Sky Grand Tour Line Up

[Libertine Seguros]

Rojas isn't likely to get green, as you say he's far too inconsistent on the flat sprints and his team isn't likely to give him much support (if they do, then he may have to split time with Ventoso as the lead guy). Rojas normally comes about 3rd or 4th in the green jersey competition. I can't see him winning it, no way, but his attempts to fight his way into it could definitely take points away from the likes of EBH.

 

[taiwan]

Actually, where are all these rides that showed Uran to be a potential GC leader? I've just been looking at CQ, because I don't know him that well, and I don't really see them.

Oh, his Tour de Suisse was good.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

- when he won the Junior Vuelta a Colombia
- when he was 9th in the Tour de Suisse, with a stage win, at the age of 20
- when he was 2nd in the Volta a Catalunya at 21
- when he finished on the podium of the Giro di Lombardia the same year
- his 2009 Tour wasn't too spectacular, but he was the youngest rider in the race, and Caisse put no pressure on him to get any results. He was in breakaways and getting good finishes in the mountains in week 3, so he showed good recovery
- in the 2010 Giro he lost time in the wind and rain of week 1, and had been stagehunting/KOM minded for the later parts of the race, but instead found himself superdomestiquing for Arroyo. He took him to the finish line over Monte Grappa, was the second-last guy on Zoncolán, and dragged him most of the way up the Mortirolo, while still having the strength to come 7th on the Kronplatz ITT. After letting Arroyo go on these stages he would have cruised in to conserve energy, just as the CQ results won't tell you how brilliant Daniel Navarro was in the 2010 Tour.
- despite fatigue from a tough Giro - and being on his best form in week 3 as you would want from a GC rider - he still had the form to do a good Tour de Suisse, with two 2nds in key stages. However, he dropped 5 GC spots in the final TT as fatigue got the better of him.
- he put time into eventual GC winner Nibali on the first major MTF of the Vuelta and was lying 8th overall in the Vuelta before being involved in the Igor Antón crash, which derailed his Vuelta challenge.

Let us not forget that he has only just turned 24, and he has been riding in Eusebio Unzué's teams for the last three years, riding for a team boss who is renowned for carefully treating talented riders and bringing them up slowly.

 

[Ryaguas]

- when he won the Junior Vuelta a Colombia
- when he was 9th in the Tour de Suisse, with a stage win, at the age of 20
- when he was 2nd in the Volta a Catalunya at 21
- when he finished on the podium of the Giro di Lombardia the same year
- his 2009 Tour wasn't too spectacular, but he was the youngest rider in the race, and Caisse put no pressure on him to get any results. He was in breakaways and getting good finishes in the mountains in week 3, so he showed good recovery
- in the 2010 Giro he lost time in the wind and rain of week 1, and had been stagehunting/KOM minded for the later parts of the race, but instead found himself superdomestiquing for Arroyo. He took him to the finish line over Monte Grappa, was the second-last guy on Zoncolán, and dragged him most of the way up the Mortirolo, while still having the strength to come 7th on the Kronplatz ITT. After letting Arroyo go on these stages he would have cruised in to conserve energy, just as the CQ results won't tell you how brilliant Daniel Navarro was in the 2010 Tour.
- despite fatigue from a tough Giro - and being on his best form in week 3 as you would want from a GC rider - he still had the form to do a good Tour de Suisse, with two 2nds in key stages. However, he dropped 5 GC spots in the final TT as fatigue got the better of him.
- he put time into eventual GC winner Nibali on the first major MTF of the Vuelta and was lying 8th overall in the Vuelta before being involved in the Igor Antón crash, which derailed his Vuelta challenge.

Let us not forget that he has only just turned 24, and he has been riding in Eusebio Unzué's teams for the last three years, riding for a team boss who is renowned for carefully treating talented riders and bringing them up slowly.

I was going to answer but your answer is just perfect =D

 

[Frosty]

When it comes to the green jersey how certain is it that the mountainous stages will have the same intermediate status as the flat ones? The link below suggests that the flat stages will have the points going down to 15th place but it makes no mention of other types of stage.

http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/COURSE/us/actus.html

(See 19/10/2010 entry)

 

[Mambo95]

When it comes to the green jersey how certain is it that the mountainous stages will have the same intermediate status as the flat ones? The link below suggests that the flat stages will have the points going down to 15th place but it makes no mention of other types of stage.

http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/COURSE/us/actus.html

(See 19/10/2010 entry)

It's only the flat stages that have them.

 

[Frosty]

It's only the flat stages that have them.

