Preview Talk on The 2012 Tour de France

[jzfromdc]

It is only 11 days to the Grand Depart.

This year's Tour will have a very difficult time living up to its predecessor of last year and the story lines may shift slightly from the Yellow Jersey to the Green Jersey.

Last's years battle between--in the end--Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans was intriguing from the moment Cadel sprinted to the finish line of Stage 3. He didn't win the Tour that day and no other contender lost it, but it put the field on notice that a GC contender does not have to sit in the pack until the first mountaintop finish or time trial.

On the other hand, last year's Green Jersey was simply a matter of whether Cavendish made it over the Alps. Sure, what's his name from Movistar, showed some *****, but there was never really any doubt.

This year though it is shaping up to see the reverse to be true. The Yellow Jersey battle is a time-trail battle, much like the days of Big Mig, and it is hard to argue with Bradley Wiggins' pre-Tour dominance in Paris-Nice and the Dauphine. With so many TT miles, any time lost to Evans and Schleck on the slopes will easily be made up against the clock. I find it very hard to pick anyone other than Wiggins to win this Tour, much to my chagrin.

However, the ceremonial sprint stages and consitent stage wins by Cavendish (accompanied by the consistant second places by Farrar) will not be so easy to concede. Greipel and Farrar, as always, will give Cav a reason to ride at least 80%, but Kittel and Sagan have proven fast in small S*** races (tm) throughout the season. They both were fast in places like California and Switzerland but will they be able to compete against the A list, rather than B class sprinters? And adding to the storyline is Team Sky's split duties thus lessoning their lead out train prowess. My prediction? Cav takes the green again, but it comes down to Paris.

Those are my thougthts. What are yours?

Keep your cadence high and climb with a smile.

JZ from DC

 

[The Hitch]

The whatshisname was Rojas. You completely ignore the fact that Cav is going for the olympics and not on top form and probably not going to bother with the green jersey. Also you say nothing about the KOM but treat the green jersey as if it was some equal to the yellow. Schleck isnt going as he has injured hisself, and to say that wiggins will easily make up any time lost uphill to cadel on the tt, is quite provocative to say the least.

To keep it brief.

Also does this need its own thread?

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

 

[Fergoose]

You completely ignore the fact that Cav is going for the olympics and not on top form and probably not going to bother with the green jersey. Also you say nothing about the KOM but treat the green jersey as if it was some equal to the yellow.

Yeah, ignoring the King of the Mountains is the Tour organisers and team's jobs JZfromDC AOK!?

While the yellow and green will be won by the best in those areas, what second rate climber who is no threat to the GC will hold aloft the polka dot jersey come Paris? I'd seriously wager that the Red Lantern and White jerseys are more hotly contested in recent years.

Christ, I'm almost pining for the days of Virenque.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Yeah, ignoring the King of the Mountains is the Tour organisers and team's jobs JZfromDC AOK!?

While the yellow and green will be won by the best in those areas, what second rate climber who is no threat to the GC will hold aloft the polka dot jersey come Paris? I'd seriously wager that the Red Lantern and White jerseys are more hotly contested in recent years.

Christ, I'm almost pining for the days of Virenque.

other then 2010, a strong climber has taken it in recent years (albiet a couple were doped to the eye balls). Unless you think samu, soler (doped up ras, pellizotti, kohl) are 2nd rate climbers.

It would be nice for some more high profile contests, but in the energy saving controlled modern day racing somethings' gotta give I guess.

 

[Fergoose]

Yeah, oversight with Sanchez - although it is debatable if he or his team even tried for the jersey or if it was simply a by-product of the points change and finishing high up on GC. I'd doubt there was any day when Sanchez & EE were thinking "If I ride like this, I can claim the polka dot jersey" until it was staring him in the face in the final mountain stage. To me having someone unintentional win it is almost as bad as having relative non-climbers going for the jersey.

With no disrespect to Hoogerland, Charteau and the Lotto climber (one of the Belgian brothers whose names escape me) they are the calibre of competitor attracted to this contest day-in and day-out during the tour such is it's lack of allure.

It'd be like having Tony Martin competing for yellow and Geraint Thomas going for Green. Totally unrepresentative of what the jersey is meant to represent.

And yeah, reminding me of Rasmussen, Pelozotti & Kohl has stopped me hankering for Virenque, less 'explosive' climbing is something to be thankful for (although its questionable if those guys could be considered top climbers given the circumstances).

I've not actually got a clue how to make the contest something that attracts top climbers who are highly unlikely to podium, other than extra financial rewards for the jersey. Imagine a KotM considered more desirable than a 5th place finish. Imagine it hotly contested by Rabobank (Gessink, Mollema), Lotto (VdB and the Belgian brothers) and Radioschleck (Frank Schleck, Horner) for example in the same way HTC, Movistar & Garmin have gone after green in recent years. I'd just about wet myself watching that unfold...

Infact, oh... where did I put my mop?

 

[Boeing]

It is only 11 days to the Grand Depart.

This year's Tour will have a very difficult time living up to its predecessor of last year and the story lines may shift slightly from the Yellow Jersey to the Green Jersey.

