could a "non-sprinter" take the green jersey this year?

[2wheels]

Given the way so many races nowadays fail to produce the expected field sprint finish, I'm wondering if the time is right for a good all-rounder or one-day specialist to poach the green jersey. I'm thinking of guys like Breschel, Boassen Hagen, Cancellara, Martin, Lovkvist, Millar, maybe even Vino; guys who can pick up points in the TT's and/or by getting a stage win or two in breaks or transitional stages, as well as intermediate sprint points. Cancellara especially seems to fit the bill, given that he might well have two wins just from TT's, and is a punchy enough finisher to swipe another stage or two with a late burst, or at least salvage some points with a top ten finish among the true sprinters. Throw in a sprinter or two abandoning or crashing out, and it seems possible that a fairly low point tally might swipe the green jersey this year. Just a thought. . .

 

[wiry pyruvity]

it seems that this year's version will result in a sprinter in green

 

[Ferminal]

Maybe...

Better chance than other years, but still unlikely given the different ratings for flat/mountain stages.

 

[Notso Swift]

There are enough flat (ish) stages so it will be a sprinter

Though if they fully enforce the time limits in the Pyrenees...

 

[Inner Peace]

I voted Hagen to win green a while back, I guess not really a sprinter a la Cav, Farrar, Petacchi

In years past O'Grady came runner up in the green jersey comp i think FOUR times, behind superstars like McEwen, so a 'non-sprinter' can get close

A real outside chance is Nicholas Roche.. He can top 10 in bunch sprints and will no doubt be in every breakaway he can find. I predict a succesful tour for him, whatever 'success' may be (stage win, points jersey OR top 15??)

 

[kjetilraknerud]

In the Giro, they used a new rule which resulted in a point penalty if a rider finished outside the time limit, instead of a disqualification. Is this rule being used in the TdF?

 

[Cerberus]

I voted Hagen to win green a while back, I guess not really a sprinter a la Cav, Farrar, Petacchi

In years past O'Grady came runner up in the green jersey comp i think FOUR times, behind superstars like McEwen, so a 'non-sprinter' can get close

A real outside chance is Nicholas Roche.. He can top 10 in bunch sprints and will no doubt be in every breakaway he can find. I predict a succesful tour for him, whatever 'success' may be (stage win, points jersey OR top 15??)

I don't get why you consider O'grady a non-sprinter (even if you put it in quotation marks), at least in 2005 he placed well in the Point competition in large part by scoring points in bunch sprints. That seems to be the only way there is to win it, you can do breakaways like Hushovd did last year, but only as a supplement.

 

[Notso Swift]

I agree, You absolutely neend to be "up there" for the stage finishes that end in gallops

Indeed O'Grady has a couple of stages, both in sprints, about half a dozen podiums and about 20 TdF top 5's in bunch gallops
That isn't just luck for a non sprinter. And I think you will find that a couple of times being beaten by Zabel because Zabel managed to get over the mountains and pick up a few points (like where the finish is 20 km after a summit)
I think he was 2nd or 3rd in the Green 3 or 4 times

 

[Libertine Seguros]

In the Giro, they used a new rule which resulted in a point penalty if a rider finished outside the time limit, instead of a disqualification. Is this rule being used in the TdF?

This is a new universal rule. The same happened to Greipel in the Vuelta, when the rule was brand new, and he was halfway through ranting about how the organisers were trying to guarantee Valverde a jersey before he had to be stopped and told it was now common procedure.

 

[hrotha]

This is a new universal rule. The same happened to Greipel in the Vuelta, when the rule was brand new, and he was halfway through ranting about how the organisers were trying to guarantee Valverde a jersey before he had to be stopped and told it was now common procedure.

So Greipel thought being disqualified instead would have allowed him to remain a contender? I admit I'm a bit confused here.

 

[riobonito92]

Too many teams are not taking their best sprinter, so fewer teams to chase down breakaways. But the Nicholas Roche scenario isn't credible - if he is close to the green jersey he won't be allowed to be in eveyr break.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

This is a new universal rule. The same happened to Greipel in the Vuelta, when the rule was brand new, and he was halfway through ranting about how the organisers were trying to guarantee Valverde a jersey before he had to be stopped and told it was now common procedure.

I see, thanks. That could result in an interesting battle for green I guess.

 

[isayic]

In the Giro, they used a new rule which resulted in a point penalty if a rider finished outside the time limit, instead of a disqualification. Is this rule being used in the TdF?

It's not a rule not in the Tour and not in the Giro. In the Giro it was done on one stage because due to the extremely bad weather more than 50 riders finished outside the time limit. That's why they got a point penalty instead of a disqualification. -- It was an exception.

 

[Parrot23]

I had been wondering if Boasen Hagen could upset the Cav cavalcade, which he led at the Giro last year, didn't he. Glad you raised this point more generally.

No idea if he can, but it would make it more competitive.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

It's not a rule not in the Tour and not in the Giro. In the Giro it was done on one stage because due to the extremely bad weather more than 50 riders finished outside the time limit. That's why they got a point penalty instead of a disqualification. -- It was an exception.

Since I recieved two very different opinions on this, I checked the UCI rules, and found the following:

"In case riders out of the time limit are given a second chance by the president of the commissaires panel, they shall have confiscated the equivalent points awarded to the winner of this same stage to their individual general classification by points even if their points total in this classification becomes negative."

In other words, if the organizers decide to allow riders to start the next they despite being outside the time limit, they automatically recieve a point penalty.

It has happened before, when all the sprinters miss the time cut on a mountain stage or similar. Could happen again.