This year's Tour: ideal result/s

liquor box

RichN95 wrote:

Yellow Jersey: Geraint Thomas
Green Jersey: Geraint Thomas
Polka Dots: Geraint Thomas
White Jersey: Luke Rowe

Well, you did ask for 'ideal', not realistic

Bring this back for Thomas!

In 1968 the combination classification was introduced in the Tour de France, although at that time it was awarded with a white jersey. The jersey was awarded to the cyclists that did best in all other classifications, the yellow jersey, green jersey and polka dot jersey. It was seen as the jersey for the all-round cyclist. Only cyclists ranking in each of the three other classifications were ranked in the Combination classification. Ranking was established by adding the cyslists' ranks in the three other classifications: 1 point for rank 1, 2 points for rank 2 and so on. Cyclists being at level on ranks for one of the other classifications were added the average of the corresponding points (e.g. 2 cyclists being level at rank 3 where counting (3+4)/2 = 3.5 points). Finally, the lower the sum the better the Combination classification ranking.

From 1975 on, the white jersey was given to the best young cyclist, and the combination classification temporarily disappeared. In 1980, the combination classification was reintroduced, sponsored by French TV-station TF1, therefore officially named Grand Prix TF1. This lasted until 1982, when the combination classification disappeared again. In 1985, the combination classification was again reintroduced, and this time the combination jersey was used. Since 1989, the combination jersey has not been awarded, because the new director Jean-Marie Leblanc wanted to modernise the Tour

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combinatio ... _de_France

RichN95.

liquor box wrote:

Bring this back for Thomas!

You don't have to tell be what it is - I own one.

jotko

liquor box wrote:

Bring this back for Thomas!

Is that the crashing jersey?

thegreatdivide

GC – Bertie, a surprise like Dan Martin, or Froome crashes and Porte takes the glory.
Green – Cav
KOM – TV Tommy or Dan Martin.

above_the_cows

liquor box wrote:

It's the Rorschach jersey sponsored by the French Association of Psychology.

greasedscotsman

Combined jersey should defo not be brought back. It's only a matter of time before someone does matching shorts. Voeckler's matching KoM shorts were bad enough!

Ed-tron

GC: Froome, but having been made to work for it, win some stages, attack others etc - which to be fair is more likely than it was with Wiggo.

Loved seeing Dan Martin win at Liège–Bastogne–Liège, so any sort of showing like that. But no idea if he is riding in support of others etc.

Also, plenty of faces and tongue hanging out from Voekler please

salsiccia1

greasedscotsman wrote:

Combined jersey should defo not be brought back. It's only a matter of time before someone does matching shorts. Voeckler's matching KoM shorts were bad enough!

Matching shorts/bike/helmet with any of the jerseys should banned. Tacky and desperate. But they should bring back the combined jersey, it's the coolest jersey of all time:



As for results, all I hope is that it's a slug-fest rather than a procession, with hopefully a French rider right in the mix. The Tour needs it.

greasedscotsman

Salsiccia1 wrote:

Matching shorts/bike/helmet with any of the jerseys should banned. Tacky and desperate.

Agree with you on the shorts, but I don't see anything wrong with a matching bike or helmet.

mfin

Hope a doper or previously convicted doper doesn't win, as it's sh1t for the sport.

Green - hopefully not Cav, the Green jersey competition should really be adjusted so a more 'all round' guy can win it. Stage wins are what Cav deserves, not a green jersey, but noone can blame him if the Green is designed so it can be within his grasp, it's not his fault.

Richmond Racer

Ok. I'm with everyone else - no procession please.

Porte to win the bleeding thing, having had to take over as Sky leader following a bout of food poisoning hitting Froome, not long after a blonde female was spotted lurking around TeamSKyChef's kitchen set up

*innocent face*


I'd like Quintana to end up on the podium after out-performing his erstwhile leader

Cav to take green but after the most almighty humdinger of a battle with Sagan, in which there will be handbags


And I'd like all teams to refuse to wear those stupid yellow helmets for leaders in the team comp

salsiccia1

mfin wrote:

the Green jersey competition should really be adjusted so a more 'all round' guy can win it. Stage wins are what Cav deserves, not a green jersey, but noone can blame him if the Green is designed so it can be within his grasp, it's not his fault.

I agree with that. It's why I like how the points jersey works in the Giro.

mfin

Salsiccia1 wrote:

mfin wrote:

the Green jersey competition should really be adjusted so a more 'all round' guy can win it. Stage wins are what Cav deserves, not a green jersey, but noone can blame him if the Green is designed so it can be within his grasp, it's not his fault.

I agree with that. It's why I like how the points jersey works in the Giro.

