Battle for green

[Newgymshoes]

With TdF just two weeks away the blood start to rush at a little higher speed. This year i hope that the battle for green jersey will be just as fiierce as the battle for the yellow.

We can pretty much list all the sprinters as conternders in the race for green. People will look to Cavendish, Hushovd, Boonen, Freire, Benatti etc etc. What if we list our favorites for the green and give a small explanation why (if this already have been done then have me excused since i'm a bit new on the forum).

So here is my tip and why:

Edvald Boasson Hagen - It depends a litt on how much he have to work for Wiggo, but if he can go for his own chances I think he will be the one to watch out for. He has shown this year (and last) that he is a very good sprinter and can beat the best. Not only is he gonna get a lot of points in all the sprints, but he is strong enough to also pick some points on the harder stages where the pure sprinters will not get any points. He has said that his big goal is a stage win and I will not be surprised if he gets it or even two. He is very tactically smart and strong like a bull. He might be a bit young, but he showed in the giro last year that he can pull off (finish) a grand tour. He might not win to many sprints, but he will be one to just gather points very steadily throughout the race. So, that is my tip. What's yours?

 

[RedheadDane]

You know what I think could be fun? More random-pointless mountain-top-sprints between the sprinters for no other reason than teasing each others!

 

[Jamsque]

I think it is going to be close this year. Hushovd and Cavendish battled it out last year, but I think both will struggle this year. Thor is coming back from injury and looked on poor form at the Tour de Suisse, and Mark has struggled all year for both climbing form and that ferocious kick he had last summer.

EBH is a possibility, but I don't know if he has the experience to be up there fighting for big points every chance there is. As for Friere, I thought he wasn't riding the TdF this year?

 

[Barrus]

You know what I think could be fun? More random-pointless mountain-top-sprints between the sprinters for no other reason than teasing each others!

No, I'dlike it more to be like in the giro, where Evans and Vino are sprinting in the bunch sprints, just to get a few more points for the points jersey

I still think the green jersey should be more like the points jersey in either the vuelta or the giro, a sprinter can and has a good possibility of winning it, but there are also other ways of winning it, in those grand tours its more like a reliability jersey, who is the most constant everywhere

 

[maltiv]

Thor Hushovd won't be trying to win green I think, his form is rather bad now after the broken collarbone. Haussler is a better bet in my opinion, although Cavendish will probably try his best to murder him.

Edvald will only have a chance to win green if Wiggins loses several minutes in the first week. And I'm not sure if he's consistent enough in the bunch sprints to have a chance anyway.

 

[Roland Rat]

I think we could have a surprise winner this year, with Cav and Thor out of form. Maybe someone like Farrar will get it. Probably as good a chance as he'll ever have.

 

[Ferminal]

Thor Hushovd won't be trying to win green I think, his form is rather bad now after the broken collarbone. Haussler is a better bet in my opinion, although Cavendish will probably try his best to murder him.

Edvald will only have a chance to win green if Wiggins loses several minutes in the first week. And I'm not sure if he's consistent enough in the bunch sprints to have a chance anyway.

If Cervelo ride for him (Heinrich), he's a strong chance.

I think it's up in the air - anyone can win it. The only sprinter who's dominated this year is Greipel, and he's not going to be there. Hushovd has had an interrupted season and shown little in bunch sprints. Boonen has been absent since before the classics. Haussler has too few race miles to really know. Cavendish looks no way near his form of last year both in sprints and climbs. Farrar has impressed me a lot this year after he got his first win, I might tip him, even though I'm not sure he can win a stage.

 

[Newgymshoes]

I think we could have a surprise winner this year, with Cav and Thor out of form. Maybe someone like Farrar will get it. Probably as good a chance as he'll ever have.

Oi......Farrar.....I totally forgot about him. Yes, he could also be a very good bet. I will stick with EBH since he is strong enough to go on several stunts in the mountains (like Hushovd last year) and I think that people still don't know how strong he is, but can he beat Farrar, hard to say.....good tip!

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Boonen will be good

 

[Jamsque]

If Friere was riding, I would go for him because he is canny and always in the top 5, but without him I think it could well come down to Boonen and Farrar, unless Cav can turn his form around.

 

[Cerberus]

I'm going to go for the obvious answer and say Cavendish. Even in not-quite top shape he's probably the best sprinter and that is what the points jersey is mainly about.

