Barguil's final ascent time of 38min15sec broke the existing Izoard record, set by Andy Schleck in 2011, by over two minutes..
2 minutes? WTF. That is a huge amount in cycling standards. Does that raise anyone else's suspicions?
He's not Team Sky so doubt it will be questioned.
I think it's guaranteed that the UCI will be getting his sample from yesterday tested asap - whenever anyone is so much better than the rest, like Froome in the GC in previous Tours, there will be suspicion, and Barguil's climbing in this Tour has been extraordinary (though, unlike Schleck, he seems to be saving himself for the mountain stages, so it might have an innocent explanation).
The Sky thing, however, while partly due to jealousy, is clearly a reaction to that team's holier than thou stance. Sky set itself up for a fall by claiming that they would be drug free and better than the rest of cycling. They have undermined themselves by being less than candid about TUEs and, shall we say, strangely disorganised medical records; and their media strategy (if Brailsford represents it) looks like it was devised for Lance Armstrong. I don't believe they have done anything outside the rules, I do believe that they are benefitting from both lots of cash and a national structure that developed cyclists for a professional team.
They're at the top, everyone will be taking shots at them. The recent history of cycling guarantees this. Sadly, this also means that cycling fans will entertain doubts, even if they support Froome.
Barguil's final ascent time of 38min15sec broke the existing Izoard record, set by Andy Schleck in 2011, by over two minutes..
2 minutes? WTF. That is a huge amount in cycling standards. Does that raise anyone else's suspicions?
My first thoughts are whats the difference between the conditions.
Did Barguil have a tailwind to help him yesterday, did Schleck have a headwind? - the other thing to take into effect is the Stage that day in 2011 (picture below)... Barguil could go quicker because it was the end of the Stage, had Schleck gone two mins faster back in 2011 he'd have cooked himself with another 50km to go and another HC climb still to deal with that day.
I’ve followed all the stages, but they weren’t really very interesting. It was not a great tour, there hasn’t been much drama. Many stages were quite boring. I often watched the start then went and did something else. I didn’t just spend hours watching television.
Something has to be done about these long and flat stages. Almost nothing happens: there’s an escape that is taken in the final kilometers. There were too many stages where you knew in advance that nothing would happen.
I was still expecting some [kind of battle] in the mountains. Froome always rode defensively, defended himself very well and could count on a very strong team. So nothing happened in this Tour. Many team leaders have done nothing but wait. Froome himself has never attacked. He will win the Tour, and has defended well, but he didn’t do anything exceptional. There was just no one to beat him. He deserves to win. Of course, we still have to wait for the time trial, but I don’t see who can still beat him.
31 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data 14:20:00 54 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky 14:43:00 67 Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 14:56:00 88 Stefan Küng (Sui) BMC Racing Team 15:17:00 108 Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp) Movistar Team 15:37:00 110 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 15:39:00 130 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 15:59:00 158 Alberto Contador (Esp) Trek-Segafredo 16:46:00 159 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Sunweb 16:48:00 160 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 16:50:00 161 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 16:52:00 162 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 16:54:00 163 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 16:56:00 164 Mikel Landa (Esp) Team Sky 16:58:00 165 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 17:00:00 166 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 17:02:00 167 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 17:04:00
Went over for the England vs Russia game last year, stunning city. I imagine the atmosphere is quite different with the TDF there rather than football fans!
Also, the Stade Velodrome was an incredible stadium, aesthetically pleasing and the atmosphere in there when Vardy's on Fire was being sung by 90% of the crowd was fantastic. Should be great today as they are crossing the line
31 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data 14:20:00 54 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky 14:43:00 67 Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 14:56:00 88 Stefan Küng (Sui) BMC Racing Team 15:17:00 108 Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp) Movistar Team 15:37:00 110 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 15:39:00 130 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 15:59:00 158 Alberto Contador (Esp) Trek-Segafredo 16:46:00 159 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Sunweb 16:48:00 160 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 16:50:00 161 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 16:52:00 162 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 16:54:00 163 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 16:56:00 164 Mikel Landa (Esp) Team Sky 16:58:00 165 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 17:00:00 166 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 17:02:00 167 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 17:04:00
The times are french so subtract 1 hour from each of them for BST
Yeah really looks as though Landa is going to get Third ahead of Bardet
On a plus side am pleased because it rubs in the face of the French who are booing Froome when their best lad wasnt even close even if Froome wasnt there
Froome is the first rider to win a tour without taking a stage since Greg Lemond (not counting pereiro as he was promoted to first)
would not be surprised to see Landa going against etiquette and trying to pick up seconds in Paris. He would make himself the most unpopular rider in the tour for the rest of his career though so probably best not to
Nothing against Bardet but was so hoping he wasn't gonna get 3rd, just because of the the French crowds during this tour and especially in the stadium.
Good, steady if unspectacular Tour for Froome. Didn't seem to be at his best but was still better than the rest thanks to his teams strength. Bet Landa has a few personal thoughts about what could have been for him.
