Paris - Nice: STAGE 1 - Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines --> Contres: 201.5 km

[blaxland]

1.Greiple
2.Haussler
3.Chicci
thats just my guess for stage 1...................

 

[theswordsman]

I have a policy of always rooting for breaks to stay away because I appreciate the effort, especially on a day where announcers will have quizzes, request bad poetry, etc. just to pass the time. With the cold, distance and probably wind, I think the right group could make it.

 

[Sasquatch]

This is the only sure sprint of the day being completely flat roads.

Columbia, Cervelo, Sky, Liquigas, Vaconsoleil etc are not going to let a break succeed. No way in hell.

 

[auscyclefan94]

This is the only sure sprint of the day being completely flat roads.

Columbia, Cervelo, Sky, Liquigas, Vaconsoleil etc are not going to let a break succeed. No way in hell.

Andre the Giant will eat 'em for dinner!

 

[Sasquatch]

Changing my prediction to.

1. Francesco Chicchi
2. Heinrich Haussler
3. Andre Greipel
4. Borut Bozic
5. Juan Jose Haedo
6. Leonardo Duque
7. Greg Henderson
8. Jurgen Roelandts
9. Danilo Napolitano
10. William Bonnet

 

[595RED]

Paris prologue photos

The prologue photos are AVERAGE. Come on get some of the riders actually riding their bikes.

 

[Publicus]

Andre the Giant will eat 'em for dinner!

Current reporting has Greipel, along with 17 others, being dropped by the Rabobank led peloton. Still many KM's to go, but if he can't get back on (there is a tailwind), then Greipel is toast.

 

[zapata]

Rabobank already driving hard, dropping people from the peloton, according to twitter.com/procyclinglive. Also, it's supposed to be windy today. Timmer (Skil) and Romain Feillu (vacansoleil) have a lead of four or five minutes. With more than 100 km to go..

 

[Publicus]

The dropped riders are back in the peloton. Greipel FTW.

 

[zapata]

I'll say Chicchi, then. (Unless rabobank manages to splinter the peloton again, and then hands Chavanel the win, like last year..no, chicchi it is.)

 

[theyoungest]

Lars Boom takes a 1 sec time bonus in the intermediate sprint, behind Feillu and Timmer (obviously).

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Lars Boom takes a second in the intermediate sprint, behind Feillu and Timmer (obviously).

interesting. I wonder if he tries something at the end, Spartacus style.

 

[Publicus]

Lars Boom takes a 1 sec time bonus in the intermediate sprint, behind Feillu and Timmer (obviously).

I was just about to comment on that. I like his moxie. Rabobank is intent on keeping him in yellow as long as possible. Kudos to them. Don't accept the inevitable.

 

[zapata]

Lars Boom takes a 1 sec time bonus in the intermediate sprint, behind Feillu and Timmer (obviously).

So, when Rabobank were increasing the pace, they were in fact leading Boom out to gain a single second? Seems he's really want to keep his jersey. I like that.

 

[Moondance]

So, when Rabobank were increasing the pace, they were in fact leading Boom out to gain a single second? Seems he's really want to keep his jersey. I like that.

Yeah... Although without Mollema (who dropped out before the race) and without a real sprinter i think claiming the yellow for a few days is the best Rabo can manage from the race. Short of getting in a breakaway I really can't see them taking any of the other stages.

Henderson is 28 seconds down, Haussler is 31, Greipel 34. Unless one of those guys sweeps all the bonus seconds for stage wins Boom might be able to keep the jersey till Stage 4 (the uphill finish to Mende). Would be a pretty solid PN all in all.

EDIT: I don't think he can take a stage win like The Canc tho. He's not strong enough, yet. Plus Columbia wouldn't allow it

 

[zapata]

Yeah... Although without Mollema (who dropped out before the race) and without a real sprinter i think claiming the yellow for a few days is the best Rabo can manage from the race. Short of getting in a breakaway I really can't see them taking any of the other stages.

Henderson is 28 seconds down, Haussler is 31, Greipel 34. Unless one of those guys sweeps all the bonus seconds for stage wins Boom might be able to keep the jersey till Stage 4 (the uphill finish to Mende). Would be a pretty solid PN all in all.

EDIT: I don't think he can take a stage win like The Canc tho. He's not strong enough, yet. Plus Columbia wouldn't allow it

Hope to see him try today. Hope to see anything outside the Flat Stage-formula, really..does anyone know what the wind is like? Any chance of crosswinds and echelons?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Yeah... Although without Mollema (who dropped out before the race) and without a real sprinter i think claiming the yellow for a few days is the best Rabo can manage from the race. Short of getting in a breakaway I really can't see them taking any of the other stages.

Henderson is 28 seconds down, Haussler is 31, Greipel 34. Unless one of those guys sweeps all the bonus seconds for stage wins Boom might be able to keep the jersey till Stage 4 (the uphill finish to Mende). Would be a pretty solid PN all in all.

EDIT: I don't think he can take a stage win like The Canc tho. He's not strong enough, yet. Plus Columbia wouldn't allow it

haha indeed.

yeah the mollema thing really disappointed me, was a shame.

 

[theyoungest]

So, when Rabobank were increasing the pace, they were in fact leading Boom out to gain a single second? Seems he's really want to keep his jersey. I like that.

They did manage to put Greipel into difficulty, if only for a short while. Maybe they were just teasing

 

[Publicus]

Hope to see him try today. Hope to see anything outside the Flat Stage-formula, really..does anyone know what the wind is like? Any chance of crosswinds and echelons?

Right now it is a tailwind. At least that was the last report on the wind from racetracker.

 

[zapata]

They did manage to put Greipel into difficulty, if only for a short while. Maybe they were just teasing

I say keep trying..Rabo didn't bring any sort of sprinter, did they?

 

[Moondance]

They did manage to put Greipel into difficulty, if only for a short while. Maybe they were just teasing

Greipel was probably hanging out in the back of the peleton, minding his own business when Rabo started turning on the heat. Lapse of concentration rather than as serious lack of form.

That said I imagine it cost Greipel some effort and a good scare to get back, not the best things.... But i still think he'll take the stage

 

[Moondance]

I say keep trying..Rabo didn't bring any sort of sprinter, did they?

No. Leezer has a good finish, but not nearly good enough to compete with the likes of Greipel, Napolitano, Bozic etc.

 

[theyoungest]

No. Leezer has a good finish, but not nearly good enough to compete with the likes of Greipel, Napolitano, Bozic etc.

Maybe they'll use Leezer to lead out Boom Although it would be great if Napolitano took this one. Dead last on one day, first on the other.

 

[Moondance]

Maybe they'll use Leezer to lead out Boom Although it would be great if Napolitano took this one. Dead last on one day, first on the other.

Apparantly Napolitano set off fully intending to ride slowly. There weren't any time limits, so he just put no effort into it. Might be a sleeper for the stage today.

 

[Big GMaC]

Apparantly Napolitano set off fully intending to ride slowly. There weren't any time limits, so he just put no effort into it. Might be a sleeper for the stage today.

He must have really ambled up the hill then, that where he lost 3 mins. I thought a crash on the cobbles!