Sagan apparently offered up the stage to his team mate but didn't anticipate having to sprint it out with Froome.
Where did that come from? I can see a GC rider giving up a stage win but not the green jersey
actually, scrap that. There was 10 seconds on the line so a GC rider was always going to go for it too. Can't imagine Sagan would've been surprised by Froome going for it
Sagan apparently offered up the stage to his team mate but didn't anticipate having to sprint it out with Froome.
Where did that come from? I can see a GC rider giving up a stage win but not the green jersey
actually, scrap that. There was 10 seconds on the line so a GC rider was always going to go for it too. Can't imagine Sagan would've been surprised by Froome going for it
I'm just going by the commentary from Miller and the other fella Rina. I really am a complete novice when it comes to cycling knowledge. They said he waved his elbow to tell him to go for it but I think he was completely fooked by then. Really good to see the respect that Sagan gave his team mate afterwards and Froome as he was warming down.
All those people who said Sagan was overrated must be eating humble pie about now. Not a bad year in the world champion's jersey when you win races including the tour of Flanders, two stages of the tour de France and are walking away with the green Jersey after less than two weeks of the race...
Monster effort by Froome - think Sky took a calculated gamble that the Ventoux stage will be trimmed, knowing that Froome hasn't got as much climb to protect his advantage over Quintana tomorrow - hopefully it'll make for an absolutely epic stage as Movistar will HAVE to attack over and over again to try and break the SkyBots and isolate Froome
Will be interesting to see how it pans out on Mt Ventoux tomorrow today*. At the moment it looks as if Sky are out-thinking and out-peddling everyone. Surely, Movistar and BMC have got to attack.
Love watching the Tour and have done for years. Like red-murph I am also a novice with regards to understanding some of it.
I've still not forgiven Froome for the stuff with Wiggo a few years back and because of that I don't trust him. It always sounds hollow to me when he goes on and on about how well the team did for him when he gives interviews. In my view he'd stab them all in the back. The other day when he put on a spurt to try and win a mountain stage bit over his team mate (can't remember his name) seemed typical of him when his team mate is going for the king of the mountains.
Would like people who understand FAR more than me where I've gone wrong with him. I so wanted him to come off when he was doing that downhill the other day and I was celebrating when he fell off on the cobbles a couple of years back. My dislike for him is almost up with that of Roland.
In 2011 he was in the best position for Team Sky to win the Vuelta (the Spanish Grand Tour) yet the team refused to solely back him and decided to let Froome and Wiggins simply fight it out, the result was that Froome missed out on the title by 13secs whilst Wiggins finished third over a minute down...
It was then the following year at Le Tour that we had the duel between the two and Team Sky took the decision to back Wiggins, in that sense I can almost understand why Froome would be a bit annoyed, especially as its clear he's the better Road Racer
On another note its an absolute joke how the press are treating Mark Cavendish after the other day.
Naturally when cycling for so long and having to drink so much water, these riders need to go to the toilet and one cameraman decided not to give Cavendish the privacy he deserved when he eventually needed the toilet, Cavendish being Cavendish (and understandable in my books) shouted and swore at the cameraman on the way past which the press here have now jumped on.
In 2011 he was in the best position for Team Sky to win the Vuelta (the Spanish Grand Tour) yet the team refused to solely back him and decided to let Froome and Wiggins simply fight it out, the result was that Froome missed out on the title by 13secs whilst Wiggins finished third over a minute down...
It was then the following year at Le Tour that we had the duel between the two and Team Sky took the decision to back Wiggins, in that sense I can almost understand why Froome would be a bit annoyed, especially as its clear he's the better Road Racer
I can also see why Froome could be annoyed at not being backed, but showing his lack of respect for that decision suggests to me that he's not a team player and can't be trusted. If he'd just knuckled down and done his job he would have had so many more fans.
Totally agree with you about Cav.
Peter Sagan seems a genuinely nice bloke with excellent sense of humour as well as a superb rider. I always want him to do well.
In 2011 he was in the best position for Team Sky to win the Vuelta (the Spanish Grand Tour) yet the team refused to solely back him and decided to let Froome and Wiggins simply fight it out, the result was that Froome missed out on the title by 13secs whilst Wiggins finished third over a minute down...
