2012 Tour de France - stage 3: Orchies - Boulogne-sur-Mer (197km)

[TatryTour2013]

Peter Velits

Peter Velits tested legs yesterday with 13th place and hopefully will go for 2nd place today. First place is reserved obviously ...

 

[Lance Armstrong]

My money's on Tourminator.

 

[Frosty]

Hoping we get a break like this one

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-2010/stage-12/results

(and no, i dont mean one where Evans loses time)

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Brajkovic...so quiet !

He don't have the punch to do very well today. We must just hope that he does not loose time

 

[jens_attacks]

Brajkovic...so quiet !

unfortunately that's one of those stages where he can crash out of the race god forbid

astana has other guys for this terrain like vino,kash,kiserlovski and iglinsky.an entire armada

it will be interesting to see if sky learned something from the stage 1 or they will fail yet again

 

[TDF2012]

Hoping we get a break like this one

It won't be won by the early breakaway today. The GC is to close at the moment and Radioshack will be the ones chasing it to keep the Yellow Jersey. It might be won by a rider breaking away in the final 30k but I am almost certain an early breakaway won't suceed here unless Radioshack decide to 'give up' the Jersey which would be odd. I still think Chavanel will relish this finish today and if he can ride with the same heart and determination he has shown in previous Tour De France's he can put at least 7 seconds between himself and Cancellara. The big question today is when is the perfect time to attack. That will decide who wins the Stage today.

The break aways will have their days once the GC table starts to really form and they hold no threat to the Yellow Jersey. Radioshack will want to keep this Jersey as long as they can, although I am hoping Chavanel ends their run.

 

[burning]

Oops I remembered that Giro stage very wrong, sorry for the post

 

[Frosty]

It won't be won by the early breakaway today. The GC is to close at the moment and Radioshack will be the ones chasing it to keep the Yellow Jersey. It might be won by a rider breaking away in the final 30k but I am almost certain an early breakaway won't suceed here unless Radioshack decide to 'give up' the Jersey which would be odd. I still think Chavanel will relish this finish today and if he can ride with the same heart and determination he has shown in previous Tour De France's he can put at least 7 seconds between himself and Cancellara. The big question today is when is the perfect time to attack. That will decide who wins the Stage today.

The break aways will have their days once the GC table starts to really form and they hold no threat to the Yellow Jersey. Radioshack will want to keep this Jersey as long as they can, although I am hoping Chavanel ends their run.

The breakaway i linked to was where a group of GC guys and puncheurs broke away on a climb just before the finish, it wasnt an early break. If a few people go off the front then you could find some of the GC guys trying to hitch a lift, and then others coming across to mark them. radioshack had the most in the main group on stage 1 so should put up a good chase but if they are tired from chasing the break then they may struggle if a good break goes. Cancellara may want to mark some people, like Chavanel, himself.

 

[taiwan]

Hoping we get a break like this one

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-2010/stage-12/results

(and no, i dont mean one where Evans loses time)

It won't be won by the early breakaway today. The GC is to close at the moment and Radioshack will be the ones chasing it to keep the Yellow Jersey. It might be won by a rider breaking away in the final 30k but I am almost certain an early breakaway won't suceed here unless Radioshack decide to 'give up' the Jersey which would be odd. I still think Chavanel will relish this finish today and if he can ride with the same heart and determination he has shown in previous Tour De France's he can put at least 7 seconds between himself and Cancellara. The big question today is when is the perfect time to attack. That will decide who wins the Stage today.

The break aways will have their days once the GC table starts to really form and they hold no threat to the Yellow Jersey. Radioshack will want to keep this Jersey as long as they can, although I am hoping Chavanel ends their run.

Oops I remembered that Giro stage very wrong, sorry for the post

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=17191

 

[TDF2012]

The breakaway i linked to was where a group of GC guys and puncheurs broke away on a climb just before the finish, it wasnt an early break. If a few people go off the front then you could find some of the GC guys trying to hitch a lift, and then others coming across to mark them. radioshack had the most in the main group on stage 1 so should put up a good chase but if they are tired from chasing the break then they may struggle if a good break goes. Cancellara may want to mark some people, like Chavanel, himself.

Didn't even see that link. Yes that type of attack could take this stage. I misread your post about wanting a breakaway win. Infact I don't think it was even your post I intended to reply to. Someone who posted earlier than you said about a Breakaway winning.

Hopefully that clears up the confusion.

