Race for the White Jersey

[luckyboy]

Well now that we have seen Gesink struggling with his injuries, this contest has become a little more open. Here are the standings after Super-Besse (only the guys who can really challenge)..

1. Robert Gesink 33h07'56"
2. Rein Taaramae +00'59"
4. Rob Ruijgh +01'42"
7. Jérôme Coppel +02'06"
8. Rui Costa +02'19"
9. Rigoberto Uran +02'56"
11. Cyril Gautier +04'31"
12. Pierre Rolland +05'06"
13. Bauke Mollema +05'33"

Intxausti DNF today, but he was way down. Kreuziger pretty much out of it some 25 minutes back.
Will Gesink be able to carry on and if so will his pure climbing class show through?

Have to say I think Gesink will abandon at some point in the mountains unless he can recover to some extent. Taaramae vs Coppel after that.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gesink says he is likely to abandon
http://nos.nl/artikel/254888-gesink-twijfelt-over-vervolg-tour.html

He simply can't go with any sort of pace when it goes uphill

 

[roundabout]

I think Gesink can still win it if he wants to. If not, Uran is my favorite.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

I hope it's Uran. With Wiggins out he should have the chance to ride for himself.

 

[Parrulo]

taaramae vs uran with coppel getting himself in the mix

if gesink is indeed suffering (he can still recover till the mountains lets not forget) then mollema may be able to recover some time but i think he is too far now

costa isn't a conteder btw he isn't a climber not even close to that, he is a guy for the hills

 

[just some guy]

If Gesink retires

Coppel vs Uran for me

 

[spalco]

A Frenchie would be nice, give them something to hope for.

Other than that, Uran maybe out of that list? Taaramae probably has a shot too.

 

[niidirull]

If Gesink does abandon it will be between Uran and Taaramäe. Even being a huge fan of Taaramäe i can't see him keeping his 2 minute advantage ahead of Uran at the big mountain stages.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

taaramae vs uran with coppel getting himself in the mix

if gesink is indeed suffering (he can still recover till the mountains lets not forget) then mollema may be able to recover some time but i think he is too far now

costa isn't a conteder btw he isn't a climber not even close to that, he is a guy for the hills

the problem if gesink doesn't recover at the moment. It's only getting worse every day.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Coppel will win.

regarding coppel, did anyone notice chavanel riding back to the peloton yesterday with coppel in tow, and when the reached it jerome patted chav's back in gratitude.

I thought it was pretty interesting.

I hope he takes yellow anyway or mollema, but whatever.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Coppel V Uran.

 

[Archibald]

how can any of you go past TGBM??

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

the problem if gesink doesn't recover at the moment. It's only getting worse every day.

indeed.

I noticed the moment it went uphill he was struggling.

he might improve a bit, but the mountains will be too much.
it sucks, but that is cycling I guess.

No chance of him being at his best here anymore.

I support him giving up. Recovering and gearing up for the vuelta to only crash in stage 15 while leading the race, where i finally crack and throw my clog at the tv.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

how can any of you go past TGBM??

Because he lost about 5 minutes in total already by working for Gesink, and having bad luck himself (caught behind crashes, not injured tho)

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Because he lost about 5 minutes in total already by working for Gesink, and having bad luck himself (caught behind crashes, not injured tho)

was a tad silly by rabo to not let him have a free role.

 

[Duartista]

Coppel and Taaramae have been unconvincing so far. I think it will be between Uran and Mollema if Gesink drops out.

 

[Archibald]

Because he lost about 5 minutes in total already by working for Gesink, and having bad luck himself (caught behind crashes, not injured tho)

wasn't being serious. probably should have put a or something there

 

[Duartista]

Because he lost about 5 minutes in total already by working for Gesink, and having bad luck himself (caught behind crashes, not injured tho)

5 mins is not the end of the world in this competition.

 

[theyoungest]

was a tad silly by rabo to not let him have a free role.

He was dropped long before Luis Leon and Barredo (who in fact weren't dropped ) so did he do all the work, or is his form not that great? I mean, he might have had to ride the front for Gesink, but it won't have been very fast, since Gesink couldn't handle a high pace.

 

[El Pistolero]

Was pretty stupid of Rabo to build their whole team around Gesink.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Was pretty stupid of Rabo to build their whole team around Gesink.

it was a risk, and it appears to have backfired, they are on course to have a very epic fail of a tour.

Gesink giving up would be a positive for the team, as sad as it sounds.

 

[Spine Concept]

Was pretty stupid of Rabo to build their whole team around Gesink.

it was a risk, and it appears to have backfired, they are on course to have a very epic fail of a tour.

Gesink giving up would be a positive for the team, as sad as it sounds.

It was a risk indeed. However, if it played out well they would have been geniuses had Gesink ended up on the podium. They gambled and lost, simple as that.
Next year will be much different though with Kruijswijk there.

 

[mortand]

As much as I like Rein Taaramae (and that's a lot!) I'm not all that sold on him as a GT GC contender. To be fair, I've nothing to back this up, it's just a hunch. Can he keep consistent for three weeks? Sure, you can win the white jersey without necessarily matching the top GC riders day in day out, but still..

Regarding Coppel, he's obviously a talented bloke, but I don't have that three-week-racer feeling about him either.

I'd like to be proven wrong though.

Uran vs Mollema for me.

Oh, by the way: I'm quite curious about Arnold Jeannesson. He can climb - at least he had glimpses of brilliance in the Giro last year working for David Arroyo - and he's got that skinny, tall climber genes. But he seems wackily inconsistent. He's probably not growing into a world beater or anything, but another climbing cyclocross'er would be cool.

 

[ingsve]

I would do with Uran if he can keep it together the whole Tour. EBH said that they will be riding for him now in the GC so he will at least have some support as well.

 

[Poursuivant]

Could EBH + Thomas be dark horses? Or will they sink in the mountains?