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

[Vino attacks everyone]

Does have good form again? He might have a shot at this stage.

Edit: jens_attacks beat me to it

He is also called "the awesome one" just so you know

 

[happytramp]

what are you top 15?

I am thinking:
sagan,
gilbert
EBH
valverde
gerrans
cancellara
chavanel
mollema
nibali
evans
albasini
JVDB
vandendert
gesink
hesjedal

What do you guys think?

Looks good but there's 0% chance of Dan Martin not being in the top 15. Despite being specifically told to stay out of sprint and starting the climb 50+ places back he still managed a respectable 8th yesterday.

 

[FF'Wilco]

Did you see that Tirreno stage he won? That climb was much steeper than this one.

One thing in favour of your argument could be that it seemed like Sagan couldn't follow Chavanel up the steepest part of the climb yesterday. But maybe he didn't think that move would stick.

Yes, that climb was steeper but he opponents wasnt as good as those in TdF and the finish line was on false flat more than a kilometre later. Tommorow is harder than Cauberg and Sagan was empty and Cauberg's finish.

 

[Parrulo]

Sagan, EBH, etc obvious... what about the darkhorses?

Rui Costa, Ryder, Dan Martin, Mollema, etc? Or is the climb not steep enough for these guys.

he was sick after suisse, so according to himself he is going to use the first days of the tour to regain his shape.

he didn't start the best way possible as he was one of the movistars that fell on stage 1 tho

i expect to see him in the break on tougher medium mountain stages later in the race

 

[Catwhoorg]

Same top 3 as Stage 1.

Not sure as to the order of them though.

 

[rghysens]

Yes, that climb was steeper but he opponents wasnt as good as those in TdF and the finish line was on false flat more than a kilometre later. Tommorow is harder than Cauberg and Sagan was empty and Cauberg's finish.

But that was after 250km and 30 hills. Tomorrow it's 197km and 6 hills.

 

[Raceoftruth]

Any possibility for scarponi?

 

[LaFleur]

Even Taaramäe (even him because he seems to be quite good in not losing any time on the first stages) seems a bit scared of losing seconds tomorrow, so I would fully expect some GC favourites to dissapoint tomorrow.

 

[Netserk]

Chava and Canc to use theirs advantage on the flat with an attack on the top of the penultimate climb!
Though a Nibbles+Sagan downhill attack would be awesome too!

 

[maltiv]

I don't think this finish suits EBH very well. He's not particularly good at sprinting uphill, he's best when there's a tough climb followed by some flat before the finish. I doubt he has the punch to be able to keep up with Sagan and Gilbert here. Perhaps he'll try to do something earlier instead.

Also, it might be wise to stay alert on the wheel of Cancellara for anyone wanting a potential free victory.

 

[Christophe]

This is one stage for the smart GC riders to pay attention. It's not going to be huge time gaps, but I bet somebody will be caught out.

Sky to be neutralized by the terrain and punchy field, Evans to pull even with Wiggo.

 

[taiwan]

OP is incorrect. It's Tour de Sagan Stage 2

 

[Panda Claws]

I foresee a devastating combo from Gilbert and Evans, perhaps not to win the stage but certainly to gain time on the GC.

 

[Netserk]

I foresee a devastating combo from Gilbert and Evans, perhaps not to win the stage but certainly to gain time on the GC.

That would be great! But I fear they will wait untill the last climb, and only getting 2-5 seconds on Wiggins

 

[taiwan]

Isn't there the possibility of an anti-climactic breakaway win?

 

[Panda Claws]

Isn't there the possibility of an anti-climactic breakaway win?

I hate those.

But Radioshack will chase, Sky and BMC perhaps too, Lotto and Omega always chase.

 

[Trofinios]

I don't think this finish suits EBH very well. He's not particularly good at sprinting uphill, he's best when there's a tough climb followed by some flat before the finish. I doubt he has the punch to be able to keep up with Sagan and Gilbert here. Perhaps he'll try to do something earlier instead.

Also, it might be wise to stay alert on the wheel of Cancellara for anyone wanting a potential free victory.

I was thinking the same about EBH and that's why I don't regard him as one of the top favorites tomorrow. In Dauphine he was superstrong in the last stage that finished uphill and finished 4th, but you could see there that he couldn't really sprint when it was 7-8% (He could of course just have been too tired to do a good sprint.). Btw, I wouldn't be totally surprised if EBH tried a Cancellara type of attack, just powering up the 700m climb.

 

[Trofinios]

Isn't there the possibility of an anti-climactic breakaway win?

RSNT need all the good publicity they can get. So defending yellow will be important, and after stage 3 there are a couple of easier sprint stages where they can get some help from other teams. But sure, there is always a possibility

 

[saganftw]

after sunday everyone will watch cancellara,so i think some unexpected guy can jump away and win by couple of seconds because favourites will watch each other...if noone attacks,sagan to win sprint finish

 

[Poursuivant]

What chance of an attack on an earlier climb? Would, say, evans chance his arm or is it too much of an effort?

 

[RedheadDane]

He has said that he would prbably go for KOM if he got the shape

Okay, he can play too...

Why not? With a new sponsor in tow, and a difficulty in securing funding over the last couple of years, why wouldn't Riis want a man hogging the cameras on a lovely jersey in the break?

Maybe would simply be a matter of needing to survive all the way to Paris...
After all; you can't go in the breakaways everyday. Unless he's going for the Ultimate Fighter Prize.

 

[ferryman]

Surely some GC action tomorrow My ideal would be a Nibs/Samu combo over the top of the Cote Lambert and screaming down into Boulogne with all hell let loose behind them

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't write off Wiggins to pull a rabbit from the bag and attack at the bottom of the final ramp. Just as a wee show of strength.

Sky are unbeatable!

 

[ferryman]

I wouldn't write off Wiggins to pull a rabbit from the bag and attack at the bottom of the final ramp. Just as a wee show of strength.

Sky are unbeatable!

On paper it is not a stage or finish that suits him so I would be surprised if he gets the win. Wouldn't surprise me though if he limits his losses to a minimum.

 

[The Hitch]

Will he prevail once again, or will the likes of Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert or Peter Sagan snatch the stage victory?
Can riders like Evans or Nibali take a bit of time on Wiggins, can Menchov hold his own in a hectic final, will Cancellara retain the yellow jersey?

Dude, with an OP you are supposed to be helping me find the right pick for fantasy games, not, making me ask more questions