Pre Tour de France-thread

[Hugo Koblet]

Apparently there will be a starting grid on the short climbing stage where people start in order of GC.

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/36...-tour-de-france-kent-nieuwe-startformule.html

Seems there will be gaps between the groups as the article says you can either sprint at the start or wait for your team ...

This sounds really gimmicky. The short stage was great last year, this is probably the one stage that didn't need more spicing up no? :Neutral:

It would be really fun to have a start ala biathlon on the last stage (so if number 1 in GC is 30 seconds ahead of number 2, he starts 30 seconds earlier), perhaps on a single mountain, but as it is outlined in the article, it won't matter at all.

 

[Red Rick]

Apparently there will be a starting grid on the short climbing stage where people start in order of GC.

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/36...-tour-de-france-kent-nieuwe-startformule.html

Seems there will be gaps between the groups as the article says you can either sprint at the start or wait for your team ...

This sounds really gimmicky. The short stage was great last year, this is probably the one stage that didn't need more spicing up no? :Neutral:

What the actual f*ck

I mean, if there's one race to replace by the freaking Hammer Series it's the Tour de France right? :geek:

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

He has not been a real domestique in 2014 and 2015, he simply didn't have the legs in 2015 (after being appointed leadership after Nibali failed) and he was a bit unlucky in 2014. Same story in 2016 Giro, no legs in the mountains. Not really your typical domestique - he pretty much rode his own race.

Fuglsang needs to show up this time. A guy who mostly disappoints and is 33 years old desperately needs this Tour to go well. And please stop saying he is in the same tier as Nibali, Porte and Bardet, thats just silly patriotism/nationalism.

The way Fuglsang rode the Dauphine last year, for me it was the biggest disappointment of the 2017 Tour to see both he and Porte crash out early. Whether he could have kept up for three weeks who knows but it took some interest from the race.

 

[tobydawq]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmHZBSfHOSQ

I want this back!

The sound of summer and - in my case - childhood. How they dared remove it I will never comprehend.

 

[Rollthedice]

Apparently there will be a starting grid on the short climbing stage where people start in order of GC.

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/36...-tour-de-france-kent-nieuwe-startformule.html

Seems there will be gaps between the groups as the article says you can either sprint at the start or wait for your team ...

This sounds really gimmicky. The short stage was great last year, this is probably the one stage that didn't need more spicing up no? :Neutral:

What the actual f*ck

I mean, if there's one race to replace by the freaking Hammer Series it's the Tour de France right? :geek:

The big hammer race.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

Its his last chance to do something in the Tour, I feel, and the cobbles are very good for him. He needs to gain time there in order to get a top-5 as there are many riders who climbs better than him in this year's Tour. The level will be extremely high and that probably means that, without bad luck, he will find himself around 8th-10th.

Why would it be his last chance?

He's the same age af Froome, Nibali and Porte, for instance... and nobody is saying this is their last year to perform at the tour?

I disagree on the climbing, he has improved significantly, the last 2 years.

He always starts a little slow, because he knows not to follow the accelerations (he is like Dumoulin like that) - but almost every mountain, this year and last year, you have seen him come back to the leaders, and often try to go clear towards the end, when people start to show wear.

I see Froome, Landa and Quintana as better climbers.

But Fuglsang is on par with Nibs, Bardet, Uran, Porte and Dumoulin (if in shape), on the tier just below.

I actually agree with big parts of this post but c'mon, Fuglsang on par with Nibali and Bardet? That's nonsense

Not based on their head to head climbing this year and last - they have been more or less on par throughout.

Now as said, Fuglsang is not as explosive, he is more like the diesel engine of Dumoulin (without the TT ability), but over the course of a full climb, I don't see significant differences between them

Further, Fuglsang is just as good a decender as Nibs, Bardet and (lately) Froome.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Apparently there will be a starting grid on the short climbing stage where people start in order of GC.

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/36...-tour-de-france-kent-nieuwe-startformule.html

Seems there will be gaps between the groups as the article says you can either sprint at the start or wait for your team ...

This sounds really gimmicky. The short stage was great last year, this is probably the one stage that didn't need more spicing up no? :Neutral:

Please translate the gist of it

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Apparently there will be a starting grid on the short climbing stage where people start in order of GC.

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/36...-tour-de-france-kent-nieuwe-startformule.html

Seems there will be gaps between the groups as the article says you can either sprint at the start or wait for your team ...

This sounds really gimmicky. The short stage was great last year, this is probably the one stage that didn't need more spicing up no? :Neutral:

Please translate the gist of it

I don't quite understand what it says, but Inner ring tweeted the official rules from the race rulebook in english.
https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1003260914362175488

 

[SafeBet]

It really depends on the gap between the different groups. If it's, say, one minute it won't matter but if it's more than 3 minutes it could get interesting.

 

[sprints n stones]

Hmm, its a bit confusing the rule quoted says the lower ranked riders can choose when they go but think article says top group of 20 goes, then the next ranked 20 goes, then the group size changes to 40 sets going off. Certainly going to be different, not sure if it will be different good or bad though!

