Very poor tactics by Aru, he just can't afford to give it away like that. Kwiatkowski and Froome were very visible up front throughout whilst he was languishing 100 riders back. Still, good move by Froome to finish in the top 10, clearly done a better job of reading the race handbook!

Aru has two problems really. (a) he doesn't have enough domestics to be creative so has to rely on 'have I got the legs?' to be up the front and (b) he just hasn't got the experience/racecraft Team Sky and Froome have.
I tend to agree yesterday was somewhat boring but the end was fairly exciting.

Froome is going to shoe this in barring any mishaps which makes for a rather boring TdF I'm afraid. Aru was a flash in the pan, but Sky has the professionalism and the rider to take this home I predict.

Webbo

It's all been very exciting over the last few days and tomorrow is the last (very) long stage before the time trial everyone expects Froome to win thus becoming overall winner. However, I am still not wholly convinced it will be the walk in the park some believe it will be

Froome has to extend his lead tomorrow to win but keep an eye on Uran. He has a strong finish and has slowly worked his way up the field.

Uran is also a very good time trialler

Yes, Froome can't (or at least won't) extend his lead tomorrow, so it's all in the TT. 30 seconds certainly isn't much!

Personally, i think Froome and Sky missed a trick today in not going for the stage win. Winning big today would've all but sealed victory. Uran will stick to Froome like glue tomorrow and possibly pick up a few seconds then go for it in the TT on Saturday. At this stage Froome has it all to lose and Uran has nothing to lose.

Don't normally like the TT's but Saturday could be interesting. I have a sneaky feeling Sky are playing this too safe and Uran might just nick this.

Have to say also, been very disappointed with Quintana, I expected more from him tbh.

Eh? Froome's leading, it's up to Uran to attack him. Uran is a decent time trial list, but so's Froome, so I don't think he can expect to overhaul Froome on Saturday. It's certainly a risk, but things would be different were Bardet in yellow.

We saw Froome go on the attack and Uran and Bardet brought him back, I'm not sure Sky 'missed a trick' and decided not to go for the stage win!

Nothing will change today, it's basically a flat stage, so it's all on the TT, should be interesting.

Quote from: njee20 on July 21, 2017, 03:06:52 AM
Eh? Froome's leading, it's up to Uran to attack him.

Exactly, and as I said I think Sky "may" have played it too safe. Rigo has nothing to lose by attacking Frome and Froome may just get caught out if he's not careful 

Getting a tour win without a stage win is getting a bit too 'Lance Armstrong' for me, when you're operating in that rarified 3-in-a-row world; and putting your eggs into the last race day basket is a chancy affair. Hope it all works for him!

Donald

Quote from: Tornado on July 21, 2017, 05:48:56 AM

Quote from: njee20 on July 21, 2017, 03:06:52 AM
Eh? Froome's leading, it's up to Uran to attack him.

Exactly, and as I said I think Sky "may" have played it too safe. Rigo has nothing to lose by attacking Frome and Froome may just get caught out if he's not careful 

When can he attack him...?! There's a flat stage, a TT and a very flat stage left. I don't think it's tactics at all, Froome just isn't as dominant this year.

Quote from: mr magnolia on July 21, 2017, 07:55:24 AM
Getting a tour win without a stage win is getting a bit too 'Lance Armstrong' for me, when you're operating in that rarified 3-in-a-row world; and putting your eggs into the last race day basket is a chancy affair. Hope it all works for him!

Again, don't think that's intentional. And Armstrong won road stages in all his tour victories except 2000 and 2005, when he won TTs. Miguel Indurain never won a road stage IIRC.

Froome does risk finishing without a single stage win, which will be interesting.

Quote from: njee20 on July 21, 2017, 08:32:51 AM

Quote from: Tornado on July 21, 2017, 05:48:56 AM

Quote from: njee20 on July 21, 2017, 03:06:52 AM
Eh? Froome's leading, it's up to Uran to attack him.

Exactly, and as I said I think Sky "may" have played it too safe. Rigo has nothing to lose by attacking Frome and Froome may just get caught out if he's not careful 

When can he attack him...?! There's a flat stage, a TT and a very flat stage left. I don't think it's tactics at all, Froome just isn't as dominant this year.

Quote from: mr magnolia on July 21, 2017, 07:55:24 AM
Getting a tour win without a stage win is getting a bit too 'Lance Armstrong' for me, when you're operating in that rarified 3-in-a-row world; and putting your eggs into the last race day basket is a chancy affair. Hope it all works for him!

Again, don't think that's intentional. And Armstrong won road stages in all his tour victories except 2000 and 2005, when he won TTs. Miguel Indurain never won a road stage IIRC.

Froome does risk finishing without a single stage win, which will be interesting.

If you were only 29 seconds behind the Yellow Jersey with 2 stages to go, you would look look for any/every opportunity to attack would'nt you?

As for where he would attack, I don't know, I'm not an experienced Grand Tour cyclist, Uran is though. What I'm sure of is, he will attack Froome at some point, why would he not?

Because the terrain is wholly inappropriate to attack on? It would be sheer lunacy to attempt to attack today, it's far too flat. He'd be much better to save his legs and smash the time trial, that's his best opportunity.

The stage into Paris is a victory lap and a final hurrah for the sprinters, the race is a foregone conclusion at that point.

Quote from: njee20 on July 21, 2017, 09:04:29 AM
Because the terrain is wholly inappropriate to attack on? It would be sheer lunacy to attempt to attack today, it's far too flat. He'd be much better to save his legs and smash the time trial, that's his best opportunity.

The stage into Paris is a victory lap and a final hurrah for the sprinters, the race is a foregone conclusion at that point.

like I said, just my personal view that's all. I'll bow to your better knowledge and out of the discussion. Enjoy the last 3 days