Finally got to watch the remainder of yesterday's stage last night before bed. I'd been avoiding media all day because 2x Alp D'huez just screemed awesomeness.
TJ- oh FINALLY a day with lots of TJ coverage! Don't know if having to chase after the technical just burned him up too fast or not, but you could tell he was going to get caught towards the end. Oh how I really wanted him to win that stage!
Jens- Holy Shit!!! When he went in the early break I thought "what the heck is he doing, this isn't his kind of stage" but that man just burried himself to finish high up there on the stage. Incredible. The only down side was - where were the freakin cameras??? It was like he was in no-man's land for a long part of the stage. Bummer.
Quintana- I just love watching him climb. His face is so neutral the whole time- he gives no tells. You never quite know if he's on the brink of cracking or having a grand ol time and ready to pounce.
Froome cracked!!! YAY!!!! sorry, but I was really happy to seem him show a little chink in the armour. Al- you make a good point, I heard on the commentary that they asked Team Sky's director why they bothered to chase Rogers in a prior stage and they said something like "even at 15 min back we consider him a threat". So it seems it's the team strategy, not just Froome.
Really bummed to see Contador couldn't take advantage of the team tactics or make an attack stick today. Again, it's a sad day when I'm rooting for Contador.
I just heard on today's commentary that ben's cousin sep vanmarcke (sp?) had a busted derailleur yesterday up alpe d huez and went up in his 53 ring!! Dam tough!!
Jens just finished a 16 km cat 1 climb in the large ring @ the head of the race, going 2 min 30 sec faster than the peloton and 1:30 over the rest of the break he had been with.
That was a great stage. I knew Jens wouldn't make it to the end, but it was still soooooo awesome to see him just drop those guys and go for it. It was as if he said "ok- I'm done watching you guys fight over these stupid mountain points, we've got a stage to win, so either keep up or get lost!!" BAM!!! So awesome to see him maintain that lead for as long as he did.
The photo finish on the intermediate sprint was hysterical! Reminded me of Tour of California camp where we'd pretend to be real sprinters! HA HA HA!
Towards the end I was just getting more and more frustrated with Froome and Porte. I kept thinking it would be a good stage if they would just get out of the damn way and let the real race of the day unfold between the 2-5 contenders. I kept willing Quintana to wait until 1K before he attacked this time. Then when Froome tried to attack at the end I nearly through a pillow at the TV. But Quintana covered it!!! YAY!!!!! I was jumping up and down with joy! Even more thrilled when Quintana finally attacked and Froome didn't cover it. YES! OK, this is a great stage after all!
Question: On the last attack by Quintana, do you think Froome tried to cover and couldn't, or just didn't bother (only gain was to win the stage). I'd like to think the former because I'd really like to have seen him put in his place and it fits my prejudice against him as a bit of an ass. But I think it was more the later (which means maybe he has some class, grrrrrr).
Always love me some Jens. Knew he wouldn't hold out, but I love the effort any way. Just plain ballsy.
Quintana wins! Well deserved. Although I've gotta say he looks a little more "weathered" than just 23 years old. I'd have to chop off over half my body to get to 130lbs!! Haha. Not bad for his premier at le tour. I hope the pint-size dude can convert his placing into a great tdf career. Young rider AND KOM!!
I was hoping for some more fireworks between Quintana and Rodriguez too. Oh well.
I understand why froome would have to RESPOND to Quintana/Rodriguez moves, but I don't understand why the whole of team sky attacked at the beginning of the last climb. I was hoping they'd pull Richie Porte up for the win. He definitely deserves that after all his work over three weeks.
Alberto, Alberto, Alberto. Wow...dropped from 2nd to 4th!! Ouch. And kreuziger could do no more to pull him up, and it cost him too-down to 5th.
I was also disappointed that both the belkin boys dropped so far out of contention after such gutsy initial efforts. I think belkin just earned their sponsorship dollars in their first year!!
What, no Cavendish trash talk???? That was a great sprint at the end. Cavendish looked like he was gonna lose control of the bike and skid across the finish line sideways! He hit a really nasty hop at the very end- but still stayed up- amazing. Anyone happen to know the last time a break-a-way actually survived on the last day of Le Tour?
For all the build up I thought the podium presentation was pretty lame. Fireworks? You call those Fireworks??? I feel ripped off. And Froome's speach- all very nice and pretty much what you would expect, but that final line was a bit much for my taste. Why didn't he just say "I didn't dope" since we all knew that's what he meant.
Anyway- now I can spend the next few months hoping Andy rebuilds and can be in the mix more next year while waiting to see what team he ends up on. Let the rumors begin!
Nemo, I think the last breakaway to stay away on the final stage was Vinokourov a few years ago.
Unlucky for Cav, though I don't think he was going to get around Kittel anyways. That manhole cover placement sucked. He desperately needs an upgrade to the team personnel, as Omega snorked up yet another leadout for him. But give Kittel his due, that was a great win for him.
I liked the lightshow. Might be the only one, it seems...
The lightshow kinda approached cheesy to me, but that could just be me. Now if they start to do it annually, as well as keeping the course AROUND the Arc, that's ok with me.
