The Official, 103rd Tour de France, thread

[Motogull]

Bert did it all on his own then? When I saw the kerb, I feared it could have been nasty.

Any word on the finish straight tumblers?

 

[1066familyman]

This is an interesting list.

Apart from Roosen who definitely crashed badly in the last 10km (possibly along with Bak and Angelo?), and the three riders from the break - Voss, Delaplace, Howard - it makes you wonder why some of those names lost time.

Some very decent riders in there for future stage wins/up the road for their team leader on crucial stages.

Several off of my possible KoM list too. Which reminds me... I forgot to mention Grmay in my original list. He'll be very keen to do for Ethiopia what Teklehaimanot did for Eritrea last year.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

That's the spirit...

...Iconic British cyclist is about to win his very first yellow jersey and all you can think is:-

Do I get 2 fantasy points for Combativity.

In fairness I did post that while the break was still away, & I did put a winky face next to it!

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

View attachment 76295

This is an interesting list.

Apart from Roosen who definitely crashed badly in the last 10km (possibly along with Bak and Angelo?), and the three riders from the break - Voss, Delaplace, Howard - it makes you wonder why some of those names lost time.

Some very decent riders in there for future stage wins/up the road for their team leader on crucial stages.

Several off of my possible KoM list too. Which reminds me... I forgot to mention Grmay in my original list. He'll be very keen to do for Ethiopia what Teklehaimanot did for Eritrea last year.

Many of those are going for stage wins not gc, it helps to be down on gc as you're given more rope in the break?!

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 2 preview: Saint-Lô - Cherbourg-Octeville, 182 km





Prognostication
The genesis of the professional road cyclist means there are more riders who can win today's stage than not.
Sagan being number one and from then on the list is almost endless.
Today should be a brilliant last 50kms and I have no idea what's going to happen.

1 - Matthews.
2 - Sagan
3 - Allezpip.

 

[1066familyman]

Many of those are going for stage wins not gc, it helps to be down on gc as you're given more rope in the break?!

Exactly, but it's interesting to see the likes of Majka, Poels & Fuglsang just blantantly losing time like that right from the get go. No Movistar riders doing the same thing I notice.

Edit : Forgot that Jon Izagirre done just that

 

[1066familyman]

Stage 2 preview: Saint-Lô - Cherbourg-Octeville, 182 km

View attachment 76298

View attachment 76299

Prognostication
The genesis of the professional road cyclist means there are more riders who can win today's stage than not.
Sagan being number one and from then on the list is almost endless.
Today should be a brilliant last 50kms and I have no idea what's going to happen.

1 - Matthews.
2 - Sagan
3 - Allezpip.

I'd like to be a fly on the wall in the Orica Greenedge bus.

I wonder if Matthews and Gerrans only talk to each other via someone else and if any of them sulk when the decision is made as to who the team is riding for today

Matthews went down in that crash yesterday. Wonder how that will affect him.

Surprised you didn't sneak in a mention of an outside chance for your man Cockhard today.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'd like to be a fly on the wall in the Orica Greenedge bus.

I wonder if Matthews and Gerrans only talk to each other via someone else and if any of them sulk when the decision is made as to who the team is riding for today

Matthews went down in that crash yesterday. Wonder how that will affect him.

Surprised you didn't sneak in a mention of an outside chance for your man Cockhard today.

Yeah this is the last race Gerrans and Matthews will ride together, a juicy little sub-plot we'll never get the full story on.


I've been trying to remember the similar race/stage as today.
My memory is telling be the sprinters were all champing at the bit at the bottom of the climb, but got blown away by Mr Average Classics before the plateau.
Then Mr Genuine Classics hammered those riders on the second ramp.

 

[pb21]

Break going to stay away? Looks like it...

 

[pb21]

Oh, maybe not tough little hills!

 

[1066familyman]

Oh, maybe not tough little hills!

It is Stuyven out front though, quality classics rider!

They're cutting it fine.

 

[pb21]

It is Stuyven out front though, quality classics rider!

They're cutting it fine.

Close, exciting finish!

Good win for Sagan.

Shame for Porte.

 

[1066familyman]

Today is one of those days where it never ceases to amaze me just how good the peloton are at gauging the gap to the break. Despite knowing they get it right 90 odd % of the time, from about 30k out when no one was helping Dimension Data I started to think they might be leaving it too late. Could easily have been one of those days where they underestimated the break. Stuyven is strong, and with just one other strong rider in that break he may have made that today.

 

[Stat Brother]

Fantastic riding by Sagan, we loved the interview afterwards.

 

[1066familyman]

Good job there's a flat week ahead. Hopefully Contador can recover and not lose any more time. He must really be hurting to have lost time today.

 

[Stat Brother]

1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 4:20:51
2 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
4 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step
5 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange
6 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
7 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal
8 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
9 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
10 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky

General classification after stage 2

1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 8:34:42
2 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:08
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:10
4 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:00:14
5 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
6 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
7 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
8 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff Team
9 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange
10 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 3 preview: Granville - Angers, 222 km





Prognostication:-

Break goes as the flag drops, break gets caught inside the last 5kms, race won by Kittel, Griepel then Cav.

 

[1066familyman]

Surprised you haven't mentioned Cockhard for today SB.


Slight uphill drag on the short finish out of that 90 degree bend. He's won on this exact finish before, albeit in a much weaker field.

Think Sagan & Kristoff deserve a mention on a finish like this as well.

I'm just hoping Groenewegen gets a clear run at the line to see how he compares to the big guns.

 

[Stat Brother]

Surprised you haven't mentioned Cockhard for today SB.


Slight uphill drag on the short finish out of that 90 degree bend. He's won on this exact finish before, albeit in a much weaker field.

Think Sagan & Kristoff deserve a mention on a finish like this as well.

I'm just hoping Groenewegen gets a clear run at the line to see how he compares to the big guns.

No watching stage 1 closely Brain's boys just couldn't get him close enough to be in contention.
With about 500m to go, they were lined up behind Cofides.

That being said, the markets that are open, have him at 20/1.
Which does fit nicely into my mantra of 'overpriced v amount of potential winners'.
Your man's even further out in the betting.

Kristoff definitely, but, as much as I love him, Sagan hasn't half put in a shift over the last 2 stages.
A third effort against the 'fresher' sprinters has to be asking too much.

 

[Triggaaar]

Will the French be putting nails out for Froome?