2017 TDF ok by me

[ultraman6970]

Vuelta rocks, like it a lot better. Steeper climbs and stuff. Sadly valverde wont be there another chance for Pistolero to win it?

[Elefantino]

I liked the Giro much more this year, not only because we were there. It was a better course, a better race.
Next year we should have Dumoulin going for the Tour, and he will be very dangerous to Froome or whoever.
Quintana needs time off. Like about 49 weeks.


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[Vamoots58]

Enjoyed the Tour this year. Have to admit, I am amazed at how unpopular Froome is. Realizing fandom is a subjective thing, not sure why he gets the 'super boring' tag. Consummate professional. He never gets flustered, when under pressure. His recovery from two difficult mechanicals at very inconvenient times was impressive. He was able to mark his rivals at every point except one 250m 20 degree pitch. Saw a number of board posts during the tour about the race 'being fixed'. I actually agree, BUT feel the fix was against Froome and Sky. Wonder what would the final GC have looked like with a more traditional structure. Historically there were two 'real' time trials, Flat, ~50km. Tough to slight Sky for being the best prepared, most thorough team out there. Landa put in a huge performance, but looking back at last year, it was Wout Poels who led Froome up every climb and could have distanced him at any time. Considering the early loss of Thomas, and the almost non-impact of Henao, Sky won that race with 6 people. Definitely missed Sagan, great for cycling and always a great animator!! I also a fan of the Liggett/Sherwin show. I enjoy the historical and cultural color Paul adds, clearly a passionate student of the history of his adopted country. I am looking forward to the Vuelta.

[jlwdm]

Originally Posted by Vamoots58

Enjoyed the Tour this year. Have to admit, I am amazed at how unpopular Froome is. Realizing fandom is a subjective thing, not sure why he gets the 'super boring' tag. Consummate professional. He never gets flustered, when under pressure. His recovery from two difficult mechanicals at very inconvenient times was impressive. He was able to mark his rivals at every point except one 250m 20 degree pitch. Saw a number of board posts during the tour about the race 'being fixed'. I actually agree, BUT feel the fix was against Froome and Sky. Wonder what would the final GC have looked like with a more traditional structure. Historically there were two 'real' time trials, Flat, ~50km. Tough to slight Sky for being the best prepared, most thorough team out there. Landa put in a huge performance, but looking back at last year, it was Wout Poels who led Froome up every climb and could have distanced him at any time. Considering the early loss of Thomas, and the almost non-impact of Henao, Sky won that race with 6 people. Definitely missed Sagan, great for cycling and always a great animator!! I also a fan of the Liggett/Sherwin show. I enjoy the historical and cultural color Paul adds, clearly a passionate student of the history of his adopted country. I am looking forward to the Vuelta.

+1 except for the Phil and Paul comments. I really enjoyed NBC Sports Gold without them.

Jeff

[VTCaraco]

I was struck by the Sky riders popping in the last week on the climbs. Those moments demonstrated just how deeply these guys turn themselves inside out...and I don't recall it as vividly in past years.

https://youtu.be/Zf2xXtxEZjE

And I found that I liked Froome LESS this year than previous years. He was definitely poised and strong, but I found myself irked by his body-language towards Landa. I don't know that they ever revealed much of what was said, but these team-leaders don't win without their super-domestiques and the notion that he was questioning the loyalty ~ it least as the body-language suggested ~ was annoying to me.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

Hope teams learn from the stupid mistakes made during this year's tour, specially their super sharp strategies to help sky all the time

Well, considering how close the 3 'contenders' were at the end(even Aru), and also considering the strength of Sky, I think Ag2r, Cannondale and Astana would have attacked more and supported their strong guys more...if they could, they couldn't. They just didn't have the goods that Sky had. 'Why didn't he attack there? Well, cuz he couldn't attack there...

Overall good tour. Buying NBC/Gold worth every penny, IMHO..The 2 Aussies were excellent... O'Grady and the 'other guy'...

[54ny77]

i much prefer watching the giro or vuelta to the tour. hands down.

it's like watching ncaa basketball--just nonstop.

remember the vuelta a few years ago when horner won? man that was good stuff. leader jersey changed hands several times if i recall. back & forth between nibali and horner.

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Yeah, not sure if it is not the top riders on top form, less pressure, different time of the year, whatever... but the Vuelta can definitely feature some more exciting and unpredictable racing.

