If Froome wants to surprise everyone with an attack at an awkward moment tomorrow would be the time to do it (assuming he could do it on the cobbles). Normally I would think this sounds like nonsense, but looking at his downhill/breakway/other unconventional attacks over the last couple of years it wouldn't surprise me. He used to race MTB, the dude is a good bike handler.

You mean like this one with Sagan and Bodnar?

Yeah, that was the breakaway I was referring to.

I think it will be interesting because a lot of the cobble riders will be assigned to drag their team's skinny-ass GC guy through the cobbles as best they can. That neutralizes the race to some degree. Sagan is a one-man wrecking crew and I don't think they will tie him to their second-tier GC guy. That makes him the overall favorite, along with at least 5 guys from QuickStep.

After Strade Bianci you pretty much have to be a Bardet fan. Little skinny French GC guy up the road with the CX World Champion. Very classy if you ask me.

I fully expect (and hope) for Quick-Step to shred the peloton tomorrow from 100k out, possibly with the help of Astana. Quick-Step really don't have a true GC contender in their ranks. Yes they have Jungles, but I think he has the chops to stay with the stage win contenders tomorrow. Nibs has an offensive mindset and that will hopefully cause some action. I'm a believer in that Bardet is undervalued in this situation. Was really strong at Strade Bianche this year. I do think he may be just a bit too small though for some of the 4 and 5 start sectors but does have the technical skill for it. This is a difficult one for Sky. For one G isn't the classics rider that he once was and Froome wasn't bad in 2015 when the pave sectors were dry. Its been hot and really dry recently, but its also going to be much more difficult as well. I could see them letting G freelance and having Rowe, Moscon and Kwiat stay back to shepherd Froome through the day if he isn't going as well. And we will no doubt find out who is the true team leader for Movistar after tomorrow. Maybe they can send Soler into the break like in Roubaix this year. Supposedly BMC has given GVA free reign to stage hunt tomorrow. So I except him to be marking Sagan and vice versa. I just hope that is doesn't play out to team guiding along there GC men all the way to Roubaix. Luck is going to also play a huge part in how thing turn out in the end as they usually do in classics races.

In the end I fully expect a showdown between the Wolfpack, GVA, Sagan, and Degenkolb.

Predicted Podium:
1) Lampaert
2) Sagan
3) GVA

With some luck, G could extend his lead over the other GC guys including Froome. I hope they let him ride. It would be fun to have a 2012 rivalry inside Sky.

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

Richie Porte OUT, broken collarbone, first 10k of the race...

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

Damn! Just woke up to get this news. That sucks! Vuelta for Richie. Step it up Teejay!

yeah, that is heart breaking... I'd love to see Tejay step it up but even more so Greg defend yellow today. Plus Tejay already on even-ish ground with Geraint has no shot

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

...and this collarbone broken before the cobbles!

Porte needs to go ahead and convert to triathlon. He’s wasting his best years getting broken in the peloton.

Damn! I woke up and saw this post and was hoping it was a jerk prediction! Flipped on the race to hear its true. That sucks!

Kona wildcard invite 2018.....TTT with Cam Wurf to T2!!!

Knaven on Froome vs Thomas (via cyclingnews.com):

"Froomey has won six Grand Tours, so he is our leader – no doubt. And 'G' is riding really well, so he can have his opportunity as well to do a good GC. But Froomey is the one that is the leader.
"He is a little bit behind because of the crash, but for sure nothing has changed since the start of the Tour. We'll see, and if anything has to change, we can change things later."
Knaven confirmed that Thomas will have a free role on Sunday's cobbled stage to Roubaix, but that the team's resources would primarily be pooled around Froome.
Thomas suggested on Friday that, amid the predicted chaos, it will be a case of every man for himself, saying, "Your teammates can help you a bit, but a lot of the time you kind of just have to find yourself on your own and do it yourself a bit."
Knaven doesn't see it that way.
"No. We are a team. We are Team Sky. Together you achieve more," he hit back. "G is following Froomey, or Froomey is following G, and they'll be behind someone who will keep them in position, so it's pretty straightforward. Two is easier than three.

Bardet punctures, loses a minute, and Ag2r pull him back (including Paris Roubaix runner up, giving up his stage chances as he should) and then a mechanical?

Great recovery by EF getting back to the front after getting held up in that crash.

What’s going on with Teejay? Guy is all over the place today.

GVA isn’t a GC contender, correct? I understand protecting the yellow jersey but I’m surprised BMC haven’t dropped a few guys back to help Teejay.

Urh not a good race for EF- riding way too far in the back and behind afte Greg VA's attack

Good Ace Ventura reference by the announcer!

Bardet is surely a very tough guy. I think tougher and stronger than many realize. I just wonder if it's not possible to turn him into a strong TTer.
He last year said that he just doesn't like the training. So a guy like Froome who sits on the TT at least twice a week has a natural head start. I hope Bardet excells in the mountains.

Bummer for Porte. Man I just wanted to finally see what he can really do in a grand Tour. I mean he has the talent for sure.

So it looks as if it comes down to Froome vs. Dumoulin. Or, when Dumoulin cracks, to a Sky 1-2. It's still a long way to Paris and Sky just masters how to get there as efficiently as possible best.

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

OK I guess by Wednesday we find out who Movistar's team leader is. Bardet was awesome coming back from mishaps...and finally Degenkolb gets his TdF stage win.....and in Roubaix too!

Real bummer for Uran losing all or his buffer and more.

Not sure why the front three leaders kept on idling with less than 1km to go to let the second group reduce the time gap by 12 seconds. They should have kept the pedal to the metal.

Guardian newspaper's Tour diary summed it up quite nicely :


I find it unbelievable with the technology, wind tunnels, etc that sponsors can offer their teams today that any professional rider with GC aspirations wouldn't put in the hard yards necessary to be at least a competent TTer.