There are too many Martins in this race. After Tony's solo Spitzengruppe adventure I was looking up in the results of today's stage and found he'd only dropped back to 20th place. But then I looked at the GC listing and there was a completely different Martin at 20? Got my hopes up for a minute. I assume you mean the Irish one.
Is Kittel going to do anything for the rest of the race or just rest on his laurels? He's so far ahead I don't think he has to.
― Half Rutter (Branwell with an N), Sunday, 16 July 2017 17:09 (six years ago) link
Meant the Irish one indeed.
Matthews could possibly pose a threat still, though Kittel's got one hand on green. Stages with some intermediate sprints are mostly up for grabs for Matthews, but Kittel will go for the Champs Elysee win to seal it (a stage which is never not a sprint).
― Le Bateau Ivre, Sunday, 16 July 2017 17:11 (six years ago) link
The sprints [and thus points] in those stages are for grabs for Matthews I mean, not a stage win necessarily, but he's really strong by the looks of it. Kittel needs to survive the last mountains, be in on time, and nab the final win in Paris.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Sunday, 16 July 2017 17:13 (six years ago) link
"Motivation" eh Laurent?
Ha, I had missed that, Jalabert sarcastic live on French TV about Froome having mechanicals just before key climbs. Fuel for the boos... https://t.co/Vik7AxoZos— Ufe (@oufeh) July 16, 2017
― popcorn michael awaits trumptweet (Hunt3r), Sunday, 16 July 2017 20:59 (six years ago) link
wtg Mollema :D
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 16 July 2017 21:05 (six years ago) link
Landa is so pretty,damn
bookmarking him for next year in Movistar for sure
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 16 July 2017 21:21 (six years ago) link
Yeah, nice Mollema victory for sure, all chances taken at just the right moments to seal it. Loved that he could just pull up a little early and cruise in as a result.
Unlike last year, it's been good to see Froome work more for this as opposed to one or two moments and then the team did the rest.
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 16 July 2017 21:58 (six years ago) link
It's def become much more of an exciting Tour than I expected, really looking forward to next week
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 16 July 2017 22:06 (six years ago) link
Yeah, could be fun! More of Sky looking unexpectedly brittle, please.
Meantime, definitely a day of naked people on the sidelines.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 17 July 2017 00:11 (six years ago) link
Also going back a bit
McEwen it was, I think- was right. yesterday sorta made today possible. Never heard mcewen's commentary before this tour. pretty good talker. i really liked his pocket-rocket, super acceleration sprints and lines, back when. anyway his takes are spot on and his insights actually interesting and he's willing to talk about wine and chateaus and france stuff, without killing everyone, so that's nice.
Yeah he's been great, definitely not missing Phil/Paul at all.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 17 July 2017 00:12 (six years ago) link
if u need a phil/paul update:
paul: still hammering on about medieval churchesphil: still hammering on about traffic furniturephil/paul: still muffing every other stat & prediction
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 17 July 2017 01:23 (six years ago) link
It's almost like I can hear them now and zzzzzzzz
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 17 July 2017 01:24 (six years ago) link
lol
i spend my time wondering what good commentary might be like
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 17 July 2017 01:25 (six years ago) link
honestly i'd settle for jens & christian at this point
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 17 July 2017 01:26 (six years ago) link
taylor phinney's weirdness is v pleasing to me
Watch 🎥 @taylorphinney ask @JohnKerry the hard-hitting questions at #TDF2017. 🐴🐶🙊 pic.twitter.com/ZUqJAfu1n8— Cannondale-Drapac (@Ride_Argyle) July 17, 2017
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 03:03 (six years ago) link
he's more like a snowboarder than a cyclist
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 03:04 (six years ago) link
He's sorta on stage in an amusing way here, but didn't really come across that way irl (limited exp).
― popcorn michael awaits trumptweet (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 03:12 (six years ago) link
are you saying you met him? idg what you mean
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 03:20 (six years ago) link
Lol was gonna add something like "this says way more about my bystander status than it says about whether his style there is an affectation." Strictly Boulder events/mutual connections style.
― popcorn michael awaits trumptweet (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 03:23 (six years ago) link
i see you and yr humbebragging
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 03:31 (six years ago) link
humble even
he's been doing a bunch of videos for nbc & they are very chill & random
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 03:32 (six years ago) link
Sunweb delivering the best team effort this Tour by far. The way they tore up the peloton, dropping Kittel and QS etc was incredible. Love how competitive they are with Barguil and Matthews, who racked up 50 points for the green today, seriously threatening Kittel's jersey.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Tuesday, 18 July 2017 19:27 (six years ago) link
I hate them. Ruiners of everything.
(Kittel looked so unwell today; his face looked greener than his jersey. He was a trooper for staying the course.)
― Half Rutter (Branwell with an N), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 19:44 (six years ago) link
Had to catch the stage in bursts -- what a crazy mad dash from start to stop! I had to keep checking that the leaders (minus Kittel) were there the whole time, hell of a break they pulled off.
