Tour de France 2018, stage 1

[sir fly]

Noirmoutier-en-l'Île > Fontenay-le-Comte, 201 km.

Intermediate sprint

Bonus point

Final kilometres

Hard to expect something surprising without appropriate forecast.
Run-in to the finishing straight brings two roundabouts, so the way through them could determine the outcome of the stage.

Let the race begin!

 

[yetiyeti]

Do they really have a categorized climb that’s maxes out at 30m?

 

[jsem94]

Re:

Do they really have a categorized climb that’s maxes out at 30m?

Gotta give out the first mountain jersey...

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Taking an early reply to clarify the bonus sprint. It is just bonus seconds with no points awarded, correct?

 

[DNP-Old]

What's the wind like?

 

[SHAD0W93]

Cav to emerge 3 riders back off Renshaw's wheel and win by 2 bike lengths.

 

[Koronin]

I'll take Gaviria for stage one.

 

[Jacques (7 ch)]

Thomas to attack and put seconds into Froome.

 

[DBotero]

Thomas to attack and put seconds into Froome.

No need,he can forget him on the Roubaix stage if he really wants :lol:

 

[rghysens]

Re:

What's the wind like?

Almost nonexistant.

 

[sir fly]

Re:

Taking an early reply to clarify the bonus sprint. It is just bonus seconds with no points awarded, correct?

Regulations.

ARTICLE 26|TIME BONUSES
Time bonuses are awarded at the end of every
mass-start stage (i.e. no time bonuses on offer
in individual and team time trials). The first three
riders get 10, 6 and 4 seconds, respectively.
3, 2 and 1 seconds shall be awarded to the first
three riders at the Bonus Point in each of the first
nine stages (except for the stage 3 team time trial).
This shall have no effect on the points classification.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Head: Groenewegen to look fastest but Quickstep’s train to give Gaviria enough extra to win the stage.

Heart: Kittel to look the fastest but Cavendish to outsmart him for the stage.

 

[hfer07]

I'm forecasting Sweden 3 - England 1

 

[Rollthedice]

Snooze fest except if Hinault turns up to block the road.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Groenewegen to start his winning ways

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

I'm forecasting Sweden 3 - England 1

Nope, it should be 3:0 in the afternoon for England and Croatia 5 - russia 0 in the marvellous evening.
EDIT: Stage 1? I don't care hoping none of the Skyborgs will lose any second.

 

[Laplaz]

This one is Groenewegen's. Hopefully no big crash.

 

[RedheadDane]

Eeeh… someone whose surname begins with a consonant…

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re:

Eeeh… someone whose surname begins with a consonant…

Bold prediction.
Care to risk predicting how many eyes or legs the winner will have?

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Eeeh… someone whose surname begins with a consonant…

Bold prediction.
Care to risk predicting how many eyes or legs the winner will have?

This is the only way I can be sure.
But I'd say the letter 'G' to be a bit more precise.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Eeeh… someone whose surname begins with a consonant…

I hope Nikias Arndt will win. Or Daryl Impey.

 

[Moviefan1203]

Gaviria to open up his Tour de France bank account.

 

[The Hegelian]

I reckon Demare. I think he's stepped up quite a lot in the last year and a half.

 

[Lequack]

How can they find stages so flat. It's amazing, even if I was a sprinter I would want some small hills at least to break up the monotony.

 

[LiquidCrystalDynamic]

Re: Re:

Eeeh… someone whose surname begins with a consonant…

Bold prediction.
Care to risk predicting how many eyes or legs the winner will have?

This is the only way I can be sure.
But I'd say the letter 'G' to be a bit more precise.

Gerrans? My heart might want that even more than a resurgent Cav.

Anyways I think that people may be underrating Gaviria (especially v Groenewegen), and would say his chances for victory are also underrated even if he did not have the absolute best leadout in the race. QS will be a major force throughout the entire tour, as leadout men and solo catalysts. I expect this to begin tomorrow.

And Richeze almost deserves a separate mention, I've always been fascinated by leadout men and he is one of the best.