Froome is the first rider to win a tour without taking a stage since Greg Lemond (not counting pereiro as he was promoted to first)
would not be surprised to see Landa going against etiquette and trying to pick up seconds in Paris. He would make himself the most unpopular rider in the tour for the rest of his career though so probably best not to
I've got nothing against Landa trying to pick up seconds...
Its still a Stage on the Tour de France yet he'll need to get into the top three to manage it as Bardet will mark him like a hawk tomorrow, I only ever see the Paris Stage as a procession as its a typically flat stage - Wasnt there a rider back in Merckx day who went clear to try and make up the time and managed it at some point along the Champs Elysee yet like most breakaways on a flat stage he was hauled back?
Bet Landa has a few personal thoughts about what could have been for him.
should see an interesting GC battle between him and Froome next year assuming Movistar have a good enough team to support him
Depends who his Domestiques are... Quintana has proven this year that he's been nothing without Valverde whilst even Landa has failed against the top three in the Mountain Stages, i.e. he got away on the Col D'Izoard yet was hauled back (maybe because of Team SKY tactics though) and wasnt able to stick with the GC riders in the final kilometer
Wasnt there a rider back in Merckx day who went clear to try and make up the time and managed it at some point along the Champs Elysee yet like most breakaways on a flat stage he was hauled back?
certainly not during any of Merckx's victories as they were all by massive amounts. someone tried to take Hinault down once but didn't get anywhere
Comments
The Sky thing, however, while partly due to jealousy, is clearly a reaction to that team's holier than thou stance. Sky set itself up for a fall by claiming that they would be drug free and better than the rest of cycling. They have undermined themselves by being less than candid about TUEs and, shall we say, strangely disorganised medical records; and their media strategy (if Brailsford represents it) looks like it was devised for Lance Armstrong. I don't believe they have done anything outside the rules, I do believe that they are benefitting from both lots of cash and a national structure that developed cyclists for a professional team.
They're at the top, everyone will be taking shots at them. The recent history of cycling guarantees this. Sadly, this also means that cycling fans will entertain doubts, even if they support Froome.
Did Barguil have a tailwind to help him yesterday, did Schleck have a headwind? - the other thing to take into effect is the Stage that day in 2011 (picture below)... Barguil could go quicker because it was the end of the Stage, had Schleck gone two mins faster back in 2011 he'd have cooked himself with another 50km to go and another HC climb still to deal with that day.
I’ve followed all the stages, but they weren’t really very interesting. It was not a great tour, there hasn’t been much drama. Many stages were quite boring. I often watched the start then went and did something else. I didn’t just spend hours watching television.
Something has to be done about these long and flat stages. Almost nothing happens: there’s an escape that is taken in the final kilometers. There were too many stages where you knew in advance that nothing would happen.
I was still expecting some [kind of battle] in the mountains. Froome always rode defensively, defended himself very well and could count on a very strong team. So nothing happened in this Tour. Many team leaders have done nothing but wait. Froome himself has never attacked. He will win the Tour, and has defended well, but he didn’t do anything exceptional. There was just no one to beat him. He deserves to win. Of course, we still have to wait for the time trial, but I don’t see who can still beat him.
Time Trial start times
Ones to watch:
31 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data 14:20:00
54 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky 14:43:00
67 Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 14:56:00
88 Stefan Küng (Sui) BMC Racing Team 15:17:00
108 Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp) Movistar Team 15:37:00
110 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 15:39:00
130 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 15:59:00
158 Alberto Contador (Esp) Trek-Segafredo 16:46:00
159 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Sunweb 16:48:00
160 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 16:50:00
161 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 16:52:00
162 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 16:54:00
163 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 16:56:00
164 Mikel Landa (Esp) Team Sky 16:58:00
165 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 17:00:00
166 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 17:02:00
167 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 17:04:00
Away from the port it wasn't that nice in places
Be hugely unfair to both Uran and Bardet the latter now looks as though he'll slip off the podium
On a plus side am pleased because it rubs in the face of the French who are booing Froome when their best lad wasnt even close even if Froome wasnt there
That was bizarre, the fans in the Veledrome were cheering Bardet as he got third, that instantly changed to booing the moment he crossed the line
would not be surprised to see Landa going against etiquette and trying to pick up seconds in Paris. He would make himself the most unpopular rider in the tour for the rest of his career though so probably best not to
How can they boo a man who has just won his fourth TdF?
Good, steady if unspectacular Tour for Froome. Didn't seem to be at his best but was still better than the rest thanks to his teams strength. Bet Landa has a few personal thoughts about what could have been for him.
@i_b_b_o_r_g and others who have lived there might prove me wrong but they seem to have that attitude over a lot of things
Its still a Stage on the Tour de France yet he'll need to get into the top three to manage it as Bardet will mark him like a hawk tomorrow, I only ever see the Paris Stage as a procession as its a typically flat stage - Wasnt there a rider back in Merckx day who went clear to try and make up the time and managed it at some point along the Champs Elysee yet like most breakaways on a flat stage he was hauled back?
certainly not during any of Merckx's victories as they were all by massive amounts. someone tried to take Hinault down once but didn't get anywhere