The 2012 Tour de France polka dot jersey

[greenedge]

Only speculation, but my guess is Pierre Roland

I think if he wins on Stage 7 he might afterwards target it.

 

[Dr.Sahl]

If you look at the odds here and there, the bookies think it will be


Hoogerland vs Sánchez, Samuel

Then CAS and Scarponi...

Personaly, I think it will be Hoogerland vs CAS. I am also sure that if Rolland or vino gets a chance they will go for it too ^^

I think it will be very very entertaining to see this battle

 

[Kazistuta]

I'm afraid Sorensen will save himself for a spectacular top20 on GC instead of going all out for stages and KOM.

I'm sure he won't. CAS and Hoogie has been the only ones publicly stating the polkadot jersey as a goal.

I will put forth Mr. Moncoutie to the list of contenders. He never really seems to excel in the TDF mountain classification, but he has done plenty enough in the Vuelta to warrant such a spot. And he's actually already more than 3 minutes back.

Mørkøv will lose the jersey today to a rider from the breakaway. IMO it was stupid to waste energy yesterday with only one point on the board.

 

[Havetts]

CAS and Hoogie has been the only ones publicly stating the polkadot jersey as a goal.

So did Daniel Martin

 

[element]

I see Dan Martin and Scarponi as the favourites - they both stated it as an aim before the tour.

Martin has the necessary punch to sprint for points if he's on form, which it seems he is from his prologue/stage1.

Scarponi on form is a better climber than just about everyone else mentioned in this thread, (with the possible exceptions of Samu and Rolland), but I'm not sure of his condition.

 

[gustienordic]

So did Daniel Martin

I suppose he will lose enough time in the first TT to be let go too..

 

[ulrikmm]

More polka dot cakes to Michael Mørkøv. A clever ride again. Congratulations.

The standing in the KOM competition after stage 3 is
1. Mørkøv 9 pts
2. Basso 2 pts
3. Sagan 2 pts
Source: http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us/classifications.html

 

[Dr.Sahl]

Mørkøv will lose the jersey today to a rider from the breakaway. IMO it was stupid to waste energy yesterday with only one point on the board.

I bet you regret that comment.

 

[ulrikmm]

Tomorrow, stage 4 has 4 cat. 4 hill sprints, and therefore 4 points in the KOM competition. Foul weather, crosswinds, crashes are likely obstacles to navigate.

Polka dot jersey Michael Mørkøv has been given team orders to stay in the peloton, and aid teammates in the expected mass sprint finish.

Definitely an interesting stage, given the challenges, but (barring crashes) not one that changes the ownership of the polka dot jersey.

 

[greenedge]

Hoogerland to attack. I think Voeckler could even go for the polka dot.

CAS will not be much help to JJ so i would send him out to protect the KOM lead/ gain points for himself.

 

[Coramoor]

I suppose he will lose enough time in the first TT to be let go too..

he lost 5 minutes today trying to get VdV back to the main group

 

[Fidolix]

No doubt the competition will be entertaining this year.

May the best man win!!

 

[Fidolix]

Originally Posted by Kazistuta
Mørkøv will lose the jersey today to a rider from the breakaway. IMO it was stupid to waste energy yesterday with only one point on the board.

I bet you regret that comment.

 

[ulrikmm]

No changes in the top 3 KOM competition after stage 3. Tomorrow, a sprinterfriendly stage with 4 cat. 4 hills, offering 4 KOM points to take.

Thus, no change of ownership to the polka dot jersey tomorrow.

Saturday, however, the stage to Planche des Belles Filles sports 2 cat. 3 cols (= 2 KOM points each for the first rider) and 1 cat. 1 mountain top finish (= 20 points for the first rider). Probably, the polka dot jersey will shift from ex-track specialist Michael Mørkøv to an entirely different type of rider.