Ok, unless that changes then that will probably mean that the intermediate sprints in the mountains wont be that beneficial to the climbing sprinters, and therefore EBH, unless said sprinter is in the breakaway.

 

[Jan the Man]

Tour-

Wiggins
Uran
Rogers
Flecha
Thomas
EBH
Barry
Gerrans
Henderson

Giro

Lovkvist
Possoni
Cioni
Cummings
Pauwels
Nordhaug
Sutton
Arversen
Knees

Vuelta

Lovkvist
Uran
Zandio
Flecha
Augustyn
Kennaugh
Stannard
Swift
Hunt

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Andy Schleck was 25 on January 1st, and CAN contend the white jersey this year.

no he was 26th on january first for uci rules. the year of birth counts not the date

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Freire and Rojas will match EBH for climbing. Rojas certainly (did you see him and Costa do a number on their breakaway companions in the intermediate stage of the Tour de Suisse last year?). Wouldn't be surprised to see Hushovd there too, and Hush will probably get as many points as EBH from the stage ending sprints if he has a shot at green (if he doesn't feel up to it then of course he'll be helping Farrar). Haussler (remember the Platzerwasel?) will get over pretty much anything EBH gets over too.

freire isn't riding the tour this year and rojas has no chance as he's way too slow and I doubt he will even ride the tour. more likely ventoso, if they choose a sprinter at all

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm not saying they're going to win green. I'm saying that Rojas usually competes for it (unsuccessfully - he is one of those guys who is always up there but never really threatening to win a stage, but cos he lasts out the mountains he usually ends up with a decent position in the classification), and he can get over the mountains as easily as EBH can, and will give him a run for his money sprinting for an intermediate after them.

 

[Mambo95]

Ok, unless that changes then that will probably mean that the intermediate sprints in the mountains wont be that beneficial to the climbing sprinters, and therefore EBH, unless said sprinter is in the breakaway.

At the 2011 presentation, when asked about the changes, amongst other things, Christian Prudhomme said "Fifteen stage wins but no green jersey for Cavendish, it's not very logical".

The only way the new rules could be more pro-Cav is if they gave points for swearing in interviews.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Does anybody know what the exact points in the green and polka competitions are going to be now?

 

[Raceoftruth]

For me line up as follows Wiggins, Thomas, Rogers, EBH, Uran, Barry, Henderson, Flecha, Pauwels.

 

[MADRAZO]

freire isn't riding the tour this year and rojas has no chance as he's way too slow and I doubt he will even ride the tour. more likely ventoso, if they choose a sprinter at all

With no serious gc-hopes on the team (Tondo perhaps top 10, Soler a wildcard perhaps), and some of their best riders like Arroyo, Bruseghin, Intxausti and propably Pardilla sceduled to ride Giro or Vuelta, I would find it very unlikly that they should leave Rojas at home, and since Ventoso was bought to help him, I feel rather sure they will both go to the TDF. If Ventoso should then continue to be a little faster like he has been so far this season they will propably share the sprints between them. A shame though that two so similar riders rides on the same team.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I know, I just hope they go for 9 climbers then that team will be most dangerous in the tour

 

[Ryaguas]

I know, I just hope they go for 9 climbers then that team will be most dangerous in the tour

I'd be happy if they give green light to Uran and if He has some opportunities then work for him!

 

[sublimit]

Tour-

Giro

Lovkvist
Possoni
Cioni
Cummings
Pauwels
Nordhaug
Sutton
Arversen
Knees

Id go with that.. but maybe Appollonio in place of Sutton.
I'd put Sutton in the Vuelta.

 

[JRanton]

Are you sure Cummings is riding the Giro? I thought Sky would have saved him for the Tour team.

I take it all back. Cummings to win the Giro!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I'd be happy if they give green light to Uran and if He has some opportunities then work for him!

soler you mean?

 

[theyoungest]

soler you mean?

Soler rides for Sky?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Cummings as GC leader obviously

 

[Ryaguas]

soler you mean?

Is a Team Sky thread so Is not about soler =D

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Ryo was talking about Movistar because the talk of EBH's chances in green had moved over to a brief aside over Rojas getting over as many mountains as him.

Sky don't HAVE 9 climbers to take.

 

[Ryaguas]

Ryo was talking about Movistar because the talk of EBH's chances in green had moved over to a brief aside over Rojas getting over as many mountains as him.

Sky don't HAVE 9 climbers to take.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Now I get it... He was talking about Movistar with the 9 climbers!!!
ye ye ye!
Sorry Ryo I didnt get it!

Hey Rogers worth 5 climbers ah