Amazing rides by Porte, Froome, and Fuglsang.

I think we can put to bed the idea that Froome is just a PM-staring W/kg machine. He was using every skill and risk in the book.

Fuglsang I'm sure happy to sit there watching Porte and Froome try to beat the crap out of each other.

Well he did do the Ventoux Duathlon last year. Do we know if he cracked out his GPS to pace himself on the Ventoux run course or did he run with passion like a Freshi wearing green tornado?

Watch the Tour de Suisse! Can you get a stream over in the states?

http://m.srf.ch/...neric?eventId=338388

This one might only work if you change your IP adresse. Its a mix of german and swiss german comentary.

The real Tour contenders are obviously missing. But Sagan is always good for a bit of action and Dumoulin and van Garderen etc. are also there.

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10k - 30:48 / half - 1:06:40

Heck of a race.

Porte looked good if not great.
Froome not quite there, but when he shows up three weeks from now at the TdF with Sky's A-Team it could be different.
Huge props to Fuglsang (and Astana). What to do with Aru now?
Bardet coming into form?
What can Dan Martin do at the TdF?
Contador might show some flashes now and then, but his best days are gone.
Is Valverde going to be a factor at the TdF?

And I like having time bonuses on every stage, including the climbs. Makes it important for the GC riders to fight to win/place high on the climbing stages.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

That was an amazing finish!
I was biting my nails, pulling for Porte to get under 1:05 at the line.
Good to see Fuglsang win a world class race tho.

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res, non verba

Here is a good clip from the Sarenne + Alpe d'huez stage yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_GNWzjlVdo

I really enjoyed those last couple of days and I was quite happy with that podium.
Fuglsang rode well throughout but seemed to be overlooked somewhat. Delighted he won it. Carlton Kirby (Eurosport commentator and incredibly irritating verbal gymnastics enthusiast) continually talked about how Fuglsang was undoubtedly there in the pack to aid Aru (who was behind him in GC) and then when he went up the road, still seemed, initially, determined to think it was so he could help Aru if/when he attacked....

Porte did well to hold and then start closing the gap having been left behind but just didn't have quite enough. I'd love to have seen Martin get back up to Fuglsang and make it a sprint finish but it was a great last stage regardless. That's both the Giro and the Dauphine that have come down to the line. Makes for good entertainment!

Anyone surprised at how Porte let EVERYONE go on the penultimate climb...while still having the legs to chase everything down or at least maintain the gap that Fuglsang the last 10k? There was a point where Porte basically was only marking Froome...despite other guys challenging for virtual yellow at the time. And when Froome attacked...there was no response. Not even a few seconds to try at the critical point in the race.

I am trying to run it through my head in how Porte could have felt that TT'ing the last 15 km would be the best solution. Something in my gut tells me that while he is an amazing talent, and I would love to see him succeed in a 3 week GT, he's just can't shake that super domestique riding style and summon his legs when it matters most. His performance yesterday reminds me of times where he would be setting tempo for Froome and Sky, the GC guys attack and drop Porte, isolating Froome...but Porte claws his way back up to them and goes right back to the front and sets tempo again.

Maybe I have not viewed enough of Porte reacting to crazy accelerations, but as you mentioned he is good in super domestique or "ITT" mode. Perhaps some of this is already self trained from youth from his swimmer background, where everything is an ITT and there are no violent sudden effort changes to gap other competitors. Maybe he just does not have access to the right muscle fiber type to pull that type of riding off.

What happened to Talansky? Mechanical or did he just blow up? 52nd place.

Froome knows he can gain advantage on Porte on the descents. Will see this again at Le Tour.

Granted, I didn't have viewing access to what happened earlier in the race when supposedly Froome and Aru were tag teaming Porte...hence all of his BMC teammates were shot off the back. Maybe what we didn't see was Porte responding to all of those attacks, and he didn't have any more "pop" left in him. On the last climb, Froome certainly looked like he was paying the price for some efforts that I didn't see earlier in the day...just that the commentators were saying the attack up and over the penultimate climb was like the 4th or 5th of the day...yet the first one showed on the NBC gold broadcast.