The Official 104th Tour de France thread

[Pantani]

Play theme tune


Route:


Stages:
Stage 1 July 01 Düsseldorf - Düsseldorf 14 km TT
Stage 2 July 02 Düsseldorf - Liège 203.5 km
Stage 3 July 03 Verviers - Longwy 212.5 km
Stage 4 July 04 Mondotf-les-Bains - Vittel 207.5 km
Stage 5 July 05 Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles 160.5 km
Stage 6 July 06 Visoul - Troyes 216 km
Stage 7 July 07 Troyes - Nuits-Saint-Georges 213.5 km
Stage 8 July 08 Dole - Sation des Rousses 187.5 km
Stage 9 July 09 Nantua - Chambery 181.5 km
Rest day 1 July 10
Stage 10 July 11 Perigueux - Bergerac 178 km
Stage 11 July 12 Eymet - Pau 203.5 km
Stage 12 July 13 Pau - Peryagudes 214.5 km
Stage 13 July 14 Saint Girons - Foix 101 km
Stage 14 July 15 Blagnac - Rodez 181.5 km
Stage 15 July 16 Laissac-Severac 'Eglise - Le Puy-en-Velay 189.5 km
Rest day 2 July 17
Stage 16 July 18 Le Puy-en-Velay - Romans sur Isere 165 km
Stage 17 July 19 Le Murre - Serre Chavalier 183 km
Stage 18 July 20 Briancon - Izoard 179.5 km
Stage 19 July 21 Embrun - Salon de Provence 222.5 km
Stage 20 July 22 Marseille - Marseille (ITT) 22.5 km
Stage 21 July 23 Montgeron - Paris 103 km

 

[Pantani]

Stage 1:

Düsseldorf to Düsseldorf 14KM Individual Time Trial





A pan flat time trial with the only bumps on the profile being bridges over the Rhein. Expect a super strong man Time Triallist to win this. A Tony Martin, Primoz Roglic, Stefan Kung type.

GC guys will need to do well but I really cannot see any of them getting close to the win today.

My bets Roglic 7-2; Kung 6-1 and Kittel 40-1 e/w.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

The Tour of RedEmPtiOn Mk IV?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Thank goodness for that. I was worried there was going to be an NSC-omnishambles no TdF thread in time for the start....

 

[Bold Seagull]

The ToUr of RedEmption Mk IV?

Or...

 

[Stat Brother]

T'is a shame when asked 'so what do you have to aid recovery after a tough stage?'.

Chris Froome didn't reply:-

 

[Pantani]

Which GC hopeful will stack it on a wet white line today? Bound to be one.

 

[Stat Brother]

Which GC hopeful will stack it on wet white line today? Bound to be one.

My fantasy teams suggests it's be va-va Froome.

 

[Pantani]

My fantasy teams suggests it's be va-va Froome.

Ha, mine too. Wouldn't mind in some ways, Mikel Landa might become team leader then.

 

[Pantani]

They just showed Boo-Hoo-Hanni doing a 50p turn round a corner on Eurosport

Don't know why they don't just cruise round on a regular bike if they are not bothered about time.

 

[Stat Brother]

They just showed Boo-Hoo-Hanni doing a 50p turn round a corner on Eurosport

Don't know why they don't just cruise round on a regular bike if they are not bothered about time.

I hope the camera was still on him when he rolled over the line 8th, slapping his 'bars in frustration.

 

[pearl]

OMG is it really July already

 

[robinsonsgrin]

THIS is the best pre season build up for me.... love it

 

[Pantani]

Voeckler cornering even worse than Boo Hoo. Braking 100m out from the corners!

 

[Motogull]

TTs ain't a great way of kicking this off is it?

 

[Pantani]

TTs ain't a great way of kicking this off is it?

To watch for us right now, no it isn't. But the last week of the Giro was so good because of it's TT kilometres. Hopefully the time gaps created today result in better racing later.

By the middle of next week you will be crying out for a TT once we have watched Wanty Groupe; Fortuneo, Direct Energie and Cofidis riders hung out to dry in the break every day followed by an inevitable bunch sprint.

 

[Postman Pat]

Great ride by G.Thomas

 

[Pantani]

First GC guys in Simon Yates with an excellent time; Bardet not bad; Fuglsang a bit shit for him.

And G goes fastest. Sky currently 1,2 and 4. And Porte thinks Sky do not have that strong a team

 

[Stat Brother]

To watch for us right now, no it isn't. But the last week of the Giro was so good because of it's TT kilometres. Hopefully the time gaps created today result in better racing later.

By the middle of next week you will be crying out for a TT once we have watched Wanty Groupe; Fortuneo, Direct Energie and Cofidis riders hung out to dry in the break every day followed by an inevitable bunch sprint.

That's fine by me, hoovering up fantasy points!!

 

[Pantani]

Valverde down, and looks like out!