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

[theyoungest]

Don't give me that BS! You seriously think that putting all their top stage racers to compete at the tour is smart? Winning the giro or vuelta would be very big for Rabobank. Considering that Gesink, Mollema and Kruiswijk aren't at least renowned time triallists it is questionable to send one of them to the tour let alone all of them

Actually, yes I think it's smart. This year they had one leader, who crashed in stage 5, and their Tour de France went down the toilet. If you enter the race with three guys, surely one of them will still be alive and kicking after the first week.

Unless you're RadioShack.

 

[Ferminal]

So Rabobank are putting all their eggs into tdf basket? What are they thinking?

How is Renshaw going to win without a train.

 

[just some guy]

Alright, so just done a mini-project. Contenders/Pretenders for GC in the Tours, any glaring omissions I've made? Please note some were shuffled to another GT because of having to put somewhere.

bmc - Giro -

Vuelta - Evans maybe although I recon he will head to the US My predictions on him so far have been off.

 

[theyoungest]

How is Renshaw going to win without a train.

A sprint train? It's Rabobank we're talking about here, hellooo.

 

[Tuarts]

Wilco is not going to ride any GTs though. The guy is just 20. *edit* I just noticed that he's on for all three of them, okay okay, I get the joke.

Slagter is their main man for the Giro, I guess. Maybe a guy like Ten Dam or Garate as well.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

With one of these guys, plus Barredo and Luis Leon, there's more than enough climbing support. You can't start the Tour with only climbers plus Renshaw.


That the Tour is the only race which matters in Holland? Which is the case.

**** me, I forgot about Renshaw. Horrible signing.

Matthews will probably be selected also, which doesn't bode well for Ten Dam and his obsession with the Tour.

Gesink
Kruijswijk
Mollema
Sanchez
Barredo
Renshaw
Matthews
Niermann
Tjallingii or Boom

something like that, I guess?

 

[Tuarts]

bmc - Giro -

Vuelta - Evans maybe although I recon he will head to the US My predictions on him so far have been off.

Of course, that's one glaring omission.

 

[theyoungest]

**** me, I forgot about Renshaw. Horrible signing.

Matthews will probably be selected also, which doesn't bode well for Ten Dam and his obsession with the Tour.

Gesink
Kruijswijk
Mollema
Sanchez
Barredo
Renshaw
Matthews
Niermann
Tjallingii or Boom

something like that, I guess?

There's very little chance that Matthews will be selected for the Tour, Rabobank never lets a rider make his GT début in the TDF. I don't know what Renshaw will be doing there either, but apparently he's been more or less guaranteed a Tour selection.

Gesink
Kruijswijk
Mollema
Sanchez
Barredo
Garate
Breschel
Boom
Renshaw

 

[Ferminal]

A sprint train?

I never expected such a thing.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Gesink
Kruijswijk
Mollema
Sanchez
Barredo
Garate
Breschel
Boom
Renshaw

That can't be right, either....... Niermann is a near certainty. It is well known that Gesink needs his moral support and has demanded his selection in recent Tours.

 

[El Pistolero]

There's very little chance that Matthews will be selected for the Tour, Rabobank never lets a rider make his GT début in the TDF. I don't know what Renshaw will be doing there either, but apparently he's been more or less guaranteed a Tour selection.

Gesink
Kruijswijk
Mollema
Sanchez
Barredo
Garate
Breschel
Boom
Renshaw

Talk about throwing all your eggs in one basket. And with the amount of TT km I doubt anyone will even top 10. Especially since Gesink had a nasty injury.

 

[theyoungest]

That can't be right, either....... Niermann is a near certainty. It is well known that Gesink needs his moral support and has demanded his selection in recent Tours.

That's back when Gesink was king

Talk about throwing all your eggs in one basket. And with the amount of TT km I doubt anyone will even top 10. Especially since Gesink had a nasty injury.

The Tour Pantani won, and the one Rasmussen was almost going to win, both had more TT kilometers. Just because in recent years it has been a little less, doesn't mean that climbers have no chance of making the top-10 anymore.