Chuck in some good amount of intermediate points 10k and 20k out-ish, that might help, particularly if they're on hills. Cav is no all-round rider. He's a last few hundred metres guy, and that's it.

above_the_cows

Richmond Racer wrote:

And I'd like all teams to refuse to wear those stupid yellow helmets for leaders in the team comp

A 100,000,000 times this. Please no more Bob The Builder becomes a pro-cyclist. They even made Beautiful Bernie look ridiculous.

above_the_cows

mfin wrote:

Salsiccia1 wrote:

mfin wrote:

the Green jersey competition should really be adjusted so a more 'all round' guy can win it. Stage wins are what Cav deserves, not a green jersey, but noone can blame him if the Green is designed so it can be within his grasp, it's not his fault.

I agree with that. It's why I like how the points jersey works in the Giro.

Chuck in some good amount of intermediate points 10k and 20k out-ish, that might help, particularly if they're on hills. Cav is no all-round rider. He's a last few hundred metres guy, and that's it.

And yet Cav still won the points jersey in the Giro when it wasn't 'designed around' him.

Surely the point is that in the Tour it is weighted in favour of the sprinters to give them something, because otherwise the points jersey often ends up going to the person leading on GC and so what's the point in having a separate competition, like it often does in the Giro. The organisers want to have something to keep the sprinters in the race, so that they don't all just go home when the road heads upwards

mfin

Above The Cows wrote:

And yet Cav still won the points jersey in the Giro when it wasn't 'designed around' him.

Surely the point is that in the Tour it is weighted in favour of the sprinters to give them something, because otherwise the points jersey often ends up going to the person leading on GC and so what's the point in having a separate competition, like it often does in the Giro. The organisers want to have something to keep the sprinters in the race, so that they don't all just go home when the road heads upwards

I hear what you're saying but disagree with the wanting 'to have something to keep the sprinters in the race, so that they don't all just go home when the road heads upwards', becasue all these sprinters don't all stay in the race because they all have a shot at the green jersey, they know if they have or not and its only one, two or three at most of them... there are still stage wins to be had, that's enough to keep them from ducking out. Plus the fact they are doing their job and employed to ride. By your logic they'd all drop out anyway unless they were in with a shout of Green.

The way a 'train led' sprinter can take green now is sort of wrong (to me), train led sprinting is a relatively recent thing done to this extent, I don't mind it, I just don't think it should result in Green. It doesn't reflect a truely attacking ability any more for me.

Let's face it, the flat, sprinters stages are the most boring, there's nothing to watch bar the last 2 minutes, and I don't think many impartial people who've been into cycling for years are very impressed with Cav, although what he does, he does very well.

I find Contador's drug taking far more entertaining than these sterile vanilla stages.

Paul 8v

Above The Cows wrote:

Richmond Racer wrote:

And I'd like all teams to refuse to wear those stupid yellow helmets for leaders in the team comp

A 100,000,000 times this. Please no more Bob The Builder becomes a pro-cyclist. They even made Beautiful Bernie look ridiculous.

Better tell that to Confidis!

RichN95.

mfin wrote:

Let's face it, the flat, sprinters stages are the most boring, there's nothing to watch bar the last 2 minutes, and I don't think many impartial people who've been into cycling for years are very impressed with Cav, although what he does, he does very well.

The Belgians have awarded him the International Flandrien award twice, he's won the equivalent Italian award and he's been runner-up in the Velo d'Or. They are very impressed by him. People who really know about cycling realise that sprinting is one of the fundamental pillars of the sport and not just some side show. It's newer people who tend to dismiss it.

Richmond Racer

RichN95 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Let's face it, the flat, sprinters stages are the most boring, there's nothing to watch bar the last 2 minutes, and I don't think many impartial people who've been into cycling for years are very impressed with Cav, although what he does, he does very well.

The Belgians have awarded him the International Flandrien award twice, he's won the equivalent Italian award and he's been runner-up in the Velo d'Or. They are very impressed by him. People who really know about cycling realise that sprinting is one of the fundamental pillars of the sport and not just some side show. It's newer people who tend to dismiss it.

^Cav's treated like sporting royalty in the European countries that really understand cycling. Having seen first hand on plenty of occasions the reaction of fans at the start of races he's riding - France, Belgium, Italy - there's absolutely no question of this sweeping generalisation of 'impartial people' who follow cycling not thinking much of him.

Completely the opposite. For example in the Giro the buzz around him and towards him at sign ons, and from the side of the road during the stages, was remarkable - and was only matched by the reaction to Nibali.

mfin

RichN95 wrote:

People who really know about cycling realise that sprinting is one of the fundamental pillars of the sport and not just some side show. It's newer people who tend to dismiss it.

I don't agree, don't suppose we have to though, some sprinting in its current form is not what it used to be. I admit he's the best in the style that he does, would never argue that, and the number of wins backs that up.

His wins have brought him fame, and people flock to the most famous in any sport, that's obvious.

