# Tour de France 2015



## Guy Rowland (Jul 4, 2015)

Once again, ridiculously excited, as I was last year before everyone but Nibali ended up in hospital by the end of the first week. But come on, this really does look good - Froome, Convicted Drug Cheat Contador (CDCC), Nibali and Quintana all on form and in high spirits. And as I unfurl my Union Jack, Cavendish has no excuses this year - Kittel is absent, Renshaw is his lead-out and he has an entire team devoted to him. No matter what he says publicly, he must be seeking 3 out of the 4 sprint stages (only 4!!) to draw level with Hinault in 2nd place for the all time number of stage wins. Good luck to the fella after 2 crap years I say. And will Sagan face a challenge for green now he's on Contador's team and potentially with a little less support?

Can't possibly predict yellow. Which is great. I'd be surprised if all 4 make it through the first week unscathed, but surely there will be some kind of competition this time.


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## TGV (Jul 4, 2015)

They are literally a hundred meters away from my house right now, and I couldn't give a damn!

Edit: BTW, no insult meant. It was just funny to me. There you are, watching it on TV, and I can almost see it from a window, not giving a tinker's cuss.


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## Jack Weaver (Jul 4, 2015)

And here I was hoping it was a thread on a new Kraftwerk song....

.


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 5, 2015)

Come on Snowleopard and the others - you've migrated to the new forum, right?


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## Jaap (Jul 5, 2015)

I hope to be able to follow it this year. I have been out of the Tour de France and the whole cycling stuff for a while so need to catch up on who is who etc, but on the other hand it is also fun to watch a bit with a blank mind and hopefully be supprised by some nice actions and pick my favorite that way. 

I was unfortunately not able to watch anything yesterday and hopefully I can catch up something today.


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## fiestared (Jul 5, 2015)

Guy Rowland said:


> Once again, ridiculously excited, as I was last year before everyone but Nibali ended up in hospital by the end of the first week. But come on, this really does look good - Froome, Convicted Drug Cheat Contador (CDCC), Nibali and Quintana all on form and in high spirits. And as I unfurl my Union Jack, Cavendish has no excuses this year - Kittel is absent, Renshaw is his lead-out and he has an entire team devoted to him. No matter what he says publicly, he must be seeking 3 out of the 4 sprint stages (only 4!!) to draw level with Hinault in 2nd place for the all time number of stage wins. Good luck to the fella after 2 crap years I say. And will Sagan face a challenge for green now he's on Contador's team and potentially with a little less support?
> 
> Can't possibly predict yellow. Which is great. I'd be surprised if all 4 make it through the first week unscathed, but surely there will be some kind of competition this time.



A interesting stage today, some "coups de bordure", and finally a sprint, probably Cav dit his effort too early ! I'm sure you'll raise your Union Jake very soon, le Tour is at the beginning. Rendez-vous tomorrow for the next stage.
F.red


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## TGV (Jul 5, 2015)

Today, the passed (nearly) in front of my house. I tried to make a sound recording, in the spirit of the forum, but all you can hear is the chopper. Better luck next time!


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 5, 2015)

Use the chopper, TGV! It's my abiding sonic memory from when the Tour came through my home town in 2007 (think it was that year...) it was like Apocalypse Now, so many helicopters.

Hope you caught it today Jaap, it was a terrific stage, so much going on (mostly thanks to the weather). We holidayed in Zeeland last year - beautiful, and a cyclers paradise really. As for the finish - yeah, major tactical blunder sadly from Cav / Renshaw. I imagine Cav will have a permanent scowl til they get it right and win a stage - stage 5 perhaps?

Good day for Froome and CDCC, obviously.


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## Jaap (Jul 6, 2015)

Guy Rowland said:


> Hope you caught it today Jaap, it was a terrific stage, so much going on (mostly thanks to the weather). We holidayed in Zeeland last year - beautiful, and a cyclers paradise really. As for the finish - yeah, major tactical blunder sadly from Cav / Renshaw. I imagine Cav will have a permanent scowl til they get it right and win a stage - stage 5 perhaps?
> 
> Good day for Froome and CDCC, obviously.



