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Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

LynahFan said:
If they're looking for the best all-arounder, then where are the mountain biking and cyclocross stages?
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Because those are different disciplines, this is road cycling. Cobbles are part, an integral part, of road cycling.

EDIT: Or you could argue that this is the cyclocross portion since Boom is going to win.
EDIT 2: Virtual GC

1 Nibali
2 Fugslang +2s
3 Kwiatkowski +50s
4 Van den Broeck +1m45s
5 Porte +1m54s
6 Talansky +2m05s
7 Valverde +2m11s
8 Bardet s.t.
9 Van Garderen s.t
10 Costa s.t.
11 Pinot +2m25s
12 Mollema +2m27s
13 Contador +2m37s
14 Peraud +3m29s
15 Zubeldia +3m59s
16 Frank +4m13s
17 Horner s.t.
18 Ten Dam s.t.
 
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Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

Just a heads up for those watching the morning live coverage, but I noticed this coming Sat., and I assume Sun. as well, will be on NBC, and not NBCSN.

Also, maybe Froome wouldn't crash so much if he rode with his head up instead of staring at his stem all day.
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

Sky's decision to leave Wiggo off their team isn't looking so great now, maybe Porte will surprise but he hasn't looked good all season. Looks like NBC is only covering it Saturday according to my guide. It will be interesting seeing Contador, TJ et all trying to make back the time Nibali gained today.
 
rufus said:
Just a heads up for those watching the morning live coverage, but I noticed this coming Sat., and I assume Sun. as well, will be on NBC, and not NBCSN.

Also, maybe Froome wouldn't crash so much if he rode with his head up instead of staring at his stem all day.
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You mean that riding a bike with the form of a praying mantis isn't the optimum way to go? Probably got distracted after Cound slipped some nude photos into his power meter display. I don't really like seeing anyone crash out, but the loss of Froome is a gain for this Tour. Too bad it couldn't have been a "toothache" instead.
 
LynahFan said:
If they're looking for the best all-arounder, then where are the mountain biking and cyclocross stages?
Click to expand...

You can go back 100 years and find the cobbled one-day classics are an integral part of the road cycling season. So they definitely fit into a grand tour, though I'll grant some merit to an argument that they shouldn't be disproportionately represented. In this case, I don't think they were as the total length of the sections was minimal compared to the one day races. ASO doesn't work them in too often but I like it when they do, and thought this was just the right amount. It was enough to challenge the field (of course the weather made it worse) but nowhere near enough to the point where the tour is decided by a paris-roubaix redux.

Upshot is now we'll see some fireworks in the mountains, which is the way it used to be prior to the Dark Era. It'll be a real race as opposed to everyone riding over the hills in a pack prior to someone finally deciding to attack in the final 4k.

Unrelated, how on earth did Pinot make it in before Contador? I'm good with this, of course, but considering his hang ups with descending and bad road conditions I definitely didn't expect him to put in a ride like that on a stage like this.
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

At first I was not happy about the stage, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought, "No, this is absurd. Not the stage but the whining by the competitors." Astana had almost zero problems with the course and made everyone else look foolish. Especially van Garderen. Man he came off like a sore loser. Maybe your mechanics should have prepared your bike with equipment suited to the course conditions. I love Tejay and was hoping him or Talansky would pull it out this year, but I couldn't help but squirm in my seat watching that interview. I had zero issues with the course. I hope Froome being out so early opens this race up.

Also, seeing Sagan up in the GC this late in the game is an absolute treat. I know it's never going to last but I'll enjoy it while it does. :)
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

random comments. I think the race is very wide open. for a change and I can't wait to see who grabs it. To me Nibali is the man right now.
I like stages such the cobbles overall, but I would have preferred to watch them on a dry day.I like them because too many of these non mountain stages seem almost meaningless and the way that stage went down the peloton got shattered and once you were off the back you weren't catching back up.
I'm sorry Frome is out, but..
Bob Roll might not be the best but he was the only guy who could pronounce Ypres correctly.
A real good piece on just what kind of condition cyclists are in compared to say football players on nbcsn.
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

manurespreader said:
random comments. I think the race is very wide open. for a change and I can't wait to see who grabs it. To me Nibali is the man right now.
I like stages such the cobbles overall, but I would have preferred to watch them on a dry day.I like them because too many of these non mountain stages seem almost meaningless and the way that stage went down the peloton got shattered and once you were off the back you weren't catching back up.
I'm sorry Frome is out, but..
Bob Roll might not be the best but he was the only guy who could pronounce Ypres correctly.
A real good piece on just what kind of condition cyclists are in compared to say football players on nbcsn.
Click to expand...

Nibali looks so cool and calm out there and so far Astana has looked like a heck of a team supporting him.

Today was another perfect example, even with the slight attacks from Contador, Talansky and Roche he always looked even keel on the pedals and never looked in danger.

Granted, this was nothing like we'll see when we get to the actual mountains starting tomorrow. We'll see what kind of form he's really in over the next few days but right now unless something drastic happens, he looks very very good
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

Tinkoff breaks up the bunch today but only gains a couple of seconds on Nibali hopefully this will be a sign of what is to come in the next two weeks.
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

Probert said:
Tinkoff breaks up the bunch today but only gains a couple of seconds on Nibali hopefully this will be a sign of what is to come in the next two weeks.
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I think it will be. In fact I know it will be because it has to be. Contador has said 100 times he'd rather go down swinging and take 40th than he would suck a wheel for 2nd. Should make for some entertaining racing. I actually thought Nibali looked pretty comfortable at the end yesterday and was going to sit on Contador's shoulder before passing him at the end. Guess not.

