# TdF lacking real excitement



## Djudd (Jan 29, 2004)

I love the tour but lately the grand tours (especially the TdF) are lacking real excitement in the form of attacks i.e. Chiapucci or Pantani. Reservation and caution now rule the tactics of the tour. Ever since Lance won multiple tours by relying on his team to wear down his opponents and foil any early attacks... caution rules the day. Smart but incredibly boring. I will always watch the tour (and any televised road racing available) but I long for the outsized egos and arrogance of a Merckx and Hinault

peace


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

It all started with the Indurain era....................


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## stumpbumper (Jan 22, 2011)

This is only my 8th year of watching TDF and since I don't go very far back with it, I never saw very many of the cycling legends of yesteryear. I will continue to watch it each year but a far as I am concenced, all the excitement left with Lance Armstrong. Say what you must about him, either good or bad, but he and his teams were really exciting to watch.

Like the George W. Bush sign I recently saw read, "Do you miss me yet?' 

Sagan has been by far the most exciting (and most fun) to watch this year.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Well, there's a big name that just got busted for 'something' and has now left The Tour.


Is that enough drama for you on a rest day  ?!!


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## MRFIXALL4 (May 19, 2003)

Get rid of the race radios and some of that excitement will come back.


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## RtR Pir8 (Feb 24, 2009)

MRFIXALL4 said:


> Get rid of the race radios and some of that excitement will come back.


Amen Brother!! As long as they know exactly what's going on along the route there will be no suspense, there will be no real opportunity to set the place on it's ear. IMHO


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Mike T. said:


> It all started with the Indurain era....................


Damn, those Tours were a bore!


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

stumpbumper said:


> This is only my 8th year of watching TDF and since I don't go very far back with it, I never saw very many of the cycling legends of yesteryear. I will continue to watch it each year but a far as I am concenced, all the excitement left with Lance Armstrong. Say what you must about him, either good or bad, but he and his teams were really exciting to watch.


What? He was the second one to stranglehold the race. Indurain was the first. Lance perfected it. You have to go back to the Hinault, Lemond, Fignon era to see real racing.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

stumpbumper said:


> This is only my 8th year of watching TDF and since I don't go very far back with it, I never saw very many of the cycling legends of yesteryear. I will continue to watch it each year but a far as I am concenced, all the excitement left with Lance Armstrong. Say what you must about him, either good or bad, but he and his teams were really exciting to watch.
> 
> Like the George W. Bush sign I recently saw read, "Do you miss me yet?'
> 
> Sagan has been by far the most exciting (and most fun) to watch this year.


For me the Armstrong Tours were a bore too. IMO the 2003 Tour was the only truly exciting Armstrong Tour.


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## bike981 (Sep 14, 2010)

MRFIXALL4 said:


> Get rid of the race radios and some of that excitement will come back.


Maybe. How about smaller teams, though? What if there were only, say, 4 riders per team? Not only could more teams complete, which might in itself mean more attacks and general excitement, but it also would make it harder for one team to control a breakaway. (Or not; I don't race, so I'm just guessing.)


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

il sogno said:


> Damn, those Tours were a bore!


As great as Indurain was he was a bore to watch. Now we have to rely on riders like the incredible Thomas Voeckler to liven things up for us. Yes they should ban race radios - really they should just ban race instructions from director sportifs. They should allow safety radio transmissions from the race organizers.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Mike T. said:


> As great as Indurain was he was a bore to watch. Now we have to rely on riders like the incredible Thomas Voeckler to liven things up for us. Yes they should ban race radios - really they should just ban race instructions from director sportifs. They should allow safety radio transmissions from the race organizers.


Yeah. All he had to do was to defend in the mountains and then ride a great time trial. Jeez, those Tours were snooze-fests.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

I think part of the problem is that this Tour is designed for time trialers and climbers like Contador and Andy are not in it. To make matters more boring, the two strongest climbers in this year's Tour, Tejay and Froome are both tethered to their GC men. 

I'd like to see the team size reduced down to 7 men. It would ake it so that teams would have a hard time controlling breaks. It would really open up the race to aggressive attacking riders.


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## troutmd (Sep 7, 2007)

MRFIXALL4 said:


> Get rid of the race radios and some of that excitement will come back.


^^^ This ^^^


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## respro (Jun 21, 2012)

Tomorrow will be day one of three for the GC excitement.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

il sogno said:


> Yeah. All he had to do was to defend in the mountains and then ride a great time trial. Jeez, those Tours were snooze-fests.


