2012 Speculation (and confirmation) thread - rider schedules and parcours

[theyoungest]

Prudhomme says they'll finish on a 2.5km ascend though... Don't know tbh.

http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/us/100/etape_par_etape.html

Velowire mentions a 2 km climb, max 14 %, and 600 m. at 8 %. In other words, rest assured: Philly boy will win, because that's slightly harder than the Mont des Alouettes.

 

[just some guy]

Did not know where this would fit so here will do

Punta Veleno or poisonous sting

To be used @ 2012 Giro del Trentino

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10542/Poisonous-climb-to-debut-at-2012-Giro-del-Trentino.aspx

 

[El Pistolero]

Velowire mentions a 2 km climb, max 14 %, and 600 m. at 8 %. In other words, rest assured: Philly boy will win, because that's slightly harder than the Mont des Alouettes.

I wasn't doubting that, just find it weird that he says on the Tour site where it will finish, but looking at street view I don't see anything decent there. Perhaps that's still the old finish, who knows.

 

[theyoungest]

I wasn't doubting that, just find it weird that he says on the Tour site where it will finish, but looking at street view I don't see anything decent there. Perhaps that's still the old finish, who knows.

Velowire also mentions the Glassworks, so the climb has to be somewhere close.

 

[just some guy]

Basso doing the Giro-Tour DBL

Not to win both but be strong in both. ie was asked if he could win both he said no, but I can be strong in both

So - ride the Giro to win and be the 2nd Turbo to Nibbles.

SS smashes the group apart gives over to Basso who drops all but the strongest, high speed less attacks better for Nibbles.

Happiest person in the group Evans

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Basso doing the Giro-Tour DBL

Not to win both but be strong in both. ie was asked if he could win both he said no, but I can be strong in both

So - ride the Giro to win and be the 2nd Turbo to Nibbles.

Or, ride the Giro to win and the Tour to finish as high as possible in the top 10, Nibali be damned.

 

[Ferminal]

Or, ride the Giro to win and the Tour to finish as high as possible in the top 10, Nibali be damned.

Yeh, I don't see the point in ruining any chance of a top10 just so Nibali can get fifth.

(don't think JSG suggested otherwise though).

 

[Parrulo]

Yeh, I don't see the point in ruining any chance of a top10 just so Nibali can get fifth.

(don't think JSG suggested otherwise though).

we still going at the nibali can't do better then fifth in the tour thing? *sigh*

on this route he can get second behind contador

 

[Greenflame]

we still going at the nibali can't do better then fifth in the tour thing? *sigh*

on this route he can get second behind contador

Highly unlikely. Evans, Wiggins and Menchov are much better time trialists than Nibali is, while climbing Evans and Menchov are better as well and Wiggins is perhaps slightly worse but comparable nonetheless. Then there's Sanchez, who's an equal time trialist to Nibali and a much better climber. One or two of those will probably fail in this Tour due to a lack of form or a crash (thinking of Menchov here), but it's highly unlikely that all four will. Nibali can do 4th or 5th, but to expect podium is not reasonable. Not impossible either, but very unlikely.

Having both Basso and Szmyd in support does help Nibali a lot of course. I wonder what Capecchi will aim for: Giro in support of Basso and then Vuelta for his own success? I'd like to see him try a GT for himself for a change.

 

[El Pistolero]

Highly unlikely. Evans, Wiggins and Menchov are much better time trialists than Nibali is, while climbing Evans and Menchov are better as well and Wiggins is perhaps slightly worse but comparable nonetheless. Then there's Sanchez, who's an equal time trialist to Nibali and a much better climber. One or two of those will probably fail in this Tour due to a lack of form or a crash (thinking of Menchov here), but it's highly unlikely that all four will. Nibali can do 4th or 5th, but to expect podium is not reasonable. Not impossible either, but very unlikely.

Having both Basso and Szmyd in support does help Nibali a lot of course. I wonder what Capecchi will aim for: Giro in support of Basso and then Vuelta for his own success? I'd like to see him try a GT for himself for a change.

No, he's better.

 

[The Hitch]

The positive for Nibali is that Liquigas is the best team in the world and he is the best descender in the world. So like in Vuelta this year they could get some team time on some stage if there are some breaks or something. Since its a Tour with not many opportunities its more likely, but since its the Tour, less likely.

Then theres the descent finish where he can get some time.

I can't see him hold off Menchov Evans or Sanchez in the tt. Obviously not Wiggins but he can get some time on him in the climbs if hes in good form.

Nibali on good form can be a great climber and if he brings that to the Tour Im not sure that even Evans will be able to drop him ( both a year older).

We remember the bad stuff like getting dropped on Zoncolan 10 Giau, Fedaia, Finnestre, La Frapnaga (or whatever) Angliru etc. But there is plenty of great stuff too like Verbier, Ventoux, Grappa, Kronplatz, Mortirolo, Zoncolan 11, Nvegal.

