Tour de France 2013 - Race Chat
Comments
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Richmond Racer wrote:
There are stage wins possible all over that team.
I'd say 'par' would be 7-8 stages!“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Aye. The possibles:
Cav 5 to 7
Martin 2 TTs
Chavanel 1 breakaway
In theory its a stage win heavy team, but what will the three weeks bring? They all crash out in the first two days of manic peloton scrambling?0 -
Pip Gilbert is not best pleased about the delay in the BMC squad announcement. Gets a little dig in at Evans and Teabag Vangardaren whilst he's at it
http://m.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/DMF20130617_ ... gn=seeding0 -
Still on TDF but touching on why the French have not had a winner since Hinault in 85?
I think I know why. We moved to the Haute Garonne, permanently, about 18 months ago. Cycling heaven. Great roads, lots of hills, if you want them, cyclist friendly traffic, when you see any, Pyrenees only 45 mins away. What more could you want?
I joined the local cycling club, all French apart from me and Gerit, a big Dutch guy. They meet on Sunday mornings for the long ride, same as Britain. But, here is the thing, I am the fittest in the club, closely followed by the big Dutchman. I am 61 years old and can climb, but I am no talent. I was in the medium group rides in Britain. Most of the guys in the club are past 50 and overweight.
If it is raining on a Sunday morning there will be two of us riding, out of 43, you guessed it, me and the Dutchman. We split up for the short route and the long route. Again, you get the picture with a couple of exceptions.
Also, when we do the local Randonees all the French guys do the short route, so they can be home for lunch. Oh and the Sunday rides are between April and October only.
Hardly see any cyclists under the age of 35, none at all in our club, and its pretty much the same in the other clubs in the area.
What would Hinault think????0 -
Blanco:
Mollema, Gesink, Boom, Ten Dam, Leezer, Nordhaug, Tankink, Vanmarcke, Wynants0 -
durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
It's 21 days of racing:
Gets involved in a bad crash
Gets held up by a bad crash
Bertie is just better than him over 3 wks
Has a mechanical on a pivotal MTF
Comes down with an illness
Gets taken down by small boy.. with a big bag.. on a bend
...... help me out here people'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'0 -
He could get stuck in a hole, in the fog, WITH AN OWL.
Plenty of things can happen in 21 days.0 -
durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
OK he's a deserved favourite but is he really head and shoulders above Contador ? At the Dauphine apart from the time trial there didn't look to be a huge amount between them - close enough that it wouldn' be a huge shock to see the situation reversed come the Tour.
Yes the Sky train is a big advantage but can it control the race for 3 weeks? If Froome is isolated at some point and the other contenders attack him rather thanriding for their places it could easily go wrong for him.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
josame wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
It's 21 days of racing:
Gets involved in a bad crash
Gets held up by a bad crash
Bertie is just better than him over 3 wks
Has a mechanical on a pivotal MTF
Comes down with an illness
Gets taken down by small boy.. with a big bag.. on a bend
...... help me out here people
Wiggins/Giro...Half man, Half bike0 -
Tom Butcher wrote:Yes the Sky train is a big advantage.
I'm not sure it is, certainly vis a vis the likely Saxo squad0 -
Crozza wrote:Tom Butcher wrote:Yes the Sky train is a big advantage.
I'm not sure it is, certainly vis a vis the likely Saxo squad
The mighty EBH aka 'klean kaiser' will swat them away.. no hass'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'0 -
josame wrote:Crozza wrote:Tom Butcher wrote:Yes the Sky train is a big advantage.
I'm not sure it is, certainly vis a vis the likely Saxo squad
The mighty EBH aka 'klean kaiser' will swat them away.. no hass
The Nordic Tank will be impressive.
But never mind Saxo, I think Movistar are going to be a bit of a handful0 -
Turfle wrote:Blanco:
Mollema, Gesink, Boom, Ten Dam, Leezer, Nordhaug, Tankink, Vanmarcke, Wynants
Renshaw doesnt even get the chance to lead out Bos....
