so what do we think of the route ?
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Naf.
Seems the only way they can figure out to keep the GC interest, is to pack it all into the third week.
By then, we could be lapsing into coma."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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The timing of the high mountains stages mean I will need to take 4 half days holiday from work, at the very least. Virgin better have Eurosport in HD by then. :evil:0
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It's not badContador is the Greatest0
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Lance reminds me of Optimus Prime
'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0 -
I like the route. Certainly the strongest rider will win, again. Cobbles are very good, but I will miss the TTT.0
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Oi Cavendish! Put a tie on you scruff!"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Ahem. Mr Cavendish was most elegant. I imagine it was a designer shirt. And it is at least ironed.
Master A. Schleck was scruffy. He looks quite sad and dejected in every photograph I've seen. Shame his Saxo-Bank salary doesn't extend to being able to buy a suit.
(Although, he has bought a fishing pond with his brother. Suit-fishing pond-suit? Yup, the fishing pond would win every time.)0 -
The start is exciting:
prologue somewhere the TdF has never been + stage with lots of wind + little bit of LBL + little bit of Paris-Roubaix
Then it gets a bit dull, and the focus of the GC is definitely on the last week. Both the stage to Ax and with finish on the Tourmalet are proper mountain stages. The Alps are more modest in comparison.
Lots of hilly stages though, and bunches of seconds can be won and lost in Les Rousses, Mende, and even Revel or Spa, and of course in Arenberg.
Contador to get his lazy ass out of the mediterranean sun and try some cobble races up in the cold north in April?0 -
Veering wildly off thread, Tescoids sell some very cheap suits.
Although I understand that they're primarily for court appearances.0 -
Standing by your man as usual Tusher?
Very commendable.
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The thing with the cobbles is no grand tour riders do Paris - Roubaix these days so no one will likely do anything. They'll all just aim to get through but there is no one I can think of who'll "use" the cobbles
The only guy I can think of is Wiggins...Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
iainf72 wrote:The thing with the cobbles is no grand tour riders do Paris - Roubaix these days so no one will likely do anything. They'll all just aim to get through but there is no one I can think of who'll "use" the cobbles
The only guy I can think of is Wiggins...
Good shout.
You just know it'll lose one of them some time though. Depending on where he lands, COntador will need a wheel to follow for sure. As will Schleck, but there's jack of all trades The Mighty Chin there..."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
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yeah, it's a shame that there is no real split within the GC contenders in terms of cobbles capabilities. they'll all just bounce along together!
might this favour Evans?0 -
Thought LA had done Flanders a few times?
I may be wrong. I often am.___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
Dumb question, but won't they have 8 months to practice cobble riding?0
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Tusher wrote:Dumb question, but won't they have 8 months to practice cobble riding?
I don't think that'll help much. Firstly, why risk falling off and hurting yourself training. Secondly, the biggest factor for cobbles is how heavy you are. You rarely see (if ever) a light rider doing well on cobbles. Probably to do with being bounced around too much.
Either you can do cobbles or you can't.
I just hope a team like quick-step light it up on those sections - maybe to get a bit of selection needed for Boonen since he no longer can compete in out and out bunch sprints.Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
I think any time Contador might lose on the cobbles he will easily make up in the mountains. Third win for Bertie for me.0
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OK, my first and somewhat biased assessment: (apologies for rambling)
Wiggins for stage 3 & 7. Both would be of interest to that puncheur style that he has shown in the past. Without being a horrid hilly stage both should allow the possibility of making the break in the first instance and staying away due to difficulties in holding pace over the regular undulations. This coupled with a LONG TT on the last Saturday could well put him in the mix.
The above scenario then means that the Schlecks and probably Bertie will need to hit Wiggins when it heads skywards. Big hit up to Ax3, seconds taken out of each other rather than minutes, then pace kept high (a la USP) on the stage to Pau, many of the field dropped/broken (green jersey dreams in tatters for cav as he clambers into the waiting team car somewhere just past Argeles, BH replaces Sky blue for PMU Green at the end of the stage) Then big royal rumble stylie attacks all over the pyrenees from the foot of the Loulor all the way to the Tourmalet. There will be riders ALL over the mountain. Hmmmm, have I forgotten anyone???
