Got a TdF Question? Post it here

[ElChingon]

Which rider will be the first to drop out for any reason?

 

[ElChingon]

Which team will make it through the tour with all riders?

Which team will lose the most amount of riders and still finish?

 

[ElChingon]

Will Garmin divide itself in to as many factions as one can image?

Thor vs Tyler Farrar?

VDV vs Ryder vs Tommy D (I had to add Tommy D for pure comedic angle )

 

[Mambo95]

ElChingon. Here are the answers you seek.

Which rider will be the first to drop out for any reason? Christian Vande Velde has the worst record for this in recent years. (Last year he started the Giro and Tour but never made Italy or France)

Which team will make it through the tour with all riders? Liquigas have a very good record for this - bet on them

Which team will lose the most amount of riders and still finish? The easy money has to be on Saur as Tour novices. But Euskaltel have a reputation for crashing.

Thor vs Tyler Farrar? Farrar. He's the better sprinter and the team generally comes from the Garmin side rather than the Cervelo side.

VDV vs Ryder vs Tommy D (I had to add Tommy D for pure comedic angle ) Primarily Vande Velde, but not at the exclusion of Hesjedal. Tommy D may surprise you. Basically, they won't push anything and just see which one hangs in there the longest.

 

[craig1985]

Will Tommy D finish the race, and if not, how many threads will there be?

 

[greenedge]

If Martin beats Cancellara in a ITT will HTC stay on as the sponsor and whether them not staying on would affect riders after the rest day???

Should JVS have been chosen to ride???

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I predict 5-6 bunch gallops.
More then likely 6.

 

[ElChingon]

Will Tommy D finish the race, and if not, how many threads will there be?

I will guess no and then at least 10 if we can get them started in the wee hours where we know who's not up

 

[Boeing]

Let's discuss the reason TDF reduced intermediate sprints from 3 to one on flat stages?

What is the reasoning and now the points significance?

 

[valentius borealis]

Let's discuss the reason TDF reduced intermediate sprints from 3 to one on flat stages?

What is the reasoning and now the points significance?

In recent years, intermediate sprints have only really had any importance either when a contender for the green jersey has been in the breakaway, or when there have been no riders ahead of the peleton. Changing from 2 or 3 intermediate sprints where only 3 riders can score points on each, to a single intermediate sprint with more riders getting points means that these sprint points have a greater significance in relation to the competition for the green jersey.

 

[ElChingon]

Let's discuss the reason TDF reduced intermediate sprints from 3 to one on flat stages?

What is the reasoning and now the points significance?

I also think it to change the race tactics overall. We've all read about how people think the stages are too methodical and boring, this will cause some changes in tactics for the Green jersey which might also have other fall outs or at least there is hope there will be.

The points will be as follows:

Flat stages will have just one intermediate sprint, but it will be worth 20 points to the first rider across the line, and the first 15 will score points. The intention is to have green jersey favorites needing to sprint twice during the day to score well. Points awarded at the finish of flat stages will also increase, from 35 points for the winner in 2010 to 45. Medium mountain stages will award 30 points to the winner, high mountain stages and individual time trials 20 points.

 

[Archibald]

I also think it to change the race tactics overall. We've all read about how people think the stages are too methodical and boring, this will cause some changes in tactics for the Green jersey which might also have other fall outs or at least there is hope there will be.

The points will be as follows:

Flat stages will have just one intermediate sprint, but it will be worth 20 points to the first rider across the line, and the first 15 will score points. The intention is to have green jersey favorites needing to sprint twice during the day to score well. Points awarded at the finish of flat stages will also increase, from 35 points for the winner in 2010 to 45. Medium mountain stages will award 30 points to the winner, high mountain stages and individual time trials 20 points.

are they really expecting the teams targeting the green jersey to control the entire flat stage and thereby destroying any likelyhood of breakaways?
surely that would increase the average speed on the flat stages and seriously smash up the climbers before the mountains

 

[Offtheback]

are they really expecting the teams targeting the green jersey to control the entire flat stage and thereby destroying any likelyhood of breakaways?
surely that would increase the average speed on the flat stages and seriously smash up the climbers before the mountains

Yes, I would like to see that: the climbers having to spend a lot of time sucking in lots of air hanging on to team mates' wheels, before they hit the bottom of the mountains. This is what often happened in some of the older tours. More recent trends of peleton control have the climbers reach the mountain fairly fresh, to dance away from the bigger boys.

 

[theoldbiker]

HI , this is my first post here so please be kind.
I recently watched the british road championship from the steepest part of the course and was horrified how close some of the spectators got to the path of the riders, it seems only a matter of time before a tragedy occurs.
On the TDF the steep climbs also seem a hugely risky area, a risk assessment would i believe bring about big changes in the way spectators are allowed access to some of the worlds best athletes.
is there a better way to protect the riders and allow spectators to see the race?

 

[Mambo95]

HI , this is my first post here so please be kind.
I recently watched the british road championship from the steepest part of the course and was horrified how close some of the spectators got to the path of the riders, it seems only a matter of time before a tragedy occurs.
On the TDF the steep climbs also seem a hugely risky area, a risk assessment would i believe bring about big changes in the way spectators are allowed access to some of the worlds best athletes.
is there a better way to protect the riders and allow spectators to see the race?

