Guest Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Froome has absolutely destroyed everyone today. Incredible ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Froome was fantastic and with Richie Porte finishing second Sky destroyed everyone else. As the commentator said "Froome is the ultimate assassin" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Cracking stuff by Geraint Thomas as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILINFRANCE Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 As was to be expected, the doping allegations have started again over here. Many commentators saying that Froome's obvious doping has ruined the Tour with more than a week still to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Great rides from Froome, Thomas and Adam Yates today. Thomas could well be a future tour winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshy Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 As was to be expected, the doping allegations have started again over here. Many commentators saying that Froome's obvious doping has ruined the Tour with more than a week still to go. So obvious that previous greats such as Indurain are prepared to shake his hand and warmly congratulate him at the end of the stage. French smarting once again at the demise of their own riders although to be fair Pinot has had some dreadful luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducky Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Great rides from Froome, Thomas and Adam Yates today. Thomas could well be a future tour winner. as could both of the yates' brothers, very very good young lads. Thomas is an animal at the weight he is now, he could move to be a number one with a lot of teams in the tour circuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Stage 8 Rennes to Mur de Bretagne, 11th July, 2k from finish. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 11th July tour buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Stage 9 team time trial Vannes to Plumelec, 2k from finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Fab pics EB, not jealous at all..! Just watch the highlights of stage 12 on eurosport.. pretty eventful last 15km but what a ride by Thomas to look after Froome. I almost think baring freak injury Froome already has it in the bag, his team are too good and will just see any attack on him off with the same sort of ease they did today. Looked a bit wet.. any chance of sending it over towards Lords..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Great pics Es. As Tomarse says, not at all jealous, ha ha. I agree Tom, Froome has it in the bag all the way now. Will be very difficult for anyone to knock him off the perch now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphindevon Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Looks like you had a memorable couple of days EMB. I know the area they finished today quite well, frustrating to see it in the heatwave that's sweeping a big chunk of France........while I'm stood out in a cold sea mist in South Devon [emoji30] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Froome in my opinion today took the piss out of his so called opposition, Contador went and was reeled in quickly, Nibali went and was reeled in quickly and Quintana went and was reeled in quickly and then Froome went and then reeled himself back in as if to say "well I can do that, it's going to take more than a token effort to break me". Also IMO Movistar team orders (as in Quintana is their top man) are possibly preventing Valverde from breaking into a podium place, he looks far fresher than Quintana to me in fact he is looking good. and Geraint Thomas was just awesome today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
And Its Smith Posted July 17, 2015 Report Share Posted July 17, 2015 My cycling knowledge is okay but clearly nowhere near some on here. My one question is: With Froome ahead by so much and, at times, riding stages quicker than Lance Armstrong did when we know he was doping, why is everyone SO confident that Froome is clean? Am I naive to think that it is not as simple to say "because he has passed the tests" as Armstrong passed the tests for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 17, 2015 Report Share Posted July 17, 2015 My cycling knowledge is okay but clearly nowhere near some on here. My one question is: With Froome ahead by so much and, at times, riding stages quicker than Lance Armstrong did when we know he was doping, why is everyone SO confident that Froome is clean? Am I naive to think that it is not as simple to say "because he has passed the tests" as Armstrong passed the tests for years. Innocent until proven guilty? Just because someone is superior to everyone else doesn't mean that he's cheating. You also have to take into account Froome's team. Thomas is fifth in the GC and he's riding for Froome. He could well win it if he was riding for himself. With more consistency, Porte could be a GC contender in grand tours too. True Movistar have Quintana and Valverde but I don't think the others have the same resources. Also, everyone clearly isn't so confident that Froome is clean. That's why he has to answer questions about it after almost every stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2015 My cycling knowledge is okay but clearly nowhere near some on here. My one question is: With Froome ahead by so much and, at times, riding stages quicker than Lance Armstrong did when we know he was doping, why is everyone SO confident that Froome is clean? Am I naive to think that it is not as simple to say "because he