Quintana has won stage 17 But way more important is Geraint Thomas who outsprints Tom Domoulin to take 3 rd place bonus points plus gaining some extra gap seconds. I’d say that Geraint Thomas is huge favorite now to win this year’s Tour De France ! Almost forgot to mention that Dan Martin took second. Chris Froome lost a lot of time and Tom Dumoulin moves into second place jumping ahead of Froome. There is no question now as to who is the leader of Team Sky. Also the time advantage of Geraint Thomas has increased to a comfortable almost 2 minutes over Dumoulin. Once again the attempt to do a Giro/Tour De France double proves too difficult ! As predicted, today was a decisive day.
end of an era, kermit. Team Sky's call to not hold back Thomas real early in the Tour may likely give them yet ANOTHER Tour de France title. It would be 6 titles in the last 7 years-- how about that?
I feel for Froome. Just not sure what he was thinking running the Giro so hard. Did he want to prove to the world this salbutamol rubbish should/could not tarnish him? 'i'll prove it by being the first rider in over 20 yrs to win the Giro/Tour de France in the same year?' At his age?
one can argue that Team Sky's army is STRONGER than the '17 group. A yr ago Thomas had to leave the race early. Landa, Kwiatkowski were the horses in the mountains. This yr they line up; Thomas, Kwiatkowski and Bernal. HOW GOOD IS BERNAL!!!!!! at 21 yrs of age he's done the late pulling!!!!!
surely Sky back Thomas at this point. Dumoulin is a better TT than Thomas, for damn sure
Can Dumoulin pull this off!!!!!!!!!!!?!?!.......crazier things have happened. GO TOM!!!!!!!
I feel for Froome. Just not sure what he was thinking running the Giro so hard. Did he want to prove to the world this salbutamol rubbish should/could not tarnish him? 'i'll prove it by being the first rider in over 20 yrs to win the Giro/Tour de France in the same year?' At his age?
one can argue that Team Sky's army is STRONGER than the '17 group. A yr ago Thomas had to leave the race early. Landa, Kwiatkowski were the horses in the mountains. This yr they line up; Thomas, Kwiatkowski and Bernal. HOW GOOD IS BERNAL!!!!!! at 21 yrs of age he's done the late pulling!!!!!
surely Sky back Thomas at this point. Dumoulin is a better TT than Thomas, for damn sure
Can Dumoulin pull this off!!!!!!!!!!!?!?!.......crazier things have happened. GO TOM!!!!!!!
Right now I just can’t see Geraint Thomas not winning this year’s Tour ! Even Dumoulin said after the stage that Thomas was too strong. Dumoulin is a fantastic time trialist but Geraint Thomas is no patsy ! The last day in the Pyrenees is a tough stage 19 and any chance for Dumoulin would require him to bring back some time from Thomas. However from what I’ve seen so far, Geraint Thomas is the best and strongest cyclist in this year’s Tour. Do you think Dumoulin could take back 2 minutes in the Time Trial ? Unless the rules have changed, Thomas as the leader would have the huge advantage of starting last thereby knowing what time he has to beat. GL
quotes after stage 17
[h=2]Nairo Quintana (Movistar) - Stage 17 winner[/h]It was a hard day, but we'd prepared well for it. It went as exactly as we'd planned. We had [Alejandro] Valverde and [Marc] Soler up front, and their riding helped shake out the peloton. We knew it was a stage for pure climbers and we showed our strength
I had some difficult moments in the first part of this Tour and lost some time. But I still felt strong and had the energy to finish the race on a high. I usually improve in the third week of the Tour and it's going that way.
I wanted to win for my people in Colombia, after months of hard work. All the support I've had from everyone, as well as my family and friends, really helped me today. We were a bit down in the last days, so we needed this win. It's a wonderful day today. (Eurosport
[h=2]Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) - Tour de France leader[/h]It was a really hard start to that last climb - Quintana went, Roglic chased and Froome was with him. We managed to force Dumoulin to ride for a bit, then it was really on, then it settled down a bit. I was feeling pretty good, I’d just react as soon as Roglic or Dumoulin moved, so I had a good day
[On Froome] He wanted to try something so he went early with Roglic, and I just assumed he’d be good. But he wasn't feeling too good toward the top. I think he's still third - he's still up there anyhow.