The race, as it stands, can only be won by those who are great time trialers and good climbers - good enough to limit their mountain losses to what they can re-gain in the TTs anyway. Maybe Le Tour needs a shakeup in its makeup.


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## ScottsSupersix (Mar 25, 2012)

I just started cycling and I am watching the TDF for the first time this year. I guess I missed out on alot of great years of racing in the past. The time trials and sprints at the finish are exciting to watch. Then again, watching the peleton all herded together for four hours with no attacks or breakaways, not so much.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

MRFIXALL4 said:


> Get rid of the race radios and some of that excitement will come back.


No, it wouldn't. Race directors are not all powerful, all knowing beings, they just have the ability to improve their team's situation awareness. Without the radios you'd have more multi team alliances and it would put the races to sleep even more. Can you honestly tell which races had radios and which didn't this year by what happened on the road?

The reason GT's have been the way they are is money. Bigger budget teams can assemble a team of super domestiques to support the leader. They race the way they do because they can. Because it works. People aren't attacking because the pace is so high that they simply can't.

Want to see racing the "old way"? Team entry salary caps (ie. your 9 man team's total payroll may not exceed $x,xxx,xxx).


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## flyrunride (May 2, 2012)

this year it's the stage and the seem to be perfect preparation of 1 team vs the rest. Their main goal is the yellow that's why we're not seeing the fastest sprinter this generation going for the sprint stages. I'm just hoping starting tomorrow evans or nebali does an all out attack, if I remember right team BMC always says that Evans gets his peak during the 3rd week of the tour so I hope they prove it right coz the way it is going it's getting boring. Good thing we have sagan to keep us entertained.


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## B05 (Jul 31, 2011)

...who knows, Cadel may have had gained some secs at least if it wasnt for those idiots. 

Looking forward to Evans and Nibali attacking left and right to pressure Team Sky BUT I have to say Sky's executed very well.


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2012)

Djudd said:


> I love the tour but lately the grand tours (especially the TdF) are lacking real excitement in the form of attacks i.e. Chiapucci or Pantani. Reservation and caution now rule the tactics of the tour. Ever since Lance won multiple tours by relying on his team to wear down his opponents and foil any early attacks... caution rules the day. Smart but incredibly boring. I will always watch the tour (and any televised road racing available) but I long for the outsized egos and arrogance of a Merckx and Hinault
> 
> peace


My first exposure to actually cycling on TV actaully took place years before I got into cycling myself. I watched much of the 2006 TDF -- got introduced to it when I was hanging out with some friends at a sports bar who were watching some stages. I then watched a few more including much of the dramatic "comeback" stage while traveling/waiting in various airport lobbies. That particular TDF actually had quite a lot of drama compared to this year, although the ultimate result turned out to be a bit of a buzz-kill...


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## FlandersFields (Jul 16, 2010)

This is one of the better tours. The GC competition is boring, but there's so much more.
Armstrong tours were predictable and boring. And doped up.


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

Mike T. said:


> Yes they should ban race radios - really they should just ban race instructions from director sportifs. They should allow safety radio transmissions from the race organizers.


Sorenson getting on to the break the other day is a perfect example. Riis puts his team on the front because Sorenson couldn't catch the break. The DS for the riders in the break get on the horn and tell them to slow so Sorenson can catch the break or Saxo was going to chase the break down and destroy the rest of the field. How is that about safety?


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## juno (Jul 18, 2008)

Downhill finishes are exciting to watch because a bunch of non-contendors race to the finish. It ruins GC battles though.
Recipe for a boring tour - take a boring brit and surround him with a bunch of tempo riders and have half of the exciting riders crash out before the end of the first week.


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## cervelott (Mar 18, 2010)

100km of individual TTing was the downfall of this tour. Race was over last week...they have been defending their positions ever since.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

At least Nibali attacked today. 

That said, Froome and Wiggo should have blasted past Nibali when they caught him. It looked like Froome was ready to put the hurt on him, only to have Wiggo take Nibali's wheel. 



Froome should have attacked and put 3 minutes into Wiggo, forcing Wiggo to work together with Nibali. 

Now that would be exciting!