It was then the following year at Le Tour that we had the duel between the two and Team Sky took the decision to back Wiggins, in that sense I can almost understand why Froome would be a bit annoyed, especially as its clear he's the better Road Racer
I can also see why Froome could be annoyed at not being backed, but showing his lack of respect for that decision suggests to me that he's not a team player and can't be trusted. If he'd just knuckled down and done his job he would have had so many more fans.
Totally agree with you about Cav.
Peter Sagan seems a genuinely nice bloke with excellent sense of humour as well as a superb rider. I always want him to do well.
At the same time I think the issue with Froome is that he's extremely professional and focused in what he does, he'll come out with the usual interviews but they're very flat and dont give you the entertainment that you get from Wiggins and Cavendish.
Didnt help either that Wiggins is one of the Golden boys of British sport so people wont have liked seeing him challenged.
Its annoying because the Green Jersey is for points and isnt solely for the Sprinters yet with Sagan as the only all round rider on the circuit at the moment meaning that the way the intermediate sprints are setup, he's not been challenged for a good few years now...
Take nothing away from him though, he is excellent as like yesterday he judged that final breakaway perfectly, will never forget a mountain stage where he broke away a few years back (might have been their last visit to Ventoux), was caught just before the climb, he knew it and did this wheelie for the camera before waving... Great entertainer for someone to do that after being in the saddle for so long that day
Fair point - not thought of it like that. Quite probably why I like Wiggo, Cav and Sagan!
Its probably why I dont like Kittel and Griepel though, other than the fact they're not allowed to beat Cavendish its the fact that whenever they do an interview they speak like a Footballer (a trained media monkey) whereas with Cav you get the proper insight into the sprint etc.
Cav is Cav. What you see is what you get. I've met him a couple of times at races and he's always been very forthcoming , friendly and had time to chat. He even gave me his water bottle aftert one stage of Tirrenno/Adriatico this year and seemed genuinely pleased to see a Union Jack.
I like the 'shit happens' comment, brings it all down to earth.
The press are the press, always looking for something different.
I think the press have finally realised that Tennis / Cycling are sports we're far more successful at than Football... They also seem to hate success so always try to get into the Sportsmans head but it seems to work the reverse for the likes of Froome / Cavendish
Remember when his second book came out and he was doing a book signing @ Waterstones in London just round the corner where I worked, meant to go a meet him but forgot about it yet he certainly has the attitude of someone who is friendly and has more than enough time to talk to you (Although if you ask him a stupid question at the wrong time or mention drugs then you'd want to be a quick sprinter yourself as he will bite back)
Sagan apparently offered up the stage to his team mate but didn't anticipate having to sprint it out with Froome.
Where did that come from? I can see a GC rider giving up a stage win but not the green jersey
actually, scrap that. There was 10 seconds on the line so a GC rider was always going to go for it too. Can't imagine Sagan would've been surprised by Froome going for it
I'm just going by the commentary from Miller and the other fella Rina. I really am a complete novice when it comes to cycling knowledge. They said he waved his elbow to tell him to go for it but I think he was completely fooked by then. Really good to see the respect that Sagan gave his team mate afterwards and Froome as he was warming down.
I've just watched it back and he did flick his elbow at Bodnar but looked more to me as though Sagan wanted to take his wheel so he could outsprint Froome
Froome is actually a very funny bloke, apparently. No secret that him and Wiggins didn't get along on the tour in 2012, but I think that's cause Wiggins worked ridiculously hard to get to where he was, the entire year was set up for him to win the tour and then the Olympics TT and Froome did something that really put his nose out of joint on that stage. Wiggins is a 'difficult' character as well - it isn't that he 'needs' to be the centre of attention, it's just that because of his nature, he IS the centre of attention and I think he realises that and often doesn't deal with it too well.
Everything you read about and hear about Froome from cycling journalists makes it seem like he's extremely popular in the peloton, and he certainly is on the team bus. Often, the dullest riders on the bike are a lot more entertaining off it. Chris Boardman is a prime example of this - he was a fantastic rider, but boring as fuck to watch, yet I've met him more than once and he was extremely funny - and pretty much everyone else I know who's met him, or heard him talk at events etc says the same thing.
Cycling is such a weird sport. It's probably the most punishing sport of all on the individual, yet relies so much on teamwork for success.
