[Sianeh]

(Original post by NorwichtoBristol)
In regards to Cavendish, didn't they say that he has lost some speed as he's lost some muscle so he can sustain the sprint for longer.

This. He's worked to lose quite a bit of muscle, I think that was also to help him get over the mountains and play a bigger 'team' role, also for the Olympics and longer sprinting as you said. I think if Cav's still winning sprint stages even having bulked down its pretty impressive...and I reckon Cav's happy enough to let go of the green jersey this year, as long as he wins in Paris

[Teofilo]

(Original post by Sianeh)
This. He's worked to lose quite a bit of muscle, I think that was also to help him get over the mountains and play a bigger 'team' role, also for the Olympics and longer sprinting as you said. I think if Cav's still winning sprint stages even having bulked down its pretty impressive...and I reckon Cav's happy enough to let go of the green jersey this year, as long as he wins in Paris

I'm not convinced we'll even see Cavendish in Paris this year. At this stage I reckon he is completely focussed on London.

Can't wait for Nibali to attack by the way. I'm coming round to thinking Sky is pretty much impenetrable but surely it will be Nibali/Liquigas that will try to expose Wiggans' potential vulnerabilities? I can't see him letting this go without launching a savage attack, especially considering he is a pretty weak time trialler (maybe he has improved I suppose..).

[NorwichtoBristol]

(Original post by Teofilo)
I'm not convinced we'll even see Cavendish in Paris this year. At this stage I reckon he is completely focussed on London.

Nah, Cavendish will want to win in Paris for the fourth consecutive year to improve his own record. I don't believe he'll get the green unfortunately due to the results so far.

[siani-chan]

Sitting on the edge of my seat.. Really hope Wiggins and Froome can keep their times up.

[clareyyyyyyy]

(Original post by siani-chan)
Sitting on the edge of my seat.. Really hope Wiggins and Froome can keep their times up.

same haha! my heart is actually racing :') shocked by van garderen though!

[siani-chan]

Omgosh, absolutely brilliant ride today. Cancellara worried me when he posted his time (and Froome was beginning to worry me too!) but what a ride. 1 minute 53 over Evans, get in.

Now I really should go get on with the ironing, I've been glued to the tv all afternoon!

[1platinum]

Damn, Christopher Froome has give himself a chance of the yellow jersey. Especially since he has proved himself on the mountains; the next two weeks will be exciting!

[Serentonin]

I really like froome. Excellent tt result yesterday.

Gutted sanchez is out, he was one of my favs.

[Good bloke]

Froome will be constrained from attacking Wiggins in the mountains by his role as a domestique. He has to stay with Bradley and help him along, and he is likely to be his final wingman most days. He will only be allowed to ride for himself if Wiggins has nothing left to give and if Evans or Nibali attacks. He can do his best in the time trial, of course.

[TheSownRose]

(Original post by Good bloke)
Froome will be constrained from attacking Wiggins in the mountains by his role as a domestique. He has to stay with Bradley and help him along, and he is likely to be his final wingman most days. He will only be allowed to ride for himself if Wiggins has nothing left to give and if Evans or Nibali attacks. He can do his best in the time trial, of course.

If Wiggins wants to win, he needs to do it this year - Froome won't attack Wiggins this year (unless, of course, it becomes apparent that Wiggins can't do it) ... but I don't think Sky are going to hold Froome back for another year.



They have got to start watching Nibali more, he is far more of a threat than Cadel is. I fancied Cadel for it at first, but he doesn't seem to have it in him this year.

[RyanT]

(Original post by TheSownRose)
If Wiggins wants to win, he needs to do it this year - Froome won't attack Wiggins this year (unless, of course, it becomes apparent that Wiggins can't do it) ... but I don't think Sky are going to hold Froome back for another year.



They have got to start watching Nibali more, he is far more of a threat than Cadel is. I fancied Cadel for it at first, but he doesn't seem to have it in him this year.

Not sure Froome won't attack...he will have to play against Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador next year. Froome's best chance to ever win will be this year. I think he could do it if he was prepared to stick the knife in.

