It is still there. The link Spackler posted was malformed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzKtoThAWS7/

Obviously tongue in cheek, but:

1) Is it an e-bike? I can't tell if the comments are joking or if it really is.
2) You have elite World Tour pros following a washed up CX rider like little kids behind daddy.

Ahh gotcha. This is such a USA centric forum and at times I can't tell if I'm just thick or missing some things due to geography. I only lived over there for 4 years during uni.

It will be interesting to see how Nibs hangs in.

Things are kind of breaking right for EF and Rigoberto. He's got support, the team is not working for a sprinter, keeping it simple.

I keep thinking Mas. It's time. 24, some good GC finishes and he's got a very dialed in organization behind him.

Bernal - yes. Team Sky/Ineos has the history of taking their rider to the top.
Porte - no. What a disappointing career given the money/status given to him.
Fuglsang - yes. He could be one of those who have won the TdeF once.

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Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.

Except he didn't look at all that great in Switzerland, and he's not going to get much help from his team, which appears centered around LFF and Viviani winning stages. But QS does a good job of disguising their tactics at times, and Mas has demonstrated that he can handle week 3. So, in the mix.

This. Maybe I will eat my words but Mas didn't look good and he doesn't have the team to support him right now. Maybe in the future

This. Plus he’s wearing a MTB helmet and what appears to be baggies.

Tim is actually a good dude though this was an opportunity to give him shit that’s couldn’t be passed up.

How about Van Dert taking Belgian TT champ today and Remco 3rd?

Mas was a world beater at the Vuelta last year but has been pretty quiet this season. Riggo and Nibs could be spoilers. Thomas looks like last year was his career peak fitness, lighting up all the early stages races on way to France. This year he hasn’t shown anything close to resembling that form.

Right now Bernal looks better than everyone. Of course he’s unproven for GTs. But I dunno, last year as a total rookie he was lighting up the 3rd week. And that was after crashing multiple times on cobbled stage. If he can get to 3rd week unscathed and not do a Roglic, look out.

Kid's got mega watts. Jumbo's work with Dan Bigham has done them well this year.

EF has a fantastic team coming in for Rigo. If he can stay upright I could see him winning. He TTs better than most of the GC contenders and EF's work in general on the TT has been great this year. I'm actually pulling for him.

You are right on Bernal. He has looked better than anyone else in this year's Tour. We will see how Nibs handles the Giro - Tour double without last years extra week. Should be wide open and interesting.

Big engine indeed, I think there's still more there too. But his work with Dan has definitely payed off, the way he dominated yesterday..

How about Martin Toft Madsen ending up 2nd in the Danish TT nationals, very nice result finishing behind Kasper Asgreen (also huge engine).

Big congrats to MTM. I was really hoping he'd take another, but 2nd is certainly phenomenal as well!

Oh, nice, missed that.

And Asgreen is Lefevere’s latest discovery. That kid is solid. With Alaphilippe now and him Evenepoel and Lampaert getting better by the day, that team will be stacked with young talent for years.

 

i can't help myself .... what's up with sagan in california in 07?

Good question. Sagan was a junior in '07. I'd have thought he meant '15 when Sagan went up Baldy with Gesink, Alaphillipe, Joe Dombrowski, Sergio Henao, et al, all trying to drop him, and they couldn't. (he held on to GC) I think mostly people chalk it up to California being more of a training race, but it was unusual.

 
yes i remember that stage well, its one of my favourite sagan moments actually. he was totally empty at the top. but it didn't seem very 'not normal' to me, given the calibre of races, time of year, type of climb, etc.

One week away...time for predictions!

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
Sponsors: SciCon | | Every Man Jack

Yellow- Bernal
Green - Sagan
Polka Dot - Alaphilippe
White - Bernal

Horner will have some good moments on NBC.

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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.

GC: Bernal, Pinot, Nibali
Green: Sagan
Polka dot: Alaphilippe
White: Bernal

So far, 2 votes for Bernal...I don't get that as he won the TdS against a very weak field and he is young and relatively inexperienced. It will be interesting if Ineos puts time into the other main GC teams on the TTT. That could set the race up for a Thomas/Bernal only race, which would be quite disappointing.

Jack

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
Sponsors: SciCon | | Every Man Jack

mighta been 08.......he dropped the field ala Vino and there was general disbelief and widespread concensus that he was roided up big time....or maybe he's just always been a clean world beater but not likely, imo

It’s more than TdS result. He stomped field at Paris-Nice this year, and in last year’s TdF he appeared to be the strongest climber in 3rd week.

Would Nibali not be fried after the Giro. I don't recall him having a strong TdF showing after the Giro. Once can hope though. I am not interested in any Sky/Ineos rider other than Froome. When that guy rode the down tube to victory and took off with Sagan+Thomas + Bodnar....and ran uphill on Ventoux, that was way more than "mechanical and calculated"....then Sestriere. That guy won me over. Hopefully he is not too old next year. Bummer that Dumoulin is out.

"Me Siento Loco"

GC: Quintana, Uran, Bernal
Green: Sagan (No Gaviria :()
Polka dot: Sergio Henao
White: Bernal