has passed the tests" as Armstrong passed the tests for years. The answer is nobody knows until evidence to the contrary is uncovered one way or the other, but lovers of the sport just hope that he is clean. The difference between Armstrong and Froome is that Armstrong became so powerful within the sport and especially so after his cancer scare, the sport suddenly had publicity that money could not buy, propelling the sport away from just the French nation and cycling enthusiasts to a global status and a multiple winner who had survived cancer, the governing body of the sport fearing a backlash sought to assist Armstrong to cover up his misdemeanours, that is how all powerful he became, Froome could never achieve that status ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 17, 2015 Report Share Posted July 17, 2015 Another second place for Sagan, he was far from thrilled with that. The most exciting transitional stage in a while? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2015 Report Share Posted July 17, 2015 The answer is nobody knows until evidence to the contrary is uncovered one way or the other, but lovers of the sport just hope that he is clean. The difference between Armstrong and Froome is that Armstrong became so powerful within the sport and especially so after his cancer scare, the sport suddenly had publicity that money could not buy, propelling the sport away from just the French nation and cycling enthusiasts to a global status and a multiple winner who had survived cancer, the governing body of the sport fearing a backlash sought to assist Armstrong to cover up his misdemeanours, that is how all powerful he became, Froome could never achieve that status ever. Armstrong was still the stand out cyclist of his era - it's iust that everyone at the time was on drugs.. I'd imagine if everyone was clean during that era he'd have still dominated. Not sure if people will agree with that theory though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2015 Armstrong was still the stand out cyclist of his era - it's iust that everyone at the time was on drugs.. I'd imagine if everyone was clean during that era he'd have still dominated. Not sure if people will agree with that theory though Armstrong was/is a vile piece of shit, he lied, bullied, threatened and broke several people who dared to say no or stand up to him, including Greg Lemond somebody who unlike Armstrong still has his integrity intact and the governing body enabled that behaviour and then sought to cover up his activities once they knew for sure what he had be doing and he even had the gall to return in 2009/2010 and again was a doper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Fantastic climax going on.. Last 10km.. ITV 4 now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Unbelievable effort from Quintana, fair play to him. On another note, Froome seemed to be getting a lot of abuse and it appeared that at least one bloke spat at him again. Really poor stuff from some people in the crowd. At least he's had the last laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Swan and Cemetery Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Unbelievable effort from Quintana, fair play to him. On another note, Froome seemed to be getting a lot of abuse and it appeared that at least one bloke spat at him again. Really poor stuff from some people in the crowd. At least he's had the last laugh. Froome beats Quintana by 0.024% over 3 weeks and is beaten by him on final two mountain stages. He beats the first unprotected rider (Valverde), who didn't have full team support in the way Froome did, by 0.086%. But according to the French media Froome is doped off his t!ts and everyone else (including previously proven dopers) are clean as a whistle. No-one knows for certain what Froome is or isn't doing, but nothing to indicate that whatever he is doing (and that hopefully is just a lot of clambering up hills), isn't being done by everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Unbelievable effort from Quintana, fair play to him. On another note, Froome seemed to be getting a lot of abuse and it appeared that at least one bloke spat at him again. Really poor stuff from some people in the crowd. At least he's had the last laugh. Froome beats Quintana by 0.024% over 3 weeks and is beaten by him on final two mountain stages. He beats the first unprotected rider (Valverde) who didn't have full team support in the way Froome did by 0.086%. But according to the French media Froome is doped off his t!ts and everyone else (including previously proven dopers) are clean as a whistle. No-one knows for certain what Froome is or isn't doing, but nothing to indicate that whatever he is doing (and that hopefully is just a lot of clambering up hills), isn't being done by everyone else. The French media are to blame for all of this, their reporting has nothing short of criminal, their stories are all based on innuendo and no evidence whatsoever and ITV4 and Eurosport have tried to pressurise the more vocal in the French media to either put up or **** off, FFS they tried the concealed motor on his bike routine, they are bunch of *****. The French cannot swallow a Brit winning THEIR tour, especially considering the chances of a first French winner since Hinault in 1972 is still light years away. As you say nobody knows with any authority whatsoever who is clean and who is not, but if Froome is under suspicion then why not Quintana?