I think the race as a whole looks pretty darn good, though as a Pyrenean as opposed to an Alpinist, that is completly natural I suppose. Can I also assume that they are sticking to the 'no time bonus' that featured this year? Think that would bring a few more faces to the fore. Still, as a spectacle it should all be great, and the stages should, in their own right be quite riveting, with the GC bubbling up through to a boiling Saturday TT finish. Be nice to see the Polka-dot jersey being contested well into the final week too! Think the two stages featuring the Tourmalet would have a total max of about 120pts.If I can feel the pain in my arse, I mustn't be hurting my legs enough.0 -
The Haveluy section is 4 stars in Paris-Roubaix, so very rough. Not sure what the others are like.
I think there will definitely be splits of some kind, because as teagar says, riders like Boonen and Hushovd will want to drop the lighter sprinters like Cavendish and Freire.0 -
So.........the skinny climbers will have to wear lead underpants to do well on cobbles.
It would be nice to see Boonen do well though. Perhaps they were thinking kindly of him when they put in a cobbled section.
It's a short distance though- will it make that much difference? (I confess that although I've followed cycling on and off for years, I've never paid enough attention to cobbles. Possibly Channel 4 undereducated me in my formative years.)0 -
LangerDan wrote:calvjones wrote:Thought LA had done Flanders a few times?
I may be wrong. I often am.
Lance has raced Flanders before - how many times, I'm not sure. He hasn't raced the "proper" cobbles, though.
I did Flanders last year. They felt like 'proper' cobbles to me :shock:
Although I take your point. Arenberg it ain't.___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
Tusher wrote:So.........the skinny climbers will have to wear lead underpants to do well on cobbles.
It would be nice to see Boonen do well though. Perhaps they were thinking kindly of him when they put in a cobbled section.
It's a short distance though- will it make that much difference? (I confess that although I've followed cycling on and off for years, I've never paid enough attention to cobbles. Possibly Channel 4 undereducated me in my formative years.)
2.4 kilometres of the Haveluy section is more than enough to cause a lot of damage. As others have said, the majority of the main contendors have never raced over a cobblestone in their entire career.
You only have to watch this to see what a single section of cobbles can do in a race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8uyPnIveJo
OK, I know that tactics are different in a stage race, and Arenberg is even crazier than all the other sections put together... but still... imagine if it rains :shock:0 -
Having given all this big chat about Boonen ( I am a big fan of his), you'd already be putting Hushovd as big favourite for that stage. I'm sure he's picked this stage outa the route book in the same way he did Barcalona for this year's Tour.Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0
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RichN95 wrote:afx237vi wrote:
The Haveluy section is 4 stars in Paris-Roubaix, so very rough. Not sure what the others are like.
The other three sections are all three stars - so no place for a 60kg Spaniard. An organised Garmin team could do a lot of damage on that course.
Farrar and Maaskant will be ok. However, Millar is likely to fling his bike in protest at being asked to race under such conditions, Danielson will contract some rare, cobble-related illness and Dave Z will try to ride it with a skinsuit and TT bike, for sh!ts and giggles.'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0 -
I'm sure Contador can hang onto "calves" a let his big engine clobber the cobbles.
Yes, upon reflection, (and watching the rest of the presentation) tis a bit better than I first thought.
Mende, I like. Short, but a real steep 'un. Bertie has done some damage there, before.
However: For Rousses, read Super Besse, 2008
Morzine = Arcalis
St Jean = Le Grand Bernand
Aix Trois = Verbier
Pau = Tarbes
Tourmalet = Ventoux
The Prudhomme formula is not for changing."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
afx237vi wrote:
OK, I know that tactics are different in a stage race, and Arenberg is even crazier than all the other sections put together... but still... imagine if it rains :shock:
You could eliminate a few contendors in one go with falls and the like. ASO may as well just have 3 x 2km sections where we can pelt the riders with watermelons.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0
