FdJ sprinters ... pah

Carl Brewer said:

If I was Brad McGee I'd be putting my boots, cleat-deep, up
my sprinters backsides. The last 2 bunch finishes,
FdJ's domestiques have ridden themselves to
death to set up their sprinters, both of whom
haven't even bothered to sprint!

McGee gave one a shove last night ... I wonder what
it's like in the team bus at the moment? Here's a textbook
leadout train, and Cooke and the other one aren't sprinting!
At least Matt White's efforts were taken advantage of by
O'Grady who put in a decent effort.

guess they havent got that last 0.5% to kick up a gear?

is it my imagination or are the approachs in the last 5-10km not as fast as other years when Fasso or Saeco would have a huge trian goin. Even the FdJ train doesnt seem to be going 'that' fast?
or have they all been uphill approaches?

flyingdutch said:

Carl Brewer said:

If I was Brad McGee I'd be putting my boots, cleat-deep, up
my sprinters backsides. The last 2 bunch finishes,
FdJ's domestiques have ridden themselves to
death to set up their sprinters, both of whom
haven't even bothered to sprint!

McGee gave one a shove last night ... I wonder what
it's like in the team bus at the moment? Here's a textbook
leadout train, and Cooke and the other one aren't sprinting!
At least Matt White's efforts were taken advantage of by
O'Grady who put in a decent effort.

guess they havent got that last 0.5% to kick up a gear?

Or they don't have the heart to have a decent go. If you
can, look at the footage of Cooke at the end of last
night's stage (you can just see him). Doesn't look like
a man who's giving it a go. When Zabel was fading
last year, at least he gave all the sprints 100%.

Quoted message said:

is it my imagination or are the approachs in the last 5-10km not as
fast as other years when Fasso or Saeco would have a huge trian goin.

Hard to say. They were fast last night though, no
last minute desperate attacks even looked like going.
mmm, tailwinds ...

flyingdutch said:

Carl Brewer said:

If I was Brad McGee I'd be putting my boots, cleat-deep, up
my sprinters backsides. The last 2 bunch finishes,
FdJ's domestiques have ridden themselves to
death to set up their sprinters, both of whom
haven't even bothered to sprint!

McGee gave one a shove last night ... I wonder what
it's like in the team bus at the moment? Here's a textbook
leadout train, and Cooke and the other one aren't sprinting!
At least Matt White's efforts were taken advantage of by
O'Grady who put in a decent effort.

guess they havent got that last 0.5% to kick up a gear?

is it my imagination or are the approachs in the last 5-10km not as
fast as other years when Fasso or Saeco would have a huge trian goin.
Even the FdJ train doesnt seem to be going 'that' fast?
or have they all been uphill approaches?

Yesterday was a bit hard with the sharp corner before the finish, but no
matter what, the guys still look buggered at the end.

--
BrettS

Carl Brewer said:

If I was Brad McGee I'd be putting my boots, cleat-deep, up
my sprinters backsides. The last 2 bunch finishes,
FdJ's domestiques have ridden themselves to
death to set up their sprinters, both of whom
haven't even bothered to sprint!

McGee gave one a shove last night ... I wonder what
it's like in the team bus at the moment? Here's a textbook
leadout train, and Cooke and the other one aren't sprinting!
At least Matt White's efforts were taken advantage of by
O'Grady who put in a decent effort.

Baden = drama queen

all talk, no action.

robbie might talk it up but you have to respect the fact that he delivers.

byron27 said:

Baden = drama queen

all talk, no action.

robbie might talk it up but you have to respect the fact that he delivers.

prediction:

when Cooke's contract with FdJ is over, he will be off the team,(if not sooner!), then he'll tryout on a European Continental team, he won't deliver there either, then he'll sink into obscurity....OH....he's already there!!

McGee must be so [censored]....he is working his guts out...Eisel goofs, Cooke's head is fried, Mengin's luck ran out.....

For all they say about McEwen, he keeps trying, and at least gets to rub heads at the pointy end!!, he gets great respect as a rider, maybe his mouth and ethics are a bit suss, but he does what he sees fit to win for his team, Stewie is a rock, always in there, and Alan Davis is mixing it too, ....so far the best thing about this Tour is.... SBS...we are watching it as it happens...and that is the huge plus....let SBS know , give em the big gong!!🙂

In Baden's defence, McGoo did give him a great lead out in stage 3, then put him into the fence just as he was coming past. You could see him swing away when he realised what he had done, but it was too late by then.

Shabby said:

In Baden's defence, McGoo did give him a great lead out in stage 3, then
put him into the fence just as he was coming past. You could see him
swing away when he realised what he had done, but it was too late by
then.

Stage 3? I saw that on the replay last night of stage 5 and that is
exactly what happened. Baulked by his own leadout man. Of course they
were as far right as you could go and McGee wouldn't have wanted to
swing off into the middle of the track, so O'Grady really had noone to
blame but himself.

You'd have thought he had learnt from Baden's crash in the Giro to stay
away from the fence...

--
BrettS