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

spookyload said:


> Sorenson getting on to the break the other day is a perfect example. Riis puts his team on the front because Sorenson couldn't catch the break. The DS for the riders in the break get on the horn and tell them to slow so Sorenson can catch the break or Saxo was going to chase the break down and destroy the rest of the field. How is that about safety?


nOOB questions:

So Riis _basically_ says, "Let my rider catch up or I'll have my team chase down the break!"

Is that about right?


And the teams that don't want the peleton to chase down the break are the teams with riders in the break, right?


Since no one in the break was a threat to Wiggo, he and Sky didn't care; right?


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Local Hero said:


> At least Nibali attacked today.
> 
> That said, Froome and Wiggo should have blasted past Nibali when they caught him. It looked like Froome was ready to put the hurt on him, only to have Wiggo take Nibali's wheel.
> 
> ...



It did look like Froome was accelerating past Nibali when they caught him (I forget which time).


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## nov0798 (Mar 5, 2011)

1 rider per team, no support cars (must carry your own stuff), no radios, and have checkpoints along the way to get more water, etc, staffed by volunteers. This will show you who the strong riders are.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Nibali just about popped when Froome dragged Wiggo up to him. 30 seconds of hard effort and the Sky boys would have shelled Nibali. That said, I think Froome could have easily cracked the both of them with a 60 second effort.

But that's just my armchair analysis.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Local Hero said:


> Nibali just about popped when Froome dragged Wiggo up to him. 30 seconds of hard effort and the Sky boys would have shelled Nibali. That said, I think Froome could have easily cracked the both of them with a 60 second effort.
> 
> But that's just my armchair analysis.


It sure looked like Froome, in several stages including today, could have easily rode away from Wiggo. 



When Wiggo wins this; he'll really owe Froome for pacing him and keeping him up front IMHO.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

perhaps you'd all be more excited if you were English

like me


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## cervelott (Mar 18, 2010)

Team salary cap!


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## kini (Feb 19, 2010)

Get rid of the teams. Pit all 200 riders against each other. Let them work it out and may the best rider (not team) win.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

kini said:


> Get rid of the teams. Pit all 200 riders against each other. Let them work it out and may the best rider (not team) win.


Have every day a 200km time trial. Have no mechanical support. Limit them to two gears on a flip-flop rear wheel. That should do it.


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

I am British and I'm not too excited. Sky have been dominant and both Wiggins and Froome have been excellent. Last year's Tour was much better
The Giro was much more interesting and exciting than this TdF has been, but that is usually the case.


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

*TdF lacking real excitement*

Very true ... but I still enjoy watching it ... team tactics are such a big part of the GC now. But you have the breakaways and whether Sagan can keep up to the top. And you have Voeckler ... absolute gem of a rider ...

If you are in Wiggo's position, will you not just defend? ... Knowing that you will be able to put more time in the last TT. If he were to counter-attack, there is a chance that he will hit a wall and I think he is well aware of his strengths and knows that he is just not strong enough?


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## SicBith (Jan 21, 2008)

It could get interesting for BMC tomorrow. It seems Teejay is free to fly and if BMC pushes the pace up the HC climb they could put him in a late break.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

nov0798 said:


> 1 rider per team, no support cars (must carry your own stuff), no radios, and have checkpoints along the way to get more water, etc, staffed by volunteers. This will show you who the strong riders are.


This would be about as exciting as long distance walking as a spectator sport.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

SicBith said:


> It could get interesting for BMC tomorrow. It seems Teejay is free to fly and if BMC pushes the pace up the HC climb they could put him in a late break.


Let's see: There's two cat.1's and an HC climb in tomorrows stage. 

It'll be funnay as heck if Tejay cuts his time in half tomorrow if his team pushes the pace in the peleton.


Seeing Wiggo blow a gasket and Froome waiting for orders.


Why not? There's nothing to lose. 

Tomorrow is the last mountain stage. Maybe have Liquigas and BMC team up and try to just drive the peleton to exhaustion, drive them into the ground.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

I agree: Boring Tour. 
the recipe for a boring tour: 11 flat stages, 1 stage in the alps, 2 stages in the pyranees.
my prediction: the 2015 Tour will be a battle between Van Garderen and Pinot that will remind us of the lemond v fignon of 1989.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Fignon's Barber said:


> I agree: Boring Tour.
> the recipe for a boring tour: 11 flat stages, 1 stage in the alps, 2 stages in the pyranees.
> my prediction: the 2015 Tour will be a battle between Van Garderen and Pinot that will remind us of the lemond v fignon of 1989.



