TDF 2012

2

Comments

  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    1: Evans
    2: Wiggins
    3: Gesink

    Green: Sagan

    KOM: Rolland

    Young: Rolland

    Wiggo & Gesink to crash out.

    1. Evans
    2. Nibali
    3. Van den Broeck

    I hope those two don't crash out as i'm hoping that Gesink can make it interesting on the climbs and I also think that having Wiggins in the hunt will force Evans to ride more aggresively. I also think Wiggins deserves the chance to show whether he really can do it.

    Wiggins
    Evans
    Nibali

    I can't really decide whether Evans or Wiggins will win, but barring crashes I think one of them will win.

    Gesink & Van den Broeck to do well but probably have a bad day somehwhere along the line.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    1: Evans
    2: Wiggins
    3: Gesink

    Green: Sagan

    KOM: Rolland

    Young: Rolland

    Wiggo & Gesink to crash out.

    1. Evans
    2. Nibali
    3. Van den Broeck

    That's a bit pessimistic Rick!

    Wiggins will win.... that is all that matters

    Come the end of July there will be all kinds of daft looking new cyclists weaving all over the road :D
  • crescent
    crescent Posts: 1,201
    oldwelshman wrote:
    I still dont understand the worry about going for green and yello. I fail to see how you cant do both as you will see BMC at the front of sprint stages keeping Cadel close to front to stay safe, other teams will do the same, so you only need one or two for final lead out anyway. Also Cav can find his own way through though I am not sure he will go all way to paris, they will see how it goes I think.

    I agree about Cavendish, I think he will pull out after the first week and save himself for the Olympics. I don't think there will be much for him in terms of pure sprint stages in weeks 2 & 3. He already has the Green jersey and the World title, this will be his best chance to add the Olympics title to them and I think he may sacrifice the TdF this year to some degree. Also, Sky will put everyone in support of Wiggins surely and this will no doubt have an effect on the quality of Cav's lead out train.I'm not convinced Cavendish is getting the lead out he hoped for at Sky anyway, certainly not yet up to the HTC standard.

    Wiggins, Evans and either Sanchez, Schleck or VdBroeck for me. Not convinced Nibali is quite there yet this season.

    Cheers
    Bianchi ImpulsoBMC Teammachine SLR02 01Trek Domane AL3“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. “ ~H.G. Wells Edit - "Unless it's a BMX"
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    1: Evans
    2: Wiggins
    3: Gesink

    Green: Sagan

    KOM: Rolland

    Young: Rolland

    Wiggo & Gesink to crash out.

    1. Evans
    2. Nibali
    3. Van den Broeck

    That's a bit pessimistic Rick!

    Wiggins will win.... that is all that matters

    Come the end of July there will be all kinds of daft looking new cyclists weaving all over the road :D

    How is that pessimistic? Je suis not a big fan of Wiggo.
    _
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Wiggins
    Evans
    Van den Broek

    Sagan green

    Polka dot? Who cares, has been a worthless rag since the Virenque days.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    My pick for the win is the two guys with no current form at all ...

    Leipheimer and Evans (in that order) ...

    I can see Levi pulling a Sastre and doing f'all until the decisive stage ( in this case the TT) and nicking it ... He has the experience at the sharp end over 3 weeks, Bradley doesn't (being outperformed by a nobody and Froome says it all really) ...

    Evans is always there or thereabouts ...
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Crankbrother wrote:
    My pick for the win is the two guys with no current form at all ...

    Leipheimer and Evans (in that order) ...

    They both have current form. One was third in Switzerland and the other was third in the Dauphine
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    My pick for the win is the two guys with no current form at all ...

    Leipheimer and Evans (in that order) ...

    They both have current form. One was third in Switzerland and the other was third in the Dauphine

    Got tne impression that they got those places by accident rather than design ... But you might be right, in which case my picks stand ... Although I'd lay money on Levi being booted off the race before they let him win it with the current situation ...
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    Crankbrother wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    My pick for the win is the two guys with no current form at all ...

    Leipheimer and Evans (in that order) ...