Several scenarios are plausible:

A fight between GC contenders to the mountain top finish could place the jersey in the GC crowd. This is definitely not unlikely. Aggressive riders like Evans would like to gain a GC advantage early in the race.

On the other hand, an early breakout could make it to the finish line and distribute the points in the hands of either the selfannounced polka dot competition aspirers, or other non GC riders.

As always in the Tour de France, the first mountains gives answers to many questions .

 

[ericthesportsman6]

Cobo could factor in. He's already out of the GC running.

 

[Froome19]

Cobo could factor in. He's already out of the GC running.

Probably he will be Valverde babysitting but if not then he maybe.. yet most likely he will not do anything as he wont have much motivation and will revert back to the Cobo pre Vuelta 2011.

 

[RedheadDane]

Dunno why I never realized this before.
The first two guys to officially state that they are going for it were... a Dane and a Dutchman!
Oh yeah! They totally come from mountaineous countries those two!


It's The Bull vs. The Ox!
And of course if Cobo joins the fun too we'll also have The Bison.

 

[Finn84]

Dunno why I never realized this before.
The first two guys to officially state that they are going for it were... a Dane and a Dutchman!
Oh yeah! They totally come from mountaineous countries those two!


It's The Bull vs. The Ox!
And of course if Cobo joins the fun too we'll also have The Bison.

Remember 2005. Dane winning polka-dots and Norwegian green.

 

[RedheadDane]

Remember 2005. Dane winning polka-dots and Norwegian green.

Yeah that... didn't make much sense either...

 

[Carstenbf]

I'd add Moncoutie to the list considering his efforts yesterday.

Being Danish I'd love if CAS won it, but tbh it's more or less a pipe-dream. But then again if you don't try, it ain't gonna happen for sure.

 

[Kazistuta]

I'd add Moncoutie to the list considering his efforts yesterday.

Being Danish I'd love if CAS won it, but tbh it's more or less a pipe-dream. But then again if you don't try, it ain't gonna happen for sure.

I mentioned him earlier in this thread, but after yesterdays effort he sure shows intentions.

 

[ulrikmm]

After stage 5 and a sprint finish, no changes in the top three of the KOM competition:

Mørkøv 9 pts.
Basso 2 pts.
Sagan 2 pts.
Dela Place 2 pts.
Moncoutie 2 pts.

Friday, stage 6 has just one KOM point to offer.

Stage 7 saturday, however....*thundering fireworks* - hopefully

By the way: Anyone recalls which rider is the last to have won both the GC and KOM competition the same year? Michael Rasmussen was on his way, if my memory serves me well, but which others actually have made that "double" in the last 20 years?

Fantastic photo, by the way.

 

[H2OUUP2]

Scarponi is my guess. Would love Vino to go for it, but I don't think he will.

Stage 8 will give us an idea of who is going to go for it. First stage with lots of points up for grabs.

 

[orangerider]

Probably he will be Valverde babysitting but if not then he maybe.. yet most likely he will not do anything as he wont have much motivation and will revert back to the Cobo pre Vuelta 2011.

Agreed, motivation is a problem for him. Polka dots pretty dull to aim for after winning a vuelta. It's hardly ever remembered in the history books.. why bother spending the energy when you already achieved a lot more. Stage win breakaway is much more attractive but it's not easy either.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

After stage 5 and a sprint finish, no changes in the top three of the KOM competition:

Mørkøv 9 pts.
Basso 2 pts.
Sagan 2 pts.
Dela Place 2 pts.
Moncoutie 2 pts.

Friday, stage 6 has just one KOM point to offer.

Stage 7 saturday, however....*thundering fireworks* - hopefully

By the way: Anyone recalls which rider is the last to have won both the GC and KOM competition the same year? Michael Rasmussen was on his way, if my memory serves me well, but which others actually have made that "double" in the last 20 years?

Fantastic photo, by the way.

Interesting question, which I decided to find an answer to. It turns out that noone has won both the yellow and the polka dot jersey since Merckx did it in 1970.