The Cycling Thread

[maviczap]

Yes and yes, because Essex Dave's fantasy TDF team has leapfrogged both mine and Luckypants teams with the cheating italian winning today's stage

Both the top 4 placings and our league result are going down to the wire, its been a great tour, although today was a bit nerve racking with Froomey getting dropped and Sky only having Wault Poels supporting him.

I don't expect to hold it today. Shame we can't do transfers!

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by pookie

super stage today.. the question will remain.. did he see him or not? And does it make any difference?

Yes he did, the helicopter replay shows him clearly doing a double take to make sure Froome had a mechanical. Normally the French press would be up in arms about how "unsporting" it was to attack then (as they did when Contador attacked Andy Schleck on Stage 15 of the 2010 tour) but as it is against the 'hated' Froome, al is fair.

It won't make a difference to the result I think but I haven't seen the results from yesterday so do not know!

I think that might be a bit hard on Nibali. I haven't seen the replay but if he started to attack, looked back and saw Froome had had a mechanical, then I think that's okay. I don't think he was really attacking Froome as much as hoping to take back some time to get a decent GC finish.

I reckon it was pretty blatant by Nibali, but Karma got him at the start of Alpe D'Huez the next day anyways...

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by EssexDave

I think that might be a bit hard on Nibali. I haven't seen the replay but if he started to attack, looked back and saw Froome had had a mechanical, then I think that's okay. I don't think he was really attacking Froome as much as hoping to take back some time to get a decent GC finish.

Watch the replay, he looked not once but twice, and attacking a rival when they have a mechanical is against the riders code of sportsmanship.

Wiggo could have made loads of time on Cadel Evans when the tacks were thrown down on the road causing Evans to puncture, but Wiggo stopped everyone from racing until Evans rejoined.

Contador was booed by the crowd after he attacked Schleck when his chain jammed and he only looked once before attacking.

so watch the replay and see what you think

[Luckypants]

It's pretty moot now anyway. Congrats to Froome and team Sky - without his team on the last day in the Alps Froome could have lost his jumper to Quintana on the Croix de Fer.

[maviczap]

Anyway, what am I going to watch now between 7 & 8 of a night, great tour this year.

Quintana will win it one year, he's got youth on his side.

Vuelta a España starts on the 22nd August so fantasy cycling league has been set up over on road.cc - ID number is 76454 which the website has assured me is all you need.

[maviczap]

YAY!