I always help when I hear collusion in the peloton…Youll find there is collusion more times then you think…How about when the whole peloton slowed up on one of the stages when the break away came back about 90kms too soon…is that not collusion…I hope in future races teams do collude and ride blokes like qunitana out of everything…
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Typically Dutch - They are usually direct - Anyway Dumoulin will be back on the bike on Friday in the Hammer Series - Actually a round of the Hammer Series should be held in Melbourne or Adelaide in the week between TDU and the Cadel Evans Race.
Hammer series tonight. Will be live on facebook. Ewan is riding day 1 and 2 which are the climb and Sprintt day.
I’m struggling to get interested in it TBH.
I find it weird the official website has information all about it but no where is it mentioned where to watch it.
I think there’s merits in the ideas. I laugh st the suggestion it’s “too complicated” to an audience that looks at Training Peaks data 
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Loved it - There was splits in the peleton in the neutral zone - It was full on racing from the start - There were only 10 riders in the front after 30km - Ewan got points in the first climb and then dropped back to the peleton - Betancur was a class above today - Dumoulin,Durbridge, Geoghan Hart rode well. Moviestar have a clear lead from team Sunweb,Sky and Orica - Expect Moviestar to come back to the field in the sprint day - Expect tomorrow will be a more tempered affair on the flat parcours - Good to hear the dulcet tones of Robbie McEwan.
Bad day for Orica in the Hammer Series - Ewan crashed otof the race n the 4th of 8th laps - Kluge an excellent performance, Edmondson had no legs and Docker and Hepburn anonymous - Only one bunch sprint in the 8 laps because it was high octane racing - Greipel withdrew before the start with illness while Gaviria withdrew with bad form after four laps - Orica will star the Chase in 7th position - Win out of the question but a podium is a possibility - Dauphine starts tomorrow.
Cracker of a field, full scale dress rehearsal for the TdF.
The parcours is a bit meh though.
I actually like the parcours far more than the TDF - An ITT, 3 toughish mountain stages, 2 stages that suit classic riders and one certain bunch sprint.
Reckon teams will realise you need classics/TT guys for the Hammer Series - Loved the latest 3 domestiques with Juul-Jensen and Hepburn chatting in the bus - It was an excellent insight into the pro-peleton.
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Stage 1 of Dauphine goes to De gendt from the breakaway - Only Dimension Data riding at the front until Orica joined in with 30kms - Its noble of Orica to give their riders opportunities to win stages and one which creates team harmony, but they should have assisted DD with 60kms to to, rather than burning out four riders before the final.
Stage 2 sees an easy win by Demare from Kristoff and Bouhanni - Strangest thing is Orica had all their riders at the back of the peleton for the last 6km, except for Chavez who was up their for the final.
Orica were worried about crashes in the finale. Well that’s the official line.
Think it’s because all of the sprinters made the final - Orica will attack the sprint if climbers will be dropped - Interested to see how S.Yates performs - Has produced a couple of high quality performances, especially winning the Queen Stage at Romandie against a rampant Porte…
I think this race is Porte’s to lose.
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Porte win’s the TT from Martin to move to second on GC - Put 37 seconds on Froome - Good ride by Valverde who was 13 seconds behind Porte - Most of the Orica riders did well with Simon Yates 63s behind Porte, but around 30 seconds behind the Contador/Froome group. Chaves a long way back.
Team for Tour of Suisse
Albasini
Durbridge
Edmondson
Hayman
Power
Plaza
Verona
Cort
Aim will be to sneak a stage win in a sprint or Prologue - Interesting to see how long Power can survive in the mountains.
Emergency Alert for Docker - Ridden one GT in the last 8 and was a DNF - Can’t make the team for Dauphine or Suisse.
Prediction S.Yates can win a stage in Dauphine.
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Good to see de de gent hold on to yellow.
Froome linked to BMC for 5 million Euro’s - Why would Froome or BMC be interested ?
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Yes, looks to be on the way out. He said he decided to keep riding again after his smash last year because he didn’t want that to be his last Paris-Roubaix - but then he couldn’t make the team for PR this year.
It’s been refuted from both parties.
Look, it wouldn’t surprise me if Froome wanted out of Sky, the stench of that team is starting get very strong.
But where would he go?
BMC don’t want to be the headline sponsor of that team anymore, Quick Step is in deep ■■■■ with it’s sponsorship, Orica are pulling out of GreenEdge; I’m just not sure who could afford him. Granted, being the #1 stage rider in the world would bring in it’s own money, like Sagan, but there would still be a huge shortfall.
Fuglsang beats Porte, Froome in a sprint finish in stage 6 - A controlled ride by Porte who should have won the stage except for Froome dangerously cutting him off on the descent and then trying to put Porte into the barriers in the final sprint.
Disappointing ride by S.Yates finishing over 2 minutes down - He can bounce back in the final 2 stages - Chaves attacked on the final climb but still needs race miles.
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I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Teams and riders aren’t showing all their cards yet.