how well Contador was going earlier in the year. I think that's why he didn't race the Giro.

maybe they were going to give his parasites some mini-knitting needles to stitch it back together....

That looks like a mini cast on his wrist. There was a screen grab of him getting in the car that looked like he'd fucked his good hand in the second crash;looked like permanent hover hand. Hence couldn't even take his helmet off.

I think Porte has been Sky's Plan B, and directed towards finishing in second behind Froome, since Sky saw how well Contador was going earlier in the year. I think that's why he didn't race the Giro.

That's no secret and openly discussed by Braislford.

I'm just looking forward to some better breakaways (sorry Jens), but I guess neither Thomas or Porte will be allowed to go as things stand.

Can you think of anyone else who has had a non-season until morphing in to a GC contender (and national champ)?
I think Porte has been Sky's Plan B, and directed towards finishing in second behind Froome, since Sky saw how well Contador was going earlier in the year. I think that's why he didn't race the Giro.

He didn't race the Giro because he was ill. And in poor form. And he was ill for much of the early season. Did you watch him try to ride LBL? Can't remember when he retired but is was early. His palmares for 2014 is a stage win in the Tour Down Under, and second in the Ruta del Sol. Even when he was back his form was wholly indifferent in the Tour de Suisse, and he looked then a liability for the Tour, more so than Kennaugh, who you are driving at.

Brailsford said he'd judge people on results, yet Porte gets a free pass without any, and Wiggins get sidelined despite some impressive ones.

Not racing the Giro because you plan to race the Tour is completely conventional.

, more so than Kennaugh, who you are driving at.

Er, no, not Kennaugh.

lol

Er, no, not Kennaugh.

National champ? Who were you driving at then?

Er, no, not Kennaugh.

Not racing the Giro because you plan to race the Tour is completely conventional.

So his complete dearth of results throughout the season is because they were saving him for the Tour? Is that why he climbed off at LBL? For me Porte has been ill, he hasn't raced much in an attempt to get him to the Tour, but he hasn't done it on merit this season anyway.