I don't let myself think about it. It’s honestly just day by day. It's a sprint day tomorrow, so we just rest up now and get ready for that.
On rivals] Obviously [Tom] Dumoulin and [Primoz] Roglic were strong today and they were active. They're the closest to me along with Froome, but I don't classify him as a rival, we’re teammates. He’s a fighter, for sure he'll keep fighting all the way. It's good to keep the advantage for myself and the team is in a good position now.
[h=2]Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) - second overall[/h]I always keep a little bit of faith and hope, but so far, over the last two-and-a-half weeks, [Geraint] Thomas has been the strongest, and that's the situation now. For me, so far it has not been possible to gain time on him. That's it. (Eurosport)
[Putting time into Chris Froome] is a good thing, of course, but it was all I had. Thomas was slightly stronger than I was, so then I have to deal with him.
I was thinking pain. That's pretty much it. The first time that Roglic attacked in the finale, I saw that Froome was in difficulty, but I didn't know if it was a bluff or not. I waited a little bit with my own attack and went to try, but I didn't have the legs to drop Thomas and [Primoz] Roglic, and in the end, I was happy to stay with Roglic, actually. Thomas was just the strongest.
[Can Froome still win the Tour?] Of course, but it's going to be really difficult, especially because his teammate is in yellow and he's definitely so far the strongest in the Tour. I don't really see that happening, Froome winning the Tour, but like you saw in the Giro, anything is possible. It would be difficult, but I'm focused on myself and not on Froome.
I'm here to win it myself or get on the podium. I'm still riding really strong. I'm happy with my own shape so far. So, yeah, I don't know. It could be that Froome is ill today. He did last year's Tour, then the Vuelta and Giro. Maybe it's a little too much, but I'm not here to talk about Froome, actually. Go ask him yourself. (NBC Sports)
[h=2]Jan Boven (LottoNL-Jumbo directeur sportif)[/h][Can you still go for the overall?] For the win, it will for sure be a hard pedal, but we don’t finish now. We showed today how strong we are, and we tried to do something in the race. We will continue like that. Today [Geraint Thomas] showed [he's the best in the race].
[On the TT] On Froome and Thomas it will be a hard one - but we will see. We need to concentrate the next few days and then we do a full on time trial and we see in the finish.
[h=2]Jonathan Castroviejo (Team Sky)[/h]Personally, it was good for me - a short stage, hard climbs. I think it was not so bad - three hours racing full gas. It was good for the spectacle. For us, for Team Sky, I think it was good - there is only one more mountain stage and hopefully winning the Tour.
I think there is only one more stage with mountains, and [Thomas] leads by two minutes over Tom Dumoulin. Chris was also very good - with the support of Egan [Bernal]. (Eurosport)
[h=2]Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) - second on stage 17[/h]The last two or three days I've felt really good, it's a good sign. I planned to go early, that's why we had guys in the break. It's OK to say you're going to attack early, but you get a lot of wind on these climbs. I had good legs and confidence in the legs that I could do a good climb. Team Sky set a tempo early on on the climb and I'm seven minutes down, so I thought they'd let me go. Quintana came with me and I thought we'd ride together, but he was strong and attacked me straight away. I wanted to go on my own tempo and turn it into a time trial, but the altitude got me in the end. It's pretty high up here.
Quintana lives pretty high, so that'll help him. I wanted to keep him at 10-15 seconds because I can usually close that gap in the final 400 metres, but at this altitude I had nothing left. It was really tough, and he was the better guy on the day. I'm proud of how the team rode and how I rode. It's pretty special to be on a mountaintop finish at the Tour de France.
[h=2]Nairo Quintana (Movistar) - Stage 17 winner[/h]It was a hard day, but we'd prepared well for it. It went as exactly as we'd planned. We had [Alejandro] Valverde and [Marc] Soler up front, and their riding helped shake out the peloton. We knew it was a stage for pure climbers and we showed our strength
I had some difficult moments in the first part of this Tour and lost some time. But I still felt strong and had the energy to finish the race on a high. I usually improve in the third week of the Tour and it's going that way.
