2018 PRO thread

[TonyM]

Fair enough. I was taking it from here

https://www.letour.fr/en/rider/131/team ... -cavendish

As for the rest. Blimey. My guess is someone got in his face. All is not well in Camp Cav.

Interesting that the Tour de France official website states it as DNF indeed.

[guyc]

Thats how a rider should perform. Not like these cry babies Cav, Kittel etc. They won´t make it today.

A cry baby who finished the stage despite knowing he was out of the race.

Get a grip.

[wingguy]

They are happy to let Thomas go, like Porte he is a one week stage racer - he won't last three weeks.

I think it’s premature to assume that.

With his history of crashing he’s effectively had a couple of years of development as a GT racer without showing either way if he can last. The idea that he’ll blow up in the last week comes from like 3 years ago when he was working as a pure domestique.

I’ll stick my neck out and say that if he doesn’t crash (big if to be fair) we were looking at the Paris podium today. Froome, Dumoulin and G.

[Rondje]

They are happy to let Thomas go, like Porte he is a one week stage racer - he won't last three weeks.

I think it’s premature to assume that.

With his history of crashing he’s effectively had a couple of years of development as a GT racer without showing either way if he can last. The idea that he’ll blow up in the last week comes from like 3 years ago when he was working as a pure domestique.

I’ll stick my neck out and say that if he doesn’t crash (big if to be fair) we were looking at the Paris podium today. Froome, Dumoulin and G.

With only 2 mountain stages done? That's way to premature. Dumoulin and Froome could easily drop out after that incredible hard Giro. And Thomas never has proven he could do it. There are still so many mountain stages to come. And the 2nd rest day still has to come to see the revival of Nibali.

[TonyM]

My guess also, but Sky in the first two places...
1. Froome
2. Thomas
3. Dumoulin

[maquisard]

Froome and Dumoulin should probably fade in the third week. I think Thomas will crash out or fade badly, he isn't a GT rider.

[TonyM]

With only 2 mountain stages done? That's way to premature. Dumoulin and Froome could easily drop out after that incredible hard Giro. And Thomas never has proven he could do it. There are still so many mountain stages to come. And the 2nd rest day still has to come to see the revival of Nibali.

We learned from the Giro that Froome can be way behind the leader of the GC and then go for a long solo ride and win the whole race.

Being now 2 from Sky in the lead my guess is that it will be impossible to get them out of the podium.

[TonyM]

Froome and Dumoulin should probably fade in the third week. I think Thomas will crash out or fade badly, he isn't a GT rider.

Froome will target the Vuelta also I think so that he will not give 100% if not necessary (and Thomas anyway going to ride for him and not being the leader of the Sky)

[guyc]

Three Grand Tours in the same year. Can’t see it.

I can see him going for the Worlds.

[TonyM]

Three Grand Tours in the same year. Can’t see it.

I can see him going for the Worlds.

That’s why he would love to do it and have his name in the top of the rankings....

The Worlds is indeed a good profile for him. But less predictable as a grand tour for him.

[themidge]

Where is Froome going to take 1:45 out of Thomas? Not in the TT surely? They're both clearly above the opposition (they caught TD remember, he rode the climb a good 40s slower than they did), such that I can't foresee a situation where one might have to work for another. Although the fact that I can't foresee that situation means that it will probably happen .

[seaneT1]

Team sky might have the biggest budget, but it has come to my attention that so far, they haven't bought a ready made GT winner (at least not with any succes)...Wiggins, Froome, and now maybe G are all there since the begining and have developed mostly inside the team, they sure do buy very good domestics, but other teams don't fall behind in that department either. Look at Movistar's team right now for goodness sake! Also, looking at the team standings this year, sky isn't even second, while other years they were dominating that classement from start till the very end most of the times. Also, about Bahrain putting men in front today, it is only logical, since the GC threats apply to all the GC contenders the same at that point, SKY didn't even have the yellow jersey and nobody knew excactly how things would play out since it was the first real GC test, and so if Nibali felt good today, he would want to go for it. Later on he found out that maybe his good wasn't good enough, but before today, no one could have predicted that for sure, so they did a real good job with helping the chase, no matter the outcome. If they do that again tommorow, then yes, they might really be idiots since SKY showed that they are still the boss, but today they had to and bravo to them doing it.

[TonyM]

Where is Froome going to take 1:45 out of Thomas? Not in the TT surely? They're both clearly above the opposition (they caught TD remember, he rode the climb a good 40s slower than they did), such that I can't foresee a situation where one might have to work for another. Although the fact that I can't foresee that situation means that it will probably happen .

Like in the Giro: Froome attacks and take a few minutes on the leading group with Dumoulin (here with Thomas).

Thomas working for Froome may have a day off like in the Giro.

[spdntrxi]

Where is Froome going to take 1:45 out of Thomas? Not in the TT surely? They're both clearly above the opposition (they caught TD remember, he rode the climb a good 40s slower than they did), such that I can't foresee a situation where one might have to work for another. Although the fact that I can't foresee that situation means that it will probably happen .

tomorrow he will take 30s... then the rest on the Pryennnes. Still hoping for TommyD

[bilwit]

Sad to hear Thomas is still admitting that Froome is the leader and gives them "the best chance at winning". He should be fighting for it because he is in the best position possible right now. He can hold onto this thing all the way to Paris if he doesn't have to work for Froome or utterly blow up.

Team sky might have the biggest budget, but it has come to my attention that so far, they haven't bought a ready made GT winner (at least not with any succes)...Wiggins, Froome, and now maybe G are all there since the begining and have developed mostly inside the team, they sure do buy very good domestics, but other teams don't fall behind in that department either. Look at Movistar's team right now for goodness sake! Also, looking at the team standings this year, sky isn't even second, while other years they were dominating that classement from start till the very end most of the times. Also, about Bahrain putting men in front today, it is only logical, since the GC threats apply to all the GC contenders the same at that point, SKY didn't even have the yellow jersey and nobody knew excactly how things would play out since it was the first real GC test, and so if Nibali felt good today, he would want to go for it. Later on he found out that maybe his good wasn't good enough, but before today, no one could have predicted that for sure, so they did a real good job with helping the chase, no matter the outcome. If they do that again tommorow, then yes, they might really be idiots since SKY showed that they are still the boss, but today they had to and bravo to them doing it.

Wiggins was 4th in the Tour (3rd if you don't count Mr. Armstrong) in 2009 with Garmin-Sharpe. He only transferred to Sky because they offered him a huge contract. I get your point but still. They are so utterly dominant it's unbelievable. I could not believe Quintana, Nibali, Bardet and Landa all got dropped like a sack of potatoes..