2017 Tour de France
- Thread starter Morgan123
- Start date
ForkinGreat
Random Krishna
+1 on Aru. total cock farmer.
Ritchie Porte is toast. he was pacing Froome well on the climbs up to that point. Froome will probably win again if he stays on his bike.
Warren barguil looked like someone shat in his wallet. he would have felt like a bit of a tool for celebrating his second place. Not even happy when he gets the mountain jersey and most aggressive rider prize.
Calvin27
Eats Squid
Why not attack? Do the downhill riders stop attacking when Gwin loses a chain or pops a tyre? It's a race man.
ForkinGreat
Random Krishna
Because the Tour de France is a stage race, and a world cup DH is a time trial, for one.
Secondly, if you attack every time a rival punctures, then you will get attacked mercilessly in return. and don't expect any help in a breakaway.
It is a race, and it's probably the hardest bike race in the world. There is something of an honour system, strangely enough, where the riders
want to win when the best riders are competing against each other, not their machinery and its' occasional frailties.
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Puncturing on a DH course is due to rider error, puncturing on the road is bad luck and cannot be avoided so it's unfair to use that as an advantage.
Calvin27
Eats Squid
Yeah so that's kind of makes it a better race with more strategy. Can't say he's a dog because he operates within the rules.
Puncturing on the bike could be tyre choice. Maybe you took the chance you ran a faster tyre but lighter casing. It's skill - picking the clean lines and paying attention to it. Mecahanicals are a team effort, not excusable and once again gear selection. Ultimately it's not just a rider sport, the equipment is a big deal.
I'm conflicted on that, I like the idea of the honour system prevailing after so many years, but on the other, it is a race not a gentlemens' tour, and a big part of TDF that sh1ts me whilst I wait for some action in the last 20km is the massive effort to get a handful of riders to the podium. Ban teams and everyone rides for themselves, and if you cop a mechanical, too bad & good luck next year. But that wouldn't be what makes it the TDF.
Sure, could also be that the tyre choice was 100% right. Not sure how one can pick the right line when riding in a peleton, drafting or when descending at 60km an hour - in that situation there are very few lines and there is no way possible that any rider could spot a little bit of wire or glass and then avoid it.
The point is that you can get a puncture in this kind of race and there is nothing you can do to avoid it. That means don't take advantage of some one else's misfortune. It's just not sporting, I guess.
Flow-Rider
Wheel size expert
That's the way it used be but now it's big "sponsored teams".
Last year Richie copped a flat, I think only one team member came back to lead him into the pack again.
Lol! Anyone else see the dicks spray painted on the road at the 4ks end of stage 8.
Calvin27
Eats Squid
I rekon some people puncture more than others due to riding style. But either way luck is part of any sport.
ForkinGreat
Random Krishna
You could probably say that about Aaron Gwin. Dude seems to cop more punctures than most other top Downhillers. I know he often has his suspension set way stiff, and he does seem to straightline a lot of rock gardens (??)
mtb101
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Lance Armstrong podcasts on tour are very informative
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS9RjcqJ5SE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS9RjcqJ5SE
Calvin27
Eats Squid
Yep Lance may be a cheat and sociopath, but his insights on the tour are pretty good and insightful.
On ettiquette, this guy summarises my thoughts exactly.
https://cyclingtips.com/2017/07/commentary-comes-equipment-time-bid-adieu-gentlemans-rules-stage-racing/
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ForkinGreat
Random Krishna
Lance is a cunt and I will never listen to anything he says, but that's just a personal choice.
The article makes some good points about racing ettiquette, which I would generally have to agree with. It's a tricky one.
For one-day classic races like Paris-Roubaix, it's tough titties if you have a puncture, mechanical or a crash.
Should it be the same for Stage races like the Tour, Giro or Vuelta? Maybe so...
I think it would change the "light-weight at all costs" dogma, and you might see teams running tubeless tyres with sealant, or slightly more puncture resistant tyres.
Was thinking about this last night and it is a bit strange that this courtesy be given to the yellow jersey but nobody else, even a person one second from the lead.
scblack
Leucocholic
I would think it goes both ways. If two people were close, one Yellow and one two seconds back, if the guy in second had a mechanical, the yellow rider would also not attack.
The impetus is much more obvious for a person off the lead to attack though.
Does that make sense?
Flow-Rider
Wheel size expert
The commentating isn't the same without Phil Liggett, that bloke has a wealth of knowledge of the race and of the countries heritage. Don't get me wrong, Keenan and McEwen are pretty good but I miss Liggett and Sherwen like the icing on the cake. Some of the stages become more boring without inhumanly race leads or without the multiple attacks on the hills, Liggett had a way of still making the race feel exciting.
Calvin27
Eats Squid
keep in mind there are other contenders too, not just GC. Polka dots, green and stuff.
Morgan123
Likes Dirt
I'm quite sure if any of the big GC contenders went down or had a mechanical they'd wait, the have in the past