Le Tour 2016 - pre race chat
Comments
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Lot of assumption that Kittel is going to clean up the sprints - what about Greipel? It's the Gorilla who took the spoils over Marcel in last week's German champs (although I don't know the circs of how the race played out).
Etixx are also spreading their options about with Dan Martin & Alaphilippe in the squad, and no Trentin to help lead out. Lotto seem all in for the big man, except with Gallopin probably allowed to freelance for stages.0 -
Bouhanni is a my man squad member as he is a role model to an underclass in France and has been a good ambassador for the sport
A group of hotel guests woke him up at 4 am on the morning of the nationals and he went out primed - they didn't back down and one took a well timed hook to the choppers. Bouhanni cut his hand on his teeth - I don't want to think about the other guy :-0
Boxing is about discipline. Cycling is a disciplined sport. There were plenty of support staff and others who should have intervened first.
Bouhanni was wrong to do what he did. He lost last years nationals because Roux? bought him down in the lask k's. He lost Milan San Remo due to a mechanical in the last few k's. He has shown incredible resilience and determination this season.
He could possibly have taken the first stage and the yellow jersey this yearand kept it for a few days - he would have died trying. Those that see him as a role model would have been inspired
As it is - his solution was to use violence to deal with a situation.
Which would have been the better message?0 -
Greipel doesn't seem to have the top-end speed he had last year. I guess it is difficult to have two stellar years in a row. He should be in the mix but if a rejuvenated Kittel is in top form, he will be very difficult to beat.
DD.0 -
I think the sprints are wide open. Kittel is the favourite, but I can see both Cav and Greipel getting a single stage each at least. I agree the etixx lead out is missing trentin, but its still formidable. Lotto’s got the best train though. Cavs is stuck in july 2010!0
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Can't see Kittel beaten early on, but as the race goes on think Greipel and Cav will get a few wins between them.
Hope I'm wrong though, would love to see Cav in yellow.0 -
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hanshotfirst wrote:
haha, that's an early "Cav is finished" announcement, not even at the first stage!
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Paul 8v wrote:hanshotfirst wrote:
haha, that's an early "Cav is finished" announcement, not even at the first stage!
Steve Cummings isn't at the back. He's going to win this one.0 -
hanshotfirst wrote:Bouhanni is undoubtedely a pr*ck, but I'm kinda on his side of this one. Apparently these lads were being loutish and abusive to other guests, I'm saying good on him for stepping up.
He's actually gone up a bit in my estimations.
Still, he's a tough guy boxer and sporting celeb. and he ends up going to hospital. Hmm.0 -
If you thought Froome got a lot of grief last year, just wait for a British athlete post-Brexit...0
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Last time I checked, the UK remains a member of the EU.0
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Sagan asked to introduce the Tinkoff team.... claims he doesn't know all their names lol0
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Is it right that there are time bonuses?0
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Mad_Malx wrote:Is it right that there are time bonuses?
Yes, except for TT, 10, 6 & 4 seconds for first 3 finishers on each stage.0 -
I'm in work today, can someone man the echelon alarm from 1130.
Strong westerly winds forecast, and the first 100k are directly along the Western coast of Normandy0 -
Rick & Andy - I think Brexit can refer to both to leaving the union and to the vote itself, so you're both technically correct. Although I think either way it's a horrible word and also seems to imply that Northern Ireland won't be leaving the EU. I think we should all agree to use Ukexit. Actually, we'd need to take Gibraltar into account too, so how about Ukagexit?
But yeah, I don't imagine the result of the referendum will lessen the abuse that Sky have been getting in recent tours.
It's never right that there should be time bonuses in a grand tour.Mad_Malx wrote:Is it right that there are time bonuses?
I'm sure the chance of ECHELONS will help calm the first stage nerves of the peloton!TakeTheHighRoad wrote:I'm in work today, can someone man the echelon alarm from 1130.
Strong westerly winds forecast, and the first 100k are directly along the Western coast of Normandy0 -
Have fun little ones.....
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
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So it's the grand depart, a S-N route, along the coast, with 8-10 m/s westerly crosswinds and a strong chance of ****ECHELONS*** and we don't have a spoiler thread yet?
I blame brexit.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Someone please start a spoiler thread for us suckers who have to work!0
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Seeing rumours on Twitter of a neutralised descent of Joux Plane, race positions decided at the summit.
As I say, just rumours, no idea where they came from. Also Ramaz might be taken out altogether.
I imagine this might have something to do with the awful state of the roads which still haven't been repaired fully.0 -
Aha, more info. Seems it might be referring to L'etape and not the TdF. Ramaz has been taken out of L'etape.
http://netstorage.lequipe.fr/ASO/egp/et ... aire-b.pdf0 -
Stage 3 is a non-event average speed 33kms, they're all out for a picnic. Contador rest day?
With 90km left thats 3 more hours, coming in some 2 hours late.
Talk that the riders are not respecting the race.
Something is going on here....? A protest?'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP0