    They both have current form. One was third in Switzerland and the other was third in the Dauphine

    Got tne impression that they got those places by accident rather than design ... But you might be right, in which case my picks stand ... Although I'd lay money on Levi being booted off the race before they let him win it with the current situation ...
    Levi has to be the most borin wheel sucker in history. If he ever finds himself near the front by mistake he panics and looks round and sits up.
    I will eat mine and everyone elses hat if he wins the TDF he is no where near as good in TT as wiggo, he can't suck every wheel until the final stage.
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY
  • domhopson
    domhopson Posts: 259
    1. Evans
    2. Nibali
    3. Froome
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Levi has to be the most borin wheel sucker in history.

    Taking a step back for a mo, is he any worse than Wiggins?
  • roypsb
    roypsb Posts: 309
    If Wiggo stays safe, I think he'll win.

    Sagan looks a cert for green - so much more in his locker overall than Cav who may not be fully focused with one eye on the Olympics and won't have a team dedicated to him.

    Polka-dot - no idea
  • woodford2barbican
    woodford2barbican Posts: 1,505
    I can't wait for the tdf to start....but part of me is already slightly stressed about the prospect of it finishing, and the bleak outlook of 49 weeks until the next one starts.

    I think I might need therapy.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    woodford2barbican wrote:
    I can't wait for the tdf to start....but part of me is already slightly stressed about the prospect of it finishing, and the bleak outlook of 49 weeks until the next one starts.

    I think I might need therapy.

    You know there are months of others races, which are quite often better than the Tour, don't you? Same bike riders too.

    :D
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • stanislav
    stanislav Posts: 1,151
    Abdoujaparov wrote:
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Levi has to be the most borin wheel sucker in history.

    Taking a step back for a mo, is he any worse than Wiggins?

    Bottle by name, Lack of bottle by nature.
    PTP winner 2015.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,184
    Abdoujaparov wrote:
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Levi has to be the most borin wheel sucker in history.

    Taking a step back for a mo, is he any worse than Wiggins?

    Yes, Wiggo has happily moved to the front at the sharp end if he thinks he can pick the pace up both at the Vuelta last year and Romandie and Dauphine this year. When Levi found himself on the front when they were trying to peg back Frank (I think it was) in the Tour de Suisse at the weekend he looked like a rabbit in the headlights!
  • woodford2barbican
    woodford2barbican Posts: 1,505
    iainf72 wrote:
    woodford2barbican wrote:
    I can't wait for the tdf to start....but part of me is already slightly stressed about the prospect of it finishing, and the bleak outlook of 49 weeks until the next one starts.

    I think I might need therapy.

    You know there are months of others races, which are quite often better than the Tour, don't you? Same bike riders too.

    :D

    I know and I follow those as well. But this is 3 solid weeks of easily accesible cycing goodness.

    There is something about the tdf that I get carried away with....it is a whole combination of factors that make it special for me - scenery in France, it being summer here, watching it on C4 as a kid....and my eldest daughter was born in June 2007, I used to spend Saturdays and Sundays in the that tour with her alseep on my lap watching whole stages.

    Happy days are nearly here again tra la la la la :D:lol::D
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    Abdoujaparov wrote:
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Levi has to be the most borin wheel sucker in history.

    Taking a step back for a mo, is he any worse than Wiggins?
    erm let me think, yes.
    Like pross said when Shlek attacked and Levi ended up at fron the looked round and slowed down !!
    Did you not see the Vuelta last year when Wiggins rode many class riders/riders off his wheel? Have you missed the races this year? Oh and what about the work he did in the worlds at the front of the race.
    Levi just hides continiously, never attacks or even tries to help close dangerous break.
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    I am a bit wary of Cobo, has done jack-all this year (a bit like Andy Schleck) but my guess is that he will be picked and he will be in surprisingly good form. I hope to be wrong.
    x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
    Commuting / Winter rides - Jamis Renegade Expert
    Pootling / Offroad - All-City Macho Man Disc
    Fast rides Cannondale SuperSix Ultegra
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Abdoujaparov wrote:
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Levi has to be the most borin wheel sucker in history.

    Taking a step back for a mo, is he any worse than Wiggins?
    erm let me think, yes.
    Like pross said when Shlek attacked and Levi ended up at fron the looked round and slowed down !!
    Did you not see the Vuelta last year when Wiggins rode many class riders/riders off his wheel? Have you missed the races this year? Oh and what about the work he did in the worlds at the front of the race.
    Levi just hides continiously, never attacks or even tries to help close dangerous break.