Yeah I have been following yesterdays course and was really nice! Zeeland is indeed cycle paradise  I have been there a lot and also biked there a lot. Splendid to do it there 

Today was really nasty with massive falling.... so nasty to see and I just heard that Cancellara also left the Tour (broke some stuff in his back... miracle that they still manage to get on that bike). I saw his bike really floating around and I was suprised to see him standing up and continue the race.
Six left today. Big loss and also a pitty that Dumoulin had to leave. Didn't know that guy, but I was impressed by what he did on saturday.
Froome already captured yellow. Quite early. Curious how that will develop


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 6, 2015)

Agree with all that Jaap. Hideous scenes - pro cyclists are so bloody macho, I wish sometimes they'd just be a bit more sensible about quitting when they have broken bits. Was that a few years ago where someone rode for days in week 1 with a broken wrist? On the COBBLES?

Froome really laid down a marker. He suddenly looks the favourite - shocking how far CDCC dropped back.


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## Jaap (Jul 6, 2015)

Yeah it's amazing what those guys can and/or are willing to endure. Though it is part of why I like the Tour de France above any other cycling tour, often it goes too far in my opinion.
I remember one of the first Tour de Frances I saw on television when I was young when Bernard Hinault fell during a mountain encounter and had his face covered in blood (I believe he broke his nose or something) and I was in shock that the guy was still on his bike and I remember I thought...wow...

One of the most "epic" (pun intented ) was when Johan Bruyneel fell into a ravine and I really thought that he died. It was really horrible to see him fall over into the ravine, but a few minutes later you see the helicopter filming him, climbing up upon the mountain, god knows how he survived that, and he got up to the road again. He then demanded a new bike and just continued like nothing happened haha

Edit: even found a video of the event:



It's a short version. It took much much longer before he came up again, but still completely insane haha


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 6, 2015)

They're all certifiable.

You're right though, that kind of madness is what gives the Tour its reputation. I love the stories of the first decade or two when it was Wacky Races - no teams, no help allowed of any kind, no food, no roads sometimes. Stages went on for over 400km. Best ever story was the yellow jersey wearer who sheared his fork on a mountain descent. He walked / ran to the nearest village carrying the bits of his bike, and he found a blacksmith, forging the repair himself. He was later fined by organisers for having had help with the bellows.

That, I guess, is hardcore.


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## Jaap (Jul 6, 2015)

Oh I love those stories too! And that story is indeed insane...

We had a reporter here in the Netherlands who always did the television comment untill a few years ago. He was amazing in telling those stories. He even wrote a book called the Bible of the Tour filled with exactly those stories from the first decades. That reporter also went back to the village where it happened with the broken fork and visited that blacksmith and had a nice interview with the little boy who was there at time and helped out secretly (now a very old man). That was indeed truely hardcore haha.
Crazy rules like you could only wear one type of clothing and you had to bike often day and night so you had to choose wether you wanted to suffer during the night in cold without a sweater or suffer during the day with it.

Also the first time they went into the mountains must have been an insane journey. In the end they lost track of I believe a few dozen people who got caught during a blizzard and hided into caves and even 1 or 2 where attacked by a bear I believe... and I can't even imagine in what horrible condition those mountain roads must have been around that time.
Crazy stuff but really great to hear and read about!

And apperantly also in the first decades there was a lot of hooliganism (is that a word?). Supporters from one guy attacking the competition by beating him up or putting nails on the road and that kind of stuff.


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 7, 2015)

Fantastic, Jaap. It makes today's still ludicrous macho heroics look positively wimpish.

That sounds like a great show, would love to have seen it. And yes, I've heard the bandit stories - tacks on the road (though we had that a few years ago again, didn't we?) but I'm sure guns were involved at some point - the French / Belgium rivalry was rather intense. And yes, hardly anyone seemed to finish it, with some going missing altogether. I like to think that it wasn't all sinister but that, say, someone had an epiphany in a remote village, met a nice girl...


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## Jaap (Jul 7, 2015)

I was maybe a bit unclear, but it wasn't a show, but he commented on the live tv broadcasts of the Tour. When he left the magic disappeared a bit for me and unfortunately he passed away a few years ago. He made watching the tour really great. Even the most boring courses he could spice up with great stories and not only about the tour itself, but also about local history, heck he could even made telling about a regional bottle of wine more then exciting haha
I really miss him on the broadcasts. It is part of the fun as well and the two guys that are doing it the last couple of years and not nearly as exciting and just often fill the time with weird and not funny quotes and I often switch to a Belgian channel.

