Tour de France *Spoilers*

[deptfordmarmoset]

He said several times they weren't expecting him to go the distance, they were only expecting him to do 10 days, he could drop out whenever he wanted etc.

Just wondering who wanted him to drop out. He didn't give the impression of being near to burn out to me. Still, an excellent début for the youngster.

 

[suzeworld]

Yates withdrawn by OGE to avoid overstretching him, allegedly. Shame, I suspect he's probably a bit cheesed off about that, given how strong he's looked.

Can't help feeling that Bauer and Elmiger blew it by just playing each other a bit at around 1k - 500m rather than just pressing on hard

I thought they worked together amazingly well, compared to other breakaways we've seen over the years who start cat and mouse stuff much earlier and throw it away. To me it looked more like the peleton nearly lost it by not chasing them down a bit sooner ..

Brilliant stage! I was proper screeching at the screen today. Poor fellah.

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

Super exciting - made my ironing a lot more interesting (or should that be in mundane news thread?)

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Super exciting - made my ironing a lot more interesting (or should that be in mundane news thread?)

Save the ironing for the flat stages.

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

Save the ironing for the flat stages.

Tee hee. Should this be in the jokes section now?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Save the ironing for the flat stages.

That creased me up.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Can't help feeling that Bauer and Elmiger blew it by just playing each other a bit at around 1k - 500m rather than just pressing on hard

I thought they worked together amazingly well, compared to other breakaways we've seen over the years who start cat and mouse stuff much earlier and throw it away. To me it looked more like the peleton nearly lost it by not chasing them down a bit sooner ..

They worked really well up until the end when instead of just pressing on, they started to play each other (as HF says) and lost their advantage. They suddenly weren't going fast enough, certainly not with the Peleton breathing down their necks anyway!!

That said, yes, what were the Peleton thinking leaving it that late??!!

I was proper screeching at the screen today. Poor fellah.

Yes I must admit to making a few noises myself, not all of them voluntary, it was at once the best and worst finish I've seen in ages!!

Save the ironing for the flat stages.

BOOM BOOM!!

 

[raindog]

Kiss of death from @raindog?

bugger

 

[raindog]

He said several times they weren't expecting him to go the distance, they were only expecting him to do 10 days, he could drop out whenever he wanted etc.

Still doesn't make much sense though, because on the OGE website on saturday he said
“I’m quite an ambitious guy and I like to win so I will just keep plugging away and hopefully we will get a win in the next week or so,”

 

[HF2300]

I thought they worked together amazingly well, compared to other breakaways we've seen over the years who start cat and mouse stuff much earlier and throw it away. To me it looked more like the peleton nearly lost it by not chasing them down a bit sooner ..

Brilliant stage! I was proper screeching at the screen today. Poor fellah.

Oh, absolutely, and there wasn't anywhere near the ridiculous cat and mouse that's blown stage wins for breakaways in the past; the peloton came up very fast at the end, they were probably very tired, and so on. There was just the impression though that they backed off over that 500m or so, and with Bauer talking afterwards about trying to bluff Elmiger that he was more tired than he was it just left a sense that they let the peleton back in when the peloton had come close to blowing it.

 

[HF2300]

Still doesn't make much sense though, because on the OGE website on saturday he said
“I’m quite an ambitious guy and I like to win so I will just keep plugging away and hopefully we will get a win in the next week or so,”

That's why I thought he probably wouldn't be too impressed about being withdrawn; it seemed he wanted to and felt he could do more, and perhaps go to Paris. You don't know what other plans they have for him though, I suppose.

 

[HF2300]

Save the ironing for the flat stages.

Well, if you're going to introduce Extreme Ironing to the Tour...

 

[suzeworld]

Yes, they did get a bit strategic in the last 500m, but then, if you just power on and pull the other guy with you, you lose anyway when he pips you on the line. Lose-lose scenario, in it?

Easy to comment on strategy when you know the result.

He admitted stalling a bit, but also said there really was nothing left in his legs. In that scenario fresh sprinters behind you are always at a massive advantage.

 

[HF2300]

And of course we want the breakaway to win whereas Bauer wants Bauer to win and Elmiger wants Elmiger to win.

I'm not a golf watcher, but happened to see a bit yesterday where Alliss commented 'People say why didn't you do this or that. That's not how sport works. You do what you do, and what happens happens'. Not sure that's entirely true but you see his point.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

I thought they worked together amazingly well, compared to other breakaways we've seen over the years who start cat and mouse stuff much earlier and throw it away. To me it looked more like the peleton nearly lost it by not chasing them down a bit sooner ..

Brilliant stage! I was proper screeching at the screen today. Poor fellah.

I think after that long out front doing the 2 up, the legs just didnt have any more to give.