TdF 2012 Stage 1 **Spoilers**

frenchfighter

Hincapie's bike:


Wiggins new marginal gain tactic:




Should be a Valverde/Gerrans/Gilbert/Sagan finish hopefully.

Interestingly reading steephill's preview, you have:

In 1995, on a similar but less hilly Ardennes loop, Johan Bruyneel sat on Miguel Indurain's wheel for 30k in the break before passing him at the line to take the win and the yellow jersey. The next day, Miguel Inderain took revenge by winning a 54 km individual time-trial in Seraing where this year's Stage 1 finishes.


JB looks so different know / what a slimy wheel-sucker / BigMig class / check those specs!

frenchfighter

takethehighroad

Seraing hosted the prologue of the 06 Giro, is the hill the same one they went up in that? That was a brute

RichN95.

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Seraing hosted the prologue of the 06 Giro, is the hill the same one they went up in that? That was a brute

It doesn't look like it:
EDIT: Having looked at a map, it's definitely a different climb.

2012


2006

inseine

Lets see if those lost kilos make a difference for Cav!
Should be Gilbert, no?

peterst6906

inseine wrote:

Lets see if those lost kilos make a difference for Cav!
Should be Gilbert, no?

Based on 2011 you would expect a repeat stage 1 victory for Gilbert.

However based on 2012 form up to today, not so much. Pip was very good today though, so you would have to fancy him.

Then again, so was Chavanel. He should be in that group.

Turfle

Brailsford said they'll be going with Hagen for this finish. Look a good one for him too.

takethehighroad

This may end up being wrong, but I'm convinced Sagan will disappoint today, for a few reasons.

- It's his first TDF and the speed in the bunch is faster than any other race. This stage is also a long one at 198km
- The field he was up against in California and Switzerland was no where near as strong as the one he'll be up against today.
- He looked much too keen yesterday, and I can see him trying a Banzai move and falling off.
- The Belgians, and especially Gilbert will be fired up for this stage.

Now watch the action unfold and prove me wrong.

TMR

Coverage starts on ITV4 at 1300 hrs for those that didn't know. Really looking forward to this

sonny73

Sky in yellow lids for the leading Team, new requirement from the ASO:

sonny73

inseine

I think lots of people have been quick to write off Cav and pass his crown to Sagan. We'll see

sonny73

http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2012/us/live/aso/
6 out front 4:00; Bouet (ALM), Delaplace (SAU), Edet (COF), Gene (EUC), Morkov (STB) & Urtasun (EUS)

ilm_zero7

3:45 the gap - six escapees: Gene (EUC), Urtasun Perez (EUS), Bouet (ALM), Edet (COF), Delaplace (SAU) and Morkov (STB)

ilm_zero7

the breakaway moving on nicely - its almost 5 minutes that they lead the peloton by at this point - Morkov takes it again so nice to put down a mark on a polka dot jersey early on

emadden

Those yellow helmets dont work (in the style sense)

islwyn

Biggest question... Who's coverage is best? Eurosport or ITV4? I'm torn.

Crankbrother

Islwyn wrote:

Biggest question... Who's coverage is best? Eurosport or ITV4? I'm torn.

ES have Sean Kelly ... enough said ...

islwyn

Crankbrother wrote:

Islwyn wrote:

Biggest question... Who's coverage is best? Eurosport or ITV4? I'm torn.

ES have Sean Kelly ... enough said ...

Ever since watching Chasing Legends I've grown a bit of love for Phil Ligett behind the mic

takethehighroad

A couple of stages of the Tour will douse that fire for you.

He's good on the highlights, that's all I can say

Gazzetta67

Islwyn wrote:

Crankbrother wrote:

Islwyn wrote:

Biggest question... Who's coverage is best? Eurosport or ITV4? I'm torn.

ES have Sean Kelly ... enough said ...

Ever since watching Chasing Legends I've grown a bit of love for Phil Ligett behind the mic

You must like americanisms then - Cos Liggett & Sherwin pander to the yank audience even tho they work for a BRITISH station. Both talk horse manure...Why dont you twitter them and ask them why didnt they mention the "Texan Messiah" yesterday.

afx237vi

Those yellow helmets are horrendous. No-cares about the team classification ffs.

Ben6899

Love it.

Interview with Tony Gallopin and in the other shot, a horse... galloping.

Clever.

thamacdaddy

Gazzetta67 wrote:

You must like americanisms then - Cos Liggett & Sherwin pander to the yank audience even tho they work for a BRITISH station. Both talk horse manure...Why dont you twitter them and ask them why didnt they mention the "Texan Messiah" yesterday.

I am not so sure this is true, i think ITV must pay for the verse commentary because I was visiting Alaska when the tour was on two years ago and watching the verses channel for a live stage. When I got home a few days later and catching up on the highlights it sounded like the same commentary featured so I would imagine it's they pander to the american audience because that is who they are working for.

Hence why they talk up amercian cyclists and bang on about how riders performed in the tour of california even though that is no real indication of how someone is performing this season.

Le Commentateur

n 1995, on a similar but less hilly Ardennes loop, Johan Bruyneel sat on Miguel Indurain's wheel for 30k in the break before passing him at the line to take the win and the yellow jersey. […] what a slimy wheel-sucker

It was his job to win if possible and if that was the only way he could do it, so be it. Honour is for us amateurs – maybe.

RichN95.

Gazzetta67 wrote:

You must like americanisms then - Cos Liggett & Sherwin pander to the yank audience even tho they work for a BRITISH station.

Their primary employers are NBC, not ITV.

cal_stewart

How's people liking the new saxo and garmin tops?

afx237vi

Intermediate sprint coming up.

afx237vi

Orica's new kit is really confusing. Looks awfully like Vacansoleil from the front.

Le Commentateur

RichN95 wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

You must like americanisms then - Cos Liggett & Sherwin pander to the yank audience even tho they work for a BRITISH station.

Their primary employers are NBC, not ITV.

They do a clever multi-region package, edited for several territories. The Americans don't see the Boardman/Boulting bits, for instance. Can't remember what the Australians see, but it wouldn't surprise me that they mix the Ligwen parts with their own local fillers after the ad breaks.

Yellow Peril

On the helmets issue are helmets covered by the same kit change rules?