 

[RedheadDane]

No, I'dlike it more to be like in the giro, where Evans and Vino are sprinting in the bunch sprints, just to get a few more points for the points jersey

I still think the green jersey should be more like the points jersey in either the vuelta or the giro, a sprinter can and has a good possibility of winning it, but there are also other ways of winning it, in those grand tours its more like a reliability jersey, who is the most constant everywhere

I think we got proved last year that the green jersey is a point jersey as opposed to simply as sprinter jersey, with Hushovd winning it with only 1 stage win over Cavendish'... 6!
Besides; like I said, it's the pointless sprints! Last year when Hushovd and Cavendish sprinted on Mont Ventoux there weren't any points left, they were simply teasing each other!

 

[metaCYCLE]

i'd like to see another sprinter win the jersey instead of Cavemouth who is the obvious super-favourite.

 

[sadfitty]

Don't thik Cav will take it. Last year he won 6 stages and didn't win green. Yes, i know about stage 14, but still: how is he going to win the green jersey when he couldn't do it with 6 stage wins? Besides, making a lot of enemies in the peloton this year won't help him.

I think HH and EBH will be the strongest contenders, with Farrar as an outsider. Hushovd for stage wins.

 

[RedheadDane]

Yeah... Cavendish is a brilliant sprinter but gets dropped everytime there are mountains, and... well... you can find points there too, as the clever Thudergod proved last year!
(Of course... Cav having points removed due to not-so-fair-play doesn't exactly help either...)

 

[markene2]

If Robert Hunter is riding i think he will do good. I hope so!
But probably Cavendish or Boonen

 

[Zaschrona]

I think Ciolek and Roche (+ Breschel should be but he will be only domestic if he will ride) will be both very good. Anyway Oscar Freire is my bet.

 

[Jamsque]

If Robert Hunter is riding i think he will do good. I hope so!
But probably Cavendish or Boonen

If Robbie Hunter is riding at all it will be to lead out Tyler Farrar.

 

[online-rider]

This photo should speak for itself :

Haussler should whip 'em all i reckon

 

[ttrider]

Difference is Boassen Hagen can get points everywhere
Cobbles
Sprints TTs (certainly pro logue)
Intermediates in hilly stages
Transition stages

Cav only has sprint thats why boassen will win, obviously others have options but he is my favorite for it

 

[kurtinsc]

I don't think EBH will place high enough in the sprints to factor in the green jersey.

Yes he's capable of getting points in stages where riders like Cav and Farrar would be dropped, but I don't think he's a good enough pure sprinter to regularly finish in the top 3 of the sprint stages... and that will hurt him. I don't see him regularly finishing ahead of Cav, Farrar, Boonen or Haussler/Thor (whoever the sprinter is).

My guess is that if Haussler is named the Cervelo sprinter from day 1... he can win it. If it's Thor or any kind of split, Cav will win it. Cav won't dominate like he did last year, but I can't see him missing the podium on any stage that comes to a bunch sprint... and I think he'll have the highest total from sprint stages. Only Haussler looks to have the ability to sprint close enough to be in contact with Cav point wise from the sprint stages to benefit with extra points in the non-sprint stages.

 

[therhodeo]

Only Haussler looks to have the ability to sprint close enough to be in contact with Cav

You don't say........

 

[Sasquatch]

Cav is basing his season around peaking for the Tour and the World's. You'd be mad to go against him despite his form. It should be right by Tour time. But if you did, Haussler or Farrar are the only challengers. Everyone else is out of contention. Farrar will consistently finishing top 3 in all sprint stages. If he has the climbing legs, he can do what Thor did last year.

 

[The Hitch]

Cav has had problems getting over tough mountains. This years course is a mountinous one. In his current form theres a possiblity he wont make it all the way to paris.
Id bet on Boonen
2nd msr
2ndrvv
5th paris roubaix
he was consistent in march- april and hell be consistent in july

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Yeah... Cavendish is a brilliant sprinter but gets dropped everytime there are mountains, and... well... you can find points there too, as the clever Thudergod proved last year!
(Of course... Cav having points removed due to not-so-fair-play doesn't exactly help either...)

I am not a big cavendishfan but he was most unfairly disqualified there.