Its like Andy Murray too though... He appears really boring on the Camera but thats because he once got burnt by the media when he make a really relaxed comment and they went to town on it... Other Sportsmen see how the media treat you if you lower your guard round them so keep the professional attitude because they dont want their reputation being dragged through the mud after being miss-quoted.
Shame that the Media have created that approach to themselves now because I'd love to see a Footballer come out with more honesty about a match as all you get now is the pointless cliques which dont explain anything and I'd prefer it if they just dont bother!!
Love watching the Tour and have done for years. Like red-murph I am also a novice with regards to understanding some of it.
I've still not forgiven Froome for the stuff with Wiggo a few years back and because of that I don't trust him. It always sounds hollow to me when he goes on and on about how well the team did for him when he gives interviews. In my view he'd stab them all in the back. The other day when he put on a spurt to try and win a mountain stage bit over his team mate (can't remember his name) seemed typical of him when his team mate is going for the king of the mountains.
Would like people who understand FAR more than me where I've gone wrong with him. I so wanted him to come off when he was doing that downhill the other day and I was celebrating when he fell off on the cobbles a couple of years back. My dislike for him is almost up with that of Roland.
Wiggins in a team dynamic is widely reported as being an ass. Not nasty, divisive, selfish or vindictive just that he may be whitty and pithy with his putdowns but when a Grand Tour get's going he withdrew and became a dark personality vacum: He improved 2011/12, partly because before he couldn't win the Tour previously due to training/team/focus.
2012 was Froome's Tour, Wiggins could never have wone it without him, whilst Froome could have won it without him. Wiggins could never have come 4th without Vande Velde in 2009. After he left Garmin he made some pihty shitty comments which pissed off the whole Garmin team. The nature of team dynamics meant Sky told Froome he would have freedom to race, no doubt expecting that when a leader was announced that that would mean everyone to race for the leader. Froome came back for Wiggins, without that he could have wone the Tour, Wiggins would probably have cracked and gone out the back. The next year Wiggins was an ass after pledging to race for Froome, he flipped and became fractious seeking the leadership in a Tour he'd have cracked and fucked up for Sky. Wiggins did not pay out Froome's share of the winnings after the Tour for two years, and never was reported to do so.
If you've seen GTs before them threatening GC, Froome was always a more exciting racer. I don't think it's a case of one being a prat and the other not. There's just no comparison between Wiggins and Froome as Grand Tour racers. At any point in history where two excellent riders are on the same team friction occurred. Armstrong's and Hinault's behaviour was loathsome, Contador and Lemond won as they were the best riders on the Tour. Wiggins won because Froome was the best rider on the Tour. Then Froome won when Sky riders popped with inexperience and mismanagement, and then raced soleley against all the top teams on his own. If you give up a TDF win for a lesser rider it's going to cause problems. If I was Vand Velde I'd have been dead pissed off at helping him save his GC at the expense of mine.
Is always strange how Froome does it for the first week and a half whilst Quintana does it for the last... Trouble is the damage is always done well beforehand!!
oh my god, that is the most astonishing thing I've ever seen in the tour. the yellow jersey running up a mountain. they're going to have to make a ruling on this one and give him the time gap surely?
Comments
Monster effort by Froome - think Sky took a calculated gamble that the Ventoux stage will be trimmed, knowing that Froome hasn't got as much climb to protect his advantage over Quintana tomorrow - hopefully it'll make for an absolutely epic stage as Movistar will HAVE to attack over and over again to try and break the SkyBots and isolate Froome
tomorrowtoday*. At the moment it looks as if Sky are out-thinking and out-peddling everyone. Surely, Movistar and BMC have got to attack.*Edit - Is that the time?
I've still not forgiven Froome for the stuff with Wiggo a few years back and because of that I don't trust him. It always sounds hollow to me when he goes on and on about how well the team did for him when he gives interviews. In my view he'd stab them all in the back. The other day when he put on a spurt to try and win a mountain stage bit over his team mate (can't remember his name) seemed typical of him when his team mate is going for the king of the mountains.
Would like people who understand FAR more than me where I've gone wrong with him. I so wanted him to come off when he was doing that downhill the other day and I was celebrating when he fell off on the cobbles a couple of years back. My dislike for him is almost up with that of Roland.
