2016 Tour de France, Info & Discussion

[Alexandre B.]

https://twitter.com/SkySportsLia/status/745581028316676096
C Froome, Sergio Henao, Vasil Kiriyenka, Mikel Landa, Mikel Nieve, Wout Poels, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Geraint Thomas named as TDF team.

Kwiatkowski :surprised:

 

[MatParker117]

Froome
Henao
Kiryienka
Landa
Nieve
Poels
Rowe
Stannard
Thomas

Sky's team, they could put most of that in the top 30 and four in the top 15.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Yes, it'll be the Martin/Alaphillipe Fleche double act. Vakoc isn't likely to get to do anything other than try to set them up, unfortunately.

The only not completely obvious thing about Etixx's plans is if either Martin or Alaphillipe will try for GC. Or if they will only be trying to add even more stages to the inevitable Kittel haul.

It's likely that Dan Martin will go for GC. Can't see Balaphilippe trying for the white jersey with bardet barguil and co turning up

I don't think Bardet is still eligible as he is from 1990.

 

[MatParker117]

Re:

https://twitter.com/SkySportsLia/status/745581028316676096
C Froome, Sergio Henao, Vasil Kiriyenka, Mikel Landa, Mikel Nieve, Wout Poels, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Geraint Thomas named as TDF team.

Kwiatkowski :surprised:

Had a lung infection at the Dauphine, makes sense to get healthy and prep for the Vuelta.

 

[sir fly]

Re:

https://twitter.com/SkySportsLia/status/745581028316676096
C Froome, Sergio Henao, Vasil Kiriyenka, Mikel Landa, Mikel Nieve, Wout Poels, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Geraint Thomas named as TDF team.

Kwiatkowski :surprised:

Probable health issues. And form goes hand in hand with the health.
Really suffered in the Dauphine.

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Froome
Henao
Kiryienka
Landa
Nieve
Poels
Rowe
Stannard
Thomas

Sky's team, they could put most of that in the top 30 and four in the top 15.

Crazy strong, unfortunately.
Kirienka to win the TT

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

Froome
Henao
Kiryienka
Landa
Nieve
Poels
Rowe
Stannard
Thomas

Sky's team, they could put most of that in the top 30 and four in the top 15.

Crazy strong, unfortunately.
Kirienka to win the TT

The one to Megève.

 

[GP Blanco]

Team Lotto Jumbo:
George Bennett
Dylan Groenewegen
Wilco Kelderman
Bert-Jan Lindemen
Paul Martens
Timo Roosen
Sep Vanmarcke
Robert Wagner
Maarten Wynants

Kelderman and a train around Groenewegen. No Gesink. Their goal is to win a stage.

 

[Hakkapelit]

LottoNL seems weak compared to last year, didn't they have a pretty stuffed roster then.

About Astana, makes more sense to take Kangert, he is a proper dom instead of Fugl who i somehow doubt is capable of riding fully in service of another for now.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Yes, it'll be the Martin/Alaphillipe Fleche double act. Vakoc isn't likely to get to do anything other than try to set them up, unfortunately.

The only not completely obvious thing about Etixx's plans is if either Martin or Alaphillipe will try for GC. Or if they will only be trying to add even more stages to the inevitable Kittel haul.

It's likely that Dan Martin will go for GC. Can't see Balaphilippe trying for the white jersey with bardet barguil and co turning up

I think Martin is an outside bet for the podium if he rides a clever race, letting the big guns go when it is too much and limiting his losses while the likes of Pinot, Contador and Aru try to follow and blow up. TTs look reasonable for him as well, especially as there should be a big improvement in them since moving to Etixx.

 

[damian13ster]

Re: Re:

https://twitter.com/SkySportsLia/status/745581028316676096
C Froome, Sergio Henao, Vasil Kiriyenka, Mikel Landa, Mikel Nieve, Wout Poels, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Geraint Thomas named as TDF team.

Kwiatkowski :surprised:

Had a lung infection at the Dauphine, makes sense to get healthy and prep for the Vuelta.

I think this is very good decision. Hopefully now he gets healthy, maybe rides TdP and gets ready for Rio. If he is back to full strength he might surprise there

 

[ciranda]

Re:

LottoNL seems weak compared to last year, didn't they have a pretty stuffed roster then.

About Astana, makes more sense to take Kangert, he is a proper dom instead of Fugl who i somehow doubt is capable of riding fully in service of another for now.

Kangert is brillant support, the best in the world, but the idea some people have that Fuglsang isn't is strange. Last year's TDF, first week all the time next to Nibali, first mountain stage stayed w Nibali long after he had lost contact. Two years ago of course. Angliru, Oman etc. In the Giro his role was another, when he was out of the top five (also due to crashes and lost the chain on the sterrato stage) he was support same as the others. Astana had two others who were in better condition, Scarponi and Kangert the best gregarios imaginable in the last week.

About TDF no chance he isn't there, followed the same program as Nibali all year w Giro and Olympics focus.

 

[swissfr]

FDJ: Pinot, Bonnet, Ladagnoux, Roux, Roy, Pineau, Morabito, Reichenbach, Vichot

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

FDJ: Pinot, Bonnet, Ladagnoux, Roux, Roy, Pineau, Morabito, Reichenbach, Vichot

So no Geniez (still injured?) and no Elissonde?
Climbing wse it's not exactly the strongest team that they could send.

