2012 Tour de France; Stage 1: Liège → Seraing (198km)

[UlleGigo]

Pity the climb isn't a little steeper to get rid of the GC pretenders (Wiggins).

 

[Fidolix]

It´s a more tricky finish than most think, they go from a wide main road into a sharp narrow corner just 7k from the finish, and here it could very well end up with crashes.

I think some of the GC guys will lose time today, course this finish is not at all as easy as you think.

Ftw I have the obvious - Sagan, EBH, Gilbert and I add Cancellara to that bunch, maybe Albasini he looks to be in great shape.

 

[UlleGigo]

It should be interesting to see how Gilbert goes today. He looked strong yesterday and perhaps his disappointing season (by his standards) will be turned around in the next few weeks.

 

[the asian]

Even though I'd like to see Gilbert win, I feel the finish is not tough enough to drop guys like Goss. He's the favourite for me along with EBH and Sagan.
This stage is for a sprinters who can get over a hill rather than the true puncheurs.

 

[the asian]

Hi guys!
It was nice Tour de France day today, but now the
"real" action starts.

So I'm playing Tour de France fantasy game where I have to pick:
1 time trial specialist
2 climbers
3 water carriers
2 sprinters
2 captains
2 youth riders

These shall be picked with a limited budget. For each stage.

I have picked these now:

Luis Leon Sanchez
Astarloza and J.Vanendert
Gerrans,Albasini,Chavanel
Sagan and Gilbert
S.Sanchez and Valverde
Gallopin and EBH

My question is how many of these have a good/very good chance of getting in Top 10 tomoro? And I'm unsure of my pick Chavanel, should he be replaced by this guy: Vinokourov


I appreciate your help very much

Other than Astraloza and perhaps Samu, coz he's in bad shape, all others have a very good chance of getting in the top 10.
Is Gilbert included as a sprinter?? If gerrans and Chava are included as water Carriers he'll have to be included as a water carrier too.

 

[dlwssonic]

Me too I thought the belgian organisers would have put in a slightly harder hill top finish if they really wanted Gilbert to win.

 

[dlwssonic]

Is seraing around the same difficulty as the Mont des Alouettes or much easier???

 

[ILOVEMTB]

I think this will be a stage for Goss, EBH or Sagan with Freire as a longshot. I dont think it will be hard enough for the likes of Evans, Phil, Valverde or Vino, stage 3 is better for them!

 

[jflemaire]

Is seraing around the same difficulty as the Mont des Alouettes or much easier???

I know this road pretty well and the final couple of hundred meters are more like false flat. So, much easier than Mont des Alouettes. I know in the immediate surroundings of a few much harder climbs. But, well, you know. This is the TdF. It has to be somewhat boring...

 

[dlwssonic]

The hill might be made hard like in the first stage of last year. The hill was not particulary hard but it was the first week of the tour and thus everyone was fighting for positions. Riders like Gilbert and evans were able to ride away from the bunch.

 

[dlwssonic]

I know this road pretty well and the final couple of hundred meters are more like false flat. So, much easier than Mont des Alouettes. I know in the immediate surroundings of a few much harder climbs. But, well, you know. This is the TdF. It has to be somewhat boring...

Thanks. Well it will more likely be a sprint then, but if the peloton charge in at the bottom of the climb it might be very different.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I had a look at the finale and it is disappointing that they finished the stage with a false flat at the initial part of the climb from 3 to 1km to go has some difficult steep sections and also some cobbled parts of the climb.

 

[rghysens]

Vino and Chavanel 1-2. Vino takes the stage, Chava in yellow

Can't see Chavanel take 7 seconds on Cancellara today.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Maybe Gilbert and evans will attack on that hard penultimate hill and work together towards the finish. Unlikely, but that would be awesome to watch.
They could also gain help from riders like valverde.

Don't get me too excited, dlwssonic! I am already frothing at the mouth at the prospect of Evans and Gilbert crushing the field today and on stage 3.

Btw, what will make the finale descisive is the narrow roads! Good for the attackers and stronger riders.