I wanted to win for my people in Colombia, after months of hard work. All the support I've had from everyone, as well as my family and friends, really helped me today. We were a bit down in the last days, so we needed this win. It's a wonderful day today. (Eurosport
[h=2]Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) - Tour de France leader[/h]It was a really hard start to that last climb - Quintana went, Roglic chased and Froome was with him. We managed to force Dumoulin to ride for a bit, then it was really on, then it settled down a bit. I was feeling pretty good, I’d just react as soon as Roglic or Dumoulin moved, so I had a good day
[On Froome] He wanted to try something so he went early with Roglic, and I just assumed he’d be good. But he wasn't feeling too good toward the top. I think he's still third - he's still up there anyhow.
I don't let myself think about it. It’s honestly just day by day. It's a sprint day tomorrow, so we just rest up now and get ready for that.
On rivals] Obviously [Tom] Dumoulin and [Primoz] Roglic were strong today and they were active. They're the closest to me along with Froome, but I don't classify him as a rival, we’re teammates. He’s a fighter, for sure he'll keep fighting all the way. It's good to keep the advantage for myself and the team is in a good position now.
[h=2]Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) - second overall[/h]I always keep a little bit of faith and hope, but so far, over the last two-and-a-half weeks, [Geraint] Thomas has been the strongest, and that's the situation now. For me, so far it has not been possible to gain time on him. That's it. (Eurosport)
[Putting time into Chris Froome] is a good thing, of course, but it was all I had. Thomas was slightly stronger than I was, so then I have to deal with him.
I was thinking pain. That's pretty much it. The first time that Roglic attacked in the finale, I saw that Froome was in difficulty, but I didn't know if it was a bluff or not. I waited a little bit with my own attack and went to try, but I didn't have the legs to drop Thomas and [Primoz] Roglic, and in the end, I was happy to stay with Roglic, actually. Thomas was just the strongest.
[Can Froome still win the Tour?] Of course, but it's going to be really difficult, especially because his teammate is in yellow and he's definitely so far the strongest in the Tour. I don't really see that happening, Froome winning the Tour, but like you saw in the Giro, anything is possible. It would be difficult, but I'm focused on myself and not on Froome.
I'm here to win it myself or get on the podium. I'm still riding really strong. I'm happy with my own shape so far. So, yeah, I don't know. It could be that Froome is ill today. He did last year's Tour, then the Vuelta and Giro. Maybe it's a little too much, but I'm not here to talk about Froome, actually. Go ask him yourself. (NBC Sports)
[h=2]Jan Boven (LottoNL-Jumbo directeur sportif)[/h][Can you still go for the overall?] For the win, it will for sure be a hard pedal, but we don’t finish now. We showed today how strong we are, and we tried to do something in the race. We will continue like that. Today [Geraint Thomas] showed [he's the best in the race].
[On the TT] On Froome and Thomas it will be a hard one - but we will see. We need to concentrate the next few days and then we do a full on time trial and we see in the finish.
[h=2]Jonathan Castroviejo (Team Sky)[/h]Personally, it was good for me - a short stage, hard climbs. I think it was not so bad - three hours racing full gas. It was good for the spectacle. For us, for Team Sky, I think it was good - there is only one more mountain stage and hopefully winning the Tour.
I think there is only one more stage with mountains, and [Thomas] leads by two minutes over Tom Dumoulin. Chris was also very good - with the support of Egan [Bernal]. (Eurosport)
[h=2]Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) - second on stage 17[/h]The last two or three days I've felt really good, it's a good sign. I planned to go early, that's why we had guys in the break. It's OK to say you're going to attack early, but you get a lot of wind on these climbs. I had good legs and confidence in the legs that I could do a good climb. Team Sky set a tempo early on on the climb and I'm seven minutes down, so I thought they'd let me go. Quintana came with me and I thought we'd ride together, but he was strong and attacked me straight away. I wanted to go on my own tempo and turn it into a time trial, but the altitude got me in the end. It's pretty high up here.
Quintana lives pretty high, so that'll help him. I wanted to keep him at 10-15 seconds because I can usually close that gap in the final 400 metres, but at this altitude I had nothing left. It was really tough, and he was the better guy on the day. I'm proud of how the team rode and how I rode. It's pretty special to be on a mountaintop finish at the Tour de France.