 

[May0maniac]

BMC: Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghgardt (GER), Damiano Caruso (ITA), Rohan Dennis (AUS), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Richie Porte (AUS), Michael Schär (SUI), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Tejay van Garderen (USA) .
No Phinney and no Ben Hermans.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

FDJ: Pinot, Bonnet, Ladagnoux, Roux, Roy, Pineau, Morabito, Reichenbach, Vichot

So no Geniez (still injured?) and no Elissonde?
Climbing wse it's not exactly the strongest team that they could send.

But they have REICHENBACH

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

BMC: Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghgardt (GER), Damiano Caruso (ITA), Rohan Dennis (AUS), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Richie Porte (AUS), Michael Schär (SUI), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Tejay van Garderen (USA) .
No Phinney and no Ben Hermans.

That's odd, I expected Hermans on the team.
Is BMC the team with the worst climbing support out of the big teams? Do you think Porte will sacrifice himself for Tejay's top 10 (or the other way around)?

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

BMC: Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghgardt (GER), Damiano Caruso (ITA), Rohan Dennis (AUS), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Richie Porte (AUS), Michael Schär (SUI), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Tejay van Garderen (USA) .
No Phinney and no Ben Hermans.

That's odd, I expected Hermans on the team.
Is BMC the team with the worst climbing support out of the big teams? Do you think Porte will sacrifice himself for Tejay's top 10 (or the other way around)?

Yeah, no Hermans is rather odd.
I guess, if Porte has a bad day he'll end up working for Tejay, I don't know if Tejay would be willing to do the same.

 

[May0maniac]

Talansky will skip the Tour and focus on the Vuelta.
http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2016/06/22/andrew-talansky-qa-the-tour-life-suisse-and-re-signing/

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Yes, it'll be the Martin/Alaphillipe Fleche double act. Vakoc isn't likely to get to do anything other than try to set them up, unfortunately.

The only not completely obvious thing about Etixx's plans is if either Martin or Alaphillipe will try for GC. Or if they will only be trying to add even more stages to the inevitable Kittel haul.

It's likely that Dan Martin will go for GC. Can't see Balaphilippe trying for the white jersey with bardet barguil and co turning up

I think Martin is an outside bet for the podium if he rides a clever race, letting the big guns go when it is too much and limiting his losses while the likes of Pinot, Contador and Aru try to follow and blow up. TTs look reasonable for him as well, especially as there should be a big improvement in them since moving to Etixx.

I think Martin should be satisfied if he finish in the top 10

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Talansky will skip the Tour and focus on the Vuelta.
http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2016/06/22/andrew-talansky-qa-the-tour-life-suisse-and-re-signing/

Interesting. There is a pretty detailed explanation for his lack of form this year prior to the Tour de Suisse. I suspect though that when he signed a new contract he took a substantial pay cut from his previous one, which was signed just after he won the Dauphine. A year and a half with few results is not generally good for the wallet.

 

[qwerty16]

Re: Re:

BMC: Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghgardt (GER), Damiano Caruso (ITA), Rohan Dennis (AUS), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Richie Porte (AUS), Michael Schär (SUI), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Tejay van Garderen (USA) .
No Phinney and no Ben Hermans.

That's odd, I expected Hermans on the team.
Is BMC the team with the worst climbing support out of the big teams? Do you think Porte will sacrifice himself for Tejay's top 10 (or the other way around)?

That's their philosophy, bring a lot of big engines to survive the flat stages. Besides that, Caruso should be able to support in the mountains. Hermans wouldn't be of much of a surplus anyway, he can't hang on when the tempo is really upped on the final climb.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Talansky will skip the Tour and focus on the Vuelta.
http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2016/06/22/andrew-talansky-qa-the-tour-life-suisse-and-re-signing/

I wonder who will lead Cannondale's TDF squad. Has anyone heard anything about that?
Edit: I now realize it'll probably be Rolland

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Yes, it'll be the Martin/Alaphillipe Fleche double act. Vakoc isn't likely to get to do anything other than try to set them up, unfortunately.

The only not completely obvious thing about Etixx's plans is if either Martin or Alaphillipe will try for GC. Or if they will only be trying to add even more stages to the inevitable Kittel haul.

It's likely that Dan Martin will go for GC. Can't see Balaphilippe trying for the white jersey with bardet barguil and co turning up

I think Martin is an outside bet for the podium if he rides a clever race, letting the big guns go when it is too much and limiting his losses while the likes of Pinot, Contador and Aru try to follow and blow up. TTs look reasonable for him as well, especially as there should be a big improvement in them since moving to Etixx.

I think Martin should be satisfied if he finish in the top 10

Agreed, he should be. But I think there is a chance he will do quite a bit better than 10th. He's shown glimpses of GC promise before, and any rider is going to improve significantly going to Etixx from Cannondale.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

FDJ: Pinot, Bonnet, Ladagnoux, Roux, Roy, Pineau, Morabito, Reichenbach, Vichot

So no Geniez (still injured?) and no Elissonde?
Climbing wse it's not exactly the strongest team that they could send.

But they have REICHENBACH

Carlton Kirby will be unbearable

I am calling it now ...Quintana to win