If the latter Nibali comes to the Tour, he could hold on to everyone (bar if he rides, Contador of course).

Its the tts where he could lose time to too many riders, which is ironic because in recent Gts weve seen tts as the places where he is to gain time.

Oh and no Nibali is not an equal time trialist to Sanchez, not yet anyway

 

[theyoungest]

we still going at the nibali can't do better then fifth in the tour thing? *sigh*

on this route he can get second behind contador

What? It's not Mosquera and Peter Velits he's going to be dealing with.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

not done stage 1 yet. Im working on it, but its a headache. Too many roads that the race might be going down, might not. Im about 20km in and ready to throw the laptop across the room.

welcome to belgium

 

[El Pistolero]

The positive for Nibali is that Liquigas is the best team in the world and he is the best descender in the world.

In what world?

Omega-Pharma-Quickstep probable Tour team:

Peter Velits, Levi Leipheimer, Sylvain Chavanel, Tony Martin, Jérôme Pineau, Kevin de Weert, Tom Boonen, Bert Grabsch

Radioshack-Nissan-Leotard-Bruyneel's minions

Andy Scheck, Frank Schleck, Andreas Klöden, Fabian Cancellara, Maxim Monfort, Jens Voigt, Jakob Fuglsang, Chris Horner, Haimar Zubeldia

Team Contador

As for Nibali being the best descender in the world: big fat lol

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

we still going at the nibali can't do better then fifth in the tour thing? *sigh*

on this route he can get second behind contador

whhahahahahahah

 

[Anonymous]

welcome to belgium

ive given up on stage 1 until there is a better source map to use. The one that appeared on the presentation was angled so its a nightmare to overlay on top of a map and where they use backroads its impossible to work out which ones.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The positive for Nibali is that Liquigas is the best team in the world and he is the best descender in the world. So like in Vuelta this year they could get some team time on some stage if there are some breaks or something. Since its a Tour with not many opportunities its more likely, but since its the Tour, less likely.

Then theres the descent finish where he can get some time.

I can't see him hold off Menchov Evans or Sanchez in the tt. Obviously not Wiggins but he can get some time on him in the climbs if hes in good form.

Nibali on good form can be a great climber and if he brings that to the Tour Im not sure that even Evans will be able to drop him ( both a year older).

We remember the bad stuff like getting dropped on Zoncolan 10 Giau, Fedaia, Finnestre, La Frapnaga (or whatever) Angliru etc. But there is plenty of great stuff too like Verbier, Ventoux, Grappa, Kronplatz, Mortirolo, Zoncolan 11, Nvegal.

If the latter Nibali comes to the Tour, he could hold on to everyone (bar if he rides, Contador of course).

Its the tts where he could lose time to too many riders, which is ironic because in recent Gts weve seen tts as the places where he is to gain time.

Oh and no Nibali is not an equal time trialist to Sanchez, not yet anyway

both are utter bs. nibali must be the most overrated downhiller I can think of. he took basicaly no time anywhere in this years giro he only took a ahndful seconds in vuelta by downhil and lost lombardia last year in downhil to gilbert

 

[theyoungest]

both are utter bs. nibali must be the most overrated downhiller I can think of. he took basicaly no time anywhere in this years giro he only took a ahndful seconds in vuelta by downhil and lost lombardia last year in downhil to gilbert

... and he won a Giro stage last year thanks to great descending. Which also resulted in a Giro podium.

 

[El Pistolero]

... and he won a Giro stage last year thanks to great descending. Which also resulted in a Giro podium.

Lol, he lost more time because of descends in 2010 than he gained

 

[theyoungest]

Lol, he lost more time because of descends in 2010 than he gained

In the Giro, you mean?

 

[trevim]

Well Nibali didn't win the Vuelta descending or TT-ing or climbing for that matter. In my view his greatest weapon is consistency, nothing else. That's where he can pull for a podium I believe.

 

[El Pistolero]

In the Giro, you mean?

Yes, don't mean the Vuelta or other races.

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, don't mean the Vuelta or other races.

And why? Because the next day he wasn't great on the Zoncolan?

Maybe that's because he's just not such a great climber.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

... and he won a Giro stage last year thanks to great descending. Which also resulted in a Giro podium.

that didn't get him a giro podium and he didn't take much time. reason he took girto podium was because I forgot which stage basso softpedaled to keep nibali on board while he was in huge trouble and would've lost minutes for sure also nibali got podium because of the ttt. scarponi owned his *** everywhere else

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Well Nibali didn't win the Vuelta descending or TT-ing or climbing for that matter. In my view his greatest weapon is consistency, nothing else. That's where he can pull for a podium I believe.

that's exactly it!! and his other weapon is he never truly breaks. he won't lose 10 minutes on a climb if he races in red. but still he's limited but in todays cycling has good results because he's not bad in anything but not exceptionally good either. his itt is also overrated here