So you're predicting an American win in '15  ?!!


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

SicBith said:


> It could get interesting for BMC tomorrow. It seems Teejay is free to fly and if BMC pushes the pace up the HC climb they could put him in a late break.


BMC hasn't shown the strength to put any of TJ's immediate rivals into difficulty. He was turning himself inside out to stay with his group over the top of Perysourde today, Zubeldia was on his left shoulder looking cool. He'll take time in the TT but I don't see it on any of the remaining climbs.


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2012)

davidka said:


> This would be about as exciting as long distance walking as a spectator sport.


Imagine how much more exciting it would be if they had team dynamics and race radios in the 50,000m race walk


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

albert owen said:


> Sky have been dominant and both Wiggins and Froome have been excellent. Last year's Tour was much better. The Giro was much more interesting and exciting than this TdF has been.


^^^^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^^^


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

cda 455 said:


> nOOB questions:
> 
> So Riis _basically_ says, "Let my rider catch up or I'll have my team chase down the break!"
> 
> Is that about right?


I don't think so. I think that Riis thought that Sorensen wasn't going to make the juncture and was going to drop back so he sent the team to the front to do some work so Sorensen would be picked up sooner. 


> And the teams that don't want the peleton to chase down the break are the teams with riders in the break, right?
> 
> 
> Since no one in the break was a threat to Wiggo, he and Sky didn't care; right?


^^^ I think you're right here.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

I am already looking forward to the Vuelta. It will be a lot more exciting than this snoozefest.

:Yawn:


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2012)

il sogno said:


> I am already looking forward to the Vuelta. It will be a lot more exciting than this snoozefest.
> 
> :Yawn:


I think I might go back to _watching_ Major League Baseball and _thinking about_ professional stage race cycling if I'm ever in a situation where I need to "slow things down"


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## juno (Jul 18, 2008)

Hats off to SKY as they have just plain dominated.. I don't see Wiggo cracking, he has been much better in the mountains then I expected. SKY's tempo riding has killed the competition and with Ryder, Sanchez, Gesink et al abandoned there has really not been enough flyers to put any pressure on them.

KOM battle may be slightly interesting. 
Maybe Nibali will shoot for GC 2nd place today. Other then that I see SKY leading Cav out Friday and perhaps again on Sunday. It would be kind of cool for WIggo to do another lead out for Cav, maybe Sunday?


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

il sogno said:


> I am already looking forward to the Vuelta. It will be a lot more exciting than this snoozefest.
> 
> :Yawn:


TdF is at least in nice French countryside...Vuelta is in a desert.

I haven't been that bored by this year any more than prior years. If you constatly thinking worried about the GC race, I could understand it...but there have been many nice rides for stage wins by lots of non-predicted riders.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

cda 455 said:


> So you're predicting an American win in '15  ?!!


yep. climbs well, TT's well, good money backing him for support riders. why not?


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## PJay (May 28, 2004)

*Boring = our predictions way better than recent years*

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/pro-cycling-race-discussion/2012-tdf-predictions-283965.html

I am interested in following TdF every year. I enjoy figuring out the strategy as the tour progresses stage by stage. I enjoy seeing cycling tactics, and trying to figure out what makes a breakaway work and not work. Etc.

But I guess this year is boring, relatively. For the last several years, I have posted a "tdf predictions" thread asking for prodium predictions to be posted by us before the tour begins. I have then recapped, as the tour rolls into Paris, how good our predictions were.

In the post-Postal era, we are always terrible. You would think we were randomly guessing.

But for this year, a great many people placed their money on Wiggins either as first or second. So, the big x factor has been that we did not see Evans showing up with a bit less to give than we expected. Although one of us (not me) predicted that. (I will recap our predictions soon, and will give cred where deserved).

So, yes, boring: we fairly well predicted how things would go, and that view is being realized. Not as unpredictable as recent years.


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## PJay (May 28, 2004)

*Excitement is now: guessing third place overall*

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/pr...rrent-top-10-top-12-top-8-top-4-a-285326.html

I guess I was seeking some excitement a few days ago when I pondered out loud how far in the standings a third-place contender might spring from.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

il sogno said:


> For me the Armstrong Tours were a bore too. IMO the 2003 Tour was the only truly exciting Armstrong Tour.


