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After two years that although having British winners overall and british stage winners, the Tours overall were not too exciting , this year we have really had a treat and been really spoilt. Very few stages have been an anti-climax. Right from the very first stage with the drama of Cavendish's crash and the 2nd stage where Nibali put all the leaders to the sword and that was when Froome and Contador were there. The mountains provided their usual action but now the intermediate mountain stages provide tremendous excitement and probably the most unpredictable stages. Even Stage 15 which seemed to take for ever suddenly became one of the most tense and exciting stages ever of will he wont he hang on as we all wished Jack Bauer could have survived another 20 metres. A great great Tour
So many riders have come out of the race with enhanced reputations including Kristoff, Majka, Konig and even to some extent Frank Schleck deserves a mention for being no back number any more. We all knew how good Nibali, Martin and Kittel were before this race but the rider i would like to nominate as the rider of the Tour is Canondale's Alessandro De Marchi who seemed to pop up every where be it in a break away, high in the mountains or even attacking in the final stage.
Who would you nominate and take away as a rider to follow?
So many riders have come out of the race with enhanced reputations including Kristoff, Majka, Konig and even to some extent Frank Schleck deserves a mention for being no back number any more. We all knew how good Nibali, Martin and Kittel were before this race but the rider i would like to nominate as the rider of the Tour is Canondale's Alessandro De Marchi who seemed to pop up every where be it in a break away, high in the mountains or even attacking in the final stage.
Who would you nominate and take away as a rider to follow?
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It just happens with talented riders that they just show up for a race, even though their form prior might not have been much to get excited about. Whilst I considered Nibali a dangerous rider prior to the start since he was a multiple GT winner, I thought that he'd take time to develop his form. However by winning stage 2 in such an exhibition of strong riding on a tough stage, he showed that he was here to race and was going to be a tough nut to crack for his opponents. AST team tactics and strategy were good but made exceptional when other teams played into their hands, and Nibali had a good bunch of riders around him, with Scarponi's experience offering great assistance in a way which wouldn't have always been obvious on the road.
Will like to see if Frank Schleck can build on his positive riding and take that forward, it'd be nice to see him in contention again, but admittedly he might be a little too old, now.
I admit I've bought into the resurgence of French cycling, with Pinot finally reinforcing his promise from two years ago, and Bardet suggesting he has room for development, also.
But for me Rafal Majka is the breakthrough rider in this Tour, as I've mentioned prior. He came to SAX at the same time as Contador and in one of their very first training camps, he was one of the only riders in the team at that time, who could follow Contador on the steep climbs, which says a lot. He has a great rhythm and should handle the really steep climbs of the Alps in the future, I think. Nevertheless, he has a long way to go and it'll be interesting to see how he goes. Though that's part of the fun when following riders with promise, and I'm certainly a fan.
Definitely agree with De Marchi being nominated as a good rider, the combative prize was his by a long way. SP
Will like to see if Frank Schleck can build on his positive riding and take that forward, it'd be nice to see him in contention again, but admittedly he might be a little too old, now.
I admit I've bought into the resurgence of French cycling, with Pinot finally reinforcing his promise from two years ago, and Bardet suggesting he has room for development, also.
But for me Rafal Majka is the breakthrough rider in this Tour, as I've mentioned prior. He came to SAX at the same time as Contador and in one of their very first training camps, he was one of the only riders in the team at that time, who could follow Contador on the steep climbs, which says a lot. He has a great rhythm and should handle the really steep climbs of the Alps in the future, I think. Nevertheless, he has a long way to go and it'll be interesting to see how he goes. Though that's part of the fun when following riders with promise, and I'm certainly a fan.
Definitely agree with De Marchi being nominated as a good rider, the combative prize was his by a long way. SP
Kristoff looks like he has made further strides towards being a top level sprinter. Thought Jeannesson was very impressive for Pinot, who was superb himself, in almost every group he was in he was on the front driving or attacking. TJVG had a good tour and could progress further but was hardly under the radar to start with. Konig should get himself a decent move after that performance - could Quickstep be the answer there?
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