    Levi is just worse than Wiggins and has a worse team. They ride the same way.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    If Bottle wins the Tour I'll give up on watching this sport.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,184
    Abdoujaparov wrote:
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Abdoujaparov wrote:
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Levi has to be the most borin wheel sucker in history.

    Taking a step back for a mo, is he any worse than Wiggins?
    erm let me think, yes.
    Like pross said when Shlek attacked and Levi ended up at fron the looked round and slowed down !!
    Did you not see the Vuelta last year when Wiggins rode many class riders/riders off his wheel? Have you missed the races this year? Oh and what about the work he did in the worlds at the front of the race.
    Levi just hides continiously, never attacks or even tries to help close dangerous break.

    Levi is just worse than Wiggins and has a worse team. They ride the same way.

    But they don't. Wiggins may ride one tempo rather than jumping about attacking but he isn't scared to set that tempo himself. Levi just sits there following others and his results come from doing it consistently while others have bad days (although he did win the combativity award on a stage in 2006 - didn't see that Tour so have no idea what it was like!).
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Timoid. wrote:
    If Bottle wins the Tour I'll give up on watching this sport.

    Too right.
    _
  • tremayne
    tremayne Posts: 378
    I am absolutely convinced that nothing bar a significant mechanical or crash will get in the way of a glorious triumph by Wiggins and team sky.

    The man is in the form of his life and his team are dominant beyond belief. This race was made for him and I've little doubt he'll shine.

    I personally see it more as Team GB than Team Sky.

    The fact that some are even talking about riders like Cobo coming into miraculous form makes me worry for the sport. I simply don't see how it can be done. I'm not saying he won't suddenly be in super shape - I just don't see it as a good thing. Not good at all.
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    Pross wrote:
    Abdoujaparov wrote:
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Abdoujaparov wrote:
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Levi has to be the most borin wheel sucker in history.

    Taking a step back for a mo, is he any worse than Wiggins?
    erm let me think, yes.
    Like pross said when Shlek attacked and Levi ended up at fron the looked round and slowed down !!
    Did you not see the Vuelta last year when Wiggins rode many class riders/riders off his wheel? Have you missed the races this year? Oh and what about the work he did in the worlds at the front of the race.
    Levi just hides continiously, never attacks or even tries to help close dangerous break.

    Levi is just worse than Wiggins and has a worse team. They ride the same way.

    But they don't. Wiggins may ride one tempo rather than jumping about attacking but he isn't scared to set that tempo himself. Levi just sits there following others and his results come from doing it consistently while others have bad days (although he did win the combativity award on a stage in 2006 - didn't see that Tour so have no idea what it was like!).

    I do agree in part and was playing devil's advocate to an extent. I have to say though that Leipheimer would probably set the pace more often if he was more often in a position where he had to (i.e. if he was better and had the best chance of those in his group of winning the race).

    For example, it was obvious that Wiggins had to set the pace in Mende in Paris-Nice and I'm sure Levi has dropped people the Tour of California before. Cr*p race, but I wasn't saying Levi is any good - he's just a sh*t Bradley Wiggins! (would be the chant if they were football players :wink: )
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,243
    Podium:
    Evans
    Wiggins
    Christophe Kern

    Green: Sagan
    KOM: D Martin
    White: Jérôme Coppel (if eligible)
    Team: Sky
    Combativity: Mikael Chérel
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    tremayne wrote:
    I personally see it more as Team GB than Team Sky.

    You see a team which is 66% not British as Team GB? Interesting.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    iainf72 wrote:
    tremayne wrote:
    I personally see it more as Team GB than Team Sky.

    You see a team which is 66% not British as Team GB? Interesting.

    The Dutch get over-excited about Rabobank, despite the only ones they ever end up cheering are never Dutch (and are usually Spanish.)
    _
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    The Dutch get over-excited about Rabobank, despite the only ones they ever end up cheering are never Dutch (and are usually Spanish.)

    Is that the same Rabo who have Dutch riders for 6 out of their 9 places?

    :P
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    iainf72 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    The Dutch get over-excited about Rabobank, despite the only ones they ever end up cheering are never Dutch (and are usually Spanish.)

    Is that the same Rabo who have Dutch riders for 6 out of their 9 places?

    :P

    For sure, but only once have I been in a room with Dutchies watching the Tour when they're cheering on a Dutchie.

    It's usually Freire, LLS, Rasmussen, Menchov, Brown (:roll:), Garate etc etc.
    _

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