Syd wrote:It would seem that “neutral service” are not in fact so, but biased towards rim brake riders instead.
what, you think they should carry spare wheels using dozen or so different types of disc setup in use, on the back of a motorbike...? Yeah, right....
Neutral service carry 160mm rotor disc wheels as well as rim-brake wheels and teams know this. Presumably Porte's Trek bike had some other size and his team had decided to accept the risk. https://www.velonews.com/events/tour-de ... de-france/
In truth it may not matter if the neutral service have disc brake wheels or not; you can't expect to change one in much less that 20s whilst stationary and under most circumstances the team car (with a spare bike) is a similar length of time away.
Neutral service cars carry bikes preset for the top three riders on GC, which wasn't Porte.
Presumably this is all because sponsors Trek want to sell bikes with disc brakes more than they do bikes with rim brakes...? Yeah, seeing someone's chances scuppered is such a good advertisement for them...
I also think it's not a great advert for Trek's Bontrager tyres to be the only contender puncturing on that gravel section - but that's OK because I don't think many people like them anyway!
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
I do always wonder about the etiquette of not attacking if people puncture or have a mechanical, surely there are options to reduce the likelihood of both, teams could weigh up rolling resistance against puncture resistance, or risk vs likelihood of having a teammate nearby, some equipment will be more reliable than others, or set up better. If you're riding heavier, puncture resistant tyres, it seems only far that you take the advantage if rivals on lighter tyres puncture.
FWIW when Porte punctured yesterday (with about 27km remaining) the race situation was evolving rapidly (with the yellow jersey group fracturing), however there was a Mavic Neutral service motorbike near to Porte, (with presumably rim brake wheels only), which was of no use to him . As it was Porte had to ride most of 1km on gravel, on the flat tyre (and it looked like a tub, in that it seemed to stay on the rim reasonably well, but I don't know that for sure) before race radio announced that the team cars could be let through into the gap. When Porte finally got his bike change the mavic neutral service car was stuck behind the Trek-Segafredo team car.
I'm not sure of the conventions surrounding the position of the Mavic car; however it seems to me that it might be of little value if the main team cars are in front of it....?
That Porte didn't mention equipment when interviewed may just be professionalism on his part; it would have looked too much like doing dirty laundry in public perhaps. But you can bet money it is something that would have been under live discussion yesterday evening within the team....
Roglic 'pushed on' on the gravel road section where Porte punctured, but this was probably the plan all along. He claimed not to have known that Porte had punctured, when interviewed later, and indeed he may not have; Porte's situation would have been of most interest to those near to him on GC
I wonder if it is an unwritten convention that you don't even ask the question if a tour sponsor's equipment is possibly at fault....? Otherwise it could quickly all degenerate into an unedifying war of words, with one team/sponsor just slagging off the opposition....?
Hi Well who would of guessed the result of the TT.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi Well who would of guessed the result of the TT.
Yes, it doesn't get much more dramatic than that. Commiserations to Roglic who had a rare bad day but Pogacar had an unbelievable ride and fully deserved to take yellow. He also took the polka dot jersey and was already wearing white.
Also a popular and well deserved podium place for Richie Porte, and and a top ten finish for Adam Yates. All being well Sam Bennett should finish tomorrow in green on the Champs-Élysées.
I think that comparisons with the Fignon/Lemond TT are justified; as dramatic a victory.
The commentators curse yet again; the other day they were just saying how well Hirschi had been descending when he promptly fell off, and they had obviously predicted that Roglic had enough time to spare over Pogacar too....
This TT result may be in danger of being perceived to be Roglic's failure rather than Pogacar's success; maybe it was to some extent. But Roglic's time wasn't that bad, only 25 seconds slower than Wout van Aert and only 35 seconds slower than DuMoulin, both TT specialists and not far off the top of their game either. Fact is that Pogacar put 1'21" or more into everyone else, so nearly two minutes into Roglic. Quite remarkable.
Bah! Van Aert and Dumoulin have been leading the yellow jumper around France for two weeks. Pogačar has been sitting behind it, mostly. Of course he should beat them in a time trial as tough as that: he is the Slovenian national time trial champion, after all; but I don't think anyone was expecting him to beat them by that much or that today would be Roglič's "crosswinds day", turning pale and rocking the bike all over the shop.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
mjr wrote:Bah! Van Aert and Dumoulin have been leading the yellow jumper around France for two weeks. Pogačar has been sitting behind it, mostly. Of course he should beat them in a time trial as tough as that: he is the Slovenian national time trial champion, after all; but I don't think anyone was expecting him to beat them by that much or that today would be Roglič's "crosswinds day", turning pale and rocking the bike all over the shop.
I think Pogacar has played a blinder.He doesn't have the strongest team so has let TJV do all the work for three weeks The look on Tom Ds face yesterday was a picture!! For a neutral this has been a brilliant TDF.
Pogacar is another rider with a great future ahead of him.I wonder if Mr Brailsford/Ineos will get the chequebook out....?
I don't think Roglic on his best day ever would have beaten Pogacar, on that ride.
Both TomDM and Van Aert were gobsmacked when they saw Pogacar's time.
In recent news Joop Zoetemelk was knocked off his bike this morning and is more or less OK considering he has multiple broken bones. Get well soon Joop!
Postboxer wrote:I do always wonder about the etiquette of not attacking if people puncture or have a mechanical, surely there are options to reduce the likelihood of both, teams could weigh up rolling resistance against puncture resistance, or risk vs likelihood of having a teammate nearby, some equipment will be more reliable than others, or set up better. If you're riding heavier, puncture resistant tyres, it seems only far that you take the advantage if rivals on lighter tyres puncture.
Do the bikes used in pro racing have the lawyer's lips? or are they filed off to enable the old-fashioned fast wheel chcnge?