Tour of Beijing - spoilers

[rich p]

Hardly worth a thread, more a footnote in the history of Phat, but I'mbored

Live on ES now and smoggy or foggy

Dan Martin for the GC?

 

[User169]

At least Dan now has his bike! Yesterday he posted on facepants that the bikes were still stuck in customs.

I wondered if the Chinese are a bit pissed at loss of the race.

 

[rich p]

Sky have done 90% of the workin the last 30km. It'd better pay off or it will be another ridiculous effort for nothing apart from giving the rest a free ride

 

[Luked1980]

Just watched this. Question. With 7km to go almost everyone starting chucking the water bottles away. Is that just for weight preparing for the sprint??

 

[rich p]

Just watched this. Question. With 7km to go almost everyone starting chucking the water bottles away. Is that just for weight preparing for the sprint??

Yes

 

[rich p]

Well Sky screw it up again - not even a top ten for Swift.
They continue to amaze with their ineptitude. If I can read a race better than their DS surely they can do better. Do they have some inflated sense of their ability to, essentially, lead out Mezgec and the Giant train for 30km then expect Swift to outsprint him? Baffling.

 

[zimzum42]

I'm baffled as to why SKY ride as they do this season, they get feck all for their efforts with Swift, he would do better riding the other sprinters' wheels...

 

[HF2300]

I wondered if the Chinese are a bit ****ed at loss of the race.

I'd understood that although the reportage has been 'UCI axes Beijing' and the Chinese were happy to let that be said, in fact it was the Chinese that withdrew their support, with reports that they didn't like the change of regime at the UCI (i.e. no Phat or Hein).

Sky have done 90% of the work in the last 30km. It'd better pay off or it will be another ridiculous effort for nothing apart from giving the rest a free ride

I don't think they need to read a race perfectly, they just need to stop using the same tactic ad infinitum.

 

[oldroadman]

I'd understood that although the reportage has been 'UCI axes Beijing' and the Chinese were happy to let that be said, in fact it was the Chinese that withdrew their support, with reports that they didn't like the change of regime at the UCI (i.e. no Phat or Hein).

Looks like this will be the last edition, can't see teams and riders being sorry about that what with the food issues and foul air conditions. Riders risking their future health for what? A bit of a vanity project between China and the previous UCI regime. At least the other races that started under the previous management (e.g. Qatar) have clean air, even if the travelling is a bit ridiculous. Who wold want to go to Beijing at the end of a long season anyway?


I don't think they need to read a race perfectly, they just need to stop using the same tactic ad infinitum.

For other teams it's great, just let a gap open and sit on Sky when they bottle out and start chasing for an hour or so. That's what happens when you don't have enough friends in the peloton, it gets negative and others would rather see you lose than win themselves, all very political and power-gamey. Being a Sky DS can't be easy, if you
call the bluff, you probably lose, if you don't, you probably lose. The only thing being that the first option only needs to be played a few times and everything might change, either for better or worse. Worth a gamble by this stage, but always remember that when you don't have your No.1 team, options shift again. Easy, eh?

 

[rich p]

Well, ORM, it aint working at the moment and if you're going to get your arse kicked it might be worth trying a different strategy.
This from today's fiasco...

With 10 kilometres remaining the leaders held a slender 45 second advantage on the field but they were swept up inside the final five kilometres, as Team Sky controlled the field in the closing stages, and neutralized a dangerous attack from Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff Saxo) on the final climb.

I appreciate your experience but I still don't see what Sky are trying to do.
They neutralize a dangerous attack, control the race and yet again end up with nobody in the top 10. There's nobody even in the Sky team with a realistic challenge for the GC nor in a stage sprint so I find it hard to believe that the other teams are forcing their hand.

 

[rich p]

Blimey, Tyler Farrar wins a race shock!

 

[huwsparky]

Yep, I agree. Sky tactics need a refresh. Unless of course they're funding is due to screen time on the TV?

All well and good when you have two of the very best GT riders in the team.... But they don't...

 

[oldroadman]

Well, ORM, it aint working at the moment and if you're going to get your arse kicked it might be worth trying a different strategy.
This from today's fiasco...

With 10 kilometres remaining the leaders held a slender 45 second advantage on the field but they were swept up inside the final five kilometres, as Team Sky controlled the field in the closing stages, and neutralized a dangerous attack from Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff Saxo) on the final climb.

I appreciate your experience but I still don't see what Sky are trying to do.
They neutralize a dangerous attack, control the race and yet again end up with nobody in the top 10. There's nobody even in the Sky team with a realistic challenge for the GC nor in a stage sprint so I find it hard to believe that the other teams are forcing their hand.

They really only have Swift or E B-H for stage wins, and E B-H has not delivered for a long time, and is leaving the team anyway. It did look as if Swift might be able to do something, again no delivery. It's not a GC team at Beijing, but as you note, all huff and lots of puff "controlling" the race (I didn't see a lot of evidence of that) and no result.

 

[zimzum42]

Yep, I agree. Sky tactics need a refresh. Unless of course they're funding is due to screen time on the TV?

All well and good when you have two of the very best GT riders in the team.... But they don't...

Might not be far wrong, the commentators spend a whole day talking about Sky controlling the race, the word 'Sky' is repeated over and over again, the sponsor's mission is largely accomplished...

 

[Hont]

I can only assume that the Sky DS is on work experience. They were controlling the race again today, when Hesjedal was off the front, setting it up perfectly for, well anyone other than a Sky rider it seems. So they're trying to control the sprint stages and the summit finishes now.

Garmin, on the other hand, got their tactics bang on and Dan Martin once more finished it off with no small amount of class.