Pre Tour de France-thread

[Zinoviev Letter]

Gaviria and Kittel both getting beaten today makes the Tour sprints seem even more wide open. It’s been a long time since there’s been a GT with so many sprinters who can reasonably hope to be the best.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

No sprinter (bar Pelucchi) will notice an incline of 1-2% in the final.

They will probably not notice it, no, but the laws of physics are what they are no matter how the riders are feeling.

 

[Netserk]

I doubt Kittel produces less W/kg in the sprint than Ewan does. It makes drafting a little less important and favours those with power.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

I doubt Kittel produces less W/kg in the sprint than Ewan does. It makes drafting a little less important and favours those with power.

That's true, I hadn't thought about that.

Do you really think Kittel would beat Ewan if the final 100 metres were at a ramp of 12% though?

 

[Netserk]

Dunno, probably equal between them. Clearly Hatta Dam is too much, but there it's also more than a 20'' effort.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Valgren to danish TV yesterday, after finishing 23rd in Dauphine (as best Astana rider), when asked what the next focus area for him would be, leading up to the tour:

"I think we are going to have a conversation about our TTT"

 

[ciranda]

That is hilarious. Thanks for that super funny anecdote. What a funny guy. Haha.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

Gaviria and Kittel both getting beaten today makes the Tour sprints seem even more wide open. It’s been a long time since there’s been a GT with so many sprinters who can reasonably hope to be the best.

Nah. Groenewegen to crush all

 

[DNP-Old]

Re:

Gaviria and Kittel both getting beaten today makes the Tour sprints seem even more wide open. It’s been a long time since there’s been a GT with so many sprinters who can reasonably hope to be the best.

Might be true, but then Richeze comes in and this whole thing could very well be over. There is no better lead out man.

 

[Parker]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

 

[dacooley]

i'll be pretty surprised to see bernal in providing froome is allowed to start. with thomas, kwiato, moscon as helpful allrounders, poels as a right hand man on the key multi-mountain stages, castroviejo as a reliable helper on flat and hills and puccio/row/van barle as 2 flat domestics, the young colombian is simply not needed

 

[DNP-Old]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

Egan is very likely to start, confirmed by Nicolas Portal.

 

[Parker]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

Egan is very likely to start, confirmed by Nicolas Portal.

They're not going to send a 21 year old debutant to the Tour with no racing for seven weeks.

 

[DNP-Old]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

Egan is very likely to start, confirmed by Nicolas Portal.

They're not going to send a 21 year old debutant to the Tour with no racing for seven weeks.

Welp, they are.

 

[Parker]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

Egan is very likely to start, confirmed by Nicolas Portal.

They're not going to send a 21 year old debutant to the Tour with no racing for seven weeks.

Welp, they are.

We shall see. If he is I'd expect him to be training with Froome right now. But he isn't.

 

[Jancouver]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

Egan is very likely to start, confirmed by Nicolas Portal.

They're not going to send a 21 year old debutant to the Tour with no racing for seven weeks.

Why not?

He will ride into form just like Puff Daddy did at the Giro.

... and by the 3rd week, specifically on stage 19th, he will drop everyone on the Col de Tourmalet climb and will ride solo off the front for the least 100+km gaining 10+ minutes on everyone else.

 

[Escarabajo]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

I think on the contrary!

 

[silvergrenade]

Re:

i'll be pretty surprised to see bernal in providing froome is allowed to start. with thomas, kwiato, moscon as helpful allrounders, poels as a right hand man on the key multi-mountain stages, castroviejo as a reliable helper on flat and hills and puccio/row/van barle as 2 flat domestics, the young colombian is simply not needed

Good mountain domestiques are always needed. Always.

 

[dacooley]

instead of who he can be realistically included?

 

[Robert5091]

Maybe this whole Bernal story is just in case Froome gets banned? G becomes leader, Bernal sits at the back of the peloton until week 2 and joins the train then.

 

[silvergrenade]

Maybe this whole Bernal story is just in case Froome gets banned? G becomes leader, Bernal sits at the back of the peloton until week 2 and joins the train then.

Gets banned from what exactly?
The case wont be resolved until after the Tour, the ASO will get *** if they even try to block him.
The only way Froome doesnt reach the start line is if he himself decides to not take on the race, which aint happening under normal circumstances.

 

[Gigs_98]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

Fin anything I'd say it's an indication he will be. I mean if he doesn't have a goal in the coming weeks why would they not just let him ride if he hasn't ridden a race for so long. I think they want the Quintana 2013 approach which has already worked once for a young climber

 

[Valv.Piti]

Poels was doing recon with Froome today so it looks like he'll be in the Sky team. The exclusion of Bernal from their Route de L'Occitaine line-up means he almost certainly won't be.

Fin anything I'd say it's an indication he will be. I mean if he doesn't have a goal in the coming weeks why would they not just let him ride if he hasn't ridden a race for so long. I think they want the Quintana 2013 approach which has already worked once for a young climber

Exactly, they are taking the Quintana-approach and it worked brilliantly for him after a tough spring.

Honestly it would have been way cooler to see him in Dauphine, Burgos and La Vuelta, but I still cant say that Im not excited about the prospect of Bernal this Tour. Hope he wont lose that much time the first 9 days.

 

[Red Rick]

I would be really excited for Bernal in the Tour, except for the fact that he rides for Sky.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Everything I've seen and heard would suggest Sky's team will be Froome, Thomas, Poels, Bernal, Castroviejo, Kwiato, Moscon and van Baarle. I'd be surprised if it's anything else. Goes without saying really, but it's scary strong, with all bases covered, especially if Kwiato and Moscon can get back into their 2017 TdF and Vuelta form, respectively, in the period between the Dauphine and the Tour.