2017 'PRO' cycling discussion.

[mike]

Nibali looking real strong. Like the uphill finishes this year. I don't see froome winning. Alaphillipe or nibali

[nemeseri]

Nibali looking real strong. Like the uphill finishes this year. I don't see froome winning. Alaphillipe or nibali

Well Alaphilippe is already 15-16 *minutes* down.

[TonyM]

Smart move from Contador: he cannot compete for the GC anyway so be far behind now allows him to try some nice attacks and stage win!

De Gent: reloaded! Wow again like in the TdF?? Bravo! Really a good fighting spirit!

[UpFromOne]

Laying odds that Contador is done here. He doesn't play the bluff.

[bruno2000]

Froome looking stronger in the Vuelta than in France...

[Anders3404]

In my opinion he wasn't riding full gas except at the last TT. He was conserving energy for the vuelta. I think he really wants the vuelta win after so many 2nd places and to do the double GT win which hasn't been done for a long time

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[Rondje]

The way Sky rode that first part of the climb almost looked like W52 in Portugal, with the exception that here all riders eventually blown up. Can't see anyone beating Froome here. The only one capable of riding a decent TT is TJ and it would be a miracle if he doesn't crack at some point.

[micky]

There's a bit of cycling cap mania at the podiums at this year Vuelta.

[tymon_tm]

IMHO Froome will be on the final podium - the way he rides, like he didn't care, is just way above the rest. plus he's probably the only contender with a proper team - again.

sure - Chavez followed Froome's attack, Nibali closed down, but when it comes to it, Froome will just ride off.

re: Contador - he's just not there. stage win - yeah perhaps, but he's got a solid rival for mountain stages now - Majka

[ave]

Can't see Froome not winning this. There will be no Formigal this year.

[Rudi]

Loved the way it "looked" like they'd overcooked this corner on the way up the hill - Froome and Chavez:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL1VBBvRibY

Might have been that the camera bike was in the way, but at the time I was thinking "uphill braking"

[CrankAddictsRich]

Loved the way it "looked" like they'd overcooked this corner on the way up the hill - Froome and Chavez:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL1VBBvRibY

Might have been that the camera bike was in the way, but at the time I was thinking "uphill braking"

I think it was the motorbike braking to get round the corner, that makes it look like the riders are suddenly accelerating very fast, uphill...

[CrankAddictsRich]

Alex Dowsett moving from Movistar to Katusha next year... Dowsett and Martin on the same team, building some TT power.

[53x12]

Great win by Trentin. Quick Step just doing their thing this season.

Also, looks like Pozzovivo got caught in that crash before the 3km to go. Unfortunate he had to lose time that way.

[bilwit]

IMHO Froome will be on the final podium - the way he rides, like he didn't care, is just way above the rest. plus he's probably the only contender with a proper team - again.

sure - Chavez followed Froome's attack, Nibali closed down, but when it comes to it, Froome will just ride off.

re: Contador - he's just not there. stage win - yeah perhaps, but he's got a solid rival for mountain stages now - Majka

Froome has the advantage, the TT, and has the team to protect him in the front where he can grab intermediate bonus seconds on the GC days and set him up. He will shell out some time on the big summit finishes to the pure climbers like Bardet and Aru but it won't be significant in the long run. They will be placing their hopes on him blowing up in the last week..

Yesterday, Nibali had an impressive sprint at the end but on the steep sections he struggled and got dropped.. IMO that was more telling than the victory.