I think this year was more boring than any of the Armstrong domination years. At least Armstrong and his rivals attacked and made it stick.

This year's tours attacks is like watching a pack of wolves hunt down an injured lamb. As impressive as wolves may be to some, you know exactly what will happen to the lamb and it's all futile from the start.


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

There is more than just the GC in the tour. True this year the Green jersey points was all wrapped up quite early on but the Polka jersey was well contested in stage 16 & 17.

Predictable ... yes
Boring ... no


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## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

I think to make the race a little more spicy is to reduce the number of riders on each team, stop using radios and introduce a salary cap. 

I read somewhere that the UCI should step in to change the way the pro licenses are assigned. Licenses need to be awarded for longer periods, not just for the most points per rider in the last year, and there needs to be longer term contracts for riders. It was in relation to doping to disincentivize riders from reaching for drugs just so they could earn enough points to get a contract for the next year, but the effect would be the same.

If teams were given 3 year licenses with a maximum of 5 million euros/ yen/ whatever for salaries, then you would have fewer super-teams, favorites on different teams and more unpredictability.

That said, only the GC has been a little dull this year. I think the individual stages have seen some thrilling races.


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Marc said:


> TdF is at least in nice French countryside...Vuelta is in a desert.
> 
> I haven't been that bored by this year any more than prior years. If you constatly thinking worried about the GC race, I could understand it...but there have been many nice rides for stage wins by lots of non-predicted riders.


^^This^^

there have been some fine rides, especially by some relative newcomers

I loved it today on the final bit of the climb, when Thibault was dicing with the big boys--so at least the riders don't feel cowed, even if Sky has tried to control the race, and done pretty well at it.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n said:


> There is more than just the GC in the tour. True this year the Green jersey points was all wrapped up quite early on but the Polka jersey was well contested in stage 16 & 17.
> 
> Predictable ... yes
> Boring ... no


Even polka dot was not that exciting. After early low-point grabbers, Morkov and Kesiakoff, Voeckler basically ran away with it by picking two key stages and taking points away every single time it counted. The way he rode it there was not that much competition for it, Kesiakoff was the only one who really tried and lost points to Voeckler every single time today.

So to recap: GC - boring. Green - boring. Polkadot - boring. Field sprints - meh (a lot of top sprinters, but Renshaw and Goss never factored much, Cav lost opportunities due to crashes so Greipel dominated those). 

The only thing that was somewhat entertaining were wins from small breakaway groups, a-la first Vockler stage win in stage 10 and Millar win in stage 12. Plus Fedrigo in stage 15. I liked those, especially cat-and-mouse tactical games.

But even then, we had plenty of "single attack, solo to the finish line unchallenged without much drama or anything interesting happen" - Luis Leon Sanchez, second Voeckler win, Rolland win, today's Valverde win.
Froome was babysitting Wiggins, he should have been allowed to go after Valverde, that would have been interesting.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

*Randomness*

I wonder what a stage race looks like if you pace the stage starts: Where you are in GC is where you start the next day. You come in five minutes back, you start the next day five minutes after yellow.

It doesn't kill team tactics, but it does make them different: the week one sprinters become useful in the mountains. Does the yellow lay back to wait for team support, risking the attack?

Sure, it kills KOM and points. And the broom wagon would be brutal. Toss in a TTT or three to net up some time for a few of the laggards. 

Then again, it might make it into a 25mph audax.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

danl1 said:


> I wonder what a stage race looks like if you pace the stage starts: Where you are in GC is where you start the next day. You come in five minutes back, you start the next day five minutes after yellow.
> 
> It doesn't kill team tactics, but it does make them different: the week one sprinters become useful in the mountains. Does the yellow lay back to wait for team support, risking the attack?
> 
> ...



Interesting points.

Make'em work.


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## superjesus (Jul 26, 2010)

danl1 said:


> I wonder what a stage race looks like if you pace the stage starts: Where you are in GC is where you start the next day. You come in five minutes back, you start the next day five minutes after yellow.
> 
> It doesn't kill team tactics, but it does make them different: the week one sprinters become useful in the mountains. Does the yellow lay back to wait for team support, risking the attack?
> 
> ...


I imagine that once the GC sorted itself out, each successive stage would be a long TT. Riders like Jens would get a shot at yellow as there wouldn't be as much peloton or team support. The breakaway experts would become much more valuable to the GC. I think you'd see much greater reliance on sprinters capable of climbing rather than pure sprinters. Ultimately, I feel like it would turn the tour into one, giant classics race tactically.