 

[dlwssonic]

Don't get me too excited, dlwssonic! I am already frothing at the mouth at the prospect of Evans and Gilbert crushing the field today and on stage 3.

Btw, what will make the finale descisive is the narrow roads! Good for the attackers and stronger riders.

Yes yes me too! Really excited to see some action from them in stage 1 and 3.

The narrow roads will really help the attackers today. So it might not certainly be a sprint.
BMC will do a good job of positioning gilbert and evans well for seraing.
I won't be surprised if gilbert wins it from a sprint too although I rather see him attack.
Still EBH and Sagan are bigger favourites for me but Gilbert is very motivated and said his legs feel like how they were in the classics last year.
I hope he actually means it.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Yes yes me too! Really excited to see some action from them in stage 1 and 3.

The narrow roads will really help the attackers today. So it might not certainly be a sprint.
BMC will do a good job of positioning gilbert and evans well for seraing.
I won't be surprised if gilbert wins it from a sprint too although I rather see him attack.
Still EBH and Sagan are bigger favourites for me but Gilbert is very motivated and said his legs feel like how they were in the classics last year.
I hope he actually means it.

I think Cadel has implied that the team and maybe he will do something in today's stage.

On Sunday the peloton will tackle a mini-edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège in a stage that finishes on a slightly uphill finish in Seraing, a town in the heavily industrial area southwest of Liège. Due to his time loss on Wiggins the Australian might opt to make a first effort to gain some seconds back on the Sky-rider but Evans stated that the outcome of the prologue didn't do much to the team's original plans.

"It doesn't change much. We're a bit away from the yellow so we're a bit calmer in that regard. We'll take the stage like we would anyway. Of course we'll do what we came for, whether that's for time or the result in the stage. We go in with the same mentality," Evans said.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-concedes-10-seconds-to-wiggins-in-tour-de-france-prologue

I would imagine that they will do a bit of chasing in the final 100km with guys like Burghardt and Quinziato.

 

[Cimber]

Gerrans or Goss maybe?

 

[greenedge]

I think BMC will look to win the stage with either Gilbert and Evans. On paper they are definitely capable of winning but there are other riders- namely Sagan who can also go well.

I know Sagan could win it for Liquigas but i expect to see Nibali feature as well/ like he has at T-A, M-SR and LBL.
It will also be interesting to see JVDB and Vanendert/ Hesjedal and Martin/ Gerrans and Albasini/ Costa and Valverde. Odd how each contender seems to be on a team with another contender.

 

[dlwssonic]

I think Cadel has implied that the team and maybe he will do something in today's stage.



http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-concedes-10-seconds-to-wiggins-in-tour-de-france-prologue

I would imagine that they will do a bit of chasing in the final 100km with guys like Burghardt and Quinziato.

But I'm pretty sure BMC will be working for Gilbert today as Gilbert said. Maybe evans will help gilbert today and for the rest of the tour gilbert will be working for evans.

I think they might do some chasing but I hope they don't do it too excessively , they need the men in the final. I'm sure SKY, RSNT and Liquigas will help out in the chase.

 

[ILOVEMTB]

If a breakaway takes the stage could anyone see BMC or Liquigas still pushing vey hard to try & break up the field to maybe gain some time on Wiggins or will the pelaton roll in together not to fussed?

 

[dlwssonic]

If a breakaway takes the stage could anyone see BMC or Liquigas still pushing vey hard to try & break up the field to maybe gain some time on Wiggins or will the pelaton roll in together not to fussed?

The breakaway will NEVER take the stage today.
RSNT are not going to give up the yellow jersey just like that.

 

[greenedge]

They could send Voigt in the break.

 

[the asian]

Don't think Breakaway will stay until the end. There are a lot of riders with a shot at winning this, and don't think BMC, RSNT, Liguigas, SKy will allow that.

 

[dlwssonic]

This stage is really important for Gilbert today.
If he shows something, this year is back on track for him.
If he does not he still has lots of work to do.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Boulting was saying that Evans' 10s loss to Wiggins in the Prologue is significant and then said TJVG is a threat to Evans' leadership within the team after today's Prologue...:rolleyes