 

[Hammerhed]

I don't get Green Edge's confidence in Goss for this stage, though their logic did strike a chord. However, if Goss can get up that final climb to the tape, then so can Cav, Greipel, Farrar, Rojas, and especially Freire. Sagan will be there, as will Chavanel, Valverde, and Gilbert. Some GC guys like Gesink, Sanchez, Evans, and Wiggo could have a try. I thought even Vinokourov might have a go. Certainly a few years ago Vino would have feasted on this stage.
Finally, I think Fabian Cancellara will rip the cranks off and fuse the seat stays on his new Domaine as he rockets up that little bump! He is motivated, and he is all that Radioshack has. Well, they do have Chris Horner and JENS!, but they can't even name their GC rider with a straight face...They are a freakin' disgraceful bunch, and Andy and Frank have so far proven every slanderous remark ever made about them to be true! They have acted like two spoiled, heartless (no cojones) punks. I'm sorry. Forgive me for the outburst.

 

[Steady]

Head2Head

Who will get the best place on today's stage?

Robert Kiserlovski or Daniel Martin

 

[BoxCoppi]

Head2Head

Who will get the best place on today's stage?

Robert Kiserlovski or Daniel Martin

Odds? I will give Martin an advantage here as I would suggest a top10 for him. He will probably just stay with 'the bunch' - whatever that is going to be. Kiserlovski might attack, but again, I would think Astana went for Iglinsky for such a stage instead.

tl;dr Martin > Kiserlovski if at even odds.

 

[karlboss]

700m at 7% is too long for any of the pure sprinters, if they even make it to the line. Best chances Sagan and EBH, should come down to some sort of reduced bunch sprint and they are the fastest 2. Sagan was good/lucky he got Cancellara's wheel stage 1, while EBH had to bridge, but i have a feeling this time EBH will be on Sagan's wheel and won't let him go anywhere.

Edvald for the win.

 

[barmaher]

For those looking for long shots, I have a sneaky feeling that Maxim Iglindky is going to be a factor.

He is strong, gets over hills well, and the finish will suit him.

Something tells me that EBH will beat Sagan if they duke it out at the finish.

Chavanel has form on these roads, and can probably be relied upon to attack half way up the penultimate climb.

I don't see Gilbert as being a factor. He showed signs of life on Sunday, but he is up against EBH, Sagan, Cancellara, etc. All of whom are smoking.

 

[Museeuw]

Odds? I will give Martin an advantage here as I would suggest a top10 for him. He will probably just stay with 'the bunch' - whatever that is going to be. Kiserlovski might attack, but again, I would think Astana went for Iglinsky for such a stage instead.

tl;dr Martin > Kiserlovski if at even odds.

I agree, but this depends on how good Hesjedal is today, becuse Martin have to look after Ryder. Martin is still likely to be better than Kiserlovski, I think.

Which booker has this H2H?

 

[Steady]

I agree, but this depends on how good Hesjedal is today, becuse Martin have to look after Ryder. Martin is still likely to be better than Kiserlovski, I think.

Which booker has this H2H?

Local one in Norway

 

[Sophistic]

either all the profiles are wrong or GreenEdge took the wrong route, there is a 2km flat before the final climb, how are they gonna hit it with 65kph?
the problem with this stage is not that the climbs are too easy but the descends, plenty of ground for the sky-train to rain in attacking puncheurs.
cant see anyone beating Sagan

 

[Panda Claws]

For those looking for long shots, I have a sneaky feeling that Maxim Iglindky is going to be a factor.

He is strong, gets over hills well, and the finish will suit him.

Something tells me that EBH will beat Sagan if they duke it out at the finish.

Chavanel has form on these roads, and can probably be relied upon to attack half way up the penultimate climb.

I don't see Gilbert as being a factor. He showed signs of life on Sunday, but he is up against EBH, Sagan, Cancellara, etc. All of whom are smoking.

That's a brave bet, after all Gilbert was not that far behind those 3 on a 4-5% hill.

This one is 7-8% if I recall correctly.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

That's a brave bet, after all Gilbert was not that far behind those 3 on a 4-5% hill.

This one is 7-8% if I recall correctly.

Gilbert's positioning cost him then, if he can be in the right place today he has to be a serious player.

 

[Museeuw]

Local one in Norway

Odds, please. Just curious.

 

[barmaher]

That's a brave bet, after all Gilbert was not that far behind those 3 on a 4-5% hill.

This one is 7-8% if I recall correctly.

Gilbert's positioning cost him then, if he can be in the right place today he has to be a serious player.

Maybe you're right. I just don't see him as second favourite in this. I prefer EBH, Sagan, Chavanel, etc.

 

[Steady]

Odds, please. Just curious.

evens at 1.90

 

[BoxCoppi]

evens at 1.90

The overlay on cycling odds is ridiculous

Luckily the bookies make mistakes once in a while. I heard you could get Sagan for 10:1 at Paddy for today's stage for a few hours yesterday

 

[DominicDecoco]

Sagan at 1.50.

I know he's a favorite for the stage but we still have about 200 riders that could potentially win. Ridiculous odds.