So, no Froome (blimmin' illuminati, etc!) and now no Dumoulin either.
If Thomas can stay upright....
Uran looked OK today at the Route de La Sud, unfortunately for Quintana so did Valverde (sarcasm on - still good to see him winning major races at just under 40 - how does he do it? - sarcasm off) who may fancy his chances and create the usual Movistar leadership chaos. Fugslang as an outside bet?
Its wide open without Froome isnt it.
Could actually be one worth watching this year.
Normally I’m just in it for the landscapes, less the racing as in most years In(sky)os have just employed some rolling roadblocks to kill all excitement off.
No Froomidge, no Thomas (maybe) no Tom.. but Sagan, VanEart, DeGhent and possibly a whole host of new French riders out for a spin across their exquisite land.
Will this be the last race ever for the engine that is Kyri??
I'm entering, I generally stay upright & have only a shoulder injury. Quids in.
In all honesty it could make it the best tour for years. Hope a French guy wins, over night God like status if he did
Not watching it this year.
If Thomas can stay upright….
Last year, Sky played the "dual leader" card quite well (much better than Movistar have ever managed) and it put rivals under a lot of pressure never knowing whether to follow Thomas or Froome.
It also eased the media pressure a bit because no matter which one of them ended up leading, Sky could claim it was the plan all along and everything was wonderful.
They don't have that this year, they have Thomas as The Leader and defending champion. How much extra pressure that puts on him and how he'll handle it is anyone's guess. That and the fact that he's incapable of staying rubber side down for 3 weeks at a time...
But Bernal could be a bit of a stealth second leader. Esp if GT is a little off the boil. Could be an interesting Tdf
It could be Bernals year if Thomas isnt there.
If Thomas is there, then whoever is doing well in Ineos will be top 3 if not the winner. Unlike Froome (slightly) and Wiggins (definitely), I think Thomas will not stop Bernal if he is in better form than him.
Looks like Velogames might still be having issue with ASO. there's a "summer : TBC" entry between tour de suisse and toue de pologne 🙁
Its wide open without Froome isnt it.
Did you see today's Tour de Suisse?
If Thomas is there,
My understanding is he will be. Have you heard otherwise?
If Thomas is there,
My understanding is he will be. Have you heard otherwise?
No, but Froome only had a broken leg at first. He hasnt raced much, so will need some top training sessions in the next 2 weeks. The TdS is the perfect training, he's missed that now. I still think Bernal will be better than Thomas in July. Wout Poels maybe too if he is in form. He was struggling a little last week in the CdD (if you can say staying with the top 10 up a mountian is struggling!), though again, they may have had that as a training race, getting ready for the big one.
Campsite booked in Guchen in the Pyrenees as per last year, planning to see stages 12 and 14. The last climb of 12 starts opposite the campsite and 14 is a mountain top finish on the Tourmalet. Managed to get some decent shots there last year.
Nice pic!!
Wout didnt look like he was struggling when he won the stage!!
No one expecting Nibali to claim the top step?
How many stages before Porte hits the deck?
Will Wout Van Aert win a stage?
Who's favourite for the sprints? Will Cav win one?
It would be nice to see one of the French riders finally get onto the top step.
No one expecting Nibali to claim the top step?
That would be dope!
Bernal would do it if they let him off the leash.
Everyone keen on the daily threads again? Happy to oblige if so.
No one mentioned Yates yet?
I reckon he might come good, after all we've seen he's capable of winning a grand tour and he was getting faster during the giro not slower
lunge
Subscriber
Everyone keen on the daily threads again? Happy to oblige if so.
Yes please! 😁
Wout didnt look like he was struggling when he won the stage!!
Different Wout's !
Different Wout’s !
Both Poels and Van Aert won stages. VA got 2 and Poels came 4th overall.
Yes please lunge they are a great addition!
Yes please for daily threads. I will start a mini-league if velogames are allowed to do seomthing
[strong]alanl[/strong] wrote:
Wout didnt look like he was struggling when he won the stage!!
Different Wout’s !
Both Wouts won stages
Thomas has been going as well as Froome in training apparently. He'll not lose form this next week or two provided he's fit to ride. Ineos's training is likely to be just as tough than TdS stages. It'll be the race craft and confidence that will be lacking.
Having said all that, there's far less TT distance than in recent years. I've for a sneaking feeling that Pinot might do well this year. Simon Yates did the Giro this year by the way. Adam is doing the Tour.
@lunge - definitely!
Think it will be good this year. Shame about the injuries to Froome and Dumoulin
If there's less TT and more hills maybe Bardet will finally make the step up.
Oh I thought Simon was doing the tour as well!
I've just caught up on Stage 1 of the Occitainie. Valverde, Uran and Dunbar looking impressive.
It's a shame Roglic isn't going to the TdF, he was clearly on the down slope of his form curve at the Giro but if he'd been pulled out a week early and rested he could have peaked again for the TdF and been favourite IMO.