They can't win, but they can't win a 100% climbing Tour either.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Alright, so just done a mini-project. Contenders/Pretenders for GC in the Tours, any glaring omissions I've made? Please note some were shuffled to another GT because of having to put somewhere.

I seriously hope this is a joke, Tuarts. It is pretty obvious that was a clear attempt to troll. Nice try.

 

[El Pistolero]

That's back when Gesink was king


The Tour Pantani won, and the one Rasmussen was almost going to win, both had more TT kilometers. Just because in recent years it has been a little less, doesn't mean that climbers have no chance of making the top-10 anymore.

They can't win, but they can't win a 100% climbing Tour either.

Did you see a Pantani or Rasmussen type of cyclist in that list?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

That's back when Gesink was king

He still is.... kind of. They don't have anyone better than him at this point. Kruijswijk has lots of potential, but only got 9th at the Giro, hardly an earth shattering performance. I don't see Mollema as a future Tour contender. He sucked worse than Wiggins on the Angliru, but does excel at less demanding climbs and in less demanding stages. Sanchez is past it and was never a real GT contender to begin with.

 

[theyoungest]

He still is.... kind of. They don't have anyone better than him at this point. Kruijswijk has lots of potential, but only got 9th at the Giro, hardly an earth shattering performance. I don't see Mollema as a future Tour contender. He sucked worse than Wiggins on the Angliru, but does excel at less demanding climbs and in less demanding stages. Sanchez is past it and was never a real GT contender to begin with.

I have no idea about either of them... Kruijswijk was only a 2nd year pro this year, and with a bit more conservative riding (instead of going in the breakaway in a medium mountain stage) could definitely have finished higher than 9th. Mollema is a relatively inexperienced guy, and don't underestimate the effect of mono on an endurance athlete. I think there's a lot of room for growth.

Sanchez is not past it, just overrated.

 

[Christian]

Andy Schleck to start season in Oman instead of Mallorca and to race Paris-Nice instead of Tirreno-Adriatico

http://www.tageblatt.lu/sport/story/Erste-gemeinsame-Trainingskilometer-21381440

 

[just some guy]

Andy Schleck to start season in Oman instead of Mallorca and to race Paris-Nice instead of Tirreno-Adriatico

http://www.tageblatt.lu/sport/story/Erste-gemeinsame-Trainingskilometer-21381440

So the games begin....

No I will not race against my nearest rivals Evans and Contador before the TDF.

I hope it really windy in Oman be funny seeing his skinny A$$ being blown off the roads.

 

[Parrulo]

Andy Schleck to start season in Oman instead of Mallorca and to race Paris-Nice instead of Tirreno-Adriatico

http://www.tageblatt.lu/sport/story/Erste-gemeinsame-Trainingskilometer-21381440

so seems like the hog managed to completely change andy's schedule, P-N instead of T-A, dauphine instead of swiss . . . whats next? not racing the ardennes to be in top form for the ToC?

 

[just some guy]

I predicting a wet P-R

God I hope I am correct - watched highlights of 2001 yesterday

 

[The Hitch]

Alright, so just done a mini-project. Contenders/Pretenders for GC in the Tours, any glaring omissions I've made? Please note some were shuffled to another GT because of having to put somewhere.

Nicely done sir.

Great work. Very helpful.

 

[learn to ride]

I thought Froom would be a contender on Tour or Vuelta for Sky.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Who's going to do the Giro/Vuelta for Rabo? Also, what's going to happen with Gesink?

end of 2012 retires

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Alright, so just done a mini-project. Contenders/Pretenders for GC in the Tours, any glaring omissions I've made? Please note some were shuffled to another GT because of having to put somewhere.

uran is going to do tour and vuelta and no giro

 

[Anonymous]

Alright, so just done a mini-project. Contenders/Pretenders for GC in the Tours, any glaring omissions I've made? Please note some were shuffled to another GT because of having to put somewhere.

not at all sure about the sky ones. Sivtsov vuelta? Heneo Tour? Uran Giro?

Sivtsov is almost certainly doing the giro, along with thomas, cavendish, dowsett, appo, and proabably eisel and lofkvist.