EDIT: You know what? Forget everything I just said. Tactically, you'd have to avoid losing time to a breakaway in the flat stages, and you would nead a Wiggins/ Froom setup or a team of climbers to survive the mountains. 

I'm not sure what I think other than it would make for an interesting grand tour experiment.


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2012)

danl1 said:


> I wonder what a stage race looks like if you pace the stage starts: Where you are in GC is where you start the next day. You come in five minutes back, you start the next day five minutes after yellow.
> 
> It doesn't kill team tactics, but it does make them different: the week one sprinters become useful in the mountains. Does the yellow lay back to wait for team support, risking the attack?
> 
> ...


Interesting idea though it would probably be best to only do the staggered starts on a few select stages, or a short series of stages (2-3) not every single stage. The rest of the time they should just start the riders behind a pace car as usual.

If it were done every single stage then as soon as a GC candidate and super-domestique pair (like Froome/Wiggins) got a sizable advantage they could just keep compounding it day after day by starting out as a breakaway with a multi-minute advantage. Since the people behind them would also be starting out staggered and making moves if their own they would not have the advantage of numbers of a unified peloton to be able to reliable chase down yellow. 

I think staggered starts would make the most sense on the moderately hilly routes. Those usually don't turn into pure sprint contests like the flats, but at the same time the topography is usually not enough to produce any meaningful time-gaps for GC competition either.


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## edscueth (Jul 12, 2008)

How to make it more exciting this year? Tell Froome to grow a set of b*lls and go for the win. There is no certainty he actually could but I think most will agree at times he has looked stronger than Wiggins. Yes its a team sport and the team is built around Wiggins, but can't we all agree its borderline pathetic he has had to "wait" for the team leader. As difficult as the tour is, is it unrealalistic to think Froome could be passing up his best opportunity to win it? 

For future years, as others have mentioned, ditch radios and then the support cars. If you have a mechanical issue, flat tire or etc, you or a teamate needs to repair the issue. Many will complain it wouldn't be fair if a rider lost the tour over a flat tire or dropped chain (sorry for the Andy dig) but having equipment play a role makes riders put thought in what equipment they will ride. I'm not a Nascar fan and almost hate to comparing Nascar to cycling but you never see them complain about a racer loosing over a blown engine or flat tire, after all thats just part of racing.

Lastly, I'm not an Evans fan but it sucked seeing him dropped.


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## malanb (Oct 26, 2009)

ExcitEment was gone with, Pantani and Ulle


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

I am just a cycling fan and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to watch it.


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## fredbiker (Sep 14, 2010)

juno said:


> Hats off to SKY as they have just plain dominated[...]Other then that I see SKY leading Cav out Friday and perhaps again on Sunday. It would be kind of cool for WIggo to do another lead out for Cav, maybe Sunday?


^good call:thumbsup:


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

PhotonFreak said:


> Interesting idea though it would probably be best to only do the staggered starts on a few select stages, or a short series of stages (2-3) not every single stage. The rest of the time they should just start the riders behind a pace car as usual.
> 
> If it were done every single stage then as soon as a GC candidate and super-domestique pair (like Froome/Wiggins) got a sizable advantage they could just keep compounding it day after day by starting out as a breakaway with a multi-minute advantage. Since the people behind them would also be starting out staggered and making moves if their own they would not have the advantage of numbers of a unified peloton to be able to reliable chase down yellow.
> 
> I think staggered starts would make the most sense on the moderately hilly routes. Those usually don't turn into pure sprint contests like the flats, but at the same time the topography is usually not enough to produce any meaningful time-gaps for GC competition either.


Probably - but I'd have to think you'd end up with a leader + super and a 'peloton' of sorts, with some folks between. But in today's race, the leader seldom really leads - other than a few key climbs, he's back in the protection of the peloton. 

Being out in the wind to hold your lead would be brutal. Just like a breakaway can't stay out, the yellow couldn't stay out day after day - they'd eventually reel him in, and someone that's been a bit more careful with their energy would jump. For a while. 

It would either be completely boring, or there would be real racing in Paris. But even that version of boring would be epic.

Support would be something totally other, too.


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## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

We were 7 seconds away from having Wiggins wear yellow every day from stage 1 through stage 20 and Sagan wearing green every day from stage 2 through stage 20.


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