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Topic: Tour De France
Jimmy Conway (364 Posts)	Posted: 05-Jul-2012 20:36	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Jimmy Conway (364 Posts)	Not a close follower of the sport but would tune in to the sports news in the evenings while its on. Can anyone tell me if Roche or his cousin has a chance this year? I believe Roche is the better of the two? Would be great to see father and son win it,hardly ever done surely?
Sleekit (76 Posts)	Posted: 05-Jul-2012 21:03	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Sleekit (76 Posts)	Since cycling is a sport for drug cheats, I'm surprised Eire aren't more to the forefront of it!
Gulaad (75 Posts)	Posted: 05-Jul-2012 21:52	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Gulaad (75 Posts)	Originally posted by Jimmy Conway: Not a close follower of the sport but would tune in to the sports news in the evenings while its on. Can anyone tell me if Roche or his cousin has a chance this year? I believe Roche is the better of the two? Would be great to see father and son win it,hardly ever done surely? Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin are the two lads you're on about there. Roche would be the stronger of the two in a race like the Tour. He's a better all-rounder and would be an upper level climer which is critical on the grand tours. While Martin has had the more high profile wins in the last few years i don't feel he's as suited to these gruelling 20 stage challenges. In terms of their chances? Well Roche is the General Classification hopeful for his team, but still his goal will be a top 10 finish, which would be an outstanding achievement. He wouldn't have much of a chance at all really of winning it outright as his time trialing isn't at the highest level required, so a solid GC finish and maybe a stage win would be his aim. As for Martin, the miniscule chance of GC success he would have will be sacrificed totally as he will be used by his team as a domestique (basically a support rider for the team leader) for Ryder Hesjedal. That said, I wouldnt rule out him being a contender for a breakaway stage win or a sprint win on a mild mountainous stage. I could also see either of them winning the combativity award on a stage, which is awarded to the most aggresive rider that day, as both can be ferocious riders when they break out of the peloton (Im sure other cycling fans will remember Roche's unbelievable descent into Bescacon in 2009!!)
ronburgondy (114 Posts)	Posted: 05-Jul-2012 22:57	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
ronburgondy (114 Posts)	Roche is currently 21st as the gc hasnt changed since the opening prologue last saturday.This weekends medium mountains should shake up the gc and we will see who the main contenders are. Roche has clearly set his aims as getting a top ten in the gc (overall race) and a stage win. with so much time trials its going to be difficult to hold a top ten place so hopefully he can have a strong campaign in the mountains and put some time into his other main rivals. He was seventh on stage 3 the other day won by Peter Sagan in what was an excellent finish, uphill finishes like that suit roche so we could see him attack like that again over the next two weeks. As for his cousin dan martin his main targets would be a mountainous stage, he has spoken of his desire to get into a breakaway in the mountains and is a serious contender for the mountains classification.Both guys have good chances of picking up a stage win in the mountains, roche is in good form while martin despite a crash in the weeks leading up has excellent climbing abilities.
Hitch (3,644 Posts)	Posted: 17-Jul-2012 21:06	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Hitch (3,644 Posts)	Frank Schleck has left the Tour de France after failing a doping test, his RadioShack-Nissan-Trek team have confirmed. Schleck, who finished third in the 2011 Tour, tested positive for banned diuretic Xipamide on July 14, cycling’s world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale announced. His team confirmed to Press Association Sport that Schleck would not start tomorrow’s 16th stage.
finbarrk (649 Posts)	Posted: 17-Jul-2012 21:30	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
finbarrk (649 Posts)	He will get hammered for this. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-17/cyclist-frank-schleck-has-positive-drug-test-at-tour-de-france.html
About a Bicycle (1,741 Posts)	Posted: 18-Jul-2012 18:58	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
About a Bicycle (1,741 Posts)	Both rode very well today - Roche is now 11th with one more day left in the Pyrenees so might get up to top 10. Martin was 7th today and at one point was leading the stage as they climbed the highest peak on this year's tour, a great sight. Both showing decent form for the Olympics but I think the Olympic course is more suited to sprinters like Cavendish.
