2018 PRO thread

[fa63]

It can also mean an argument directed against a person, based on or appealing to emotion rather than reason. But anyways, not worth arguing over; no one wins an argument over the internet.

[kytyree]

I enjoyed and wouldn't mind it continuing to be a regular part of the Tour. If you're going to win a month long grand tour I don't have any problem with the race including a bit of everything.

And as has already been said nothing horrible transpired because of the cobbles. Even little Nairo made it through near the front.

[themidge]

The main reason the cobbled stages/races are so hard is because the riders make it hard. Around where I live there are lots of cobbled streets and climbs not dissimilar in surface and gradient to those in the Tour of Flanders* (only a few bits as knobbly as PR, I'll grant) and they aren't that bad, you can ride them easily without falling off. It's the furious pace that the riders set and the risks that they take that makes these stages what they are.

*I think, in the future, having a stage (perhaps after a grand depart in Belgium or the Netherlands) featuring Tour of Flanders terrain would be really fun.

[wingguy]

The main reason the cobbled stages/races are so hard is because the riders make it hard. Around where I live there are lots of cobbled streets and climbs not dissimilar in surface and gradient to those in the Tour of Flanders* (only a few bits as knobbly as PR, I'll grant)

I live near some cobbled streets and climbs too.... but I've never seen anything here that is remotely comparable to the Paris-Roubaix sectors.

Cobbled streets and cobbled farm lanes are not the same thing.

[themidge]

Cobbled streets and cobbled farm lanes are not the same thing.

I agree, the streets near me are better compared with the cobbles climbs of the Tour of Flanders, as I said. However, there are broken up bits that are similar in bumpiness to the cobbles in PR and they're fine if ridden carefully (ie. not smashing it into a cloud of dust at 500W), it is the riders who make the terrain so dangerous. Of course, the same can be said of every surface, but I wouldn't say that the cobbles are an inherently more dangerous surface to ride like some people seem to feel is the case. Anyway, it was an awesome stage to watch, so more of the same please ASO!

[wingguy]

they're fine if ridden carefully (ie. not smashing it into a cloud of dust at 500W)

Well, this is the Pro thread mate, not the careful rider's thread.

Race organisers have to choose and prepare a parcour to be raced, not just ridden. There are different criteria. For example, metal bollards on the side of the street aren't a problem if you're just riding along and no-one would call them inherently dangerous... but as a few Spanish races found out a season or so ago you can end people's careers if you leave them unmarked and unflagged when they're on the lead in to a sprint finish.

[bilwit]

Richie Porte likely to target the Vuelta

gunna be the Porte vs Froome showdown we've been waiting for

[Wookski]

Richie Porte likely to target the Vuelta

gunna be the Porte vs Froome showdown we've been waiting for

I love your enthusiasm but not holding my breath. Even if Richie doesn’t shit the bed his past GT rides have never indicated that he’s willing to risk loosing big time to try and snatch a win.

[bilwit]

Richie Porte likely to target the Vuelta

gunna be the Porte vs Froome showdown we've been waiting for

I love your enthusiasm but not holding my breath. Even if Richie doesn’t shit the bed his past GT rides have never indicated that he’s willing to risk loosing big time to try and snatch a win.

This may be true, but can't help but root for the guy on a personal level and his skillset is still very exciting when matched up against Froome. I think races like the Vuelta and the Giro suit him better than the Tour anyway. He also has as good a shot as any for the Worlds if he can stay up right between then and now..

[bikewithnoname]

Hoping for some GC action today but I get the feeling everyone is going to mark each other out of any big gaps

That said one of the GC candidates is likely to come out of the rest day poorly so let’s hope the others push hard enough to find out who that is!

[tymon_tm]

if I were SKY tactician, I'd order to go full USPS on them today, setting as deadly pace as possible to see what's what. who knows, it might turn out - suprisingly - there is no competition for both Froome and Thomas in high mountains, so they can make some time gain today and take the rest of the Tour off, just sitting behing their domestiques and waiting for others' moves. it's just the first out of many climbing stages - for someone with the strongest team and quite possibly the strongest legs, I'd like to know ASAP what I'm facing and use my 'resources' wisely. especially if I aimed at the triple...

[Shrike]

Richie Porte likely to target the Vuelta

gunna be the Porte vs Froome showdown we've been waiting for

That would be the superlative end of season situation for racing fans. Froome wins the Tour and goes for the Vuelta for the hell of it, and has a serious contender in Porte with fresh legs to challenge him. The hype would be unreal. We would also avoid a lot of the nastiness from the French fans. We could focus on the racing. Aus and Brits are generally good humoured together and the Spanish are great generally too. Doubt we'd see much booing or ugliness

Think it's a bit of a pipe dream, but sure, why not

Anyway, interesting week ahead now. Still a lot to go wrong, or right before the Vuelta

[martinko]

if I were SKY tactician, I'd order to go full USPS on them today, setting as deadly pace as possible to see what's what. who knows, it might turn out - suprisingly - there is no competition for both Froome and Thomas in high mountains, so they can make some time gain today and take the rest of the Tour off, just sitting behing their domestiques and waiting for others' moves. it's just the first out of many climbing stages - for someone with the strongest team and quite possibly the strongest legs, I'd like to know ASAP what I'm facing and use my 'resources' wisely. especially if I aimed at the triple...

I may be mistaken, but I think it did happen in last years that Sky (and Froome) smashed it in the first climbing stage right after the free day. Was it on Ax 3 Domaines? Probably in last year too. And that tactic always worked

[bikewithnoname]

Watching La Course it looks like the final descent today is full of fast sweeping turns, doesn’t look to me like the sort of descent you can make any great gains. The damage if any will need to be done on the way up the Colombiere (or before)

Great ride from AMVV! AVDB must be so gutted

[BdaGhisallo]

Question: Quickstep are leading the team GC competition and have done for quite a few stages. I notice that Jungels and Alaphilipe have been wearing yellow helmets as is now customary for the team leading the team gc (like the old custom of the yellow caps and even the green caps when there was a team points competition) but none of the other team members. Why is that? I thought it was compulsory that the team leading the team gc wear yellow helmets? I also notice that those not wearing yellow helmets have been using the Evade 2 helmets - did Spec not provide them with these in yellow?

Anyone know?