Great racing so far and a cracking move by Lafay yesterday - you could sense he'd done it within 5-10 seconds of going.
Printable View
Great racing so far and a cracking move by Lafay yesterday - you could sense he'd done it within 5-10 seconds of going.
Been good viewing so far, if Cav could take it today that would put that goal to rest and we could all relax and enjoy the remaining sprinter stages. But have to accept he is the underdog and not top dog now.
Should be plenty of good racing to come, though hard to see past one of two riders winning it, barring mishaps.
I don't think he really went for it. I think it was a "let's see where I'm at" so to finish as high as he did suggests he can get his stage with a little luck.Quote:
Originally Posted by molehill
I think he did go for it; looking at the overhead camera view he was 5 bike lengths behind Philipsen with 504m to go - and they were doing 69-70km/h at the time. On the line the gap was around 2.5 bike lengths.Quote:
Originally Posted by Witton Park
The reason Philipsen won, was because he had a fantastic lead-out. Yesterday's finish showed that there are at least six really top sprinters in the race, and Cav is one of them
and his one-man led out did it for him today again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Finale was carnage today on what should have been a relatively safe finish. With the next few days in mind, I can see why teams were taking it easy but there was far more accidents than needed to happen. Cav did well considering but when you have a talented sprinter with MVdP as your lead out, there will only ever be one result.
I wonder if it was the shape of the corners on the circuit.Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
I think it was more that the peleton were happy to roll in and just contest the sprint so the field had not been subject to it's usual whittling down to the select GC and sprint leadouts.
A long way to go still and a lot of mountain racing, but I wouldn't be looking further than either of those two for yellow in Paris.
Unfortunate yesterday if you are a Cavendish fan like me.
Looked over and done with as he swept up the right hand side and could see something wasn't right as he lost momentum.
Credit to Philipsen for his win again, but accidents aside, I think Cav has shown he's still got it and hopefully he'll pick up his stage before long. Maybe today, although there's a few lumps in the last 50km.
gutted for himQuote:
Originally Posted by Witton Park
A very sad way for it to end for him - thinking "what if".
Saw the interview with him this evening, judging by what he was saying it sounded to me like a slack rear skewer, the slightest movement in the dropout will have the hyperglide trying to change up. I can't believe for a second his di2 was to blame, they can feel tight enough but slip under power.Quote:
Originally Posted by Witton Park
If I were him I'd be planning my recovery and prep for a surprise return next year. You can't end it like that, it's effing heartbreaking, I know there isn't a lot of love for cav on here, but I was utterly crushed for him.Quote:
Originally Posted by molehill
Apparently a twist in the chain caused the gear issue at Bordeaux though I know not how that can happen nor what it looks like!
Terribly sad for Cav today though for once I found Christian Prudhomme's words both sympathetic and honourable.
He had had a rear wheel change at 60K to go but assuming the mechanic had done something odd one would have thought in the next 59K the rider would have noticed something was wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
CPs words were good. Although cynic that I am I don't believe much that is said to a camera.
Incidentally I have just re-watched the interview Mr Cavendish gave after he outrageously got Sagan chucked off the Tour following his idiotic attempted passing manoeuvre when there clearly wasn't room for him to get through to pass Sagan. At least over his fumbling mumbling "nothing to do with me" words his face displays his shame.
With disc brakes there is no dropout, and there's no skewer as such. If the through axle is in, the wheel cannot move. And if it's not in you'd notice as soon as you pedalled.Quote:
Originally Posted by mr brightside
Thanks Marco, it appears i stand corrected. How long does a wheel change take with this new system?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I don't have this new fangled system...so what do you think the problem with MC's bike was?
I'm not using the 'new' system, so can't give you any real world figures. The only definite answer I can give you is "longer".Quote:
Originally Posted by mr brightside
My guess, from watching pro mechanics at big races on the TV, is 10-15 seconds longer than an old-style quick release wheel with frame drop-outs.
Incidentally, calling it the new system may not be totally correct; in the mid 1980s I built an experimental (ie it failed) frame without drop-outs, and using a through skewer. Nothing wrong with the theory, I just couldn't interest anyone; if I'd told Mike Burrows (famous bicycle designer) it would probably have been mainstream decades ago.
High torque, relatively slow cadence, and desperate 'to hell with the style, just give me the power' technique leads to jerky forces on the chain rather than the smooth forces you'd get in a time-trial.Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
Couple this with a bumpy road, and the chain could easily jump sprocket
"A small speed bump at the start of his sprint had knocked him off his line enough that his rear wheel momentarily went into the air and when it hit the ground again, slightly diagonal to his direction of travel, the combined force of that not-quite-straight impact and the torque he was putting through his cranks shifted his chain one gear. He slowed as his gears ground..."Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
This is Edward Pickering of Rouleur. No mention here of twisted chains thwarting Cavendish.
I rate Pickering as one of the finest writers on cycling - calm, considered and eloquent.