Not sure it is better or worse than the tour or the giro.

[LegendRider]

I don't recall a Tour where so many big-name riders DNF'd:

Valverde
Sagan
Cavendish
Demare
Gesink
Porte
Thomas
Majka
Fuglsang
Bennett
Gilbert
Kittel
Pinot

[Vamoots58]

Originally Posted by Vamoots58

Enjoyed the Tour this year. Have to admit, I am amazed at how unpopular Froome is. Realizing fandom is a subjective thing, not sure why he gets the 'super boring' tag. Consummate professional. He never gets flustered, when under pressure. His recovery from two difficult mechanicals at very inconvenient times was impressive. He was able to mark his rivals at every point except one 250m 20 degree pitch. Saw a number of board posts during the tour about the race 'being fixed'. I actually agree, BUT feel the fix was against Froome and Sky. Wonder what would the final GC have looked like with a more traditional structure. Historically there were two 'real' time trials, Flat, ~50km. Tough to slight Sky for being the best prepared, most thorough team out there. Landa put in a huge performance, but looking back at last year, it was Wout Poels who led Froome up every climb and could have distanced him at any time. Considering the early loss of Thomas, and the almost non-impact of Henao, Sky won that race with 6 people. Definitely missed Sagan, great for cycling and always a great animator!! I also a fan of the Liggett/Sherwin show. I enjoy the historical and cultural color Paul adds, clearly a passionate student of the history of his adopted country. I am looking forward to the Vuelta.

I meant to add a couple of other thoughts. Thomas De Gendt is a #@$&'ng Viking!! Absolutely amazing to watch that guy turn himself inside out in what seemed like virtually every break away!! Chapeau to Warren Barguil, truly honored the polka-dot jersey!!

[clyde the point]

Post-tour depression starts for me today.
Overall I enjoyed it and echo the comments made previously. I think Froome has his hands full next year.
Sadly gone are the days when riders rode races to win not just train. Getting fit for one race in the season is one-dimensional in my opinion. I like guys who can do it all.

[jlwdm]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Well, considering how close the 3 'contenders' were at the end(even Aru), and also considering the strength of Sky, I think Ag2r, Cannondale and Astana would have attacked more and supported their strong guys more...if they could, they couldn't. They just didn't have the goods that Sky had. 'Why didn't he attack there? Well, cuz he couldn't attack there...

Overall good tour. Buying NBC/Gold worth every penny, IMHO..The 2 Aussies were excellent... O'Grady and the 'other guy'...

+2

I am glad I purchased NBC Sports Gold after the first week. Robbie McEwan, not O'Grady. I was not a big fan of McEwan as a rider (too many headbutts and too much swerving in the sprints) but he was a great announcer.

Jeff

[PQJ]

The scenery and spectacle are always fun to take in. But the racing? Probably the least compelling Tour in decades. IMO, of course.

[paredown]

Originally Posted by LegendRider

I don't recall a Tour where so many big-name rider's DNF'd:

Valverde
Sagan
Cavendish
Demare
Gesink
Porte
Thomas
Majka
Fuglsang
Bennett
Gilbert
Kittel
Pinot

A really good reminder--and this changed the feel of the race in all kinds of ways--although the final on the Champs was less hairy than usual...

[choke]

Originally Posted by jlwdm

Hardly better. The Tour is so much more important than any other race. The Vuelta might be fun to watch sometimes because it is not the strong teams or the strong riders peaking. Fun yes, but unimportant.

Jeff

I've seen you express a similar statement in other threads (I think even once addressed to me) and I get it...you think that the TdF is the greatest race. However, not all of us share that opinion. I don't disagree that the TdF is important and that pretty much all of the top riders are there....but those two facts don't automatically mean that the racing is the best or most interesting of the three Grand Tours. Personally, I would rather watch one Giro d'Italia than five Tours de France because I find the TdF boring in comparison to the other two GTs and have for many years.

As for unimportant...well, to an Italian or Spanish team the Giro and Vuelta are very important. In the case of some teams those races are even more important than the TdF.

[73Bronco]

My first time watching as I'm relativity new to cycling. I was surprised how much strategy was involved. It was like a game of chess, and not as much a seat of your pants suspense I thought a "race" would have. I do miss it now that it's over.

I was most impressed on Stage 4 when Keirsbulck had his solo breakaway for almost the entire stage.