Barring accidents I think Thomas has to be favourite, he didn't need the TdS for training so it won't affect his build up. Ineos are still strong, especially Bernal and Poels so he'll have plenty of help in the mountains. Hopefully Bernal will be allowed of the leash at some point (as long as it's not because Thomas has crashed out).
Fulsgang looks strong but maintaining that through the TdF is probably a stretch, not an Astana fan either (even though he's OK) so won't be rooting for him.
Quintana needs to show he's a genuine TdF contender again, hopefully he's in good enough form to at least launch some crazy attacks rather than just follow wheels (or a half-assed attack followed by getting dropped when the next acceleration happens)
Thomas has been going as well as Froome in training apparently. He’ll not lose form this next week or two provided he’s fit to ride. Ineos’s training is likely to be just as tough than TdS stages. It’ll be the race craft and confidence that will be lacking.
He - G - was on Bespoke, I think, saying that the main thing he'll miss from Suisse is the race familiarity and the sort of unpredictable surges and accelerations.
But Bernal could be a bit of a stealth second leader. Esp if GT is a little off the boil. Could be an interesting Tdf
I don't think there's much 'stealth' about it. He'll be the second protected rider and there's so much climbing in the race that he could take big chunks of time out of everybody on the high stuff. If you're a GC contender marking Thomas and Bernal goes off the front on a steep pass, what do you do?
Brailsford's quite capable to changing tack mid-race if it means a team win. Plus he seems really enthused by the youngsters, he was burbling incoherently about how exciting the Giro was for him for that reason.
it looks a really tough course this year, and one for the purer climbers too, one individual TT of only 21km with a climb in too, maybe with Roglic (sp? did you know he used to be a ski-jumper!?) isn't going?
I like the look of Fuglsang, great winner at Dauphine and some great results, loads of top four throughout the spring, he definitely seems to be on good form.
Adam Yates looked good to until he got sick, and may suit him quite well.
Going to be interesting watching all the little climbers trying to stay safe in the opening Belgian "classic" stages.
Not watching it this year.
Go on, I'll ask. Why not?
Quintana's a funny one - a few years ago there was talk of him being a contender to topple Froome but that Quintana never materialised. Whether it's Quintana himself or Movistar's tactics I'm not sure. Watching him on the big mountain stages he just seems to lack "race nous" (I'll admit he's far more than I'll ever have) compared to those around him. Unlike Sky/Ineos, Movistar don't seem to have got the two leaders system sorted out and seem to back the wrong horse on any particular stage.
The French: Not sure if Bardet is up to it, he didn't look that sharp at the Dauphiné but he could have been just keeping himself in reserve. I like Alaphilippe, very much in the old style of rider, but whether he can translate his classics form to the three weeks of Le Tour is another matter.
Thomas has been keeping under the radar a bit but given DB's usual attention to detail I've no doubt he'll be ready. As noted above crashing out of the TdS has meant less race conditioning - it's all very well putting the numbers out in training but those need to be applied to the dynamics on the road.
Podium prediction: Thomas, Fuglsang, Bardet (maybe)*.
*That's going to come back to haunt me isn't it? 😀
Podium prediction: Thomas, Quintana Fuglsang. Alaphillipe KOM, Sagan Green jersey
Assuming G does win (big assumption), surely it'll be a bit of a pyrrhic victory for him, given that his two main opponents, Froome and Dumoulin aren't in it?
Podium prediction:
Bernal
Bardet
Yates
Then:
Thomas
Quintana
AP Spotty
PS Green
EB White
Assuming G does win (big assumption), surely it’ll be a bit of a pyrrhic victory for him, given that his two main opponents, Froome and Dumoulin aren’t in it?
Do you have an asterix against Yates and Carapaz because froome couldn't be bothered with defending his Jersies ?
I'd love to see Thomas do it again but I just can't see it happening, Bernal is Ineos's best shot I think. Bardet is the same as Thomas, would love to see it but just can't see it happening at all. Not sure why but I just can't warm to either Yates so don't want to back that way either. Also fascinating to see no-one is mentioning Richie Porte...
So, Fulsang and Bernal on the podium but no idea who else, Quintana maybe?
Richie Porte pah TVG is where it's at go Tejay 😉
Tejay has never impressed - though this season he does seem a little better than previously, so I hope to be proved wrong, it would make for much better racing and I don't mind being wrong in this kind of case.
I like Richie Porte but he just didn't seem close in the Dauphine, same for Kruijswijk
I’ll place a bet that neither TJvG or Porte last after the first rest day 🤣💥
Bardet.. it could be his only opportunity to win a Tour, the course is harder in the mountains but his training has been focussed on just that over the last year (I follow him on insta)
I haven’t seen the CCC roster yet, but does anyone know if GvA is riding?? If so, he’s a distinct possibility FTW.
I haven’t seen the CCC roster yet, but does anyone know if GvA is riding?? If so, he’s a distinct possibility FTW
GvA for GC? Big call that is. Be interesting to see what Van Aert can do I think.
I haven’t seen the CCC roster yet, but does anyone know if GvA is riding?? If so, he’s a distinct possibility FTW
I believe he is - but not a GC contender surely?