Paul 8v

Richmond Racer wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Let's face it, the flat, sprinters stages are the most boring, there's nothing to watch bar the last 2 minutes, and I don't think many impartial people who've been into cycling for years are very impressed with Cav, although what he does, he does very well.

The Belgians have awarded him the International Flandrien award twice, he's won the equivalent Italian award and he's been runner-up in the Velo d'Or. They are very impressed by him. People who really know about cycling realise that sprinting is one of the fundamental pillars of the sport and not just some side show. It's newer people who tend to dismiss it.

^Cav's treated like sporting royalty in the European countries that really understand cycling. Having seen first hand on plenty of occasions the reaction of fans at the start of races he's riding - France, Belgium, Italy - there's absolutely no question of this sweeping generalisation of 'impartial people' who follow cycling not thinking much of him.

Completely the opposite. For example in the Giro the buzz around him and towards him at sign ons, and from the side of the road during the stages, was remarkable - and was only matched by the reaction to Nibali.

It's basically just British people who moan about him, we love to hate people that are good at things as a nation...

above_the_cows

Paul 8v wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

Richmond Racer wrote:

And I'd like all teams to refuse to wear those stupid yellow helmets for leaders in the team comp

A 100,000,000 times this. Please no more Bob The Builder becomes a pro-cyclist. They even made Beautiful Bernie look ridiculous.

Better tell that to Confidis!

That is a good point!

alanjay

mfin wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

And yet Cav still won the points jersey in the Giro when it wasn't 'designed around' him.

Surely the point is that in the Tour it is weighted in favour of the sprinters to give them something, because otherwise the points jersey often ends up going to the person leading on GC and so what's the point in having a separate competition, like it often does in the Giro. The organisers want to have something to keep the sprinters in the race, so that they don't all just go home when the road heads upwards

I hear what you're saying but disagree with the wanting 'to have something to keep the sprinters in the race, so that they don't all just go home when the road heads upwards', becasue all these sprinters don't all stay in the race because they all have a shot at the green jersey, they know if they have or not and its only one, two or three at most of them... there are still stage wins to be had, that's enough to keep them from ducking out. Plus the fact they are doing their job and employed to ride. By your logic they'd all drop out anyway unless they were in with a shout of Green.

The way a 'train led' sprinter can take green now is sort of wrong (to me), train led sprinting is a relatively recent thing done to this extent, I don't mind it, I just don't think it should result in Green. It doesn't reflect a truely attacking ability any more for me.

Let's face it, the flat, sprinters stages are the most boring, there's nothing to watch bar the last 2 minutes, and I don't think many impartial people who've been into cycling for years are very impressed with Cav, although what he does, he does very well.

I find Contador's drug taking far more entertaining than these sterile vanilla stages.

Most recent races may have just as well started at the last climb and had a race up them - prefer the skill and strategy involved in getting a sprinter to win personally but then I was a sprinter and find climbing stages by and large tedious.

RichN95.

mfin wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

People who really know about cycling realise that sprinting is one of the fundamental pillars of the sport and not just some side show. It's newer people who tend to dismiss it.

I don't agree, don't suppose we have to though, some sprinting in its current form is not what it used to be. I admit he's the best in the style that he does, would never argue that, and the number of wins backs that up.

His wins have brought him fame, and people flock to the most famous in any sport, that's obvious.

In 2012 there were 153 days racing in the World Tour. 55 of them ended in a bunch sprint. A third. It's a major part of the sport, which ever way you want to look at it.

above_the_cows

I likes it all!* I'm not picky.

*Apart from showboating victory celebrations and yellow helmets obviously.

dave milne

are sprinter's stages largely boring? maybe except when you get a breakaway that either just makes it or gets caught in the last 500 metres

personally I love watching the last 10k as the sprint trains wind up, an incredible display of power and sometimes bikehandling.

I agree it's not for everyone but I'm a fan

I don't see what's not to like about Cav, he is quite clearly the best at what he does in the world, he's intelligent and articulate but can get prickly when he's just lost or gets asked stupid questions

mfin

Like I said, Im not anti-Cav, I'd just like the Green to go to a slightly different sort of rider.

mfin

dave milne wrote:

he's intelligent and articulate

Blimey, I wouldn't say that

Anyway, don't want to turn it into a Cav discussion... see what other people want to pick for their preferred winners.

dave milne

mfin wrote:

dave milne wrote:

he's intelligent and articulate

Blimey, I wouldn't say that

Anyway, don't want to turn it into a Cav discussion... see what other people want to pick for their preferred winners.

check out interviews where he hasn't just ridden 200k :-)

mfin

dave milne wrote:

mfin wrote:

dave milne wrote:

he's intelligent and articulate

Blimey, I wouldn't say that

Anyway, don't want to turn it into a Cav discussion... see what other people want to pick for their preferred winners.

check out interviews where he hasn't just ridden 200k :-)

(Like when he was commentating on the Track in the Olympics? unless he was drunk all the time he was on that).