Gulaad (75 Posts)	Posted: 18-Jul-2012 19:49	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Gulaad (75 Posts)	Originally posted by About a Bicycle: Both rode very well today - Roche is now 11th with one more day left in the Pyrenees so might get up to top 10. Martin was 7th today and at one point was leading the stage as they climbed the highest peak on this year's tour, a great sight. Both showing decent form for the Olympics but I think the Olympic course is more suited to sprinters like Cavendish. I think Dan Martin had very poor strategy today. Tried to force the hands of the others on the Tourmalet when he himself was unable to keep up the gruelling tempo he set. Its been a steep learning curve for him, and he's seeing the tour is unlike any other race. Roche is having an amazing Tour in my mind. I would be surprised if he doesn't get in the top 10 (assuming he doesn't blow up completely tomorrow, which is unlikely) as the two rider immediately in front of him in the GC, Thibaut Pinot and Pierre Rolland, are much poorer time-trialists and therefore he could definitely get back the requisite time on Friday. As a whole, the Tour has been a snoozefest in reality. Sky have neutralised the whole race which is a huge shame. I have never seen a duller ascent of Col du Tourmalet than today and it encapsulated the past two and a half weeks perfectly. It's even worse when you consider last years edition was one of the best Tours ever to watch. I can't help but wonder what might have been if Froome had kept going when he cracked Wiggins. Next year will be brilliant though, very strong rumours that ASO are going to cram the route with finishes on the iconic mountains for the 100th edition... here's hoping!!
ronburgondy (114 Posts)	Posted: 18-Jul-2012 23:19	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
ronburgondy (114 Posts)	I would agree with the last post. Sky's dominance is making the overall gc race very boring. Its all but Wiggins race now at this stage. He showed today he has the climbing legs on the last climb when Nibali went on the attack. Sky are an extremely strong team, noone can live with the tempo they are setting. They remind me of liquigas at this years Giro who were out at the front all day only sky are getting the results. As for Roche and Martin, its clearly been a learning curve for martin who hasnt found it as easy as he expected. Roche has showed his class on the tour, an excellent time trial and has consistently been within the top 20 on stages to keep out of trouble. I was very impressed with him on the final climb today, as Van Den Broeck and the radioshack riders set a high pace he looked as if he was dropped but dug deep on the decent to end up leading the group to the finish for a good 14th place finish. Hopefully he can put in another strong stage tomorrow. Although Rolland struggled today he could have one kick left yet.
whest is best (119 Posts)	Posted: 19-Jul-2012 19:15	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
whest is best (119 Posts)	Roche still 11th after todays last mountain stage of the tour. Cycled well and finished in the top 15 again today. Clearly he's a world class climber along with the cousin Dan Martin who had a very good day today also finishing 10th. He's gone to 36th overall on his first tour, which is a decent performance. Great to see two Irish lads riding in the Tour again. I know the sport is very tainted not but it can still be one of the most dramatic sporting events every year. This year has been pretty poor however with the total dominance of team Sky. Chris Froome looks almost super human and has won this tour for Wiggins.... Kind of a pity he isn't more of a nutter and have decided to take off on Wiggins and take the yellow jersey himself. Sky remind me of the Spanish football team, very very strong but they have taken a lot of the interest and unpredictability out of it.
Limk73 (25 Posts)	Posted: 20-Jul-2012 00:03	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Limk73 (25 Posts)	I got back into watching the Tour in the last few years but this year has been a turn off.Sky team are too powerful so they have taken all the fun out of it.I think I've only seen about 1 hours of cycling. Not a memorable Tour. Good to see Roche & Martin doing well though.
ronburgondy (114 Posts)	Posted: 20-Jul-2012 15:40	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
ronburgondy (114 Posts)	Incredible ride from Roche today, sickened he didnt pull off the win that he has deserved for his efforts in the tour. Looked as if he had pulled it off for Cavendish to burst out from his wheel. A great effort though.
whest is best (119 Posts)	Posted: 20-Jul-2012 15:43	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
whest is best (119 Posts)	Nearly an opening tour win for Nicholas Roche today but he was just pipped at the line by Sky's Cavendish. Had a great stage today and deserved his stage win. Has had a good tour.
uachtaran (1,240 Posts)	Posted: 20-Jul-2012 23:50	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
uachtaran (1,240 Posts)	Roche senior beating Delgado is one of the great weeks not moments in Irish Sport. I'd always be more of a Kelly fan but I've revised my view on Roche. The way I see it now, they were probably all on drugs, so it was a level playing field and he won the triple crown that year so he was a great champion. Unlike Kelly he was a bit hard to listen to though. If you read the cyling journalism stuff from the 80's the respect for Kelly in the 82-86 period is only matched by.....the regard for Roy in mid 90s.
The Boo (154 Posts)	Posted: 21-Jul-2012 01:16	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
The Boo (154 Posts)	Roche was unlucky today, he gave it everything. Hopefully he can beat Pinot by the minute or so he needs in tomorrows time trial to get 10th This message has been edited - 21-jul-2012 @ 01:17

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