2018 PRO thread

[TurboKoo]

I think these kind of stages have their place in GT but they could be placed in between hills to allow more possibilities to shuffle GC

[Mr.Gib]

^That’s why I specifically mentioned Mavics freehub. The bushing they use always seems to be the culprit that needs frequent lubrication and maintenance. I’ve seen those hubs push the chain into the chain stay when you stop pedaling.

No bushings in any of my Mavic wheels. Mavic's latest hubs are most similar to DT ring drive mechanism. All you need is a chain and bottom bracket that are very free of friction and cranks will spin. The resistance in the rear hub will be from bearing seals. Granted Mavic rear hub bearing are well sealed.

[RTW]

They absolutely should be in GTs, these types of stages. Perhaps not with so many sectors though.

The bigger problem is too many riders, though if they got rid of 3 or 4 of the 'hanging on' teams, that would be better. I think 9 guys per team should be reinstated.

They should also do a stage on a beech.

[fa63]

They should also do a stage on a beech.

They already tried; Stage 1 of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana

[themidge]

I think these cobbled stages are great, it encourages the eventual winner of the Tour to be a more complete rider, as does keeping in TTs, TTTs, and long stages. In fact, with the smaller teams we have now (maybe down to 6 or 7 riders in the future?) bringing back more of the big long mountain stages could make them the epics they used to be too.

[maquisard]

I think these kind of stages have their place in GT but they could be placed in between hills to allow more possibilities to shuffle GC

Imagine having the Roubaix Pavé stage day before Paris, ride hard and risk everything or ride conservatively and stay safe

[Vagabond]

I liked this stage. A romp across the northern cobbled roads should be in every year’s Tour. I’d also like to see some dirt/gravel climbs added as the Giro does. Part of racing is bike handling skills in my opinion. Stages that challenge and showcase those skills should play a role in deciding who is victorious. I agree with what others have written about Froome. He was the most impressive gc rider during the stage in my opinion.

[Vagabond]

I think these kind of stages have their place in GT but they could be placed in between hills to allow more possibilities to shuffle GC

Imagine having the Roubaix Pavé stage day before Paris, ride hard and risk everything or ride conservatively and stay safe

This is a great idea. I also think it would be great to see the team of a closely positioned second place gc rider viciously attack the final stage in Paris.

[BdaGhisallo]

I liked this stage. A romp across the northern cobbled roads should be in every year’s Tour. I’d also like to see some dirt/gravel climbs added as the Giro does. Part of racing is bike handling skills in my opinion. Stages that challenge and showcase those skills should play a role in deciding who is victorious. I agree with what others have written about Froome. He was the most impressive gc rider during the stage in my opinion.

I agree. Perhaps they can incorporate dirt roads like they use in the Tro Bro Leon or in Dwars het Hageland over in Belgium when they make the occasional foray over the border.

[fa63]

I hope you all can find an opportunity to ride these cobbled roads, then see if your opinion changes. Dirt/gravel roads are one thing, but these are an entirely different beast. Grand Tours shouldn't be decided based on mechanicals/crashes caused by baby-head sized cobbles covered with slick dust, in my opinion. Kwiatkowski is probably one of the better bike handlers in the peloton, and he crashed too.

[smartyiak]

...I will say it again, I think stages like these have no place in a Grand Tour. It is a spectacle at the expense of rider safety in my opinion....

I feel differently. Isn't the entire point: spectacle??? And it doesn't seem any more particularly dangerous than some of the mtn passes they go down.

I can't recall a single stage in recent memory where I was on the edge of my seat nearly the entire time. A lot of the Tour, for me, is reading a book while watching the beauty of France roll by...and looking up whenever the announcers voices gat a bit louder. Even big mountain stages, I don't really watch super attentively until the foot of the last climb...but yesterday: I was transfixed waiting to see who would crash, who would puncture or mechanical, who would put the hammer down and succeed...or fail. And a beautiful win by a deserving rider who did everything right... and had a bit of luck.

It was really my favorite stage in recent memory.

By the way: Did Porte run into a spectator and crash? On U.S. TV they kept referring to the downed, injured spectator in the Porte crash, but they never discussed it again after the race moved on.

[BdaGhisallo]

I hope you all can find an opportunity to ride these cobbled roads, then see if your opinion changes. Dirt/gravel roads are one thing, but these are an entirely different beast. Grand Tours shouldn't be decided based on mechanicals/crashes caused by baby-head sized cobbles covered with slick dust, in my opinion. Kwiatkowski is probably one of the better bike handlers in the peloton, and he crashed too.

I guess they should get rid of all the fast descents too, huh? They can be plenty dangerous and the riders can do themselves a huge amount of harm crashing over a mountain road edge at 70+ kph.

Maybe we should just hold the Tour de France in the Stade de France - they could set up 200 smart trainers on the field and they can all race each other on Zwift, on courses that the riders used to race over in the old and unenlightened times. They could even sell tickets and improve cycling's revenue model. It could be so exciting!

[fa63]

Taking things to the logical extreme; ad hominem...

[tymon_tm]

sure there were lots of crashes and mechanicals, but the facts are - a "normal" flat-ish stage often sees many pile-ups taking several riders out at once, yesterday there was none. riders crash individually on descents, narrow twisty roads - yesterday they crashed coming out of corners (Kwiato, Bernal, that situation with GVA and Froome). there were more punctures and mechanicals, but if we take Bardet out of the equation (there was just something very wrong happening to him) it seems like an average day in the office, no? sure, a bit harder and more demanding (the wind played huge part in it according to Big Tom), but also shorter. for fans it was a pure joy to watch, and even if half of this Tour's stages are boring to death, we'll all remember this race thanks to that stage 9. IMHO nothing that bad happened which would justify claiming it was too dangerous. one wet day in hills will take more toll on riders than 20 kilometers of cobbles.

[BdaGhisallo]

Taking things to the logical extreme; ad hominem...

ad ho·mi·nem
ˌad ˈhämənəm/Submit
adverb & adjective
1.
(of an argument or reaction) directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining.

Can you point me to where I attacked you personally rather than your argument with my reductio ad absurdum?