True about the tracks on the road indeed a few years ago. I completely forgot that!
Agree that it probably wasn't all the time sinister. Had to laugh about your example. I wouldn't be suprised if that happened more then once haha

Today could be interesting again with a lot of cobblestones. I am hoping for a brave adventurer who can steal my heart by surving on his while the rest is chasing him in the last stage


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 7, 2015)

Yes, me who mis-read about the commentators. I watch on British Eurosport - I like Carlton Kirby and even Sean Kelly's relentless monotone has become part of the furniture. But your (ex) guy sounds great.

Crashes and casualties seem almost inevitable today - just hope its all minor stuff and no more carnage. I think the weather forecast is bad too, often seems to be in that part of the world. Could be a day where Nibali tries to recover some lost ground.


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## Jaap (Jul 7, 2015)

I am also hoping on not too much carnage and more a sportive battle. Just watch the forecast for that area and it's a bit mwah indeed... let's hope for the best. I agree on Nibali. Could be the right conditions for him


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## Jaap (Jul 7, 2015)

Today was not as exciting as I hoped to be honest. I am happy nobody got hurt, but the cobblestones didn't give the action I was hoping for. Lots of control from Nibali! Very impressive actually and even more Froome's little moment on the last part of the cobblestones and just after. Pitty he didn't get the support from the other followers, but I liked that action! But otherwise no room (or interest?) for the adventures to escape in the last two cobblestone sections.

Tony Martin came up as surprise for me. Didn't expect that from him, but very nice move and well deserved victory and capturing of the n1 position.

Also my Dutch favorite Geesink did quite ok and I really hope that he can stand up and fight for a spot in the last 3 this tour.


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 7, 2015)

I loved today. It was heart in mouth throughout, and always kept second guessing about how it would all pan out. Martin amazing - rather emotional seeing him with the team at the end.


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## Jaap (Jul 7, 2015)

I missed the part of seeing Martin with his team, but amazing what he did. I agree though about the second guessing on how it would pan out. I was hoping too much I think for the brave adventurer escaping the bunch and fighting for his life on the cobblestones haha, but all in all when I look it was a good and nice day 

Tomorrow nothing fancy as I see it. Probably a bunch trying to escape early on and preying they stay ahead till the end, but likely to fail and being captured a few kilometers for the finish and then a mass spurt (is that the right way to say it in English?)
The perfect day for Cavendish and a revenge for the too early sprint on Sunday


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 7, 2015)

Mass spurt.... bunch sprint is the phrase, probably. Hope he gets it right tomorrow, then the team really will be floating on air.


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## Jaap (Jul 7, 2015)

Thanks, good to know haha. My vocabulary regarding English cycling terms is rather limited 

I hope it also for him that he will win tomorrow. That would be indeed really awesome for Quick Step with Martin today and him tomorrow


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## Jaap (Jul 7, 2015)

I have been watching a documentary on Pantani on Netflix for a part this evening. Nice to see all that footage again and he in that era always one of my favorites. The documentary itself is a great example on completely misusing dark, foreboding and dramatic music haha (really annoying sometimes!), but it is really good learning all kinds of English cycling terms 
Really looking forward to see this tour entering the mountains after watching this.


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## Jaap (Jul 9, 2015)

I missed yesterday, but Cav couldn't make it again I saw.
Just watched todays final and oh boy poor Martin... hard to see him bike like that to the finish, but looks like he broke his shoulder :(
Hard to see what happened, but looked like he got in contact with someone from the public who maybe was leaning too much over the fence.


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 9, 2015)

Maybe you're right, Jaap - I couldn't figure out what made him swerve, it didn't look like contact with the bike in front. Weird set of mixed fortunes for the Quick Step team all round. Yesterday Cav got boxed in before the final turn, but even so - you have to wonder if he peaked a few years ago.

Hope Martin is OK, but it seems unlikely doesn't it?


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## Jaap (Jul 9, 2015)

Nope, doesn't look for Martin. Just heard Patrick Levevre saying in an interview that the guys who helped him on the bike are pretty sure that he broke his collarbone, but we have to wait and see I guess. Weird accident...


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## Jaap (Jul 9, 2015)

Indeed a broken collarbone. He twittered an update: 



"We will discuss further steps".... is that what I think it is? That they even might consider him continuing the Tour?


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 9, 2015)

As discussed, isn't it? If they had an arm hanging off, half of them would still continue.

The last few years have all had so many crashes in week 1. It seems to settle down a bit after then.


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## Jaap (Jul 10, 2015)

The first week is always a hell when it comes down to the crashes. I saw on the news that Martin gave up. Really a pitty that this crash happened. Froome takes over the yellow jersey, but he is not wearing it today. I like that gesture to be honest.

