Sprinters at the Tour (poll included)

[jaylew]

With Kittel and his train not seeming to be meshing or on top form this year, I don't think we'll see one sprinter who is clearly above the others. It wouldn't completely shock me to see no sprinter winning more than one stage but because of the strength of his team, I think Gaviria has the best shot. I wish Ewan and Bouhanni had been selected as then we'd have basically every top sprinter except Viviani.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I've already stated my backing of Cav. Besides him I think Sagan, Gav, and Demare each win a stage while Cav gets 6.

 

[jaylew]

I voted for Gaviria, Kittel, Bling, Sagan, Groenewegen, and the Gorilla. I went back and forth on Greipel but I think he and his team are so experienced that he'll get one.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Gav, Gro and Dem. I think I've more chance of winning a sprint stage than Cavendish, he's gone as a sprinter, unfortunately. Wouldn't mind being proven wrong though.

 

[Laplaz]

Gaviria and Groenewegen to share the victories in the 8 sprint finishes.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Degenkolb has more votes than Kristoff, which is odd

 

[PremierAndrew]

Cav gets my vote, admittedly more out of hope than expectation.

Sagan Gav and Groenewegen get my other votes

 

[yaco]

Gaviria and Groenewegen are nailed on for a stage victory - Definite chance for Demare and Cavendish - Would surprise Greipel,Kittel - Don't include Sagan in the sprinter category but he should win a stage.

 

[jaylew]

I think Matthews should be getting a bit more love due to his versatility. He's participated in 7 GTs and has won at least a stage in all but one. Since he's not defending green, he won't be wasting his energy on intermediate sprints and he will likely be able to contest a couple of sprints that most of the others won't be there for.

The only guy I think is guaranteed to get a win is Gav and much of that is due to his team.

Edit: While I think he'll likely get a win somewhere, I'm a little surprised Groenewegen is winning this since he's only won one GT stage, there will be teams with stronger lead outs, and we know how crazy the sprints can be at the Tour.

 

[RedheadDane]

I went for the boring option of Gaviria. I mean, the QS sprinters at GTs have been pretty good at getting wins recently.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

I went for the boring option of Gaviria. I mean, the QS sprinters at GTs have been pretty good at getting wins recently.

Only Gaviria? No one else will win a stage?

 

[jmdirt]

Cav, Gav, Sag, Kit...as usual I just hope for great sprints, but I'd like to see Cav bag at least one, the other three are highly likely, plus Gro with so many votes?

 

[DNP-Old]

Groenewegen and Gaviria. Didn't go with Sagan because he won't win in a bunch sprint. The rest will need a ton of luck, because those two are the quickest, and, in Nando's case, have the best lead out man.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

I went for the boring option of Gaviria. I mean, the QS sprinters at GTs have been pretty good at getting wins recently.

Only Gaviria? No one else will win a stage?

He was the only one I felt safe enough to vote for, my prediction abilities haven't exactly been brilliant lately. However, hopefully the skills of the QS squad for the sprinting stages will cancel out my complete lack of same at predicting results.





(I also didn't realise you could pick more than one option... )

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

Cav, Gav, Sag, Kit...as usual I just hope for great sprints, but I'd like to see Cav bag at least one, the other three are highly likely, plus Gro with so many votes?

Groenewegen won 9 victories, including some high profile ones like demolishing Viviani in PN and easily beating Demare in KBK. Plus humiliating Cavendish+ewan in Slovenia.

In pure flat sprints probably the fastest with Gaviria

 

[Cance > TheRest]

I voted for Sagan, because he can potentially win all kinds of stages (statistics alone almost suggests he should win a stage), and Groenewegen, because he's been the fastest sprinter in 2018. Gaviria could potentially win a stage. He has the best team, but he sometimes takes the wrong decisions. Actually, I regret not picking Kittel. He is by far the fastest sprinter there is, when he's in shape, although that last bit is a huge question mark. There are rumours that he's fitter than previously in 2018, so I guess that's a good sign for him.

 

[Gigs_98]

I picked Sagan as I think he'll win one of the bumpy stages or the cobbled stage. He might get a win on one of the completely flat stages too though, as I think the sprinters field isn't quite as great as it was at times in the past.
Then I logically picked Gaviria as he has shown good form this year, has the best train and will benefit most from Kittel, Cav and Greipel not being at their best.
Still I don't think Gaviria is quite as fast as Cavendish and Kittel were in the past so I don't think he'll absolutely dominate the sprints like Kittel did last year. So that leaves room for guys like Demare, the dominators of previous editions or as I think, Groenewegen.
And as only 3 different sprinters winning a stage sounded very little to me I gave Kittel a vote too. But who knows, in years in which Kittel hasn't destroyed bunch sprints throughout the year predicting the outcome of tdf bunch sprints before the first sprint takes place has become rather difficult.

 

[Akuryo]

Gaviria, Groenewegen, Demare. Maybe Sagan, but he has to get lucky, cause he doesnt have the top end speed of the other 3.

 

[42x16ss]

Sagan and Matthews for the more difficult stages/finishes and Kittel, Demare and Gaviria for the mass field sprints.

I don’t see the old guard of Cav, Greipel and Kristoff doing much. Groenewegen could also take a stage though.

 

[Koronin]

I'm going with Garviria, Cav, Kittel, Groenewegen, Matthews, and Demare.
I picked Cav because I'm hoping he can get 1 win, but he won't get more than that.

 

[GuyIncognito]

I went with:

Sagan for the more hilly finishes - although Matthews is always a possibility of course
Gaviria and Groenewegen as they seem the best of the consistent sprinters right now
Kittel because even while inconsistent he still has the speed so should be able to get at least one stage if all else goes wrong

I fully expect someone else to nab one, but god knows who

 

[skippo12]

I have the gut feeling that the old guys will dominate one last time. Maybe Cavendish is really past it but I expect Kittel and Greipel to win at least 4-5 stages.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Top 3 for me are Gav, Groner and Sagan. I like Demare as the best of the rest.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

Gaviria -> Groene -> Sagan..
Demare..
ps; Mathews might have a shot at yellow depending on how well Sunweb goes in the ttt and with the inter bonus so i guess he will be trying hard...

 

[Leinster]

Re:

Gaviria -> Groene -> Sagan..
Demare..
ps; Mathews might have a shot at yellow depending on how well Sunweb goes in the ttt and with the inter bonus so i guess he will be trying hard...

If they’re close after the ttt, he’ll be all in to Quimper and Mur de Bretagne. Thing is, he’ll be trying to bring Yates with him, so the question will be how does he square his own ambitions there, with the ambitions of Yates, who could also conceivably win either of those stages and claim yellow.