Paris-Nice 2012: Stage 3; Vierzon - Le Lac de Vassivière (194km)

[Richeypen]

why are you guys thinking it's going to be a breakway?

Because there is a group of decent riders 11minutes down who Sky would more than happily allow to sweep the bonus seconds

 

[DominicDecoco]

Movistar and Greenedge to control the stage, no breakaways will be allowed.

Is GreenEdge in the race?

...

 

[Froome19]

No suprise there. British (?) version of El Pisti

Correct on the first part (though better not to admit it as it means its easier to get away with bad english) though not on the second part.
If there is anything you dont understand about my post i will happily explain it to you

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Could be a decent finish, wonder how Mollema goes.

Feillu could get amongst it, tho his form has been ambigious.

your post makes no sense.

at least he is consistant.

lol @ dt. basically. I think he would have relations with team sky if he could.

 

[Museeuw]

What do you think about this?

Levi to beat Wiggo @2,62 (Pinnacle)

Wiggo is not so good, I think.

 

[Fetisoff]

Movistar and Greenedge to control the stage, no breakaways will be allowed.

Greenedge? Really??? WHY??

 

[cineteq]

Greenedge? Really??? WHY??

Gerrans, he needs revenge

 

[Richeypen]

What do you think about this?

Levi to beat Wiggo @2,62 (Pinnacle)

Wiggo is not so good, I think.

Personally I think Wiggins will come in third on GC. However I also thought he would lose his lead at the Dauphine and lose tons of time on the angliru last year so I am usually wrong on these things

 

[El Pistolero]

I think he'll win this. He looks strong.

 

[Museeuw]

Personally I think Wiggins will come in third on GC. However I also thought he would lose his lead at the Dauphine and lose tons of time on the angliru last year so I am usually wrong on these things

Sry guys, it was stage 3 not GC bet.

 

[Froome19]

Interesting that Rojas got the go ahead today to sprint even though Valverde needed the bonus seconds, may be suggesting something for tomorow.
I cant look past Boonen, but if i could then Hushovd would be a good bet, i would be suprised if he doesn't at least try to show something before MSR and this would be the time to do it.

at least he is consistant.

lol @ dt. basically. I think he would have relations with team sky if he could.

I could same the same about you and Rabo looking at your username.

 

[williamp78]

Wiggins doesn't have big uphill kick so could lose a few seconds here and there on the uphill finishes though neither does levi who appears to be his main rival. He sure looks strong though and certainly didn't wheelsuck today as was suggested on another post recently (about wheelsucking in general)

 

[El Pistolero]

Could be a decent finish, wonder how Mollema goes.

Feillu could get amongst it, tho his form has been ambigious.



at least he is consistant.

lol @ dt. basically. I think he would have relations with team sky if he could.

The funny thing is, Froome19 reminds me much more of DT

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Interesting that Rojas got the go ahead today to sprint even though Valverde needed the bonus seconds, may be suggesting something for tomorow.
I cant look past Boonen, but if i could then Hushovd would be a good bet, i would be suprised if he doesn't at least try to show something before MSR and this would be the time to do it.



I could same the same about you and Rabo looking at your username.

If there's more than 3 actual sprinters in the group, Valverde wouldn't pick up the seconds, so Rojas was Movistar's best option for the stage win. Valverde has a top quality sprint for a GC man, and on a trickier finish can compete (see the first two stages of País Vasco 2010), but Boonen, Rojas and Degenkolb are genuine sprinters. Maybe Valverde didn't feel 100% or just didn't back himself against semi-sprinters like Gavazzi.

Gavazzi is my tip for this stage; Rojas is the guy it's best suited to, so he will continue to add to his impressive list of 2nd places.

I think Rojas will finish in the top 20 for GC here. He was 16th last year, and that's after losing 3 minutes in the ITT. Mende isn't too suited to him, sure, but he can get up it pretty well for a fast guy - he was 14th in the freaking Tour de Suisse last year, with three MTFs tougher than this. With the 2 and a half minute buffer he may even make the top 10.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

What do you think about this?