Supposedly Cav's old leadout man, Renshaw, is on his way to OPQS next season, so Cav will have less excuses.
As a final follow up, Fergus Whelan wins the EN Fantasy League title, with Cary Blanco coming second. Seems like they always do well?
Fergus had the prescience not only to select Froome (dud), but also Quintana, Kruezinger, Rui Costa, and Dan Martin. Oh yes, and Tommie Voekler, who scored ZERO points this year.
Comments
Finally got to watch the remainder of yesterday's stage last night before bed. I'd been avoiding media all day because 2x Alp D'huez just screemed awesomeness.
TJ- oh FINALLY a day with lots of TJ coverage! Don't know if having to chase after the technical just burned him up too fast or not, but you could tell he was going to get caught towards the end. Oh how I really wanted him to win that stage!
Jens- Holy Shit!!! When he went in the early break I thought "what the heck is he doing, this isn't his kind of stage" but that man just burried himself to finish high up there on the stage. Incredible. The only down side was - where were the freakin cameras??? It was like he was in no-man's land for a long part of the stage. Bummer.
Quintana- I just love watching him climb. His face is so neutral the whole time- he gives no tells. You never quite know if he's on the brink of cracking or having a grand ol time and ready to pounce.
Froome cracked!!! YAY!!!! sorry, but I was really happy to seem him show a little chink in the armour. Al- you make a good point, I heard on the commentary that they asked Team Sky's director why they bothered to chase Rogers in a prior stage and they said something like "even at 15 min back we consider him a threat". So it seems it's the team strategy, not just Froome.
Really bummed to see Contador couldn't take advantage of the team tactics or make an attack stick today. Again, it's a sad day when I'm rooting for Contador.
Today should be amazing.
Yeah, I just heard that too! No spare bike??
Jens just finished a 16 km cat 1 climb in the large ring @ the head of the race, going 2 min 30 sec faster than the peloton and 1:30 over the rest of the break he had been with.
All in the large ring.
GO JENS!!!!
Proud of fellow Country Man QUINTANA!!!
What a climb, what a Tour, what a future!!!!
The photo finish on the intermediate sprint was hysterical! Reminded me of Tour of California camp where we'd pretend to be real sprinters! HA HA HA!
Towards the end I was just getting more and more frustrated with Froome and Porte. I kept thinking it would be a good stage if they would just get out of the damn way and let the real race of the day unfold between the 2-5 contenders. I kept willing Quintana to wait until 1K before he attacked this time. Then when Froome tried to attack at the end I nearly through a pillow at the TV. But Quintana covered it!!! YAY!!!!! I was jumping up and down with joy! Even more thrilled when Quintana finally attacked and Froome didn't cover it. YES! OK, this is a great stage after all!
Question: On the last attack by Quintana, do you think Froome tried to cover and couldn't, or just didn't bother (only gain was to win the stage). I'd like to think the former because I'd really like to have seen him put in his place and it fits my prejudice against him as a bit of an ass. But I think it was more the later (which means maybe he has some class, grrrrrr).
Quintana wins! Well deserved. Although I've gotta say he looks a little more "weathered" than just 23 years old. I'd have to chop off over half my body to get to 130lbs!! Haha. Not bad for his premier at le tour. I hope the pint-size dude can convert his placing into a great tdf career. Young rider AND KOM!!
I was hoping for some more fireworks between Quintana and Rodriguez too. Oh well.
I understand why froome would have to RESPOND to Quintana/Rodriguez moves, but I don't understand why the whole of team sky attacked at the beginning of the last climb. I was hoping they'd pull Richie Porte up for the win. He definitely deserves that after all his work over three weeks.
Alberto, Alberto, Alberto. Wow...dropped from 2nd to 4th!! Ouch. And kreuziger could do no more to pull him up, and it cost him too-down to 5th.
I was also disappointed that both the belkin boys dropped so far out of contention after such gutsy initial efforts. I think belkin just earned their sponsorship dollars in their first year!!
For all the build up I thought the podium presentation was pretty lame. Fireworks? You call those Fireworks??? I feel ripped off. And Froome's speach- all very nice and pretty much what you would expect, but that final line was a bit much for my taste. Why didn't he just say "I didn't dope" since we all knew that's what he meant.
Anyway- now I can spend the next few months hoping Andy rebuilds and can be in the mix more next year while waiting to see what team he ends up on. Let the rumors begin!
Unlucky for Cav, though I don't think he was going to get around Kittel anyways. That manhole cover placement sucked. He desperately needs an upgrade to the team personnel, as Omega snorked up yet another leadout for him. But give Kittel his due, that was a great win for him.
I liked the lightshow. Might be the only one, it seems...
The lightshow kinda approached cheesy to me, but that could just be me. Now if they start to do it annually, as well as keeping the course AROUND the Arc, that's ok with me.
Supposedly Cav's old leadout man, Renshaw, is on his way to OPQS next season, so Cav will have less excuses.
And...I'm already suffering withdrawals!
Fergus had the prescience not only to select Froome (dud), but also Quintana, Kruezinger, Rui Costa, and Dan Martin. Oh yes, and Tommie Voekler, who scored ZERO points this year.