Today again a nice day for the sprinters.


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## TheUnfinished (Jul 10, 2015)

That was an odd crash yesterday. Martin looked like he was trying to lean on the guy when he wasn't close enough! Kinda hilarious that he did it when half the race favourites were next to him!


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 10, 2015)

TheUnfinished said:


> That was an odd crash yesterday. Martin looked like he was trying to lean on the guy when he wasn't close enough! Kinda hilarious that he did it when half the race favourites were next to him!



Martin says he touched the wheel of the guy in front of him, but it sure didn't look it, did it? Very odd indeed.

Meanwhile today - FINALLY. Cav got himself in a good position (sort of abandoning the train really), and timed it to perfection. Glad there's still life in the thighs yet - that puts him clear on 3rd in the all time number of stage wins. He can't reach 2nd this year, but 3 more wins in his career will do it.


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 13, 2015)

Well that was a jolly interesting week 1. So it is, as they say, Sky's to lose now. Should be a fairly lively couple of weeks though. Nibali has suffered the most from the week 1 chaos, but it's not totally out of the picture by any means. Add in CDDC, Quintana and a nicely placed Van Garderen, there should be plenty of fun. Hopefully we're through all the early pile-ups.


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## Jaap (Jul 13, 2015)

It was a very interesting first week. Normally I am not so fond of the first week, but this one was good 
Curious what the upcoming days will bring. I actually hope that Gesink can step up and do some great stuff.

Just read the sad news that Basso had to leave the Tour due to testicular cancer... I hope he will be fine!


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## Jaap (Jul 14, 2015)

Wow what a battlefield today and amazing performance from Froome. Had to get him out of the yellow jersey now. I am very very pleased with seeing Gesink today. Really amazing what he did and hopefully he can keep that good pace 

Not looking good for Nibali, Contador and van Garderen.... looks like Quitana is the only one who can stay cloose to Froome


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 14, 2015)

Jaap said:


> Wow what a battlefield today and amazing performance from Froome. Had to get him out of the yellow jersey now. I am very very pleased with seeing Gesink today. Really amazing what he did and hopefully he can keep that good pace
> 
> Not looking good for Nibali, Contador and van Garderen.... looks like Quitana is the only one who can stay cloose to Froome



Yeah - and Porte in 2nd. Porte made a good comment in interview afterwards, that it's exactly like 2013 - and the day after they were blown to pieces. I think it'll be Everyone vs Sky now in an attempt to derail the train. But in simple terms - Froome blew everyone away. (was that faking from him at 10k btw?)

Gesink did a fantastic job. Also G Thomas.

(incidentally - promising Basso news, apparently by luck it's been caught very early after his crash earlier in the week, and he has a 98% chance of a full recovery).


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## Jaap (Jul 14, 2015)

Yeah heard the news about Basso. Great they caught it early indeed due to that accident!

I guess indeed from tomorrow on it will be everyone vs Sky haha. Really looking forward to that battle
I don't know what you are referring to with Froome faking at 10k. Maybe missed it. Had the laptop open with a stream while working so missed some of the stuff early on maybe.


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 15, 2015)

Jaap said:


> I don't know what you are referring to with Froome faking at 10k.



At about then he looked like was struggling - wobbling a bit, weaving a bit, head all over the place. I think the received wisdom is he was faking and trying to draw out an attack.

And of course, here come the doping questions - http://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...-independent-testing-fight-doping-allegations . Which is perfectly understandable really. Froome's response above looks good - I didn't think he handled the questions as well in 2013. You have to expect them and not be hostile to them, and do all you can to prove it. Power data is important, you can't deny that, but it's complicated area and I'm wary of the armchair experts.

Both Nibali and to a slightly lesser extent CDDC have looked off their best the whole time, so seeing those gaps isn't so hard to believe. Of course, everything in me wants Froome to be clean - the implications if he isn't would darn near mean the end of Pro Cycling I think - so I could be biased.

Today is a more complex stage than yesterday tactically. I think Sky's radar will be very attuned to an early attempt to break the peleton apart, but if the main guys are all still in recovery mode there could still be a danger for them. I hope we see some action rather than a controlled procession. Quintana was interesting yesterday - he never looked like he was struggling, I could believe he has plenty in reserve and decided that with 2 weeks to go there would be better opportunities for him if he plays the long game. Dunno....