Levi to beat Wiggo @2,62 (Pinnacle)

Wiggo is not so good, I think.

Those odds look reasonable.

Wiggins looks like the favourite to me. He has another TT to add to his cushion over Valverde. TJVG hasn't at this point in his career shown the climbing legs to drop the likes of Wiggins, Valverde and Leipheimer. Levi has the best chance of stopping him. He could conceivably win by (a) edging out Wiggins in the TT, (b) taking bonus seconds by winning a stage or (c) dropping Wiggins on a climb. The thing is though that Wiggins is generally a bit better in the TT and Levi isn't the right type of climber to put him on trouble there.

 

[Angliru]

You are being sarcastic arent you?





Note: remember Valverde is not Columbian!

He's not Colombian either.

 

[Fetisoff]

Gerrans, he needs revenge

LOL, I didn't even realize he was at P-N.
So yeah, I guess we can add Greenedge to list of teams chasing the break, so no chance for a successful one

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

What do you think about this?

Levi to beat Wiggo @2,62 (Pinnacle)

Wiggo is not so good, I think.

Those odds look reasonable.

Wiggins looks like the favourite to me. He has another TT to add to his cushion over Valverde. TJVG hasn't at this point in his career shown the climbing legs to drop the likes of Wiggins, Valverde and Leipheimer. Levi has the best chance of stopping him. He could conceivably win by (a) edging out Wiggins in the TT, (b) taking bonus seconds by winning a stage or (c) dropping Wiggins on a climb. The thing is though that Wiggins is generally a bit better in the TT and Levi isn't the right type of climber to put him on trouble there.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I think levi is gonna win pn to be honest.
Just have a feeling.

I could same the same about you and Rabo looking at your username.

pfft screw rabo. I don't hold illusions about them. I've said many times here how much i dislike my own username and regret picking it. I judge a user on his posts, and your dribble acts like sky has changed the way a team approaches the sport, it's rather hilarious. sky are prepared to defend thier leader... WUT, NO WAI?

@el pickle
I was just jesting, when you dont rave about gilbert and anti-dutch I think you are a pretty good poster.

 

[cineteq]

I think Wiggins will win P-N now. He would of won the TT by about 10 secs if it wasnt for the conditions. He took it very easy in the corners and we still have the final TT to come. And then there`s also Levi.

So starting tomorrow Valverde is going to have to be very aggressive and take every opportunity to go on the offence with these 2 around. Wiggins could gain a further 20-30 secs in the final TT and that would be a minute back to Valverde. I cant see Wiggins losing that to Valverde and therefore only Levi can stop him in my opinion.

I'm glad (math) predictions like this ones do not come true. Otherwise, races will be very boring.

 

[lukinox]

I don't think that a breakaway will be let go to the finish, also although the finish is not that steep, in my opinion it's steep enough for some riders to be able to get rid of the sprinters.
Obvious choice would be Valverde, maybe Cunego, but what about Chavanel? He showed very good form in pushing for Boonen yesterday.

 

[Swede1]

I think the climb is going to be too much for Boonen to be competative. Particularly because Movistar will ride it at a very hard tempo with Moreno. Rojas might be there to lead out Valverde. Gerrans should be up there too. I think TJVG has a pretty good sprint so... How does this finish compare to stage 1 of the Tour last year. If its close than Hushovd might be there for the win. I still have to say Valverde though.

 

[Fetisoff]

I think the climb is going to be too much for Boonen to be competative. Particularly because Movistar will ride it at a very hard tempo with Moreno. Rojas might be there to lead out Valverde. Gerrans should be up there too. I think TJVG has a pretty good sprint so... How does this finish compare to stage 1 of the Tour last year. If its close than Hushovd might be there for the win. I still have to say Valverde though.

I think last year's stage 1 was about twice as steep for the last two kilometers

 

[Frosty]

Dumoulin as an outsider.

 

[skidmark]

Dumoulin as an outsider.

Wha? For what? If you know of a short, flat French race coming up, then maybe.