TDF Sprints & Green Jersey

[MatParker117]

Sagan will pick up additional intermediate points in several of the intermediate stages on mountain stages. I wonder if he will get into breaks to do so (think Hushovd 2009). I think it depends how close to a clean sweep of the sprints Cav can get. Its a big ask (but possible) for Cav to beat Sagan to Green. Even after today I think he will lose a stage or two which he contests.

Flat stages are worth more points than in 2009 plus no Greipel, Goss etc. Also Cav would've won the green in 2009 without a 30 point penalty he got for dangerous sprinting. If Cav picks up his usual haul of five stages it will be extremely difficult for Sagan to hold him off.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Great sprint to watch today, the number of trains jockeying for position was incredible. Trentin and Steegmans were awesome. Griepel lost Henderson's wheel, managed to get behind Cav then make no progress. Sagan came from further back and was impressive.

Based on initial injuries Cav and Sagan will both improve as well.

Although Boardman reckoned they all had the same speed after fanning out, it was Cav's leadout that won it and they are all about equal. I disagree but think it will be closer in subsequent sprints.

We've had the first proper sprint, bring on tomorrow and add Kittel to the mix.

Cav didn't go 100% - the way he just rolled off Gert's wheel rather than jumping made it very clear, but he still had more than enough.

Lotto rapidly developing a habit of falling to pieces if they have any competition - they were nowhere last year when Sky finally made an effort for Cav in Paris too.

 

[puffin]

Cav didn't go 100% - the way he just rolled off Gert's wheel rather than jumping made it very clear, but he still had more than enough.

Lotto rapidly developing a habit of falling to pieces if they have any competition - they were nowhere last year when Sky finally made an effort for Cav in Paris too.

I think Cav does have more left, he said himself he didnt really need to accelerate, just to hold steegmans speed. I think Lotto did pretty well until the last corner, afterwards you see Henderson briefly getting in front of OPQS, just without Griepel. That would have made it interesting. To quote Griepel: "Unfortunately I f...it up in last corner."

 

[search]

Greipel needs a perfect train to win, Quickstep not helping to chase the breakaway for like ~200km was a clever move as Lotto came one or two men short in the end - although not exactly fair sportsmanship

 

[rinse clear]

Greiel makes to many mistakes to get green.

 

[Flamin]

Greipel needs a perfect train to win, Quickstep not helping to chase the breakaway for like ~200km was a clever move as Lotto came one or two men short in the end - although not exactly fair sportsmanship

Yes, Roelandts was missing as the guy before Henderson. Would have been a different sprint if he was there.

 

[search]

yeah, but Roelandts is suffering with his injury from ZLM Toer (broken rib), so it remains to be seen if he will be much of a help for the remainder of the Tour

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Greipel needs a perfect train to win, Quickstep not helping to chase the breakaway for like ~200km was a clever move as Lotto came one or two men short in the end - although not exactly fair sportsmanship

lol.

Everyone else sits and watches Cav's team pull the break back all race long usually.

Even on the day they didn't chase, they still pulled the last 40km.

Today I doubt Lotto will bother much.

The real problem with Lotto's train is the guys in it know their guy isn't the best, and they don't have that extra spark of motivation.

Well, that and most of them were 3rd choice at HTC.

 

[search]

Everyone else sits and watches Cav's team pull the break back all race long usually.

sure, and that's the way it has to be if you have the best sprinter in your rows

 

[the sceptic]

lol.

Everyone else sits and watches Cav's team pull the break back all race long usually.

Even on the day they didn't chase, they still pulled the last 40km.

Today I doubt Lotto will bother much.

The real problem with Lotto's train is the guys in it know their guy isn't the best, and they don't have that extra spark of motivation.

Well, that and most of them were 3rd choice at HTC.

oh really

10 char

 

[Zweistein]

Flat stages are worth more points than in 2009 plus no Greipel, Goss etc. Also Cav would've won the green in 2009 without a 30 point penalty he got for dangerous sprinting. If Cav picks up his usual haul of five stages it will be extremely difficult for Sagan to hold him off.

Look at last years point total. Sagan won by a ridiculous margin with a crazy high score. Higher than any year that Cav had and Sagan only won two stages. The green jersey goes to the guy who is the most consistent not the fastest. Sagan loads up on intermediates, places well in sprint stages, and a few stages were most of the sprinters are gone. He could have won last year with his large margin without even winning a stage. The green jersey is made more for Sagan than it ever was for Zabel.

 

[Netserk]

He won three stages in the first week last year. Similar to McEven in 2006.

 

[scholar]

Look at last years point total. Sagan won by a ridiculous margin with a crazy high score. Higher than any year that Cav had and Sagan only won two stages.

This is not to play down Sagan's achievement last year, but Cavendish (and possibly the other pure sprinters) stopped chasing the intermediate points when it became clear that Sky would not chase down breaks and that he had no chance at as many stage wins as he wanted, let alone at the green. That made the winning margin much, much bigger than it might otherwise have been.

 

[puffin]

HELLO, hello, hello

bit quiet here after Cav loses a sprint for some reason...

Although if Greipel had lost that he should give up, a bit like Cav on Wednesday. Bring on the next.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I didn't post yesterday evening because I spent the night in A&E, although I won't deny I am less enthusiastic when Cavendish doesn't win.

 

[cineteq]

Cavendish fanboys finally understanding why Sagan and Greipel were the real green jersey contenders.

 

[the sceptic]

Whats happening i thought Cav was supposed to be in green after today

 

[Zam_Olyas]

1) Sagan: 179pts
2) Greipel: 130pts
3) Cavendish: 119pts

 

[puffin]

1) Sagan: 179pts
2) Greipel: 130pts
3) Cavendish: 119pts

Soon be 209 for Sagan

 

[Netserk]

Soon be 209 for Sagan

More like 224

 

[Afrank]

There's goes my Tour CQ game hopes. Gonna be pretty hard for Cav to make up such a big gap, especially if Sagan starts going in breaks on the more mountainous days to get the intermediates (which he probably will). Kudos to Sagan though, he's doing what he needed to do to win green perfectly thus far. Now he just needs to get himself a stage.

Edit: and stage win achieved.

 

[puffin]

Yep, my bad. I thought this was a hilly stage with 30 for the win but apparently not.

More like 224

As Sagan said yesterday the biggest enemy is now 'Crash'.

 

[goggalor]

Now that was impressive. I don't think Cav will see green this year either.

 

[Gloin22]

Sagan's just too good for everyone imo, no matter what support Cav will get, he will not get any points on stages Sagan will get plenty.

Called it ages ago

On serious note, it wasn't hard to predict, Sagan is just too good on stages like this compared to everyone else.. And I like that, points jersey is not a ''sprinter jersey'', Sagan deserves it. Only crash can halt him now.

 

[Zweistein]

More like 224

A week into the race and he has a point total that is close to what you would need to win (250ish) most years. He almost has to crash to lose the thing now.