TDF Presentation "Live"

[Ferminal]

I just found out that apparently i'm not very attentive when i comes to watching professional cycling. From the front page of cyclingnews:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sergeant-no-team-time-trial-should-open-tour-field



What race was i watching this year? I thought he lost lots of time in the Team time trial? So apparently somehow he finished second in 08 but outside the top ten and was also runner up this year?

The author got so excited with the 2010 announcement that he thought we were already there

It's just an error.

 

[MizunoMX20]

Mende is 3,1km long climb with 10,1%. Finish is the same as in 2005. Together with Gap those 3 medium mountain stages rock I think.

Yes, that is very true! Although the stage to Gap will probably be a stage for a big breakaway and no action between the big guns.

everytime i see the route, i'm liking it more and more.

Me too! The finishes in Station des Rousses and Mende do make a big difference! Now if they only make an interesting final in Spa, which shouldn't be too hard considering how many tough climbs there are in that area, I will be more than happy.

S/L is looking like a good team for this parcours.

..................

That's why I predict a podium. I think with his new aggressive and confident mindset from wearing rainbow, he can shake things up. This is a tour he can potentially win.

I don't think Silence (or Omega Pharma or whatever it is called tomorrow) has a good enough team at the moment. It is a shame for them that Dekker has fallen away. In my opinion they need at least one more rider like him to aid Cadel in the mountains.

About Cadel's chances to win.. well I don't think he has any. There are riders who are much better climbers, like you pointed out yourself as well. Contador and Schleck are in a different league it seems in terms of climbing, and I might put Sastre, Gesink, Armstrong and Frank Schleck slightly ahead of him as well. If Cadel wants to podium, he should make sure that he doesn't have one bad day. We all know he is good at maintaining a steady tempo uphill, he just doesn't react well to the vicious attacks of some of the aforementioned climbers. I would thus advise him to choose his pace, and try to keep that up until the finish. He will see for himself if he gets passed or that maybe some riders will have had to let him go. He needs to stop riding passively, and this might be the best way to do it. And if he does, a podium might not be beyond his reach.

 

[auscyclefan94]

the final tt looks straight and flar. Will suit a stronger rider.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

+1
I'll admit i even laughed at your evans and flanders comment at first.
LA even said he was considering riding flanders. i think we will see more gc riders riding events such as PR and RVV.

don't get your hopes up. I predict the cobbles will be anti-climax in terms of the gc men.

About Cadel's chances to win.. well I don't think he has any. There are riders who are much better climbers, like you pointed out yourself as well. Contador and Schleck are in a different league it seems in terms of climbing, and I might put Sastre, Gesink, Armstrong and Frank Schleck slightly ahead of him as well. If Cadel wants to podium, he should make sure that he doesn't have one bad day. We all know he is good at maintaining a steady tempo uphill, he just doesn't react well to the vicious attacks of some of the aforementioned climbers. I would thus advise him to choose his pace, and try to keep that up until the finish. He will see for himself if he gets passed or that maybe some riders will have had to let him go. He needs to stop riding passively, and this might be the best way to do it. And if he does, a podium might not be beyond his reach.

I agree more or less... LA certainly isn't a better climber though. La has no chance of a podium in 10' imo.

 

[cobblehead]

I don't like the cobbles; it's like russian roulette for the riders, totally unfair to anyone who trained hard and then busted a kneecap on a rock. And will we see bike changes after the cobbles ?

don't agree, the cobbles are a part of cycling, just like a time trial and a mountain stage.

Sure it would be a shame if a GC-contender would break his kneepcap on a cobble but let's be fair, there's an equal chance something like that happens in a descent...

 

[craig1985]

I'm just wondering, is there some sort of ASO policy that Pau has to be visited every year either as a stage start or finish on the Tour route? I mean I know it makes sense to have a rest day there, but I have to go with the rest, and make stage 16 finish on the Aubisque. A trick missed there IMO. So far I'm happy with the route.

EDIT - I have done the Port d'Bales. First 8km is false flat before the gradient kicks up and down for the next 11km, and towards the last couple of KM's it is quite steep. The desent is a lot of fun and you can go quite fast down there. Although be careful, there is a sharp right hand corner that goes into a village that can be quite hard to pick up as there is a brick wall for somebodies house, I know, I nearly missed the corner and rode into the wall. Should be an epic stage.

 

[issoisso]

Prudhomme's talking about the "hilly" final TT.

Does Prudhomme even know the route or does he just say random crap? Apparently the second one. Calling the Bordeaux region hilly is equivalent to describing the "flatlands" of the Himalayas.