Nico Verhoeven re Mollema, redefining the phrase 'hedging your bets'
“We are looking to score a good classification with him. We are aiming for the top ten but in fact we’re simply trying for the maximum achievable. We could say that we’d like Bauke to finish fourth, but if he then finishes fourth when second was within grasp, I’d say we’d be less satisfied. But if it turns out that he is seventh and that is the best result we could have expected, then we’d be happy with that.”0 -
Tom Butcher wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
OK he's a deserved favourite but is he really head and shoulders above Contador ? At the Dauphine apart from the time trial there didn't look to be a huge amount between them - close enough that it wouldn' be a huge shock to see the situation reversed come the Tour.
Yes the Sky train is a big advantage but can it control the race for 3 weeks? If Froome is isolated at some point and the other contenders attack him rather thanriding for their places it could easily go wrong for him.
Think back to last years Vuelta, with Valverde, Rodriguez and Contador attacking him. He was soon isolated and cracked.0 -
Ridgerider wrote:josame wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
It's 21 days of racing:
Gets involved in a bad crash
Gets held up by a bad crash
Bertie is just better than him over 3 wks
Has a mechanical on a pivotal MTF
Comes down with an illness
Gets taken down by small boy.. with a big bag.. on a bend
...... help me out here people
Wiggins/Giro...
When people use the phrase "can't see how X won't win" they usually mean barring external factors.
Durhamwasp even qualified his statement to cover crashes....
You left out sniper fire, attacked by swarm of killer bees, gets locked in team bus and misses start etc etc.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
I agree with durhamwasp.
Froome, for me, is much more likely to win the tour this year than Wiggins was to win the Giro.
(subject to the sniper fire and killer bees caveat)0 -
TailWindHome wrote:Ridgerider wrote:josame wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
It's 21 days of racing:
Gets involved in a bad crash
Gets held up by a bad crash
Bertie is just better than him over 3 wks
Has a mechanical on a pivotal MTF
Comes down with an illness
Gets taken down by small boy.. with a big bag.. on a bend
...... help me out here people
Wiggins/Giro...
When people use the phrase "can't see how X won't win" they usually mean barring external factors.
Durhamwasp even qualified his statement to cover crashes....
You left out sniper fire, attacked by swarm of killer bees, gets locked in team bus and misses start etc etc.
Thanks for qualifying that, much appreciated and ernestly agreed upon by all here.......'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'0 -
domhopson wrote:Tom Butcher wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
OK he's a deserved favourite but is he really head and shoulders above Contador ? At the Dauphine apart from the time trial there didn't look to be a huge amount between them - close enough that it wouldn' be a huge shock to see the situation reversed come the Tour.
Yes the Sky train is a big advantage but can it control the race for 3 weeks? If Froome is isolated at some point and the other contenders attack him rather thanriding for their places it could easily go wrong for him.
Think back to last years Vuelta, with Valverde, Rodriguez and Contador attacking him. He was soon isolated and cracked.
You don't think having ridden hard for second place at the Tour and then at the Olympics whilst the others were fresh potentially played a part in that?0 -
^wot Pross says0
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Pross wrote:domhopson wrote:Tom Butcher wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
OK he's a deserved favourite but is he really head and shoulders above Contador ? At the Dauphine apart from the time trial there didn't look to be a huge amount between them - close enough that it wouldn' be a huge shock to see the situation reversed come the Tour.
Yes the Sky train is a big advantage but can it control the race for 3 weeks? If Froome is isolated at some point and the other contenders attack him rather thanriding for their places it could easily go wrong for him.
Think back to last years Vuelta, with Valverde, Rodriguez and Contador attacking him. He was soon isolated and cracked.
You don't think having ridden hard for second place at the Tour and then at the Olympics whilst the others were fresh potentially played a part in that?
Of course, but I still see those 3 taking it to Froome and getting the better of him again.0 -
josame wrote:TailWindHome wrote:Ridgerider wrote:josame wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
It's 21 days of racing:
Gets involved in a bad crash
Gets held up by a bad crash
Bertie is just better than him over 3 wks
Has a mechanical on a pivotal MTF
Comes down with an illness
Gets taken down by small boy.. with a big bag.. on a bend
...... help me out here people
Wiggins/Giro...
When people use the phrase "can't see how X won't win" they usually mean barring external factors.
Durhamwasp even qualified his statement to cover crashes....
You left out sniper fire, attacked by swarm of killer bees, gets locked in team bus and misses start etc etc.