 

[Gigs_98]

This sounds incredibly gimmicky but the longer I think about it, this might actually work. This stage has always been about creating an ambush and it won't be possible to control the group of the first 20 riders...except if sky has 4 or 5 riders in the top 20 which isn't even that unlikely

 

[Koronin]

This sounds incredibly gimmicky but the longer I think about it, this might actually work. This stage has always been about creating an ambush and it won't be possible to control the group of the first 20 riders...except if sky has 4 or 5 riders in the top 20 which isn't even that unlikely

I'd actually put the numbers in favor of Movistar IF their top 3 guys can actually work together and they could likely have Soler and/or Amador in that group as well.

 

[ppanther92]

Froome is making it 4 in a row. Thats all i have to say for now.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Wait, so that is for an actual stage that you can win? This makes no sense to me.

 

[yaco]

Theoretically many riders will think of this as a breakaway stage - So putting these type of riders to the back of the peleton could make for exciting and chaotic racing as they will have to go full gas to get into a position to consider a breakaway - This may also make it difficult for the domestiques to control any break as they will be starting at the back of the peleton.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Theoretically many riders will think of this as a breakaway stage - So putting these type of riders to the back of the peleton could make for exciting and chaotic racing as they will have to go full gas to get into a position to consider a breakaway - This may also make it difficult for the domestiques to control any break as they will be starting at the back of the peleton.

Breakaway riders will most likely call it a day when they are that far back on such a tough and short stage. Well, depending on how long they are back obviously.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Theoretically many riders will think of this as a breakaway stage - So putting these type of riders to the back of the peleton could make for exciting and chaotic racing as they will have to go full gas to get into a position to consider a breakaway - This may also make it difficult for the domestiques to control any break as they will be starting at the back of the peleton.

Breakaway riders will most likely call it a day when they are that far back on such a tough and short stage. Well, depending on how long they are back obviously.

I agree with Valv.Piti. Breakaway riders are more likely to call it a day and save energy for a more favorable break day.

 

[Escarabajo]

Apparently there will be a starting grid on the short climbing stage where people start in order of GC.

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/36...-tour-de-france-kent-nieuwe-startformule.html

Seems there will be gaps between the groups as the article says you can either sprint at the start or wait for your team ...

This sounds really gimmicky. The short stage was great last year, this is probably the one stage that didn't need more spicing up no? :Neutral:

Horrible, horrible, horrible.

I saw them doing this with the ladys. I don't think the boys need this spice!!

 

[Pantani_lives]

This is a weird experiment that can go right or wrong. The organizers seem desperate to make the race less boring. The situation at the start will be comparable to a mountain stage where the better GC riders have formed a select group, except that most of the helpers will be missing. Would teams make it a goal to have several riders in the top 20 just for this?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

This is a weird experiment that can go right or wrong. The organizers seem desperate to make the race less boring. The situation at the start will be comparable to a mountain stage where the better GC riders have formed a select group, except that most of the helpers will be missing. Would teams make it a goal to have several riders in the top 20 just for this?

If it means key domestiques can’t take days completely off and so are more tired and less useful, I’m all for it.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The more I think about the likely Sky squad, the more annoyed I am about this TTT nonsense. What kind of idiot decides to give the defending champion, who already benefits from the strongest team in a load of ways, a large free time bonus? The only reason there’s any suspense at all is that Froome will have the Giro in his legs. If he hadn’t done the Giro the Tour would be over before it starts.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

The more I think about the likely Sky squad, the more annoyed I am about this TTT nonsense. What kind of idiot decides to give the defending champion, who already benefits from the strongest team in a load of ways, a large free time bonus? The only reason there’s any suspense at all is that Froome will have the Giro in his legs. If he hadn’t done the Giro the Tour would be over before it starts.

It's not free.... they need to ride for it

There is no rule in cycling, against one team having more money than others, and whatever rules you make up, those with more money will always benefit he most, because they have the best riders

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

Theoretically many riders will think of this as a breakaway stage - So putting these type of riders to the back of the peleton could make for exciting and chaotic racing as they will have to go full gas to get into a position to consider a breakaway - This may also make it difficult for the domestiques to control any break as they will be starting at the back of the peleton.

Breakaway riders will most likely call it a day when they are that far back on such a tough and short stage. Well, depending on how long they are back obviously.

I don't understand what stage this is for - and what is actually happening.... I do not read dutch.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Heck because Sky always has quite a few riders high in GC, if this happens they can just set a hard pace right pf the start so other domestiques can not join.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

Heck because Sky always has quite a few riders high in GC, if this happens they can just set a hard pace right pf the start so other domestiques can not join.

If the point is for top 20 GC to start first.... what stage is this on and what are the time gaps?

How far into the race are we, and is it seconds or minutes?

If very early, all kind of non-GC, classics people will be in there, and mid-race, a lot of the better domestiques are still up there.

A staggered start only works IMHO, very late i the race.... in which case it is a very interesting idea indeed.