While it may seem as though it's only a matter of time before there's a tragedy, amazingly incidents are very rare. Fans may seem unruly at times, but they tend to behave themselves. Cyclists seem to hit dogs more often than spectators. They're far, far more likely to crash into each other.

On the bigger climbs at the Tour (and other big races) at the end the crowd will be behind barriers, but generally anything more would be a cure for a problem which doesn't really exist. And the closeness of the crowd to the riders is a big feature of cycling's appeal.

 

[Kwibus]

While it may seem as though it's only a matter of time before there's a tragedy, amazingly incidents are very rare. Fans may seem unruly at times, but they tend to behave themselves. Cyclists seem to hit dogs more often than spectators. They're far, far more likely to crash into each other.

On the bigger climbs at the Tour (and other big races) at the end the crowd will be behind barriers, but generally anything more would be a cure for a problem which doesn't really exist. And the closeness of the crowd to the riders is a big feature of cycling's appeal.

It's certainly a big feature of road cycling. Allthough I do wish they banned running along. That stuff drives me crazy.
I have no idea how they should prevent runners though.

 

[Bala Verde]

Besides that the last 1k or 2k are fenced off, there have been stages (giro?) where police officers stood at x-meter intervals to prevent people from getting too close to the riders. They would also prevent people from running alongside cyclists. In addition, motards in front and cars behind riders create a path through the dense masses of spectators.

 

[Archibald]

 

[Archibald]

Yes, I would like to see that: the climbers having to spend a lot of time sucking in lots of air hanging on to team mates' wheels, before they hit the bottom of the mountains. This is what often happened in some of the older tours. More recent trends of peleton control have the climbers reach the mountain fairly fresh, to dance away from the bigger boys.

anything that reduces the chances of breakaways even further isn't something I'd like to see.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Who's got the biggest chance of the top 10 contenders to drop out with some sort of bad luck?

1) Cadel Evans - Aside from two 2nd places, the list of bad luck and Evans in grand tours is endless. Bad days, illness, falls, everything happened to him.
2) Fränk Schleck - Falls whenever he even spots a corner. Miraculously still alive after falling into a ravine in the TdS a few years back.
3) Robert Gesink - 4 GT's - 3 Falls Tour 09 (broken hand - withdrawn), Vuelta 09 (hole in knee - finished but not good) and Tour 10 (broken ulna, lost time in cobbles and lost some fitness). He doesn't fall often in races, but when he falls, it's usually in a grand tour and usually with a serious injury.
4) Tom Danielson - He usually finds a way to get ill or fall of his bike. The older American version of Gesink?


Feel free to add more riders to the list

 

[boomcie]

Who's got the biggest chance of the top 10 contenders to drop out with some sort of bad luck?

1) Cadel Evans - Aside from two 2nd places, the list of bad luck and Evans in grand tours is endless. Bad days, illness, falls, everything happened to him.
2) Fränk Schleck - Falls whenever he even spots a corner. Miraculously still alive after falling into a ravine in the TdS a few years back.
3) Robert Gesink - 4 GT's - 3 Falls Tour 09 (broken hand - withdrawn), Vuelta 09 (hole in knee - finished but not good) and Tour 10 (broken ulna, lost time in cobbles and lost some fitness). He doesn't fall often in races, but when he falls, it's usually in a grand tour and usually with a serious injury.
4) Tom Danielson - He usually finds a way to get ill or fall of his bike. The older American version of Gesink?


Feel free to add more riders to the list

Going for Danielson.

 

[Boeing]

I also think it to change the race tactics overall. We've all read about how people think the stages are too methodical and boring, this will cause some changes in tactics for the Green jersey which might also have other fall outs or at least there is hope there will be.

The points will be as follows:

Flat stages will have just one intermediate sprint, but it will be worth 20 points to the first rider across the line, and the first 15 will score points. The intention is to have green jersey favorites needing to sprint twice during the day to score well. Points awarded at the finish of flat stages will also increase, from 35 points for the winner in 2010 to 45. Medium mountain stages will award 30 points to the winner, high mountain stages and individual time trials 20 points.

so If I read into this they are giving us something else to look for or adding additional rider participation and have clearly separated the green jersey from sprint stage winning

 

[Boeing]

anything that reduces the chances of breakaways even further isn't something I'd like to see.

good point, just more group tempo to the mountains

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Who's got the biggest chance of the top 10 contenders to drop out with some sort of bad luck?

1) Cadel Evans - Aside from two 2nd places, the list of bad luck and Evans in grand tours is endless. Bad days, illness, falls, everything happened to him.
2) Fränk Schleck - Falls whenever he even spots a corner. Miraculously still alive after falling into a ravine in the TdS a few years back.
3) Robert Gesink - 4 GT's - 3 Falls Tour 09 (broken hand - withdrawn), Vuelta 09 (hole in knee - finished but not good) and Tour 10 (broken ulna, lost time in cobbles and lost some fitness). He doesn't fall often in races, but when he falls, it's usually in a grand tour and usually with a serious injury.
4) Tom Danielson - He usually finds a way to get ill or fall of his bike. The older American version of Gesink?


Feel free to add more riders to the list

e) all of the above

 

[joy118118]

where can i buy the toy lion except ebay? tdf website has no information about it...