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## Jaap (Jul 15, 2015)

I missed that part then where he was struggling, can't recall it, but sounds like a tactical move 

Read the article and I think his reaction is very mature and good. I missed the Tour of 2013 so I don't know how he responded then, but it's true what you about those questions that you have to expect them and be able to respond to them in a normal way, no matter how annoying they can be. And I think it's fair that those questions arise with all the scandals of the last decade(s).

I watched yesterday the Armstrong Lie and though I knew of course the details it struck me again how crazy that all was and just like you mentioned above with Froome being clean, I also wanted that so badly with Armstrong at that period.

Really looking forward to todays match and I am curious what Froome's competition is going to do. My guts tell me that they are scared and let it rest today and maybe leave it to the brave adventures and that they are just gonna watch Froome's back and maybe retry it again in the Alpes, but who knows :D It's a great Tour so far!


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 24, 2015)

Well now...

After a storming week 1-and-a-bit, a fairly so-so week 2 and start of week 3 (with a few fairly fun stages in the middle and lordy isn't the Tarn Gorge the most fabulous place) things have suddenly got very interesting again. The mighty Sky machine now looks decidedly whacked out. They looked all-but spent today, and tomorrow two HCs inc the mighty d'huez. Movistar, by contrast, are looking strong, Quintana took 30s out of Froome today and the final climb tomorrow looks right up his Alpine Alley. Lemond on Eurosport reckoned it wasn't enough and who am I to question the great man, but given the terrain and Sky's depleted forces, it's surely a very long way from a foregone conclusion.

I really like Quintana, but of course as a loyal Brit I want Froome to win - he's been the subject of some pretty grisly stuff, quite unfairly as far as I can work out (the result of all the power data stuff... nothing remotely approaching a smoking gun, or indeed any kind of gun at all). But I do want a rip-roaring stage. And speaking of depleted teams, then there's Paris with Cav looking like he'll need to do a lot of improvising.


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## Killiard (Jul 24, 2015)

Did you see the video from today of the spectator spitting at Froome? 

I can't see Quintana making enough time on him tomorrow. If he was feeling good he would have put more into Froome today than 30 secs I think. 

Froome just needs to remember more gels for tomorrow


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## Killiard (Jul 24, 2015)

Oh and Mark Renshaw retired today which won't do Cav any favours in Paris!


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 24, 2015)

Killiard said:


> Did you see the video from today of the spectator spitting at Froome?
> 
> I can't see Quintana making enough time on him tomorrow. If he was feeling good he would have put more into Froome today than 30 secs I think.
> 
> Froome just needs to remember more gels for tomorrow



Yeah, did see that. We've lived with doping etc for decades, there wasn't a clean winner before 2008 since god knows when. We can't say 100% Froome is clean, no, but if the best argument is really "he was a minute better on the climb on stage 9" then that's pretty pathetic. On such "evidence" he is being treated like that, when in all likelihood he really is clean. What a sorry state of affairs.

The question everyone is asking about Quintana is "why didn't he attack earlier". He did say he'd hoped to have put more in, but I think it's plausible he was saving the big attack for tomorrow. If he attacked at the end of the first HC climb and Sky were as ragged as today, it's achievable. It might have been a plan to save himself for the last day, when there's no pressure on being attacked back. Could be paranoia, but Froome and Sky do look to have front-loaded their efforts, while Movistar look to have back-loaded thiers. I'm not saying it's probable, but it's a real possibility.

Yes - more gels on d'huez!

As for Cav's team, I think Renshaw actually went yesterday. There seems hardly any of them left...


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## Guy Rowland (Jul 25, 2015)

Well, Quintana read my post yesterday clearly. He went exactly when I thought he should, but Sky were in much better shape today than the day before, so he couldn't make it stick. Terrific performance from Quintana. But I had the distinct impression that Sky were holding something back on the Alpe - to lose some time might have lessened some of the crazy criticism, and they never let it get TOO close.

Congrats to Froome and Sky for a fantastic effort. And good luck to Cav tomorrow.


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## Jaap (Jul 28, 2015)

I have not been very active in this topic, but enjoyed the last week a lot! Froome is a very well deserved winner and such a shame to those horrible people making rude gestures and even spit on him :(

It was a very entertaining Tour de France this year and with Geesink and Mollema on places 6 and 7 (as a sort of the best of the rest) I was also happy to see finally some good Dutch biking again  Especially very well deserved for Geesink since he had a horrible year with a lot of injuries and nasty private stuff going on.


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