Tour de France

I'm of the same opinion TDA, I'm pretty sure I know the reason but won't elaborate!  Great sporting achievement by CF

And don't forget Romain Bardet! Excellent last week from him, and good news for the French having a rider on the podium. Barring any mishaps tomorrow! Should be a good final charge up the Champs Élysée, suspect Sagan has done a bit too much today, but I wish him well. He has been awarded the Combative across the whole Tour, and richly deserved!

Notice that Sky have still all their 9 riders left on the tour. There can't be many other teams that can state that. Perhaps if Movistar concentrated more on getting a tour winner and not going for the team prize the racing would have been more exciting!

A deserved win for Froome as he has shown some bravado in a Tour that has lacked sparkle.

There have been some great individual performances for stage wins, but the GC contenders have been disappointing.

I'm glad to see Bardet in second, and Quintana in third, of course - but disappointed that the latter has followed the 'Andy Schleck school of tactics' - just keep following the race leader and hope that he falls over at some point. 

Cav was a disappointment. Sagan was a far better performer and gives far better value for money these days.

Whole heartedly agree that Froome richly deserves his victory. he was confident in knowing minor gains from that bravado was backed up by a team, so strong in depth, no one could attack back. Then the two TT performance completely cemented his victory.

Adam Yates was the stand out for me.

Any other team with GC aspirations is going to have to up it's game and build super domestique squads like Sky to stand a chance. Yes Sky pump the money in to pay for it, but look at the return in exposure. If the sponsors are not there to afford it, maybe the UCI will have to consider salary capping to even out the playing field.

Sagan is always good value, and deserves his green jersey.

But Cav a dissapoinment ? Eh ?

Hell, he was a revelation, everyone had written hIm off, and back he pops to take four wins. 

 

It has been a slightly disappointing tour this year. Not much in the way of attacks and a highly competent but boring performance by SKY. ---  Cav dipped out of completing the race as he knew he couldn't win the sprint on the final day in Paris. 

 

They did exactly what they were employed to do K. Looked after Chris Frome throughout, and totally dominated the Peloton. Their actions in acting together as a very strong team helped CF secure his third win and it would not have been possible without them. Any excitement from Sky is a bi product, in the main they left that to others.

Tomorrows finale ?

I would love to see Dan McLay or Coquard pop out and take the stage, but unless there is a breakaway, can't see Ettix not delivering Kittel to victory.

Actually, Oreca might give it a go, Michael Matthews anybody?

Well that's me away, off to Hull-Zeebrugge tomorrow, bound for Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Looking forward to the Vuelta thread guys?

I wonder if there are still competitors and teams in the TDF who still rely on banned substances. I hope not but, if past performance anomolies are studied, there is room for speculation on this tour. 

K

Speculate away, although a little word of caution.....someone caught tossing unproven insinuations on a public forum was prosecuted the other day for making the life of an innocent person very miserable!

Never fails to surprise me just how low some folks stoop to get their "thrills", nor that they are often thick enough to do it with all the world looking in! 

Blank page again !!!!! .  Test