In 2011 he was in the best position for Team Sky to win the Vuelta (the Spanish Grand Tour) yet the team refused to solely back him and decided to let Froome and Wiggins simply fight it out, the result was that Froome missed out on the title by 13secs whilst Wiggins finished third over a minute down...
It was then the following year at Le Tour that we had the duel between the two and Team Sky took the decision to back Wiggins, in that sense I can almost understand why Froome would be a bit annoyed, especially as its clear he's the better Road Racer
Naturally when cycling for so long and having to drink so much water, these riders need to go to the toilet and one cameraman decided not to give Cavendish the privacy he deserved when he eventually needed the toilet, Cavendish being Cavendish (and understandable in my books) shouted and swore at the cameraman on the way past which the press here have now jumped on.
Totally agree with you about Cav.
Peter Sagan seems a genuinely nice bloke with excellent sense of humour as well as a superb rider. I always want him to do well.
Didnt help either that Wiggins is one of the Golden boys of British sport so people wont have liked seeing him challenged.
Its annoying because the Green Jersey is for points and isnt solely for the Sprinters yet with Sagan as the only all round rider on the circuit at the moment meaning that the way the intermediate sprints are setup, he's not been challenged for a good few years now...
Take nothing away from him though, he is excellent as like yesterday he judged that final breakaway perfectly, will never forget a mountain stage where he broke away a few years back (might have been their last visit to Ventoux), was caught just before the climb, he knew it and did this wheelie for the camera before waving... Great entertainer for someone to do that after being in the saddle for so long that day
I like the 'shit happens' comment, brings it all down to earth.
The press are the press, always looking for something different.
Remember when his second book came out and he was doing a book signing @ Waterstones in London just round the corner where I worked, meant to go a meet him but forgot about it yet he certainly has the attitude of someone who is friendly and has more than enough time to talk to you (Although if you ask him a stupid question at the wrong time or mention drugs then you'd want to be a quick sprinter yourself as he will bite back)
Everything you read about and hear about Froome from cycling journalists makes it seem like he's extremely popular in the peloton, and he certainly is on the team bus. Often, the dullest riders on the bike are a lot more entertaining off it. Chris Boardman is a prime example of this - he was a fantastic rider, but boring as fuck to watch, yet I've met him more than once and he was extremely funny - and pretty much everyone else I know who's met him, or heard him talk at events etc says the same thing.
Cycling is such a weird sport. It's probably the most punishing sport of all on the individual, yet relies so much on teamwork for success.
Shame that the Media have created that approach to themselves now because I'd love to see a Footballer come out with more honesty about a match as all you get now is the pointless cliques which dont explain anything and I'd prefer it if they just dont bother!!
http://www.mobypicture.com/user/Chris_Boardman/view/19249256
2012 was Froome's Tour, Wiggins could never have wone it without him, whilst Froome could have won it without him. Wiggins could never have come 4th without Vande Velde in 2009. After he left Garmin he made some pihty shitty comments which pissed off the whole Garmin team. The nature of team dynamics meant Sky told Froome he would have freedom to race, no doubt expecting that when a leader was announced that that would mean everyone to race for the leader. Froome came back for Wiggins, without that he could have wone the Tour, Wiggins would probably have cracked and gone out the back. The next year Wiggins was an ass after pledging to race for Froome, he flipped and became fractious seeking the leadership in a Tour he'd have cracked and fucked up for Sky. Wiggins did not pay out Froome's share of the winnings after the Tour for two years, and never was reported to do so.
If you've seen GTs before them threatening GC, Froome was always a more exciting racer. I don't think it's a case of one being a prat and the other not. There's just no comparison between Wiggins and Froome as Grand Tour racers. At any point in history where two excellent riders are on the same team friction occurred. Armstrong's and Hinault's behaviour was loathsome, Contador and Lemond won as they were the best riders on the Tour. Wiggins won because Froome was the best rider on the Tour. Then Froome won when Sky riders popped with inexperience and mismanagement, and then raced soleley against all the top teams on his own. If you give up a TDF win for a lesser rider it's going to cause problems. If I was Vand Velde I'd have been dead pissed off at helping him save his GC at the expense of mine.
Might not be team mates but cant break a friendship that easily
This is EXACTLY why the cameraman got the abuse!!