I'm personally rooting for Brad, but if Froome wants to go down as a tour winner he has to make his move this tour because he will never have it so easy again.

[roh]

(Original post by RyanT)
Not sure Froome won't attack...he will have to play against Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador next year. Froome's best chance to ever win will be this year. I think he could do it if he was prepared to stick the knife in.

I'm personally rooting for Brad, but if Froome wants to go down as a tour winner he has to make his move this tour because he will never have it so easy again.

I think this too. From Sky's point of view it would be great to get the long term leader, and much better known cyclist, a yellow in the last year he's likely to be able to and then let Froome, who has more chance of hanging with Contador and Schleck's accelerations in a mountain, battle it out next year.

However, for Froome it may be tempting to go 'jack it, I'm going to go for this' and try blow Wiggins out of his wheel on a big climb. After all, getting Yellow's about as sure fire a way as it gets of ensuring a team gets built around a particular guy for the next Tour.

[siani-chan]

I'm really worried about Nibali, Sky need to keep an eye on him or he'll be off and they won't catch him. Today he looked on very good form, and he made the attacks look far too easy. He just kept going, and I'm worried he'll catch Wiggins off guard (not that he didn't today..) but it could prove fatal next time. Hang on sky!

I agree with the Froome thing but I'd hope for the sake of Wiggins and his own integrity he wouldn't do that - it would be a huge stab in the back.

[TheSownRose]

(Original post by RyanT)
Not sure Froome won't attack...he will have to play against Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador next year. Froome's best chance to ever win will be this year. I think he could do it if he was prepared to stick the knife in.

I'm personally rooting for Brad, but if Froome wants to go down as a tour winner he has to make his move this tour because he will never have it so easy again.

I don't know that Schleck really poses a threat. I like Andy Schleck very much, but he's not that strong a contender overall - he's good on the mountains, but not so much on the flats and definitely not on the time trials - and he'll have had quite a bit of time out by then too.

[TheMagicRat]

I'd be surprised if Froome attacked him. I'd love it if he did; purely for the drama. We could end up with a situation like Hinault and LeMond where Hinault won in 1985 with LeMond's help and then Hinault agreed to help LeMond a year later.

[Sianeh]

(Original post by siani-chan)
I'm really worried about Nibali, Sky need to keep an eye on him or he'll be off and they won't catch him. Today he looked on very good form, and he made the attacks look far too easy. He just kept going, and I'm worried he'll catch Wiggins off guard (not that he didn't today..) but it could prove fatal next time. Hang on sky!

I agree with the Froome thing but I'd hope for the sake of Wiggins and his own integrity he wouldn't do that - it would be a huge stab in the back.

I'm not so sure about the need to be overly wary of a Nibali/Evans attack, as we've seen each time this has happened so far, Sky handle it really well by sticking to a good pace and upping the tempo a realistic amount to chase the breaks down in a manner that doesn't waste their energy. If they sprinted onto every attack they just waste energy and burn out like we've seen happen to Evans and Nibali and that's why Sky catch them. I'm really impressed with this - they have a good strategy and they're sticking to it, not getting the impulse to go gung ho.

As for Froome attacking Wiggo - this isn't going to happen unless Bradley is broken, but to me he looks strong and fit and not flagging yet at all. Froome is well aware that if he wants to stay and compete for the GC next year with Sky (who, in my opinion have shown themselves to be if not the strongest, certainly one of the strongest teams out there) he will not be attacking the team leader. Fingers crossed for a Wiggo-Froome 1-2 and a win for Cav in Paris

[RyanT]

Something about Wiggins face has been bothering me for a while, now I figured it out.

[barnetlad]

Matt Goss took part today- surely not the Bros singer?

[unprinted]

(Original post by TheMagicRat)
We could end up with a situation like Hinault and LeMond where Hinault won in 1985 with LeMond's help and then Hinault agreed to help LeMond a year later.

In the latter case, 'help' meaning 'attempt to drop him in the mountains, then call it "pacing him up to the top"'

[TheMagicRat]

(Original post by unprinted)
In the latter case, 'help' meaning 'attempt to drop him in the mountains, then call it "pacing him up to the top"'

Haha. Indeed.