al-onestare":3kohnc46 said:Thoughts about today? A massive drag race? Or a tactical stale-mate?
I admire the concept. Maybe they could try doing it with a reverse grid or a completely random grid and with longer time gaps. How about a touring car approach with weight penalties
Sky in 2018 are Banesto in 1992. Same dominance, different technology. These things come in cycles (sic). Perhaps the French could take a look at how they structure the race and shake things up top to bottom.
For example, if you put 3 crazy mountain stages back to back and - for arguments sake - riders are clean, the chances are you'll have riders thinking and planning for the third stage not the first and second, and trying to survive to the other side.
Or, like yesterday, putting 3 big climbs without a summit finish, more often than not, isn't going to encourage an attacking approach many would like to see from the main contenders.
A bit weird today. It felt that the boot was put in, but we ran out of tarmac. The little Columbian
read it well. The more I see TD the more I like is grinding approach.
Still, top ride from GT despite me
not being a fan of Sky. At 31, that
must feel great for him.
Admittedly I like to support underdogs - I lost interest during the dominance of the Banesto years, and totally switched off during the LA years. The problem seems to be consecutive dominance, rather than those intermittent flashes of brilliance or bad luck incidents (perhaps that is why we consider Hinault, LeMond, Fignon, Roach, Pantani more fondly?)
Anyhow, a longer stage would have seen more interesting alliances to make bigger differences on GC times and positions, but atleast the cards were laid down.
In general, the TdF is doing a great job in reinventing itself to keep it's position as one of the premier sporting events on the calender. If they don't, people turn off, if they do it too much riders go on strike. Feel they are
striking the balance well.