Last's years battle between--in the end--Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans was intriguing from the moment Cadel sprinted to the finish line of Stage 3. He didn't win the Tour that day and no other contender lost it, but it put the field on notice that a GC contender does not have to sit in the pack until the first mountaintop finish or time trial.

On the other hand, last year's Green Jersey was simply a matter of whether Cavendish made it over the Alps. Sure, what's his name from Movistar, showed some *****, but there was never really any doubt.

This year though it is shaping up to see the reverse to be true. The Yellow Jersey battle is a time-trail battle, much like the days of Big Mig, and it is hard to argue with Bradley Wiggins' pre-Tour dominance in Paris-Nice and the Dauphine. With so many TT miles, any time lost to Evans and Schleck on the slopes will easily be made up against the clock. I find it very hard to pick anyone other than Wiggins to win this Tour, much to my chagrin.

However, the ceremonial sprint stages and consitent stage wins by Cavendish (accompanied by the consistant second places by Farrar) will not be so easy to concede. Greipel and Farrar, as always, will give Cav a reason to ride at least 80%, but Kittel and Sagan have proven fast in small S*** races (tm) throughout the season. They both were fast in places like California and Switzerland but will they be able to compete against the A list, rather than B class sprinters? And adding to the storyline is Team Sky's split duties thus lessoning their lead out train prowess. My prediction? Cav takes the green again, but it comes down to Paris.

Those are my thougthts. What are yours?

Keep your cadence high and climb with a smile.

JZ from DC

do you let your cadence find the gear or the gear find a cadence?

 

[Kwibus]

It is only 11 days to the Grand Depart.

This year's Tour will have a very difficult time living up to its predecessor of last year and the story lines may shift slightly from the Yellow Jersey to the Green Jersey.

Last's years battle between--in the end--Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans was intriguing from the moment Cadel sprinted to the finish line of Stage 3. He didn't win the Tour that day and no other contender lost it, but it put the field on notice that a GC contender does not have to sit in the pack until the first mountaintop finish or time trial.

On the other hand, last year's Green Jersey was simply a matter of whether Cavendish made it over the Alps. Sure, what's his name from Movistar, showed some *****, but there was never really any doubt.

This year though it is shaping up to see the reverse to be true. The Yellow Jersey battle is a time-trail battle, much like the days of Big Mig, and it is hard to argue with Bradley Wiggins' pre-Tour dominance in Paris-Nice and the Dauphine. With so many TT miles, any time lost to Evans and Schleck on the slopes will easily be made up against the clock. I find it very hard to pick anyone other than Wiggins to win this Tour, much to my chagrin.

However, the ceremonial sprint stages and consitent stage wins by Cavendish (accompanied by the consistant second places by Farrar) will not be so easy to concede. Greipel and Farrar, as always, will give Cav a reason to ride at least 80%, but Kittel and Sagan have proven fast in small S*** races (tm) throughout the season. They both were fast in places like California and Switzerland but will they be able to compete against the A list, rather than B class sprinters? And adding to the storyline is Team Sky's split duties thus lessoning their lead out train prowess. My prediction? Cav takes the green again, but it comes down to Paris.

Those are my thougthts. What are yours?

Keep your cadence high and climb with a smile.

JZ from DC

This preview is made for people that only watching cycling in July or it's writted by someone who only watches cycling July.
Definately not by a true cyclingfan.

 

[saunaking]

This preview is made for people that only watching cycling in July or it's writted by someone who only watches cycling July.
Definately not by a true cyclingfan.

True, real cycling fans are only talking about what a **** race its going to be.

 

[Fergoose]

And true cycling fans struggle to be so pleasant and human it seems! Turn back jzfromdc before you have your social skills, tolerance and decency sucked from your very core. Leaving you nothing but a empty husk; destined to spend your remaining days visiting forum threads you dislike and finding yourself unable to prevent yourself from voicing your disapproval, despite knowing, deep down, in what remains of your soul, that this activity does you no credit!

 

[Marcus135]

Worst review ive ever read... Kwibus was right about this one.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I just hope this year does not turn into a crashfest like last year where some favorites had to abandon or were injured beyond all hope of recovering.

 

[Kwibus]

True, real cycling fans are only talking about what a **** race its going to be.

Allthough I understand why you are saying this I do not agree with you. Sure the bitter ones will, because most of the time the TdF can be very predictable.
Imo last years TdF was pretty good, allthough the Pyrenees were dissapointing, but that's mostly the fault of the riders.

My critism is that there was no respect toward other races and certain riders which is typical only July behaviour.

 

[Kwibus]

And true cycling fans struggle to be so pleasant and human it seems! Turn back jzfromdc before you have your social skills, tolerance and decency sucked from your very core. Leaving you nothing but a empty husk; destined to spend your remaining days visiting forum threads you dislike and finding yourself unable to prevent yourself from voicing your disapproval, despite knowing, deep down, in what remains of your soul, that this activity does you no credit!

Hah. This is quite funny and kinda true as well