Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Big Tam has to attack here. ETA: He must have heard me. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaggyness Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Well today shows what happens when you try to win 4 consecutive grand tours, no matter how brilliant a rider you are. Thomas never get a better chance to win a grand tour. 2 minutes is the minimum I thought he would need going into the TT on Saturday. I know he's a good time triallist but it's a tough route and Demoulin probably edges him 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddy Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Big ask for Froome now, Thomas definitely looks the freshest rider.If he doesn't win this, I'd be heading for the World Champ's RR & a tilt at no 5 next year. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 I think it's more likely a team decision has been made that Thomas winning would be better for Team Sky than Froome. Thomas out climbing everyone aged 32 is another Sky miracle. The fact that his leap occurred right when Froome might have been banned from the race is obviously just a freak co-incidence. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddy Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 It also opens the opportunity for a Froome attack on stage 19? 2.31 is a comfortable cushion, & letting Froome off the leash would allow GT to defend off the other GC contenders response to that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiegoDiego Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 I think it's more likely a team decision has been made that Thomas winning would be better for Team Sky than Froome. Thomas out climbing everyone aged 32 is another Sky miracle. The fact that his leap occurred right when Froome might have been banned from the race is obviously just a freak co-incidence.32's really not that old when it comes to cycling. I'm not a big fan of Sky but you're clutching at straws there in your attempts to disparage them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddy Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 4 minutes ago, Detournement said: I think it's more likely a team decision has been made that Thomas winning would be better for Team Sky than Froome. Thomas out climbing everyone aged 32 is another Sky miracle. The fact that his leap occurred right when Froome might have been banned from the race is obviously just a freak co-incidence. Bearing in mind both Froome & Dumoulin both rode the Giro, if you don't think that they're ALL walking a tightrope, regards artificially enhanced performances, then you're a mug. Read Graeme O'Bree's quote about pro-teams & Doctors with medical programmes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, kiddy said: Bearing in mind both Froome & Dumoulin both rode the Giro, if you don't think that they're ALL walking a tightrope, regards artificially enhanced performances, then you're a mug. Read Graeme O'Bree's quote about pro-teams & Doctors with medical programmes. I know. I was just pointing out that Thomas winning ahead of Froome is likely to be a political decision. Just as Wiggins ahead of Froome was. I expect Froome to slip off the podium to avoid being embarrassed in Paris on Sunday. Despite the far fetched nature of his leap in performance - he rode Roubaix this year ffs - Thomas winning will be hugely popular with the fanboys and allow the British press to steer clear of the reasons why Team Sky is hated in France. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 12 minutes ago, DiegoDiego said: 32's really not that old when it comes to cycling. I'm not a big fan of Sky but you're clutching at straws there in your attempts to disparage them. So you will be able to name another rider who made this kind of leap aged 32 or older? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiegoDiego Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 So you will be able to name another rider who made this kind of leap aged 32 or older?Given cycling's history any name will be swiftly countered with "and he was at it too" regardless of the question asked. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 So you will be able to name another rider who made this kind of leap aged 32 or older?Leap? He’s been Froome’s go to guy for years. AFAIR he’s won major multistage races as well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 The only name I can think of is Horner and his heroic Vuelta win. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 The only name I can think of is Horner and his heroic Vuelta win.Bollocks. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 1 minute ago, Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo said: Leap? He’s been Froome’s go to guy for years. AFAIR he’s won major multistage races as well. So when did he show this climbing ability? His best GC result prior to this was 15th. I don't recall him ever being in contention for a mountain stage. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 1 minute ago, Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo said: Bollocks. So name the rider who made his first GC top 10 aged 32? Just as with Wiggins becoming invincible in time for the London Olympics and Froome going from 151 in the Tour Of Poland to the strongest rider in the Vuelta overnight there is nothing comparable to this. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 So when did he show this climbing ability? His best GC result prior to this was 15th. I don't recall him ever being in contention for a mountain stage. He has won Paris Nice. He’s won the Critérium. In Grand Tours he has always been riding for someone else. To compare him to Horner is absolutely fucking ludicrous. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo said: He has won Paris Nice. He’s won the Critérium. In Grand Tours he has always been riding for someone else. To compare him to Horner is absolutely fucking ludicrous. I wasn't comparing him to Horner I was just saying that he is the only person who has made a similar jump. GIven all the scandals around Team Sky surely everyone has to be sceptical about these continual miracle transformations? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 I wasn't comparing him to Horner I was just saying that he is the only person who has made a similar jump. GIven all the scandals around Team Sky surely everyone has to be sceptical about these continual miracle transformations?Of course I am sceptical. He seems to have made the same transformation as Wiggins from a “heavy” track guy to a guy that can get up mountains. But you did compare him to Horner, and the “leap” he has made has not been an instantaneous “leap”. He’s been a super domestique for ages and he’s been winning major stage races over the last few years. It’s hardly a surprise that he’s up at the top end. Unlike Horner and the like. Whatever happened to Cobo, BTW? Remember him? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvo Montalbano Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 It's almost like Sky have a team if guys who could all be team leaders in their own right...Porte was a super-domestique for Froome, left for BMC and had been in contention the last 2 years. Landa was a super-domestique for Froome, left for Movistar and is in the top 10 this year. Pouls has been a super-domestique for Froome and if he left for (let's say Lotto Jumbo as he's Dutch), no doubt he'd be a contender for grand tours. Thomas did the same role and has had a programme tailored to have him in peak condition now, the two guys closest to him are coming off riding the Giro, and they've had the next in a long line of super-domestiques in Bernal helping out when required. I'm never sure about cycling but to say that Thomas winning would be some kind of super unexpected result seems strange, especially since he was in line for a top 10 placing last year while doing all of Froome's work for him and his form in the Criterium. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirlingblue Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Reminds me a bit of Ryder Hesjedal. Won first grand tour at 32. Had one top 10 finish in a grand tour prior to the win. Came from a mountain biking background. Thomas from a track background. One thing that seems unusual is Britain have gone from having never won (or really looked like winning) a grand tour, to utter domination with a 6th win in 7 years upcoming. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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