I am stunned Uran is not in the Sky lineup, I had it in my head they could go 1st & 2nd maybe even 3rd too but I dont think Porte is quite that good.

I’m hoping for a Froome GC win and Cav in green, I think it’ll be really close between Cav and Sagan though. Some breakaway stage wins for Voeckler would add to the fun too.

Shame no Uran, that would be a killer line-out in the mountains. Guardian article says he is leaving Sky shortly 🙁

As long as its not a sky fest like last year I don’t care who wins. I just love the spectacle

Anyone but Sky. Contador, Evans…

Anyone but Sky. Contador, Evans…

You’d rather support an unrepentant drugs cheat than Sky?

40mpg – Member
Shame no Uran, that would be a killer line-out in the mountains. Guardian article says he is leaving Sky shortly

I presume they’re keeping Uran back to support Henao in the Veulta if he is leaving or to have a crack at it himself if he isn’t.

You’d rather support an unrepentant drugs cheat than Sky?

God yeah. I watch it for the spectacle, not for any moral lesson. (And if it morals were involved, I’m not sure an organisation funded by Murdoch would be a great place to start…)

Before this descends into another drugs bicker-fest can we just all agree that every team at the tour de france has either got riders who’ve been doping cheats or have/had staff on their payroll who’ve been linked to it (yes including Sky)

The Froome / Contador / Evans battle will be interesting as old scrotum face Evans looked like he could be building into good form for the tour and might sneak second if contador doesn’t get the form he’s been trying to get all season.
Quintana is fast becoming one of my favourite riders (alongside Betancur) and i would much rather he got given the nod ahead of valverde by movistar, but the lad is only 23 so he’s got time yet

As stated above the Sagan vs Cav fight for green should be epic. Don’t discount Gripel for a few stage wins as well as the spoiler

Flying the flag, Froome for the win.

Purito as an outsider for the podium.

BBC doing their best with gutter journo misquoting Froome to keep thing stirred up.
Froome’s first sentence is ‘ it’s not a relief’. Headline from BBC ‘ Froome says its a relief.
Idiots
Anyway, here is a link to the interview:
Froome interview

Only interested in one thing really

Classy

Do you think the podium girl was annoyed because he could pinch more than a inch?

I know it’s old but it appears tongue-in-cheek to me. Or should that be hand-on-cheek?

Looking forward to playing the fantasy leagues.

Trying to get the best result everyday.

But for the real thing…

Hope to see a Sagan wheelie, Cav launching, Jens off the front, Roche to attack too early, lots of suffering, a crash… but for no one to be really hurt… and they all get on thier bikes and get on with it…. successful break aways… some french lovies by the road side… mad hollandish/norg fans… Gary Imlachs excellent anchoring, Boardman intelligent insight and finally that nice achordion music in the credits.

Just realsied we are staying where Stage 10 ends, and close by to stage 11.

Happy days.. 8)

Oh I forgot one…

Realman’s excellent daily preview posts 😀

Sky will be dominant, if not all conquering so you might as well just accept it.

Glad Ian Stannard is in, you would have to pick him just in case there is a bar fight at night.

I usually only watch Le Tour, last year the tour then Vuelta, this year I have watched every race I can, just can’t get enough.

I don’t even have a road bike, unless you count a Raleigh Pursuit on permanent loan to my nephew (I think he has actually lost it but afraid to tell me)

Having a nightmare of a time trying to make my team selection, pretty much changing my team every two days or so, and afaik the start sheet hasn’t even been officially released yet..

OK team done but messing with the squad as there seems no way to include both sagan and Cav without sacrificing everything else

@jamie yep the dark navy one, its really nice in reality the picture doesn’t do it justice tbh.

Starting a bit of a rapha collection for biking, there urban stuff is great for mtb’ing, might even splash out and get a proper roadie top as some point.

I’m looking forward to being road side for stages 19 and 20. Hopefully I will be cheering Froome in yellow and Cav in green up to Semonz.

As this years race starts with a road stage and not the usual prologue I hope Cav wins and gets the first yellow jersey plus wins the final stage in Paris to make it 5 in a row and with this year it being run under floodlights should be great to watch .
Sagan will win the green jersey as he is just to good a all rounder and will win points on to many stages for Cav to beat him.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stw-loser-league

Just a few days left to get your teams in.

I’m in (with both Sagan and Cav), but what’s with Garmin not declaring it’s line up yet?

I’m in, with Purito FTW. And no bloody Froome.

I’m in, with Purito FTW. And no bloody Froome.

I’ve actually got purito in my loser team…

K’ford Velo signing in…

The patriotic part of me wants Sky to do very well. But the cycling fan part of me sort of fears it could be a dull Tour if Froome does totally dominate. Hard to see just now where any real opposition will come from unless Bertie is holding something back. One possible thing I can see happening is a Spanish alliance with Bertie, Purito and Valverde pooling their resources to match Sky in the mountains.

I was surprised too at Uran not being in the squad, but have been hearing rumours for a while that he is on the way out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_W4xE7_7TI

Been a while since I’ve seen this man on form.

Good advert.

Look out for Dan Martin, he has real possibilities to do something.

He is as Irish as Froome is British.

I’ve actually got purito in my loser team…

Don’t actually expect him to win, but still it would be nice to see the underdog have his day.

We’re in and Froome will be breathing a huge sigh of relief. 😯

Not long to go now…

+1 for Realman’s daily Stage threads, a top effort last year and they became “official” enough that all those interested posted in one place which kept the debates and enthusiasm going. What forums are for IMHO.

Really looking forward to it this year, glad Wiggo is out and hoping Froome shows the attacking style he’s promised, and other team’s have risen to the challenge of tackling the Sky machine.

I hope Cav wins and gets the first yellow jersey

just as last years course seemed tailor-made for Wiggins, I think starting this years with a sprinter-friendly stage rather than a prologue TT was deliberately planned with the idea of seeing Cav in yellow.

just as last years course seemed tailor-made for Wiggins, I think starting this years with a sprinter-friendly stage rather than a prologue TT was deliberately planned with the idea of seeing Cav https://vine.co/v/hz0HKhQuWxX in yellow.

And finally the start sheet is out…

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/start-list

Interesting team from Garmin – leaving out their sprinter to bring along climbers.

After what Martin and Hesjedal did at Liége I’m hoping for more excitement from them (Pandas would be a bonus).

BETTING

Rather than start another thread…who’s your money on?

I’m less interested in the outright win / first stage win and similar, because the odds are predictably short, currently at 4/5 and 10/11 for Froome & Cavendish respectively.

Where are the tempting bets with reasonable odds…who do you like?

I’m getting a 403 error on the velogames site. Anything I can do to fix that? Needs to be quick, too! 😉