Tour de France
- Thread starter Glenn
- Start date
I used to follow the Tour closely for many years, but have lost interest the past few years. Things are dominated by Froome and the Sky Team, and they have such a deep and talented roster of climbers that they can simply ride fast tempo in the mountains and drown out any would be attackers. When you can surround Froome (arguably the best rider in the world) with elite climbers who have bought into the concept of going "all-in" for Froome and sacrificing their own personal glory, you get a scenario where strong Sky climber after strong Sky climber goes to the front, rides until his legs pop, and another guy steps up to take the tempo. No one can attack or ride away from that kind of pace in the mountains, and by the time all the Sky teammates are done, it is just down to Froome and maybe 3-4 other elite riders, all of whom are already riding at the edge of their limits. There is nothing left for anyone to attack Froome.
Don't get me wrong- I am taking nothing away from Froome and Sky. They are elite. But it makes the racing terribly boring, and their dominance is more a feature of their payroll than any other particular skill. Plus, it seems to me, that most of the top contenders know they can't beat Froome, so they ride conservatively to protect their interests in finishing on the minor podium places, rather than going all out to attack Froome. Quintana looked cowardly out there. I think he only attacked Froome once the entire Tour. Contador obviously dropped out with injury, but he hasn't looked like a real contender to Froome in a few years. Guys like Porte, Bardet, Mollema, Rolland, Yates, Van Garden, and Dan Martin are either too one dimensional (great climbers that get decimated in the time trials), too inconsistent on a day to day basis to survive a Grand Tour, or too young and inexperienced. No one that mattered took a real, persistent, "all in" shot at trying to drop Froome. Once he took the lead in the first week they all just seemed content to ride for second.
I miss the days when guys were not afraid to launch long, daring, solo attacks to go for the win. The Tour really needs another Alexander Vinokourov, Marco Pantini, Sammy Sanchez, or Floyd Landis. Those guys all had long histories of going for broke to try and win the Tour, or (in Sanchez's case) attacking on technical aspects of the course (like downhills) where real bike handling skills were rewarded. Of course, they were all also proven dopers (except Sanchez). So maybe the boring nature of the Tour is because cycling is a cleaner sport now. Guys don't have the power or reserves to try those breath-taking attacks if they are not altered. It seems like in a cleaner Tour, the guys with that are the most consistent and methodical, and are supported by the best team, will be the winners. Daring attacks are not the way to win.
That said- I do LOVE Sagan. He will obviously never win a Grand Tour because of his deficiencies as a climber in the high mountains, but his ability on both flat and hilly profiles makes him one of the ultimate single day and classics competitors. He is absolutely fearless and a joy to watch. Hopefully some of his moxie will rub off on the elites like Quintana so that we can get a proper rival to Froome.
Don't get me wrong- I am taking nothing away from Froome and Sky. They are elite. But it makes the racing terribly boring, and their dominance is more a feature of their payroll than any other particular skill. Plus, it seems to me, that most of the top contenders know they can't beat Froome, so they ride conservatively to protect their interests in finishing on the minor podium places, rather than going all out to attack Froome. Quintana looked cowardly out there. I think he only attacked Froome once the entire Tour. Contador obviously dropped out with injury, but he hasn't looked like a real contender to Froome in a few years. Guys like Porte, Bardet, Mollema, Rolland, Yates, Van Garden, and Dan Martin are either too one dimensional (great climbers that get decimated in the time trials), too inconsistent on a day to day basis to survive a Grand Tour, or too young and inexperienced. No one that mattered took a real, persistent, "all in" shot at trying to drop Froome. Once he took the lead in the first week they all just seemed content to ride for second.
I miss the days when guys were not afraid to launch long, daring, solo attacks to go for the win. The Tour really needs another Alexander Vinokourov, Marco Pantini, Sammy Sanchez, or Floyd Landis. Those guys all had long histories of going for broke to try and win the Tour, or (in Sanchez's case) attacking on technical aspects of the course (like downhills) where real bike handling skills were rewarded. Of course, they were all also proven dopers (except Sanchez). So maybe the boring nature of the Tour is because cycling is a cleaner sport now. Guys don't have the power or reserves to try those breath-taking attacks if they are not altered. It seems like in a cleaner Tour, the guys with that are the most consistent and methodical, and are supported by the best team, will be the winners. Daring attacks are not the way to win.
That said- I do LOVE Sagan. He will obviously never win a Grand Tour because of his deficiencies as a climber in the high mountains, but his ability on both flat and hilly profiles makes him one of the ultimate single day and classics competitors. He is absolutely fearless and a joy to watch. Hopefully some of his moxie will rub off on the elites like Quintana so that we can get a proper rival to Froome.
I started paying attention when Lemond was racing. He had one time trial that excited me and I have been hooked since. I must say also that watching "he who shall not be named" from the USA was very exciting also. Perhaps Americans can't do well without doping. TeeJay doesn't seem to have that extra bit it takes to win. Yates (?) may become a big time stud. I like Quintana but your assessment seems right on. He seems to be satisfied with the podium and doesn't have the guts to go that extra bit to win. Any body who takes second or third is obviously great but he seemed satisfied to sit on Froome's wheel and not try to put him away. Not saying Quintana could win but sheeeesh!, at least give it a try.
Sagan is going mountain biking at the Olympics. That seems well suited to his overall talent. I almost believe that the TDF is a bit boring for him as his green jersey goal is always in the bag unless the rules are changed. On mountain stages, he just hangs on in the back unless there are some sprint points available. Maybe he will need to do more wheelies to keep his interest up.
Sagan is going mountain biking at the Olympics. That seems well suited to his overall talent. I almost believe that the TDF is a bit boring for him as his green jersey goal is always in the bag unless the rules are changed. On mountain stages, he just hangs on in the back unless there are some sprint points available. Maybe he will need to do more wheelies to keep his interest up.