Tour de France 2015

[BTC_DC]

@PotomacCyclist 120070 wrote:

There is usually a distinction between Arabic North Africans and black sub-Saharan Africans, culturally, racially, historically.

Perhaps, but Africa refers to a geography, not races / ethnicities. Africa is actually a much more diverse region than many understand. Especially the east coast. Case in point, if you visit the MTN HQ offices in Joburg, it is a very diverse ethnic work force. And Chris Froome is as African as they come (Kenya).

Regardless, good to see another country join the ranks (i.e., Eritrea)

[hozn]

@PotomacCyclist 120173 wrote:

Bigger is not always better. Greipel is better than the guy on the right. I think the other guy is too focused on muscle mass instead of performance. If you’re not a bodybuilder, you should be more focused on performance as a pro athlete, not mass.

What about their performance records is the basis for claiming that Greipel is “better than” Forstermann? Or do you just mean has sexier legs? Yeah, I agree there; Forstermann is a little excessive.

[PotomacCyclist]

Greipel has 13 stage victories at Grand Tours, including eight at the Tour de France. Förstemann has won only a couple sprints at the German national championships.

[hozn]

@PotomacCyclist 120178 wrote:

Greipel has 13 stage victories at Grand Tours, including eight at the Tour de France. Förstemann has won only a couple sprints at the German national championships.

Oh, you meant “better at grand tour stage wins”, I doubt either of them would dispute that. Forstemann is purely a sprinter on the track (he was also won the UCI track team sprint world championship in 2010).

My road bike is better than my mountain bike, because it goes a lot faster.

[vvill]

@PotomacCyclist 120173 wrote:

On the other hand, I wonder if there will be Google searches for Froome arms? His arms are looking almost skeletal. I know that the climbers need to cut body fat to reach peak fitness (without hindering performance), but he looks seriously skinny, almost frail and undernourished. Since the results have aired on the NBCSN primetime show, I can post that Froome won the first big mountain stage of this year’s Tour. He put a lot of time between himself and all the main challengers. When he crossed the finish line and raised his arms, I was almost worried that his arms might break off.

Seems about par for the course for most true climbers and to an extent, GC contenders – especially when they’re taller. And yeah, track sprinters are so specialized, I don’t think Forstemann’s any slower. The wattage numbers those guys generate = crazy (though of course they don’t need to produce them after 150+ kms of riding, which is where Greipel/Kittel/etc come in).

I won’t comment too much on Froome’s performance yesterday, other than that I hope there’s still some interesting racing left in this Tour.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@vvill 120195 wrote:

Seems about par for the course for most true climbers and to an extent, GC contenders – especially when they’re taller. And yeah, track sprinters are so specialized, I don’t think Forstemann’s any slower. The wattage numbers those guys generate = crazy (though of course they don’t need to produce them after 150+ kms of riding, which is where Greipel/Kittel/etc come in).

I won’t comment too much on Froome’s performance yesterday, other than that I hope there’s still some interesting racing left in this Tour.

Watching yesterday was: “oh man, nice group up front, I’m on the edge of my seat! Oh, Froome just made a move? Zzzzzzzzzzzz”

[Steve O]

@PotomacCyclist 120173 wrote:

I can post that Froome won the first big mountain stage of this year’s Tour. He put a lot of time between himself and all the main challengers.

Maybe some of the other riders didn’t handle the rest day properly.

So it’s possible that some of the contenders just weren’t on form today.

Or what if Froome put it all out there today and doesn’t have quite as much left in the subsequent mountain stages?

Hence the need for you all to come out to Cinema & Drafthouse tonight. Hope to see you there.

[Powerful Pete]

Well, it would very much appear to be Froome’s Tour to lose now.

I wish that the Tour would work to make the mountain stages more interesting though…

[TwoWheelsDC]

Another race, another complete failure by BMC to provide the support in the mountains that Tejay deserves. If they could get their act together like Sky, they might get their guy in the yellow jersey.

[kwarkentien]

Now that Richie Porte is going to BMC, it will be interesting to see what happens to Tejay. Richie is going there so he can lead a team and I’m sure Tejay has no desire to revert to domestique duties.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@kwarkentien 120207 wrote:

Now that Richie Porte is going to BMC, it will be interesting to see what happens to Tejay. Richie is going there so he can lead a team and I’m sure Tejay has no desire to revert to domestique duties.

Maybe Richie can take the Giro/Vuelta, and Tejay can do the ToC, TdF, and USAPCC….that’s my optimistic thinking.

[kwarkentien]

I’m pretty sure Richie is eyeing the TdF so no way that’s gonna fly.

[PotomacCyclist]

Why didn’t Bradley Wiggins leave SKY earlier? He could have had another good run at the Tour. Maybe he wouldn’t have beaten Froome head-to-head, but it would have been entertaining to see him give it a shot. He’s probably too old now (35) to be competitive at the very top end. (Cadel Evans won the Tour when he was 34 but Tour champions are usually younger than that.)

[dplasters]

@vvill 120195 wrote:

I don’t think Forstemann’s any slower. The wattage numbers those guys generate = crazy.

O.. ’bout 700? Obligatory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4O5voOCqAQ

[Powerful Pete]

I think the verdict is clear for Tejay. Strong rider but not a true GC contender. I would be surprised if he is able to keep his podium spot by the end of the Tour, although Valverde usually has a jour sans in most grand tours, so he might come in third.

That is the reason that BMC is recruiting new blood. They will, of course, argue that this enables the team to target all three grand tours…

[Author]

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