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Agree with you both. So much was made of Froome's power data when he took a minute off Quintana in the Pyrenees. I'd be very surprised if anything is made of Quintana taking over a minute off Froome today, to say nothing of the 30 seconds yesterday. As we've seen throughout the tour, Quintana and Froome clearly respect one another a great deal. It's a shame that sections of the press and supporters can't see that. It's double standards, no more and no less. I should stress that the spitting hasn't been confirmed for today, but it looked like there was at least one bloke at it, and we could all hear the booing. It was more like a football crowd than anything else at some points and that has taken the shine off what was one of the best Tour stages for many years in my eyes. Piss poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Agree with you both. So much was made of Froome's power data when he took a minute off Quintana in the Pyrenees. I'd be very surprised if anything is made of Quintana taking over a minute off Froome today, to say nothing of the 30 seconds yesterday. As we've seen throughout the tour, Quintana and Froome clearly respect one another a great deal. It's a shame that sections of the press and supporters can't see that. It's double standards, no more and no less. I should stress that the spitting hasn't been confirmed for today, but it looked like there was at least one bloke at it, and we could all hear the booing. It was more like a football crowd than anything else at some points and that has taken the shine off what was one of the best Tour stages for many years in my eyes. Piss poor. it doesn't help when the tour organisers have not nipped this in the bud publicly by stating how rigorous their testing has been of the contenders and even perhaps asking the police to arrest the so called journalists and demanding to see their evidence and then banning one or two of them from the tour, France has some of the most rigorous privacy, libel and slander laws in the world, that I suspect would be brought to bear if ITV4 accused todays French stage winner of the same misdemeanours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 it doesn't help when the tour organisers have not nipped this in the bud publicly by stating how rigorous their testing has been of the contenders and even perhaps asking the police to arrest the so called journalists and demanding to see their evidence and then banning one or two of them from the tour, France has some of the most rigorous privacy, libel and slander laws in the world, that I suspect would be brought to bear if ITV4 accused todays French stage winner of the same misdemeanours. I agree. It's so poor that they only came out the other day and called for a bit of respect. They seem to have done little else to cool the situation down, though you're far closer to the action than I am. I was dead pleased for Pinot today because he's had a bit of a 'mare for three weeks and I felt really bad for him when he faltered on the descent the other day. Must be terrible to have those demons in that situation. Have to admire and respect the likes of Bardet for having a late crack at the KOM and Peraud for riding on after that horrible crash on stage 13. Shame that certain sections of the French media and fans don't have the same qualities as their riders. Anyway, a third British winner in four years is some effort. Disappointing that Dan Martin didn't get a stage win but he put in some fine efforts. Very exciting tour overall but with some significant low points. Notably what we're discussing above but also Cancellara and Martin's injuries, both whilst in yellow too. Very sad for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Quite telling the last two days Froome had time taken off him was when Thomas fell away from the GC. Sky struggled a bit overall last few days. Great ending though. It's almost been a non event since Froome destroyed everyone on day 1 in the mountains. Bet Quintana is ruing not going on the attack a few days earlier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 The suggestion that Froome had used illegal drugs to explain his amazing climbing ability in the French press stems from the embarrassment of the Armstrong saga and a not very well hidden case of sour grapes. The French don't currently have rider capable of winning the tour whilst a British team and riders have dominated in 3 of the last 4 tours and it could have been the last 4 if Froome hadn't crashed and broke both wrists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 The suggestion that Froome had used illegal drugs to explain his amazing climbing ability in the French press stems from the embarrassment of the Armstrong saga and a not very well hidden case of sour grapes. The French don't currently have rider capable of winning the tour whilst a British team and riders have dominated in 3 of the last 4 tours and it could have been the last 4 if Froome hadn't crashed and broke both wrists. it's not just the French press, it's French media as a whole including some TV stations, they should be forced to put up or **** off and warned that if they have no evidence and are purely shit stirring, they will be banned from next years tour, the tour officials need to grow a set and quickly and defend their product because they are not doing that and sadly somebody might end up getting hurt because of it, it will be interesting to see how Paris tomorrow pans out. Hopefully it'll be ok, but the French media have unnecessarily whipped this trouble up, without showing a shred of evidence and it's wrong and an embarrassment to this great global product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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