Cycling
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07 Jul 17
08:47
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Date Joined:
11 Jul 11
The forecast is for the temperature to increase throughout the day, there is also some wind around, although it would need to get up a bit more to make things interesting with the possibility of echelons across the exposed areas of road. Not convinced that will happen with great effect, but need to be watchful for it, in any case.
Expecting a similar stage to yesterday's for the most part -- bunch sprint scenario on the finish -- about the same number of riders involved in the break; they'll be frying all day over a similar long distance, so don't expect many volunteers for that brand of torture, probably a couple involved from the PCT teams looking to give their team some media exposure or claim the Combatative Award.
In a bunch sprint, the only way Kittel gets beaten is if he -- or his team -- make a massive mistake with their positioning. Looking at the finishing road it looks to be quite wide and fast, although the pics I've seen have a lot of road furniture, so am not sure they have been taken out for the Tour's passage, they'd need to be but am not sure. If they have then there should be enough room for sprint trains to organise without too much difficulty, but it looks quite regional so it won't be that wide avenue they got yesterday.
Closest to Kittel in the sprint is Demare without a doubt, constantly so, and he might be close again today. Some value for him, was 11/4 at SP and has remained firm, better on here and likely to find some support. Kittel opened at odds-on as predicted, 83/100 in fact, and has shortened further, now into 4/5.
Expecting a similar stage to yesterday's for the most part -- bunch sprint scenario on the finish -- about the same number of riders involved in the break; they'll be frying all day over a similar long distance, so don't expect many volunteers for that brand of torture, probably a couple involved from the PCT teams looking to give their team some media exposure or claim the Combatative Award.
In a bunch sprint, the only way Kittel gets beaten is if he -- or his team -- make a massive mistake with their positioning. Looking at the finishing road it looks to be quite wide and fast, although the pics I've seen have a lot of road furniture, so am not sure they have been taken out for the Tour's passage, they'd need to be but am not sure. If they have then there should be enough room for sprint trains to organise without too much difficulty, but it looks quite regional so it won't be that wide avenue they got yesterday.
Closest to Kittel in the sprint is Demare without a doubt, constantly so, and he might be close again today. Some value for him, was 11/4 at SP and has remained firm, better on here and likely to find some support. Kittel opened at odds-on as predicted, 83/100 in fact, and has shortened further, now into 4/5.
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Live pics here already.
One rider more in the break than yesterday, the composition is: Manuele Mori UAD Maxime Bouet FVC Yohann Gene DEN Dylan van Baarle CDT Interesting news coming out, there are reports that there are crosswinds increasing in the final 15-20kms. |
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Van Baarle is the youngest and he was in the break on stage 5, the others are cleanskins; also WGG DS told his riders not to get involved in the break as did Marc Sergeant (DS for LTS) to De Gendt. De Gendt trying to do too much apparently, getting in the breaks and leading out the sprint for Gorilla. That makes sense as to why he is looking so flat, on the other hand he loves to work, which is how he gains form too, so we'll see how he goes tomorrow, but I'd expect him to be in the breakaway.
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Wow, a lot of liquidity for Kittel, he presently represents approx 70% of all matched bets on this event. Traders entering the market looking to short him.
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would you flunk it another 4 sacrificial lambs giving a few quid to give the illusion of a meaningful race for 5 hrs,when everyone no,s only the last 300yds and 30 seconds that count, makes Jackie palo v giant haystacks look genuine
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-- CROSSWINDS ALERT!
60 KMS TO-GO -- ALERT! 50 KMS TO-GO -- HIGH POSSIBILITY FOR CHAOS TO BREAK OUT AS ECHELONS MAY FORM! |
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Just on the issue of the road: Indeed, a wide and largely straight road, slightest curve, very good and smooth surface. Tail wind also expected, high speeds then.
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Former tour cyclist Robert Millar reveals new identity as Philippa York
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42.5KMS to-go and we may see some influence on this race with crosswinds -- finally some excitement!
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...becomes a headwind after some 18kms of riding so no team willing to attempt a split, and it looks to have eased off a little, also.
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DDD are going with EBH for the sprint even though he was in the break on stage 5 and Renshaw is a far better sprinter -- idiots!
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Amazing effort by the break keeping this gap!
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Wind abated...
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Break over!
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last 2 days 10 hrs 400 k of racing moszt excitement was a 100 yd sprint,someone stopping for a piddle and someone changing a wheel.only another 9 hrs 55 mins to account for
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misuse of the whip there
stewards will overturn the result! |
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Well maybe DDD are not that big idiots -- is that the closest finish in modern Tour history!?
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How in the hell did they split that !!
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I could not believe that the information coming out from DDD was all about EBH, and instead of backing him at huge odds, I just thought it was a big mistake not to go with Renshaw. As it turns out, it looks like Kittel with have it.
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One frame back, monarch.
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Cheers SP. Was on Matthews either ways
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has to be one thousandth of a sec there..like to see a blow-up print
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...one single pixel under high-resolution.
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Was expecting Kittel to go much much earlier, carve out his own space out wide and rip into it like yesterday, but he chose to delay and it nearly cost him.
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seemed to me a little bit that he didn't quite have the legs he had y'day
these guys aren't machines so testament to his inner reserves he was able to nick it |
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Tbh its been a dreary tour so far,hopefully few exciting stages sat and sunday, Kittel is a machine
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these men arnt machines,as you can name the 6 involved in a sprint finish and 6 involved in a mountain finish in 99% of cases out of a field of a 160 I,d say machines are exsctly what they are.the 5 hrs preamble before a finish is just for the sponsors and tourisim boards
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Alright chaps?
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Pinot 33/1 & Gesink 66/1 for me tommorrow Stage 8
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One week gone ...... one kilometre of racing up a climb , and lots of sprinting .....this could be as dull as the Wiggins race
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About bloody time MC.
 Now we can start to make some money.  I haven't put up one winner in ante-post.  |