 

[Anonymous]

don't agree, the cobbles are a part of cycling, just like a time trial and a mountain stage.

Sure it would be a shame if a GC-contender would break his kneepcap on a cobble but let's be fair, there's an equal chance something like that happens in a descent...

+1........................

 

[powderpuff]

the final tt looks straight and flar. Will suit a stronger rider.

Definitely flat, one of the few places where grapes aren't grown on steep hills; wind could be a big factor on the day, as will the heat.

 

[Beech Mtn]

I look for Team Old Folks Home to try to put time on Contador on the early stages with the wind and cobbles. And likely Saxo defending yellow for Cancellara from the prologue win. Between that, and classics guys trying for stage wins, the first week could be a lot more interesting than in years past. Especially if Vacansoleil gets the expected wildcard. I certainly don't want to see day after day of breakaway-gets-caught-and-Cav-dominates-the-sprint.

I would've preferred to have stage 16 end on the Aubisque, and the guys ride the bus into Pau for rest day.

Completely shallow observation from TdF presentation: Lance needs to never sit/stand/appear next to Andy Schleck again. Babyface makes Bootface look even older than he already is.

 

[Beech Mtn]

I was thinking about next year's tour, and what teams will get invited or left out. ASO has already stated that Cofidis and Bbox will get invites. Cervelo certainly will. Vacansoleil has the Feillu brothers, and Brice said yesterday he wants to try for the mountains jersey. That's 4 continental teams already. I'm assuming that Skil don't get invited (although I thought Shimano had some kind of sponsorship deal with ASO in some way?)

So what ProTour teams get left out? I believe ASO may have expected Astana to fall apart, but now they will be at the Tour for sure. Sky and Old Folks Home are new teams. Somebody is going to be disappointed, unless the Tour allows more teams with fewer guys (which I wish they would do).

 

[Laszlo]

I reckon the "stronger" GC types - LA, Evans, Menchov, VDV - should be able to take some time out of AC, AS and CS on the cobbles.. I can see some real chaos in those cobble sections. That was a good inclusion Prudhomme

Menchov either has Bobby Julich-luck or his handling skills- either way, I don't see him making it to the end

 

[Race Radio]

I'm just wondering, is there some sort of ASO policy that Pau has to be visited every year either as a stage start or finish on the Tour route? I mean I know it makes sense to have a rest day there, but I have to go with the rest, and make stage 16 finish on the Aubisque. A trick missed there IMO. So far I'm happy with the route.

EDIT - I have done the Port d'Bales. First 8km is false flat before the gradient kicks up and down for the next 11km, and towards the last couple of KM's it is quite steep. The desent is a lot of fun and you can go quite fast down there. Although be careful, there is a sharp right hand corner that goes into a village that can be quite hard to pick up as there is a brick wall for somebodies house, I know, I nearly missed the corner and rode into the wall. Should be an epic stage.

I agree, the Luchon stage could be a big one.

My first view is I like the course. Cobbles, Cross winds, a fair amount of mountains and no TTT. Good stuff.

 

[Highlander]

I was thinking about next year's tour, and what teams will get invited or left out. ASO has already stated that Cofidis and Bbox will get invites. Cervelo certainly will. Vacansoleil has the Feillu brothers, and Brice said yesterday he wants to try for the mountains jersey. That's 4 continental teams already. I'm assuming that Skil don't get invited (although I thought Shimano had some kind of sponsorship deal with ASO in some way?)

So what ProTour teams get left out? I believe ASO may have expected Astana to fall apart, but now they will be at the Tour for sure. Sky and Old Folks Home are new teams. Somebody is going to be disappointed, unless the Tour allows more teams with fewer guys (which I wish they would do).

While it is way early to speculate on this, Agritubel is out so that does open up a new spot for one team. After last year's performance, I think that Skil-Shimano stands a better chance of getting re-invited than Vacansoleil . I know that I definitely want to see Kenny van Hummel in the mountains again as he fights to avoid the time cuts. After the GC battle was over, I found that to be one of the most interesting aspects of last year's tour until he finally crashed out.

 

[Beech Mtn]

I would like to Skil in the race again too. You may be right about Vacansoleil, but I can't see the French leaving out their new darling boy Feillu, especially if he wants to follow in Virenque's footsteps to the dotted jersey. Also Vacansoleil was very active during the Vuelta, and I'd like to see them in action on the first week of the Tour. Agritubel is out, but Ret Shack and Sky are new. Somewhere somebody will get squeezed out. It will be interesting to see what the final rosters look like for a lot of these teams.