Tour de France teams (& other preview stuff) thread

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  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    Bluemoon17 wrote:
    Right then, Grand Depart in Dusseldorf is a go! Plan so far is to get the train in at around 10:30/11am, head to the start and try and check out the buses and riders. Then try and find a suitable spot on the course near a big screen/beer tent to spend the rest of the afternoon scoffing Haribo and drinking Pils.

    Anybody got any suggestions on how best to spend the day? Only time I've ever seen Le Tour before was on Holme Moss which is a bit different to a city opening time-trial.

    It normally starts quite late.

    Best to grab a nice lunch, and then worry about watching it.

    For prologues, after the first hour the buzz wears off and it can get quite dull and tiring. I'd be tempted to watch the first hour, go chill in one of the party areas and make your way to a spot for the final 40 mins or so when the big guns come out.



    Agreed. And be prepared to squeeze between people at the barriers with the use of a little charm
    Dusseldorf = altbier, surely?
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,228
    No Coquard for Direct Energie.
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    any idea when Dimension Data will announce their team ?
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    No Coquard for Direct Energie.

    Injured, or because he's signed a contract elsewhere?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • The_Boy wrote:
    No Coquard for Direct Energie.

    Injured, or because he's signed a contract elsewhere?


    Latter. JPB throwing ses jouets out of the pram
  • lyn1
    lyn1 Posts: 261
    sherer wrote:
    any idea when Dimension Data will announce their team ?

    Later today.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    The_Boy wrote:
    No Coquard for Direct Energie.

    Injured, or because he's signed a contract elsewhere?


    Latter. JPB throwing ses jouets out of the pram


    Thought that might have been the case. Not the first time a rider has been withheld from races for that reason.

    Suppose the big question now is who has he signed for? And will DEN continue?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • Cav named in Dimension Data team
  • Full Dimension Data team -

    Rensburg
    Venter
    Pauwels
    EBH
    Cav
    Cummings
    Thwaites
    Eisel
    Renshaw
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993
    ^Probably the only way they will get any mention in UK press.
  • Steeeevo
    Cavlar
    and Thwaites!

    and delicious Bernie
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    lets hope Cav can ride into form and bag a few stage wins.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Ben Swift in for UAE Emirates. Only 16 Tour appearances between them.

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    Twitter: @RichN95
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    sherer wrote:
    lets hope Cav can ride into form and bag a few stage wins.
    I think one stage win would be an enormous achievement and justify his presence on the team. The Merckx record is probably still another year away, if he ever gets it.
  • jscl
    jscl Posts: 1,015
    I am genuinely excited about the TDD squad. Gonna light the crap out of the race.
    Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/scalesjason - All posts are strictly my personal view.
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    inseine wrote:
    sherer wrote:
    lets hope Cav can ride into form and bag a few stage wins.
    I think one stage win would be an enormous achievement and justify his presence on the team. The Merckx record is probably still another year away, if he ever gets it.

    true but I'm still hoping.

    Wish they would update the record to say individual stage wins and IIRC Cav would have the record already
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    sherer wrote:
    Wish they would update the record to say individual stage wins and IIRC Cav would have the record already
    Merckx's 34 are all individual stages.

    If you exclude time trials then Cavendish has the record, ahead of Andre Darrigade's 22. (16 of Merckx's 34 stage wins were TTs - as were 20 of Hinault's 28)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    RichN95 wrote:
    sherer wrote:
    Wish they would update the record to say individual stage wins and IIRC Cav would have the record already
    Merckx's 34 are all individual stages.

    If you exclude time trials then Cavendish has the record, ahead of Andre Darrigade's 22. (16 of Merckx's 34 stage wins were TTs - as were 20 of Hinault's 28)

    yeah that's what I meant exclude TTs from the list then Cav will have the record
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    sherer wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    sherer wrote:
    Wish they would update the record to say individual stage wins and IIRC Cav would have the record already
    Merckx's 34 are all individual stages.

    If you exclude time trials then Cavendish has the record, ahead of Andre Darrigade's 22. (16 of Merckx's 34 stage wins were TTs - as were 20 of Hinault's 28)

    yeah that's what I meant exclude TTs from the list then Cav will have the record

    should exclude all the boring flat stages too :wink:
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    So far 9 confirmed British* riders are:
    G, Froome, Rowe, Swift, Cav, Cummings, Thwaites, McLay, Yates.
    Have Movistar confirmed their team? Dowsett riding?


    *don't even go there. I remember the closest we got to a Brit riding was Max Sciandri
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Bahrain:-
    DDQbJNnXcAEWzdL.jpg

    And................er................Cannondale.

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    Except, according to PCS, Uran is yet to be confirmed.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • jscl
    jscl Posts: 1,015
    On the face of it, that's not a bad Cannondale team actually.

    Imagine if they focussed on, oh I don't know, actually riding a race rather than chasing stages.
    Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/scalesjason - All posts are strictly my personal view.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    JSCL wrote:
    On the face of it, that's not a bad Cannondale team actually.

    Imagine if they focussed on, oh I don't know, actually riding a race rather than chasing stages.

    Except they have got Si Clarke which means we'll be subjected to Kirby nonsense about how he's going to win every stage.

    Him and Durbridge should be banned from riding until Kirby is forcibly removed from the commentary box.
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    edited June 2017
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    JSCL wrote:
    On the face of it, that's not a bad Cannondale team actually.

    Imagine if they focussed on, oh I don't know, actually riding a race rather than chasing stages.

    Except they have got Si Clarke which means we'll be subjected to Kirby nonsense about how he's going to win every stage.

    Him and Durbridge should be banned from riding until Kirby is forcibly removed from the commentary box.
    Oh for flips sake! Three weeks of constant Turbo Durbo/Si Clarke. That's it settled, ITV4 for me then.
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    Dowsett has not made the team.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Movistar

    DDQ0QfnXkAEs_By.jpg

    FdJ

    DDQ2SDEWAAEL1xJ.jpg
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • jscl
    jscl Posts: 1,015
    Dowsett has not made the team.

    Hardly surprising, his national's form was abysmal.

    At the after-party (well, charity do at Noa), Pete K was going right in at Alex for not doing his bit when they were out front with a few laps to go. Alex just said he had nothing, he's pooped.
    Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/scalesjason - All posts are strictly my personal view.
  • bluemoon17
    bluemoon17 Posts: 718
    Ondrej Cink starting his first Tour de France in his first season on the road as a pro.

    Little article here on him from last November: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ondrej-cink-the-accidental-worldtour-pro/
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    RichN95 wrote:
    Movistar

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    King Carlos!
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • JSCL wrote:
    Dowsett has not made the team.

    Hardly surprising, his national's form was abysmal.

    At the after-party (well, charity do at Noa), Pete K was going right in at Alex for not doing his bit when they were out front with a few laps to go. Alex just said he had nothing, he's pooped.


    How out of character for Pete :shock: :D