Thanks for qualifying that, much appreciated and ernestly agreed upon by all here.......
earnestly“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
TailWindHome wrote:josame wrote:TailWindHome wrote:Ridgerider wrote:josame wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
It's 21 days of racing:
Gets involved in a bad crash
Gets held up by a bad crash
Bertie is just better than him over 3 wks
Has a mechanical on a pivotal MTF
Comes down with an illness
Gets taken down by small boy.. with a big bag.. on a bend
...... help me out here people
Wiggins/Giro...
When people use the phrase "can't see how X won't win" they usually mean barring external factors.
Durhamwasp even qualified his statement to cover crashes....
You left out sniper fire, attacked by swarm of killer bees, gets locked in team bus and misses start etc etc.
Thanks for qualifying that, much appreciated and ernestly agreed upon by all here.......
earnestly
Indeed - although I would add all my non-crash suggestions were plausible :roll:'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'0 -
domhopson wrote:Pross wrote:domhopson wrote:Tom Butcher wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
OK he's a deserved favourite but is he really head and shoulders above Contador ? At the Dauphine apart from the time trial there didn't look to be a huge amount between them - close enough that it wouldn' be a huge shock to see the situation reversed come the Tour.
Yes the Sky train is a big advantage but can it control the race for 3 weeks? If Froome is isolated at some point and the other contenders attack him rather thanriding for their places it could easily go wrong for him.
Think back to last years Vuelta, with Valverde, Rodriguez and Contador attacking him. He was soon isolated and cracked.
You don't think having ridden hard for second place at the Tour and then at the Olympics whilst the others were fresh potentially played a part in that?
Of course, but I still see those 3 taking it to Froome and getting the better of him again.
Either way it will hopefully make for some decent viewing which is what we all want right?Scott Speedster S20 Roadie for Speed
Specialized Hardrock MTB for Lumps
Specialized Langster SS for Ease
Cinelli Mash Bolt Fixed for Pain
n+1 is well and truly on track
Strava http://app.strava.com/athletes/16088750 -
josame wrote:TailWindHome wrote:josame wrote:TailWindHome wrote:Ridgerider wrote:josame wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
It's 21 days of racing:
Gets involved in a bad crash
Gets held up by a bad crash
Bertie is just better than him over 3 wks
Has a mechanical on a pivotal MTF
Comes down with an illness
Gets taken down by small boy.. with a big bag.. on a bend
...... help me out here people
Wiggins/Giro...
When people use the phrase "can't see how X won't win" they usually mean barring external factors.
Durhamwasp even qualified his statement to cover crashes....
You left out sniper fire, attacked by swarm of killer bees, gets locked in team bus and misses start etc etc.
Thanks for qualifying that, much appreciated and ernestly agreed upon by all here.......
earnestly
Indeed - although I would add all my non-crash suggestions were plausible :roll:
Yeah you're right. Sir David would always have a spare key for the team bus, a plentiful supply of bee repellent and Kevlar Rapha kit. Attention to detail you see....“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
domhopson wrote:Pross wrote:domhopson wrote:Tom Butcher wrote:durhamwasp wrote:Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.
OK he's a deserved favourite but is he really head and shoulders above Contador ? At the Dauphine apart from the time trial there didn't look to be a huge amount between them - close enough that it wouldn' be a huge shock to see the situation reversed come the Tour.
Yes the Sky train is a big advantage but can it control the race for 3 weeks? If Froome is isolated at some point and the other contenders attack him rather thanriding for their places it could easily go wrong for him.
Think back to last years Vuelta, with Valverde, Rodriguez and Contador attacking him. He was soon isolated and cracked.
You don't think having ridden hard for second place at the Tour and then at the Olympics whilst the others were fresh potentially played a part in that?
Of course, but I still see those 3 taking it to Froome and getting the better of him again.
Are the climbs as crazy as the ones in last years Vuelta??? If not I dont see the Spanish mountain goats having it there own way.0 -
I can't see them working together either.0
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Anyway, I stand by my original statement, I cant see how Froome won't win.
Using last years Vuelta as an example isn't really that good, what with Froome having completed the tour riding his balls out for Wiggo, and its steeper climbs which don't suit the train as much.http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....0