That late time trial could loom large. Contador seems to be back to his old self in the discipline while Nibali has managed to get good at it recently. For the first time since Evans blew A Schleckette's doors off for the win it looks like a TT could have some drama. There's a chance of it, at least.

And my velogames team is officially torched after the Frank/Horner/Kwiatkowski gamble in lieu of Sagan appears to be hopeless. Unless Pappy throws a nutty in week three, but I ain't counting on that.
 
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Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

XYZ said:
I think it will be. In fact I know it will be because it has to be. Contador has said 100 times he'd rather go down swinging and take 40th than he would suck a wheel for 2nd. Should make for some entertaining racing. I actually thought Nibali looked pretty comfortable at the end yesterday and was going to sit on Contador's shoulder before passing him at the end. Guess not.

That late time trial could loom large. Contador seems to be back to his old self in the discipline while Nibali has managed to get good at it recently. For the first time since Evans blew A Schleckette's doors off for the win it looks like a TT could have some drama. There's a chance of it, at least.

And my velogames team is officially torched after the Frank/Horner/Kwiatkowski gamble in lieu of Sagan appears to be hopeless. Unless Pappy throws a nutty in week three, but I ain't counting on that.
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Obviously last year Contador showed he would rather win than race for the podium, I still haven't forgiven Movistar and Katusha who raced for second and third and against Contador rather than racing to beat Froome. But Nibali also races very similar which could make it different than if it was Froome and Sky in yellow or even now if Porte were to take yellow. I think Contador will probably take some time out of Nibali in the TT but not a ton of time. Now whether someone else will step up; Van de Broeck, even though NBC refuses to consider him a "contender", TJ, Talansky, Porte or Valverde to make it more than a 2 person race.

My Velo team is looking good despite Van der Broeck losing some time yesterday. I'm hoping Tommy Voekler goes on a Virenque type break to go for polka dot points but I figure barring a crash I've got two podium guys, Contador and Nibali, a top 5 in Van de Broeke and the green jersey in Sagan.

One of my biggest pet peeves with NBC coverage is the interviews. The good thing about Bein is they interview the winner of the stage and the leader even if they don't speak English and then translate it but NBC prefer to talk to Mick Rogers instead of Contador and Fugalsang rather than Nibali. Does anybody like the Alex Howes spots everyday? Steve Perino I think adds little or nothing aside from the road conditions though the other day when he was in the Giant Shimano car was pretty interesting if they had him in a different team car each day it might add something to the commentary. Bobke and Christian better watch out, the other day after racing 6 hours Jens Voight summed up the race much better than either of them did. He'll be gunning for their job next year.
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

Contador takes a hard fall today after his frame snapped, loses four minutes, gets it back to three minutes but then just can't keep riding and abandons.

Wow. Lost both of the heavy favorites in 10 days.

Race is once again wide open. Even though Nibali seems to be the class of the field.
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

Seems he broke his tibia. Riis says Vuelta is possible but its only about 6 weeks away and that seems very quick...

Not sure I agree that its wide open. Lo Squalo is up nearly 2:30 on the field, has shown himself to be the class of the climbing field AND has a proven winning GT pedigree. If (when) he wins he'll have a complete set of jerseys, Rosa, Jaune, and Oro (though it may have been rojo then).
 
Titleist said:
Seems he broke his tibia. Riis says Vuelta is possible but its only about 6 weeks away and that seems very quick...

Not sure I agree that its wide open. Lo Squalo is up nearly 2:30 on the field, has shown himself to be the class of the climbing field AND has a proven winning GT pedigree. If (when) he wins he'll have a complete set of jerseys, Rosa, Jaune, and Oro (though it may have been rojo then).
Click to expand...

I guess I meant more the podium is wide open again. Nibali seems like he has it in the bag barring a crash or a collapse.
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

PrezdeJohnson09 said:
I guess I meant more the podium is wide open again. Nibali seems like he has it in the bag barring a crash or a collapse.
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Fair enough. And I agree. Rooting for Thibault and anybody but Porte. Bardet would be fun. The Shark on the podium with two young Frenchmen?!?
 
Titleist said:
Fair enough. And I agree. Rooting for Thibault and anybody but Porte. Bardet would be fun. The Shark on the podium with two young Frenchmen?!?
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Fantasy wise I'm rooting for Tejay and Bardet. Costa and Kwiatkowski would be nice to see in the top 10 too.

How about the Yeoman's work Tony Martin did the last few days. Unbelievable.
 
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread

PrezdeJohnson09 said:
Fantasy wise I'm rooting for Tejay and Bardet. Costa and Kwiatkowski would be nice to see in the top 10 too.

How about the Yeoman's work Tony Martin did the last few days. Unbelievable.
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Ok, I can't root for Van Gardern after his rant during his stage 5 post-race interview. Shut up and ride.

Tony is a savage. He should go hire a swim coach like Sky, drop weight while keeping power, and dominate the Tour like another past time trialer.
 
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