,
Can't agree with you on this Graham.Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
It was Sagan's fault. Griepel agreed, the commissaires agreed.
Greipel?Quote:
Originally Posted by Witton Park
"Sometimes I should watch images before I say something," the German from Lotto Soudal wrote on Twitter. "Apologies to @petosagan as I think that decision of the judge is too hard."
See also McEwan, Millar, Voigt, Cooke.
The commissaires got it wrong in the face of a screaming Cavendish - never known for humility after causing crashes.
From what I have seen of sprint finishes on tours, it is no place for gentlemen riders.
Too hard, but not wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
I keep coming back to the chain with this Cav Bordeaux sprint. If it's jumping between 11 and 12, then it's a badly adjusted derailleur but from what Ralf Aldag has implied, it was a chain issue?
Ah but what is truth?Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
The modern fashion for using the big ring and large rear sprockets means that the chain tension will always be a little bit slack when using the smallest sprockets. Add to this the fact that when sprinting at maximum power, which can exceed 1000W for the biggest sprinters, it is a case of stomping on the pedals in a piston like action, which results in huge tension on the chain followed, briefly, by very little. It does ask a lot of the chain, and the slightest bump at the wrong time is likely to jump the chain.Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
A very long way down the talent levels, I once unshipped the chain whilst standing up and sprinting on the smallest sprocket (a 13) at over 30mph. Hitting neutral, as the chain went between the smallest sprocket and the frame is pretty scary, but probably everyone who's sprinted at maximum power on the road has done it at least once. I checked the bike afterwards, and it was correctly adjusted so in theory it wasn't possible. But it happened.
It beggars belief for me. I can't understand people who fear the little ring like this, i'm on it quite a lot, and one of my bikes won't safely engage 53-25 due to me deliberately setting the chain length so as to limit me to 53-21. I think people just see stronger riders, mostly on TV, living on the big ring and think it's the way to go. I once saw someone grinding his way up otley chevin on the big ring at the front and what looked to be a 32 at the rear; his rear mech was as straight as a 6" rule!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
New cocktail for the Master's Lounge?Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
I have always thought that changing gear under power will lead to metal fatigue in your chain. Whether it jumps or you are one of these people who change under full load doesn't matter, it bends it in such a way as to permanently damage it. This is slightly at odds with the hyperglide philosophy of simultaneous engagement of two adjacent sprockets, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
Firstly, I must say that I ride almost entirely using the little ring. But it is a 44, which is ancient-school and a lot bigger than the 33/34 current standard offered by the manufacturers. Two nights ago I rode over 20 miles entirely on the small ring and topped 27mph on 44 x 15, but it is flattish around here.Quote:
Originally Posted by mr brightside
Setting up your bike so there is insufficient chain links to ride big ring-big sprocket is not recommended. The reason is if you meet an unexpected steep uphill section, whilst riding on the big ring, you might panic and change gear faster than you think and end up on the big ring-big sprocket combination. If there isn't enough chain it will rip the rear derailleur off your bike as a minimum, but could snap the gear hanger or pull the wheel out if you're not using a thru-axle. However you look at it, it will be expensive and could be dangerous.
I use all my rings. I've paid for them so I am going to get my money's worth.
So today I did 50 miles (3500 feet) through Hellifield - Settle - Airton - Gargrave - Bolton Bridge - Ilkley. All the high fell routes between Settle/Helwith Bridge and Grassington/Halton Gill are steep and glorious and the isolation makes one glad to be alive. The ride from Halton Gill on the south east side of Pen y Ghent to Stainforth is my favourite and is better than the Grand Canyon - no tourists, no helicopters just lots of sheep!
Nice ride, that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
I had a problem with the front derailleur on my commuter (basically bent and needed replacing) so I looked at the gear ratios I actually used and there was surprisingly few. So rather than fork out on a new front derailleur I just bought a new 42T chain ring to replace the 50/34 and with a combination of the 11/32 cassette, I'm definitely sorted for anything the locale can throw at me.
No way I'd do that on the road bike but very pleased with the result
Had a debate with Mrs S tonight over the fantasy team that we would pick from any rider competing this century. Mine was very much an entertaining mob whereas Mrs S was far more pragmatic - sprinter, climber and TT specialist and a selection of GT favourites.
So, if you could assemble any professional team of the last 23 years, who would you pick? Let's say a team of 7 but no domestiques necessary - stage winners and GC contenders only
Typical yorkshire fell runnerQuote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
Pogacar, Kuss, Valverde, Pantani (oops! he's dead), Fignon (oh, he's dead as well), Cipollini (is he still in prison?), Ullrich (is he still in a mental hospital?)...this is bit hard!:)Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
Ian StannardQuote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
Lance Armstrong
The Aussie guy who used to talk to the camera bikes
Wiggins
Tadej Pogacar
Chris Boardman
Mark Cavendish
you are also timed out on the 23 years :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze