Tour de France 2017 stage 3: Verviers - Longwy 212,5 km

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

Demare won a similar stage at PN. He should handle the finish.

Much different circumstances in PN, and both the competition and the finish is way tougher tomorrow

Different finish here too, as tough a competition as tomorrow. Same result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49nCSxBlm1g

:lol:

 

[jsem94]

Saying Phil, but many could win.

 

[Galic Ho]

Or Pinot to pull a Valverde...

He will stay upright.

Hopefully that is what you meant...

No disrespect to Pinot, but he isn't going to beat GvA or Sagan or Matthews or Gilbert in a sprint on a stage like this.

They have too much anaerobic power over him.

Pinot needs a stage about a week or so into the Tour, where he drops these guys in a breakaway and out climbs them.

Find that stage and hope he does that. Needs reasonable mountains and he can use his superior diesel climbing to drop them...but anything short, sharp and steep as a climb, they've got his number.

 

[movingtarget]

Or Pinot to pull a Valverde...

He will stay upright.

Hopefully that is what you meant...

No disrespect to Pinot, but he isn't going to beat GvA or Sagan or Matthews or Gilbert in a sprint on a stage like this.

They have too much anaerobic power over him.

Pinot needs a stage about a week or so into the Tour, where he drops these guys in a breakaway and out climbs them.

Find that stage and hope he does that. Needs reasonable mountains and he can use his superior diesel climbing to drop them...but anything short, sharp and steep as a climb, they've got his number.

Yeah can't see Pinot winning this stage. One for the hill climbers. Should be a good battle between between the usual suspects.

 

[spiritualride]

With the finish not very hard, the puncheurs might attack like hell at the steepest section to get rid of the more pure sprinters. I don't think the domestiques will be able to lead the peloton all the way up but it will be exciting to see.

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

With the finish not very hard, the puncheurs might attack like hell at the steepest section to get rid of the more pure sprinters. I don't think the domestiques will be able to lead the peloton all the way up but it will be exciting to see.

The pure sprinters don't have a chance.
Maybe Demare. But Greipel, Kittel, Cav..... Not a chance.

 

[The Hegelian]

Matthews. Looked in very good nick at Suisse + the prologue. So does Arndt - he rode an awesome tt. Put the two together, and you have a winning combination.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Re:

Matthews. Looked in very good nick at Suisse + the prologue. So does Arndt - he rode an awesome tt. Put the two together, and you have a winning combination.

For sure he'll be in the mix.

 

[Galic Ho]

Or Pinot to pull a Valverde...

He will stay upright.

Hopefully that is what you meant...

No disrespect to Pinot, but he isn't going to beat GvA or Sagan or Matthews or Gilbert in a sprint on a stage like this.

They have too much anaerobic power over him.

Pinot needs a stage about a week or so into the Tour, where he drops these guys in a breakaway and out climbs them.

Find that stage and hope he does that. Needs reasonable mountains and he can use his superior diesel climbing to drop them...but anything short, sharp and steep as a climb, they've got his number.

Yeah can't see Pinot winning this stage. One for the hill climbers. Should be a good battle between between the usual suspects.

Sunweb and Bora need to play their cards really well. Both teams could win this.

Watch BMC and see how they place GvA and Porte.

Someone needs to stay beside Porte and someone needs to help GvA.

A GvA win here, would make the supporting Porte for GC later on, a no brainer. Greg gets a stage win and Porte gets his support later. Which he really needs.

 

[Screecher]

Or Pinot to pull a Valverde...

He will stay upright.

Hopefully that is what you meant...

No disrespect to Pinot, but he isn't going to beat GvA or Sagan or Matthews or Gilbert in a sprint on a stage like this.

They have too much anaerobic power over him.

Pinot needs a stage about a week or so into the Tour, where he drops these guys in a breakaway and out climbs them.

Find that stage and hope he does that. Needs reasonable mountains and he can use his superior diesel climbing to drop them...but anything short, sharp and steep as a climb, they've got his number.

Yeah can't see Pinot winning this stage. One for the hill climbers. Should be a good battle between between the usual suspects.

Sunweb and Bora need to play their cards really well. Both teams could win this.

Watch BMC and see how they place GvA and Porte.

Someone needs to stay beside Porte and someone needs to help GvA.

A GvA win here, would make the supporting Porte for GC later on, a no brainer. Greg gets a stage win and Porte gets his support later. Which he really needs.

GvA might get a top 10 here but i don´t see him challenging for the win. First of all he doesn´t have the form and second of all the finish is not hard enough to get rid of riders faster than him.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Or Pinot to pull a Valverde...

He will stay upright.

Hopefully that is what you meant...

No disrespect to Pinot, but he isn't going to beat GvA or Sagan or Matthews or Gilbert in a sprint on a stage like this.

They have too much anaerobic power over him.

Pinot needs a stage about a week or so into the Tour, where he drops these guys in a breakaway and out climbs them.

Find that stage and hope he does that. Needs reasonable mountains and he can use his superior diesel climbing to drop them...but anything short, sharp and steep as a climb, they've got his number.

Yeah can't see Pinot winning this stage. One for the hill climbers. Should be a good battle between between the usual suspects.

Sunweb and Bora need to play their cards really well. Both teams could win this.

Watch BMC and see how they place GvA and Porte.

Someone needs to stay beside Porte and someone needs to help GvA.

A GvA win here, would make the supporting Porte for GC later on, a no brainer. Greg gets a stage win and Porte gets his support later. Which he really needs.

GvA might get a top 10 here but i don´t see him challenging for the win. First of all he doesn´t have the form and second of all the finish is not hard enough to get rid of riders faster than him.

GVA isn't a sprinter, true. But he has a heck of a finish when it comes down to small groups coming off of climbs. He can win this stage.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Nice finish. I'll be one of the sheep and say Sagan or Bling.

Nice finish on stage 5 too, but is there a finish this year which is an in-between? Like around 2 kms @ 7.5%? Those 2 stages are a clear puncheur and a clear climber finish. Would be intriguing to have one where you are not sure if a Sagan or a Porte might take it.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Nice finish. I'll be one of the sheep and say Sagan or Bling.

Nice finish on stage 5 too, but is there a finish this year which is an in-between? Like around 2 kms @ 7.5%? Those 2 stages are a clear puncheur and a clear climber finish. Would be intriguing to have one where you are not sure if a Sagan or a Porte might take it.

Sagan looked pretty ordinary yesterday.

 

[The Barb]

Wondering if Sky will give Kwiatkowski free rein, as the finish suits him well and his form seems super.

I don't see why they wouldn't allow him to have a go, assuming it is all together when they get to the uphill with 1.6km to go and there are other teamates with Froome. By that stage his additional presence with Froome wouldn't really serve any purpose.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

Sagan
Bling
GVA

In some order

Now I'm beginning to talk myself into Colbrelli instead.

 

[The Hegelian]

Looked great in Spring. If he's at that level now, then he's a real chance. I suppose the same could be said about GVA....

 

[nilfen]

Today's stage is 212 km - will distance be a factor or does it have to be a longer stage before it matters?

 

[frisenfruitig]

Re: Re:

Nice finish. I'll be one of the sheep and say Sagan or Bling.

Nice finish on stage 5 too, but is there a finish this year which is an in-between? Like around 2 kms @ 7.5%? Those 2 stages are a clear puncheur and a clear climber finish. Would be intriguing to have one where you are not sure if a Sagan or a Porte might take it.

Sagan looked pretty ordinary yesterday.

Yeah that kinda surprised me considering how easily he won in Switzerland. Might have just been a bad day I guess.
I'm going with Matthews since GVA hasn't shown any positive signs of form lately and Sagan is a bit of a question mark right now.

 

[MartinGT]

The Gorillia!!!

 

[MartinGT]

Re: Re:

http://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/26/7/1499017472-ddv2nxhwsaa3j5v.jpg
ROFL

Spectacular photo! That is an amazing capture of the moment of the crash. Do you know what is the original source of the image?

I like the way Froome is body-surfing the tarmac, as if he is at the beach. But feel badly for the AG2R guys hitting the concrete road-divider.

That is a superb photo. I see Thomas was up and off without waiting for his leader, that is interesting!

 

[MartinGT]

Re:

as yellow is G not entitled to......................?

i see a sonny day.................................well? hoping

Mark L

You would think so, but you cant loose sight of the long term plan surly not?

Sonny was 85/1 for yesterdays stage which surprised me.

 

[bajbar]

Gilbert and Matthews looked strong in the TT, Colbrelli was good in both the TT and the sprint yesterday and Sagan is... well, Sagan. GVA as a dark horse, but his form is quite questionable...

 

[TM Dane]

Sagan ftw.

But could see Impey take a surprise stage victory.

 

[Lexman]

will Froome and Thomas stay together or ill thomas be aloud to go with the Sagans, Matthews, GVA etc... Given the fact Froome is always starting a bit easier on those climbs he might be distanced in the beginning. Will Any other GC contender lose time today?

 

[MartinGT]

Re:

will Froome and Thomas stay together or ill thomas be aloud to go with the Sagans, Matthews, GVA etc... Given the fact Froome is always starting a bit easier on those climbs he might be distanced in the beginning. Will Any other GC contender lose time today?

It wouldnt surprise me to see the Dawg up there with him!