2014 Pro-cycling season thread

Froome rode like he wanted to both test his form and test his form against others. He rode like he was prepared to lose but willing to risk it for the worth of really seeing where everyone's form is. By turning the taps fully open he's been able to gauge what everyone's got.

Smart.

Or Contador's doing the exact opposite. Why show Froome everything you've got in the CdD (even if he could - hasn't he been ill)?

(Wishful thinking just to make the Tour worth tuning in for tbh!)

Bertie was on the rivet.
He tried to come round with 50 to go but froome gave another dig and Bertie just conceded.

Today's stage has nibbles written all over it. Steep decent into Gap.

I hope Bert & Froome worked on their descending skills, Col de Manse descent is where they both missed a corner in last year's TdF

Tour de France 2013: Rui Costa wins stage 16 - YouTube

Bertie was on the rivet.
He tried to come round with 50 to go but froome gave another dig and Bertie just conceded.

I reckon he had some more

I'm not sure it was smart riding from Froome, it smacked of hubris and too much adrenaline, wanting to throw down a marker and prove himself given the Wiggins controversy. Reminded me of how he rode in the 2012 Vuelta. Still it paid off and it was astonishing viewing. Looking forward to today, this is no warm up race, it feels like the TdF qualifier or something.

Unbeatable there, but he incinerated his entire team to do it, and took off like a scolded cat. It's like he was trying to win it on the first stage proper. Porte not being able to take a turn even was a little lulz.

He didn't need to.
He's saving it for a stage win later as payment for Tour work.

I reckon he had some more

Then why not go round the hound? He had a look.

The run in yesterday was heart-in-mouth stuff. Thankfully no Farrar.

Good day for a breakaway to make it home?

I think Contador's the smarter racer so wouldn't be surprised if he has got some plans to try and shake Sky up a bit-maybe send Sorensen up the road early on and force Sky to chase... Could be a good day for Fuglsang and Kangert to pull some time back too.

Having seen the profiles for yesterday and today, Froome's riding makes a bit more sense. Col de Manse won't be massively selective I don't think and Sky aren't going to have to do a lot of work if there's a break up the road.

Yesterday was a joke. Pretty sure I read on Cycling News that they covered 28km in the second hour of racing. That's Sunday club run pace.

full gas! peloton almost sprinting toward the base of Col de Manse. breakaway may not survive

Only 6km to the top though and they have 2.20.

I'd like to see his Nibs have a go and get a gap and then try and cling on down the other side. Wishful thinking but you never know.

^indeed - they're not at all chasing now. Hesjebeard trying to escape the peloton, Trofimov trying to escape the lead group

Great lines from Carlton Kirby today:

'...here in this Western part of France.'

Nope. Eastern.

'The descent goes down like a pile of spaghetti. Cooked spaghetti.'

30 s for Trofimov, he'll make it I think. pretty uneventful stage, a bit disappoint

Great lines from Carlton Kirby today:

'...here in this Western part of France.'

Nope. Eastern.

'The descent goes down like a pile of spaghetti. Cooked spaghetti.'

Has he mentioned Jens Voight has 'shut up legs' written on his bike yet?

Looks like Surbrad definitely isn't doing the TdF if he's doing the Commonwealth Games instead. Not much of a consolation prize.

^^Saving his best lines for the Tour.

Froome not realistically likely to come under much pressure until stage 7 or 8 now.

Great lines from Carlton Kirby today:

'...here in this Western part of France.'

Nope. Eastern.

'The descent goes down like a pile of spaghetti. Cooked spaghetti.'

Trofimov didn't zip up his jersey so he could feel 'the cool wind of victory on his bare chest'

Col de Manse and Gap? Swoon.

Gap via Alpe from Bourg

Looks like Surbrad definitely isn't doing the TdF if he's doing the Commonwealth Games instead. Not much of a consolation prize.

6 days after the end of the Tour so not impossible to do both.

Ah, good point - it's only the track events which overlap with the TdF. OK, move along, nothing to see...

Oof? Does it matter what CW says?

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/blog/brailsford-must-pick-wiggo-126435

Does it matter what CW says?

No