Tour de France starts on Saturday 4th June....
Discussion
.. and the first stage is a time trial around Monaco! 
Should be good.
Anyone else going to be watching??
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/96th-tour-de-fran...
Edited to add Bugger! Should be 4th July!! Sorry!
Should be good.Anyone else going to be watching??
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/96th-tour-de-fran...
Edited to add Bugger! Should be 4th July!! Sorry!
Edited by funkyrobot on Monday 29th June 13:43
will watch what I can of it - although on holiday for the first couple of weeks, then back at work.
Have managed to get to a few stages over the years in France - and watching the visits to UK on French TV when there, they have always seemed astounded by the support in Britain!
So: Will Lance tuck in behind his 'team leader' like a good boy!?
Have managed to get to a few stages over the years in France - and watching the visits to UK on French TV when there, they have always seemed astounded by the support in Britain!
So: Will Lance tuck in behind his 'team leader' like a good boy!?
llewop said:
will watch what I can of it - although on holiday for the first couple of weeks, then back at work.
Have managed to get to a few stages over the years in France - and watching the visits to UK on French TV when there, they have always seemed astounded by the support in Britain!
So: Will Lance tuck in behind his 'team leader' like a good boy!?
This is going to be very interesting! Contador is indeed very good, but as you say, will Lance really be a good little domestique?? Will be interesting if we have just the two of them fighting for a mountain top finish.Have managed to get to a few stages over the years in France - and watching the visits to UK on French TV when there, they have always seemed astounded by the support in Britain!
So: Will Lance tuck in behind his 'team leader' like a good boy!?
funkyrobot said:
llewop said:
will watch what I can of it - although on holiday for the first couple of weeks, then back at work.
Have managed to get to a few stages over the years in France - and watching the visits to UK on French TV when there, they have always seemed astounded by the support in Britain!
So: Will Lance tuck in behind his 'team leader' like a good boy!?
This is going to be very interesting! Contador is indeed very good, but as you say, will Lance really be a good little domestique?? Will be interesting if we have just the two of them fighting for a mountain top finish.Have managed to get to a few stages over the years in France - and watching the visits to UK on French TV when there, they have always seemed astounded by the support in Britain!
So: Will Lance tuck in behind his 'team leader' like a good boy!?
Lance was showing good form in Italy - better than he ever was that early in the year for his TdF wins - but i still don't think he can take Contador. Bruyneel is too smart to let the two of them fight it out - the only way Lance will get to play the role of team leader is if something happens to Contador and he loses a massive chunk of time, which may happen, but failing that - Contador can out climb and out TT Lance.
Plus, Armstrong played the role of super domestique to Leipheimer - no reason whay he won't toe the line for Contador too.
Plus, Armstrong played the role of super domestique to Leipheimer - no reason whay he won't toe the line for Contador too.
It will be interesting to see how Contador does in the TTs in the tour. He lost a lot of time to Evans in the TT in the Dauphiné, but then went and won the Spanish TT championship. If he nails decent TTs and avoids other trouble along the way, then he's looking pretty good as I don't think Evans, Menchov or Armstrong can keep with him in the mountains when he really goes for it.
How many stages do we think Cavendish will win? I'm going for three.
How many stages do we think Cavendish will win? I'm going for three.
Highway Star said:
It will be interesting to see how Contador does in the TTs in the tour. He lost a lot of time to Evans in the TT in the Dauphiné, but then went and won the Spanish TT championship. If he nails decent TTs and avoids other trouble along the way, then he's looking pretty good as I don't think Evans, Menchov or Armstrong can keep with him in the mountains when he really goes for it.
How many stages do we think Cavendish will win? I'm going for three.
Three sounds good, but wouldn't it be great if he got 5!How many stages do we think Cavendish will win? I'm going for three.
It would be even better if he could hang on and fight for the green jersey. That would be great to see.
Cav is eyeing the Champs, so I think he might throttle back and just take 2 or 3 before the hurt starts and aim to finish, taking the Champs sprint.
Ill go for 5.
As for Lance, Im sure he will play ball until he smells blood in the mountains and cant resist. If he thinks he sees a chance he wont be able to help himself.
The good news is that Im in France next week
Ill go for 5.
As for Lance, Im sure he will play ball until he smells blood in the mountains and cant resist. If he thinks he sees a chance he wont be able to help himself.
The good news is that Im in France next week
DJC said:
Cav is eyeing the Champs, so I think he might throttle back and just take 2 or 3 before the hurt starts and aim to finish, taking the Champs sprint.
I agree, two in the early stages and then the Champs. I don't think he'll win five (would love it if he did though!). I just hope he gets over the mountains ok, it'll be hard given the penultimate stage finish up the Ventoux.He's going to be a really marked man in the sprints, much more so than last year. So much depends on his lead-out guys too and also whether guys like Tyler Farrar can sort out their sprint rather than leaving it too late.
Highway Star said:
DJC said:
He's going to be a really marked man in the sprints, much more so than last year. So much depends on his lead-out guys too and also whether guys like Tyler Farrar can sort out their sprint rather than leaving it too late.
It doesnt matter who has their eye on him - noone can outgun him in a straight sprint. Farrar and the other second string sprinters at the tour can't come close. Hushovd is past it and with no boonen or petacchi, cav has the bunch sprints covered. It just boils down to wether or not he can actually finish a 3 week tour.Parsnip said:
Highway Star said:
DJC said:
He's going to be a really marked man in the sprints, much more so than last year. So much depends on his lead-out guys too and also whether guys like Tyler Farrar can sort out their sprint rather than leaving it too late.
It doesnt matter who has their eye on him - noone can outgun him in a straight sprint. Farrar and the other second string sprinters at the tour can't come close. Hushovd is past it and with no boonen or petacchi, cav has the bunch sprints covered. It just boils down to wether or not he can actually finish a 3 week tour.DJC said:
Parsnip said:
Highway Star said:
DJC said:
He's going to be a really marked man in the sprints, much more so than last year. So much depends on his lead-out guys too and also whether guys like Tyler Farrar can sort out their sprint rather than leaving it too late.
It doesnt matter who has their eye on him - noone can outgun him in a straight sprint. Farrar and the other second string sprinters at the tour can't come close. Hushovd is past it and with no boonen or petacchi, cav has the bunch sprints covered. It just boils down to wether or not he can actually finish a 3 week tour.Farrar got quite close a couple of times in the Giro and was getting closer as the stages went on, but I agree I don't think he's a massive threat.
I'm looking forward to seeing Ventoux (TV sadly) as the penultimate stage .... if he's close enough that's when Armstrong will go for Contador but somehow I don't think he will be.
I reckon Cav will get three stage wins hopefully to include Champs and there's a chance that Wiggins will be top-25 at the end. Maybe he or Millar could nick a stage win?
I reckon Cav will get three stage wins hopefully to include Champs and there's a chance that Wiggins will be top-25 at the end. Maybe he or Millar could nick a stage win?
Would like to see Cav go for the Green, there are 7 hard mountain stages, but with one being Ventoux, quite a call for the Manxman. But considering how he surprised the field last year, I would expect to see the other sprinters uping their game for this year. It'll be hard for him, but he wants to finish, and what better way than to win the Champs sprint?
Is good to have a Brit able to be up there in the mix, lets hope his team can do the job like last year
Is good to have a Brit able to be up there in the mix, lets hope his team can do the job like last year
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