Julian A and Tony M off the front. photo credit AFP
Forget the skinny climbers for a moment. Let’s talk about these two on Stage 16 and appreciate just why they are the professionals and we are not. Young Alaphilippe has already proven himself to be a monster in his Tour debut. If not for a jammed chain on the final descent of stage 15 he might have won his first Tour stage. The dude can climb and descend, like a bastard. And how is he even still in the Tour after this?
Really?
So he shakes that off, nearly wins an incredibly hard stage 15 then rides off the front with teammate Tony Martin early in stage 16. Normally a two person break will be held at four or five minutes, the peloton will break out the picnic baskets and the sprinters will nap until the finale. But no, Tony Martin can ride at over 48 kph for hours, by himself, on a road bike. Alaphilippe did the occasional pull on the front, to save face, but this was the Tony Show.
I dare any civilian to get their bikes up to that speed, grab a handful of ghost spinaci bars, settle in and do that for two minutes. I’m much more impressed by this than Froome’s climbing ability, but I tend toward the rouleurs anyway.
Was it another pointless breakaway? By the time the peloton finally sped by Alaphilippe then Martin it seemed like it but maybe that doesn’t matter. Maybe getting off the front and putting everyone else in the hurt locker for a few hours is reason enough.
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@chris
Yupyup. Will email.
@chris
I think it's pretty harsh to accuse Sky of being boring - what is a bit dull is that the rest seem to be content to settle for the other places on the podium and have said as much (Mr Yates, I'm looking at you, a bit of Rule #70 required please!).
Movistar seem to be riding for the team GC - which no-one else is racing for. Now that's boring.
The Sky thing; they do set a high pace on the front but it's no easier for Froome to hang on to the wheels of his own team than it is for anybody else. Sure, a high pace discourages early attacks, but we have seen riders have a go later in the climb, it's just that Froome, or Poels, have been able to match them or reel them back in. In the end it simply comes down to Froome being (delete as appropriate) in better shape or being a better rider over the three weeks doesn't it? This year in particular his important gains (even if only psychologically) have come as a result of innovative attacking, whilst the Sky Train has been employed as more of a defensive tactic. To me the current situation reflects the calibre of the rivals as much as anything. Top form Contador, and even a Tour-focussed Nibali, would have had a go somehow. We need a new, young swashbuckling hero to come along from somewhere and hijack the Sky Train.
The main (only) reason folk were able to constantly attack in the past was that they were doped up to the gills and could turbo boost overnight. The fact that it is all more defensive now I take as a sign that it is all clean(er). That gains are more opportunistic now I take as the nature of a clean beast and that the main guys are much closer in the mountains and less able to launch huge attacks when they are all on the limit. I think Sky have just twigged this in the last 2 years better than anyone else has.
@Teocalli
Sky have been using the same tactic in the mountain since 2012 - plenty of time for other teams to come up with strategies against it.
@RobSandy
True - I was more talking about Froome in the last 2 years not using the mountains as his main time gainer but rather getting time in the bank in more creative ways.
@Teocalli
Yup.
I think Sky's return to defensive form in the mountains has distracted from the fact that the main hammer blow Froome gave to his rivals were the two completely unexpected attacks early in the Tour. I think many of them gave up on the yellow jersey as soon as Froome put it on...
Apparently poor little Nairo is allergic to the sight of Froome riding away from him on all manners of terrain.
@chris
At least TJVG is manning up.
@Teocalli
He's not in the break is he?