Meantime, fun read
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/18/sports/cycling/tour-de-france-mountain-stages.html
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 July 2017 22:09 (six years ago) link
^^ Good read, and with great photos.
Really looking forward to tomorrow. Croix de Fer, Telegraphe and Galibier in one stage. The last two follow each other up nearly seamlessly, which makes for a whopping 40 km continuous climb. Wishful thinking but I hope Bardet attacks and can leave Froome behind on the Galibier and the following descent.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Tuesday, 18 July 2017 22:26 (six years ago) link
no idea if this will link but it is my fave tdf image ever:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71bmqw2jzqL._SL1050_.jpg
― popcorn michael awaits trumptweet (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 03:27 (six years ago) link
so excited for Sunweb & Matthews especially - am a fan of Bling from his stint with Orica, he's grown so much just in the last year. Sagan being out of the picture this Tour is def helping, will do wonders for his confidence if he keeps this up, whole team seem to have rallied together for him and Barguil which is excellent to see
those winds tho O_o
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 04:25 (six years ago) link
Matthews was perfect yesterday, great ride great finish.
― popcorn michael awaits trumptweet (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 11:53 (six years ago) link
Kittel just crashed and is suffering at the back. Hope he makes it.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 19 July 2017 11:54 (six years ago) link
Abandon Kittel
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 19 July 2017 12:59 (six years ago) link
Awwwww. Pinot out too #tumbleweed#
― ( X '____' )/ (zappi), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 13:03 (six years ago) link
Guessing it won't be the only two not making the finish (in time) today.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 19 July 2017 13:06 (six years ago) link
NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
;_;
― Half Rutter (Branwell with an N), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 13:18 (six years ago) link
Sorry B. :(
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 19 July 2017 13:19 (six years ago) link
I get bad news every time I set foot in Belgium. I was looking forward to celebrating his win in Germany.
Not gonna root for Matthews. And no way Greipel can catch up in that time, is there.
Kittel was SO CLOSE. SO CLOSE. Poor lad, he must be gutted with all this bad luck. Gute Besserung!
Bloody Aachen. Always lose signal here....
― Half Rutter (Branwell with an N), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 13:40 (six years ago) link
I'm sure that in a week or so after the TdF has ended, the good feeling of 5 wins will prevail for Kittel. It's part of cycling to lose; winning is relatively rare.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 19 July 2017 13:56 (six years ago) link
Yeah he'll be set for some great future challenges -- mind you, I'm sure Sagan will be back with a vengeance next year, but we'll see...
Fantastic ride by Roglic today, well deserved conclusion too, sweeping in on his own.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 19 July 2017 23:42 (six years ago) link
Today absolutely crushed me as a Nairo fan. Hoping he's just saving himself for an incredible stage win on Izoard, but that does nothing for GC since he's now almost 13 mins down. Magical thinking, but also hoping he and Urán Urán can maybe work together and get a nice gap on Froome/Sky prior to the next TT.
― naus, Thursday, 20 July 2017 06:02 (six years ago) link
god what a stage
roglic, heroic finish there, what a great effort. sucks for kittel, what a day
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 20 July 2017 06:50 (six years ago) link
http://media.nu.nl/m/y0txbvmap81n_wd640.jpg/topsporter-roglic-voltreffer-gebleken-lotto-jumbo.jpg
Roglic' 'landing' on the stage was great to see. Pretty incredible you can go from being a ski jumper to TdF stage winner. But now I'd really like to see the opposite happen, too: can you imagine Voeckler jumping off a ski ramp?
― Le Bateau Ivre, Thursday, 20 July 2017 09:17 (six years ago) link
― naus, donderdag 20 juli 2017 6:02 (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Ooff, you must have a hellish TdF as a Nairo fan. He's clearly got nothing left after the Giro. But as you said, maybe as a final trick he's been saving something for today. Contador will probably try (and fail) again today. At least he's going down guns blazing.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Thursday, 20 July 2017 09:19 (six years ago) link
I am def rooting for Uran Uran
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 20 July 2017 14:04 (six years ago) link
Ah man, WHAT a performance by Barguil. Stellar, stellar work. Truly a genius Tour all around for him. If Bardet holds for second through the end that obv replicates last year -- third time the charm for him?
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 20 July 2017 23:55 (six years ago) link
Barguil delivered. Uran short but ok. Landa on orders.
― popcorn michael awaits trumptweet (Hunt3r), Friday, 21 July 2017 02:40 (six years ago) link
Barguil made me cry a little. What a competitor. Beautiful stuff
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 21 July 2017 04:59 (six years ago) link
i fkn love the mountains u guys
EBH <3
― Le Bateau Ivre, Friday, 21 July 2017 17:37 (six years ago) link
I love how determined he was that he would be the definite winner this time, not that I can blame him. Great ride.
― ultros ultros-ghali, Friday, 21 July 2017 17:48 (six years ago) link
The way he ditched Arndt was great. I wonder if him taking the other side of the roundabout was something he knew about or pure luck.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Friday, 21 July 2017 17:54 (six years ago) link