Chris Froome concedes Tour de France and aims to help Geraint Thomas
“‘G’ has ridden such an amazing race he deserves to be in yellow and fingers crossed he holds it until Paris,” said Froome, who lost 48sec to Thomas on the day. “He looks pretty strong and I imagine he’ll be able to finish it off. He’s got an almost two‑minute lead on Dumoulin which is a pretty comfortable buffer. We just need to look after him for these next few days.”
Froome, who holds all three grand tour titles, also confirmed he would ride in service of his teammate. “That’s professional cycling, that’s what a team is all about. I’m happy just to be in the position I’m in. I’ll still fight for the podium and obviously we want to see ‘G’ up there in yellow.”
switch jerseys two years later?......
“‘G’ has ridden such an amazing race he deserves to be in yellow and fingers crossed he holds it until Paris,” said Froome, who lost 48sec to Thomas on the day. “He looks pretty strong and I imagine he’ll be able to finish it off. He’s got an almost two‑minute lead on Dumoulin which is a pretty comfortable buffer. We just need to look after him for these next few days.”
Froome, who holds all three grand tour titles, also confirmed he would ride in service of his teammate. “That’s professional cycling, that’s what a team is all about. I’m happy just to be in the position I’m in. I’ll still fight for the podium and obviously we want to see ‘G’ up there in yellow.”
switch jerseys two years later?......
kermit, I don't think Tom can. Sky is deep and will protect Thomas. He's deserving, you're right -- no doubt the best rider this year. I've been waiting for him to crack since stage 11, lol.... Something crazy will need to happen
.........but.................
Go Tom Go!!!!!!!!!!!
well I really like Thomas and all the work he has done over the years. However I was wagering on Froome so
I have no problem going with your guy ! Go Tom !
Today’s stage 18 is the last day for the sprinters until Paris. The main GC contenders will be taking a break awaiting tomorrow’s last tough day in the Pyrenees. I forgot to check what the wagering odds were after yesterday’s decisive stage. I would expect Thomas would now be a big favorite and Froome to now be a big long shot. Anyone have the odds ?
Tour de france
Today’s stage was won by Armaud Demare, Christophe Laporte second and Alexander Kristoff third. No change in the GC race standings. Tomorrow will be the last day in the Pyrenees and it’s not an easy stage. I think I know who the winner will be and it’s not one of the GC contenders. I’ll post who I like after I look over the stage’s contour a little closer.
Today’s stage was won by Armaud Demare, Christophe Laporte second and Alexander Kristoff third. No change in the GC race standings. Tomorrow will be the last day in the Pyrenees and it’s not an easy stage. I think I know who the winner will be and it’s not one of the GC contenders. I’ll post who I like after I look over the stage’s contour a little closer.
I think Julian Alaphilippe who will certainly be the winner of the Polka Dot Jersey has a great chance of winning tomorrow’s stage 19. Julian has an insurmountable lead in “ King of the Mountain “ Polka Dot Jersey race. However my reason for liking his chances has more to do with his descending ability ! He’s just awesome at descending and tomorrow’s stage is NOT a mountain top finish. It’s a steep and dangerous descent which should suit him just fine. Also he back off a little in today’s hectic sprint finish indicating that he was saving some energy for tomorrow’s stage. Plus he is well back in GC classification so THE GC contenders will not chase him. Only possible negative is the HORS category Col Du Tourmalet is so brutal that perhaps even the King of the Mountain might be in distress! GL
Today’s stage of course just almost like a rest day for the Main GC contenders. Team Sky’s only goal was to stay upright and out of trouble. Tomorrow Thomas will only be interested in warding off any attacks by Dumoulin or Roglic. Froome will be worried about losing his 3 rd place podium spot to Roglic so he will also not want to lose any time.
Today’s stage going more or less as I expected with Julian Alaphilippe leading 6 riders over the top Col Du Tourmalet. Landa has opened up almost a 21/2 minute gap over the Yellow Jersey group which should be catching Team Sky’s eye I’m thinking. Long way to go yet.
Yes but I don’t see any way that Team Sky, Dumoulin and Roglic are all actually having a bad day in the mountains. Long way to go but I expect they will soon be pulling back that time. If not, this would be the biggest upset I have ever witnessed in the Tour De France !
