Tour de France

[Prospector]

We're being ripped off. We get Tomalaris and McEwen or bighead McKenzie, then 5 minutes of cooking.

The french get Tony Gallopin's missus.

I noticed that last night, when she was interviewed. A champion cyclist herself, and a journalist covering the race. What a woman!

btw, I traded Cunt Adore for Quant Anna. It's an indication of the changing of the gourd!

 

[Prospector]

As for the drugs issue/s:

Was Astana the only team using them last year? Or perhaps the only team not?

Is Sky the only team using them this year? Or the only team not?

Who will be the team that gets away with it next year? How much will it cost them?

My bet is Quintana and Mobistar have next year sewn up ...

 

[Prospector]

Right now I'm watching a climb that emulates the Alp d'Huez. I see a huge zigzag up the side of a few enormous mountains.

To me, this is what the TdF is all about. The really tough climb, that an individual rider either can, or can't do. Show me how you do this impossible climb, and discover what a fan I can be!

Great stage ...and Alp d'Huez is yet to come!

 

[Grater]

As for the drugs issue/s:

Was Astana the only team using them last year? Or perhaps the only team not?

Is Sky the only team using them this year? Or the only team not?

Who will be the team that gets away with it next year? How much will it cost them?

My bet is Quintana and Mobistar have next year sewn up ...

Everyone is using them. Sky just have the better program. Astana were majorly doped to the eyeballs in the Giro d'Italia though (Tour of Italy, the 1st Grand Tour of the year over 3 weeks). Although, maybe it was the lack of competition that made them look good because they have been shit here. They didn't bring that stuff to the Tour.

Sky will keep getting away with it. No one will rival them. I don't know what they have, or what they are doing, but other teams don't have the same stuff they have. If they did, it would be more competitive and there wouldn't be a huge gap between them and everyone else. Quintana/Nibali/Contador etc not being able to drop Geraint Thomas who is working his arse off for Froome.

I don't think Movistar will have next year sewn up. Sky will still be another level.

 

[Fitzroy Guerrilla]

Fair ride by Nibali here. Hope he can hold on for a good win here.

 

[Fitzroy Guerrilla]

Nice little attack by Quintana at the end here. Hope he can stick it to Froome again tomorrow.

 

[Prospector]

Podium Lockout!

 

[Grater]

Quintana is a negative rider who has no balls. He should have attacked earlier and he might have had a shot to win. Don't wait until 2km to go and be a pussy. Be prepared to lose 2nd to win by attacking a long way out.

 

[Fitzroy Guerrilla]

Quintana is a negative rider who has no balls. He should have attacked earlier and he might have had a shot to win. Don't wait until 2km to go and be a pussy. Be prepared to lose 2nd to win by attacking a long way out.

I recall you having had that same criticism about other major contenders in previous years who werent actually wearing the yellow jersey at the time.

 

[Prospector]

I recall you having had that same criticism about other major contenders in previous years who werent actually wearing the yellow jersey at the time.

No surprise - a consistent attitude ...

 

[Grater]

Quintana will never win a Tour de France. Neither will Van Garderen. You don't win Grand Tours with the negative style of riding they have.

 

[Rupert]

Agree Grater.
I thought Quintana was more agressive. He was when he won the Giro last year. Hopefully he will really attack tonight.
I like Nibali precisely because he does attack.
For the sake of my double points on the stage I'd like to see the GC guys really go at it. Don't want a break-away to win it.

 

[Fitzroy Guerrilla]

Quintana will never win a Tour de France. Neither will Van Garderen. You don't win Grand Tours with the negative style of riding they have.

Didn't you also say that Evans and Nibali wouldn't win one?

 

[Grater]

Agree Grater.
I thought Quintana was more agressive. He was when he won the Giro last year. Hopefully he will really attack tonight.
I like Nibali precisely because he does attack.
For the sake of my double points on the stage I'd like to see the GC guys really go at it. Don't want a break-away to win it.

Quintana wants to win the stage and he cares about that more than the overall win, so he will attack a few km from the finish and drop Froome and win by 30 odd seconds.

I don't get what has happened to Quintana though. He won the Giro and he attacked and attacked and attacked. Ever since that he has just been sucking wheels and not attacking. This year, in most of the races he's done, he has been sitting back and playing it safe and I'm wondering why. I do think he would have won this if he took it by the balls. He could have attacked on the climb yesterday when Nibali went and Froome wouldn't have had team mates. He could have worked with Nibali and then he could have dropped Froome and perhaps put more than what he did on him. He just didn't do that. He waited until 2-3km to go. You're not going to make up 2 and a half minutes riding like that.

He has a 2nd place at the Tour, he has the KOTM jersey. There's nothing wrong with risking losing 2nd to win. If you blow up, who cares. At least you have staked it. But yeah, he is focusing on the stage win tonight so he's not going to attack early.

 

[Grater]

Didn't you also say that Evans and Nibali wouldn't win one?

Evans yes
Nibali no

I've always thought Nibali would win one.

 

[Fitzroy Guerrilla]

Maybe Quintana wants to hold second place for the chance of it being elevated to first sometime in the future...

 

[Rupert]

Maybe - and this is my hope - Quintana was just saving his energy for a big attack tonight.
Maybe - another hope - they will all attack tonight because they want to get their name on a marker on the climb.

Also agree about Evans. He was a really gutsy rider but far too conservative for me. Didn't have the outright climbing speed of Contador or the Schlecks but wasn't willing to challenge them on endurance either.

 

[Grater]

Maybe Quintana wants to hold second place for the chance of it being elevated to first sometime in the future...

Unfortunately I don't think they are ever going to catch Froome unless they set him up like they did Landis.

 

[Grater]

Maybe - and this is my hope - Quintana was just saving his energy for a big attack tonight.
Maybe - another hope - they will all attack tonight because they want to get their name on a marker on the climb.

Also agree about Evans. He was a really gutsy rider but far too conservative for me. Didn't have the outright climbing speed of Contador or the Schlecks but wasn't willing to challenge them on endurance either.

It's definitely not going to a break tonight. Rodriguez and Bardet will attack to try and get the polka dots. But the break won't get a big lead. Trust me. Froome, Quintana have both said they want to win this stage. 0% chance someone from the break winning. Maybe an early attacker could win like Nibali last night, but I doubt it. Quintana really really wants this stage.

 

[Grater]

Fuck Dayne Beams isn't playing? My RDT is fucked anyway. 0 trades left. Hope I have an emergency so I can still put out big scores for the league.