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Cort to Astana who do have a weak classics squad - Any chance Gerrans could return to FDJ ?
Barguil runs over Atapuma in the closing stages and Bardet outsprints Froome and Uran to claim the bonus 4 seconds - Will need a miracle for Froome to lose - Fact file; Froome has not dropped his GC contenders in the last 2 TDF’s in uphill finishes. Yates held on much better today to lead the white jersey competition by 2m and 6s - My understanding is Orica have deliberately held back Chaves in this TDF - Ha not been allowed into the red under under any circumstances.
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Very disappointing stage. Fair play to Sky. The rest simply not good enough.
How massive has Kwiatkowski been?
Needs new sunnies
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Training for Vuelta?
Huge. Good to see the World champs wasn’t a flash in the pan.
See Bardet in the sprint? Glasses half off his face hahah
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Kwiatkovski has been on another level as has Matthews - Reckon Landa has been stronger than Froome - If he was on another team ? I have no complaints about team tactics - The leading riders outside of Uran have all attacked Froome as much as possible - Seen a bit more of teams drilling it from a long way in mountain stages which does dilute Sky’s power in the mountains.
Reckon the GC field at the TDF will be the weakest of the 3 Grand Tours.
Chaves interviewed by the media states he was unsure whether he was riding the Vuelta - White interviewed on the same day stated the Vuelta is a key target for Chaves. Possibly Chaves currently has little confidence in his state of fitness.
Reckon the Orica riders have experienced a disappointing tour - Yates and Keukeliere have been solid to good, Kreuziger, Hayman, Howson and Albasini have been disappointing - Impey has improved in the third week, while Chaves is unfit.
Kreuziger has been ok, perhaps I expected more.
Matt White is unrelentingly positive. Every time I think they’ve had a dirty day he’s always got a way to spin the positive on their videos.
Ultimately you are successful if you win a jersey or a stage at a GT.
Think Kreuziger is at the stage of his career where he is relaxed with his lot in life, combined with a young family, so the dedication to cycling is not quite 100%. I understand he enjoys his time as Orica because there is no overt pressure.
Would like Haig to obtain another opportunity to lead in a one week stage race this year.
I’d think Haig would ride the Vuelta.
Although with Yates x 2 & Chaves it doesn’t leave many climbing slots (Howson, Plaza & Haig all contending for 1 spot?).
Apart from that we have the Tour of Poland, I suspect he might get a shot at that.
Great to see AVV pick up a huge win in LaCourse after disappointment in Olympics. Climb was much more interesting race than continuing crits in Paris - so tick for organisers from me. Although they should do both and have an overall combined winner. Name changes in women’s is a bit weird - took me a while to remember Deignan is Armistead.
Happy to see Barguil take out the dots, he has been really good. Seems to have developed more endurance so he can go on with his attacks now. Could be anything if he could develop a TT as well.
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Surely you only had to see who was complaining the most to figure that out?
Complaining where? About what? I had the TV on, but was mostly listening to audio while I was cooking. I knew she was English and McCrossin’s commentary was attentive to her - it was only later when she was by herself and I had a closer look at her and her riding style that I recalled she was nee Armistead. But I wasn’t aware of any complaints about the race. What happened?
She was complaining that nobody was helping in the chase, her team for not helping etc etc
it’s her standard form
Deignan does tend complain too often - Obvious Deignan was riding for Guarnier who didn’t have the legs - Think you can bank Nieve joining Orica - One of A. Yates or S.Yates will ride the Classic San Sebastien - If it’s Adam then Haig can ride for GC at Poland - Next 3 months are very important in the future for A.Yates - he has yet to prove he can hold his form from August onwards.
Orica have Keukeliere and Albanisi in a 20 rider break that lead the peleton by 6m and 53s with 108 kms to go - Doubt the break will be brought back.
EBH wins from the break. OS should have done much better with both Albasini and Keukeliere making the final selection, but the blundered at a roundabout, leaving Keukeliere to finish 3rd. I’m not sure he had the legs to beat the Boss in any case.
Has anyone seen Landa’s reaction to missing the podium by one second? Was it laconic?
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And Lizzie Deignan still complaining after the finish of La Course - That roundabout on stage 20 split the race to pieces - EBH and Ardnt took the ride side and got a flyer.
Great ride by Impey to finish 5th in the ITT - Bardet was awful and nearly fell off his bike 5 times - S.Yates is riding San Sebastian next week which means A.Yates will be the leader at the Tour of Poland with Ewan for the sprints - Hayman struggled big time at the TDF and IMO should not continue in 2018.
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Hayman had a big off in in the previous stage, so little wonder his iTT was ordinary.
But yeh, he should be call it time.
Reckon Sky could leave the country safely if they tried to get Landa a second ahead of Bardet today?
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