2013 Le Tour De France

[dedja]

You want your team around you setting the pace you want, especially when you have yellow.

In at least 2 stages this year, Sky haven't been able to keep around Froome meaning he is isolated. When this happens, Froome is at the mercy of other teams pacemakers.

They may decide to up the pace at times that are not comfortable for Froome, and he won't know when that will happen until he sees it. He will therefore waste energy keeping up, or if they are successful, will crack him so he doesn't keep up.

Contador for example could be protected by his team whist Froome wastes his energy keeping up. It may not pay dividends immediately, but at a later stage when you need to dig into your energy stores to get across a category 1 or HC climb.

With Team Sky around him, they can regulate the pace and his team mates can do most of the hard work for him whilst he is safely nestled in behind them.

Wining Le Tour is about conserving energy just as much as strategic breakaways to make up time on your main contenders. Its also about riding your race as much as possible, so if you can't regulate the temp you lose that advantage.

[Sploosh]

Wow, I didn't realise that being able to dictate the pace by being at the front of the peloton was so vital. I (naively) thought the yellow jersey guy just prefers being at the front so he can keep an eye on anyone trying to break away. Thanks for your insights. Like I said in my last post, these tactics and the reasons behind them are fascinating...

[mickey]

Wow, I didn't realise that being able to dictate the pace by being at the front of the peloton was so vital. I (naively) thought the yellow jersey guy just prefers being at the front so he can keep an eye on anyone trying to break away. Thanks for your insights. Like I said in my last post, these tactics and the reasons behind them are fascinating...

They do stay at the front to keep an eye on breakaways too. but usually the breakaway that happens on a flat part of the stage doesnt contain any of the main threats to the yellow jersey. and is usually the safest place to ride in case of mass pile ups etc

[dedja]

The domestiques, or the team 'servants', are just as important as the lead rider. Without them he has little hope of winning a grand tour like the TDF.

Stuart O'Grady is fantastic at this ... He'll be 2 hours down on the GC leader, but his job is to regulate the tempo when it's his turn to do so. In a team of 9 riders, they all have a specific job to do.

It's one of the reasons Cadel Evans couldn't win the TDF early on inhis career as he had a relatively weak team that couldn't keep up.

[mickey]

and they are good at carrying lots of water bottles

[dedja]

[Sploosh]

Fair enough. Another question about the breakaway group, if I may...

For instance, the group now in the lead has 18 riders. Are they all there because their main guy in their own team (i.e. their version of Froome) has no chance in GC, so they feel they may as well not try to help him, and just try to gain as much time for themselves as they can? I don't quite get the tactics of the breakaway group.

[dedja]

Usually, but not always, the riders in the breakaway group are those from the lesser teams who try to steal a stage win.

Since they usually aren't a threat the peloton lets them go early but usually will reel them in at the end of the stage.

There are times when a rider from a team of one of the serious GC contenders will get into a breakaway as insurance to help hs No 1 rider later in the stage.

If any of the GC contenders try to get into a breakaway they are usually shut down straight away as the threat of them gaining time is not a risk other teams will take.

Yes, there's a shitload of tactics ...

[mickey]

they do it for either..

personal glory
tv time for their team
they have no chance of winning the tour so they try and win a stage
or to have a team mate when the team leader attacks on a mountain stage

depending on if they pose a threat to the yellow jersey or not, depends if they get chased down a lot of the time

[Sploosh]

Wow. Thanks, Dedja and Mickey.

My god, racing through those narrow roads with crazy screaming fans on both sides so close must be very unnerving for the riders...

[mickey]

[Sploosh]

depending on if they pose a threat to the yellow jersey or not, depends if they get chased down a lot of the time

How the hell do the peloton riders know who is in the breakaway, let alone be able to remember which riders are a threat to their team or not? Are they all in radio communication with the guys in the cars?

[mickey]

depending on if they pose a threat to the yellow jersey or not, depends if they get chased down a lot of the time

Are they all in radio communication with the guys in the cars?

this is your answer.. although the UCI (governing body) want to ban the use of team radio

[Sploosh]

The only problem now is that because I have learned some new things, I can't stop watching, and I have to get up really early tomorrow. It's a quandary, I tells ya!

[dedja]

This stuff shits me ... if I were a rider I'd sharpen my elbows for these dickheads

[dedja]

The only problem now is that because I have learned some new things, I can't stop watching, and I have to get up really early tomorrow. It's a quandary, I tells ya!

Well consider yourself initiated and welcome to the club ...

[Sploosh]

And I hope some of the F wits from that clip were identified and prosecuted!

[Q.]

This stuff shits me ... if I were a rider I'd sharpen my elbows for these dickheads

Why do all the loonies come out to play at these things?

[pels]

Froome destroys everyone on Mt Ventoux.

[mickey]

How the **** can you climb like that!