Tour de France 2023 build up

RichN95.

No_Ta_Doctor said:

andyp said:

mididoctors said:

RichN95. said:

mididoctors said:

pblakeney said:

kingstongraham said:

FDJ not taking Demare.

Maybe they see something in Gaudu that isn't obvious to anyone who watches cycling. Or just enjoy not being involved in loads of stages.

IIRC from my PTP picks Demare was often involved but rarely won.

Did really well at the giro back a while

Three stages and the points jersey last year. Four stages in 2020.

He's only done the Tour three times. Last time in 2018. He's won a stage the last two times.

Rich with all the stats

Except they are wrong.

Think Rich may have forgotten that DNFs can happen

He didn't get many ranking points in 2014 and 2015 so I just missed them as I had the points scoring filter on

andyp

mrb123 said:

So what's the plan for Ineos in this Tour then? I'm guessing ride on the front all the time and then never win anything.

Remember how they rode the Giro in 2020? I wish they'd ride the Tour like that one year, probably without the GC win at the end though, obviously. But if they could just go on the attack a lot, and shake the race up, it'd do their public image a lot of good.

But it's more likely they'll do what you describe.

pblakeney

andyp said:

mrb123 said:

So what's the plan for Ineos in this Tour then? I'm guessing ride on the front all the time and then never win anything.

Remember how they rode the Giro in 2020? I wish they'd ride the Tour like that one year, probably without the GC win at the end though, obviously. But if they could just go on the attack a lot, and shake the race up, it'd do their public image a lot of good.

But it's more likely they'll do what you describe.

My thoughts precisely.
Watching Tour de France Unchained and it was clear that Gee was less than happy at Pidcock being allowed off the leash.

roscoe

andyp said:

mrb123 said:

So what's the plan for Ineos in this Tour then? I'm guessing ride on the front all the time and then never win anything.

Remember how they rode the Giro in 2020? I wish they'd ride the Tour like that one year, probably without the GC win at the end though, obviously. But if they could just go on the attack a lot, and shake the race up, it'd do their public image a lot of good.

But it's more likely they'll do what you describe.

I don’t see Bernal or Martinez getting on the podium so they would be as well going stage hunting and going for the team prize.

roscoe

andyp said:

mrb123 said:

So what's the plan for Ineos in this Tour then? I'm guessing ride on the front all the time and then never win anything.

Remember how they rode the Giro in 2020? I wish they'd ride the Tour like that one year, probably without the GC win at the end though, obviously. But if they could just go on the attack a lot, and shake the race up, it'd do their public image a lot of good.

But it's more likely they'll do what you describe.

I don’t see Bernal or Martinez getting on the podium so they would be as well going stage hunting and going for the team prize.

Lanterne_Rogue

pblakeney said:

andyp said:

mrb123 said:

So what's the plan for Ineos in this Tour then? I'm guessing ride on the front all the time and then never win anything.

Remember how they rode the Giro in 2020? I wish they'd ride the Tour like that one year, probably without the GC win at the end though, obviously. But if they could just go on the attack a lot, and shake the race up, it'd do their public image a lot of good.

But it's more likely they'll do what you describe.

My thoughts precisely.
Watching Tour de France Unchained and it was clear that Gee was less than happy at Pidcock being allowed off the leash.

I'm not so sure about that. Thomas makes his point but immediately undercuts it by emphasising the context - ie he's thinking about himself. That extra bit of information helps give the team all the facts, rather than it just being pure G self-interest.

pblakeney

Lanterne_Rogue said:

pblakeney said:

andyp said:

mrb123 said:

So what's the plan for Ineos in this Tour then? I'm guessing ride on the front all the time and then never win anything.

Remember how they rode the Giro in 2020? I wish they'd ride the Tour like that one year, probably without the GC win at the end though, obviously. But if they could just go on the attack a lot, and shake the race up, it'd do their public image a lot of good.

But it's more likely they'll do what you describe.

My thoughts precisely.
Watching Tour de France Unchained and it was clear that Gee was less than happy at Pidcock being allowed off the leash.

I'm not so sure about that. Thomas makes his point but immediately undercuts it by emphasising the context - ie he's thinking about himself. That extra bit of information helps give the team all the facts, rather than it just being pure G self-interest.

Yeah, he acknowledges that he is part of a team but he wasn’t happy. While the Ineos way is to concentrate on GC they currently need more days like that.

orraloon

There was a bit of chatter between Rob Hatch and the Dutch female co-com (Jip van den Bos?) about WvA's partner expecting their 2nd child during the Tdf. So Wout would depart the Tour. Given the variability in birth timings, sensible of JV to take WvA when he might do one after 3-4 days?

No_Ta_Doctor

orraloon said:

There was a bit of chatter between Rob Hatch and the Dutch female co-com (Jip van den Bos?) about WvA's partner expecting their 2nd child during the Tdf. So Wout would depart the Tour. Given the variability in birth timings, sensible of JV to take WvA when he might do one after 3-4 days?

Given the lumpy start, he could well have a stage or two in the bag by then anyway

rick_chasey

orraloon said:

There was a bit of chatter between Rob Hatch and the Dutch female co-com (Jip van den Bos?) about WvA's partner expecting their 2nd child during the Tdf. So Wout would depart the Tour. Given the variability in birth timings, sensible of JV to take WvA when he might do one after 3-4 days?

He’s so good in GTs. Unbelievably good. Gotta take him.

DeVlaeminck

When is the due date?

rick_chasey

DeVlaeminck said:

When is the due date?

Last week of the tour iirc. Pretty sure it’s not his first though so they tend to come out faster….

kingstongraham

That's bad planning.

rick_chasey

Meh these things aren’t easy to plan…

Pross

rick_chasey said:

Meh these things aren’t easy to plan…

Didn’t you do human biology in school?

tailwindhome

A winter baby? And miss a Cyclo-cross race?

kingstongraham

tailwindhome said:

A winter baby? And miss a Cyclo-cross race?

He's got August to November to aim for. Surely be better to miss the Tour of Britain.

pangolin

Pross said:

rick_chasey said:

Meh these things aren’t easy to plan…

Didn’t you do human biology in school?

TBF they are easy to plan if you find it easy to get pregnant, not if it takes a while.

RichN95.

tailwindhome said:

A winter baby? And miss a Cyclo-cross race?

He misses some cyclo-cross races every winter

pblakeney

RichN95. said:

tailwindhome said:

A winter baby? And miss a Cyclo-cross race?

He misses some cyclo-cross races every winter

November? Now we know why. 😉

mididoctors

Is pog going to be ready ?

andyp

He won't start if he isn't, I'm sure.

kingstongraham

mididoctors said:

Is pog going to be ready ?

He's riding out of the saddle and without his wrist support. Here's hoping.

de_sisti

I believe there is room for improvement in the classification of young riders based on age. While I understand that age is relative in the context of cycling, considering 25 as the threshold for young riders seems somewhat high. In my opinion, lowering the age to 23 would be a more fitting criterion for categorizing cyclists as young riders in the realm of professional cycling.

Pross

de_sisti said:

I believe there is room for improvement in the classification of young riders based on age. While I understand that age is relative in the context of cycling, considering 25 as the threshold for young riders seems somewhat high. In my opinion, lowering the age to 23 would be a more fitting criterion for categorizing cyclists as young riders in the realm of professional cycling.

It would also align with what is used at World and National championships.

r0bh

https://twitter.com/FirstCycling/status/1671461014351622146

jimmyjams

kingstongraham said:

mididoctors said:

Is pog going to be ready ?

He's riding out of the saddle and without his wrist support. Here's hoping.

What I read was that he wondering how he would fare if and when he rode 'out of the saddle', when he participates soon in the Slovenia national championships.
Although I expect he has already tried it, at his training camps in the Sierra Nevada and at Sestriere.

I wonder what one does for training at Sestriere – go up and down the two sides of the same pass, maybe do a circuit up to Mont-Cenis? Not the most exciting place to be.
I've never been struck by Girona either (there may have been other reasons for choosing there in the past, but I believe it is still popular)

jimmyjams

Pross said:

de_sisti said:

I believe there is room for improvement in the classification of young riders based on age. While I understand that age is relative in the context of cycling, considering 25 as the threshold for young riders seems somewhat high. In my opinion, lowering the age to 23 would be a more fitting criterion for categorizing cyclists as young riders in the realm of professional cycling.

It would also align with what is used at World and National championships.

I agree with this – in many sports, including football as well as cycling, participants/athletes attain 'top level' at an earlier age than their previous generations. The same happened already a couple of decades ago in gymnastics and ice skating.

But in order that the 'late-starter' doesn't miss out, I would like to see a competition/jersey for first-timers who don't meet a U-23 criteria. By first-timers, I mean first participation ever in one of the 3 main GT.

jimmyjams

r0bh said:

https://twitter.com/FirstCycling/status/1671461014351622146

Not that it really matters, but haven't 4 teams (not before just one and now two) already announced their selection? Groupama, Jumbo, Lotto and Uno-X.
(Not getting at you r0bh, rather at the FirstCycling website)

DeVlaeminck

Re the young riders jersey if we are going to keep it then reducing the age or some other tweak does make sense - I think I'd just bin it though. I'd get more enjoyment from an old riders jersey - maybe see a couple of veterans whose careers we've followed slugging it out.