Tour de France Tour de France 2020

[ice&fire]

There’s 2 types of Dauphiné winner, though. There’s the Froome/Thevenet/Bobet type who won it as a stepping stone to the Tour, and there’s the Brajkovic/Talansky type, for whom it’s a stretch goal and winning it makes their season a success. For the former, winning or losing doesn’t matter as much as form. For the latter, it’s worth going extra deep to to get the W. Mayo was always closer to the 2nd group.

There's also the Indurain 1996 type

 

[BlueRoads]

Usually the schedule is a little bit different and there are not just two weeks between Dauphiné and Tour.

 

[RedheadDane]

There's also the Indurain 1996 type

I'll add the Fuglsang 2017+2019 type: "Cool! Won Dauphine, could do well in the Tour!"

...

"Well, ***..."

 

[ice&fire]

I'll add the Fuglsang 2017+2019 type: "Cool! Won Dauphine, good do well in the Tour!"

...

"Well, ***..."

Beating Porte and TJ couldn't have any predictive value of Tour results

 

[Breezy1985]

Only leaders without problems are Dumoulin, G. Martin, Pogacar and MAL. So it's up to UAE and Astana to create havoc on stage 2. Cofidis has not the strenght and Jumbo has to pay attention to Roglic. Just speculation of course. Probably nothing will happen.

What's Pinots problem ?

 

[RedheadDane]

Beating Porte and TJ couldn't have any predictive value of Tour results

Last year, at least, he was definitely named among the outsiders.
But then, of course, the "Well... ***!" part happened.

What's Pinots problem ?

Back problems.

 

[Breezy1985]

Last year, at least, he was definitely named among the outsiders.
But then, of course, the "Well... ***!" part happened.



Back problems.

Ah FFS. It's never easy with him is it

 

[RedheadDane]

Ah FFS. It's never easy with him is it

Seems not...

 

[Rollthedice]

Ah FFS. It's never easy with him is it

Maybe the "back pain" is used as an excuse to skip French Championships.

 

[RedheadDane]

Maybe the "back pain" is used as an excuse to skip French Championships.

I suppose, but surely "It doesn't fit with the schedule, and there are half-a-billion FDJ riders starting anyway." would be a good enough reason not to start.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I suppose, but surely "It doesn't fit with the schedule, and there are half-a-billion FDJ riders starting anyway." would be a good enough reason not to start.

In many countries you have to ride the NC if you want a spot on the team at the WC, so he probably needed a credible and "legit" excuse to skip it.

 

[Anderis]

It looks like EF will not announce their roster 2 days before the Tour like usual, but they'll announce one rider at the time and they've already started. Rigo is the first confirmed one.

 

[RedheadDane]

It looks like EF will not announce their roster 2 days before the Tour like usual, but they'll announce one rider at the time and they've already started. Rigo is the first confirmed one.

Probably still only gonna complete the announcement two days before...

 

[Breezy1985]

In many countries you have to ride the NC if you want a spot on the team at the WC, so he probably needed a credible and "legit" excuse to skip it.

It would be very unfair to enforce that rule this year

 

[Anderis]

Probably still only gonna complete the announcement two days before...

But at least we're going to know 87.5% of the roster at least 3 days before.

Interestingly, PCS has narrowed down their preliminary list to 8 names just a few minutes ago. I wonder if they have some legit info about the final roster.

EDIT: Now I see they have exactly 8 riders for every team now so I guess these are not necessarily the final rosters.

 

[Escarabajo]

But at least we're going to know 87.5% of the roster at least 3 days before.

Interestingly, PCS has narrowed down their preliminary list to 8 names just a few minutes ago. I wonder if they have some legit info about the final roster.

EDIT: Now I see they have exactly 8 riders for every team now so I guess these are not necessarily the final rosters.

Maybe, but the lists don't have the check mark. Only the ones that have confirmed the roster publicly.
By this time I am sure they are required to submit the roster with the substitute so that initial testing is planned ahead.

 

[Anderis]

I would be really disappointed if they take Van Garderen who has shown absolutely nothing this year. And when I say nothing, I mean absolutely much more nothing than in any of his previous years which, unlike 2020, all had displays of being competitive in at least some races.

 

[Escarabajo]

There’s 2 types of Dauphiné winner, though. There’s the Froome/Thevenet/Bobet type who won it as a stepping stone to the Tour, and there’s the Brajkovic/Talansky type, for whom it’s a stretch goal and winning it makes their season a success. For the former, winning or losing doesn’t matter as much as form. For the latter, it’s worth going extra deep to to get the W. Mayo was always closer to the 2nd group.

Herrera, Valverde, Moreau, Landaluze and so many others.

 

[Gigs_98]

Wouldn't it be gas if Landa, Valverde and Nairo broke away together in one of those mad full stage ambushes

I want to say it would be hilarious if these three were more effective together now than when they were all at the same team but then I realized it's actually really hard to be less effective than that, so...

 

[Leinster]

I want to say it would be hilarious if these three were more effective together now than when they were all at the same team but then I realized it's actually really hard to be less effective than that, so...

If the 3 got away together, guaranteed Bala sits on for the sprint because the other 2 have GC ambitions.

 

[Jspear]

Well only two of them could work together. The third wouldn’t be able to keep up.

 

[JosephK]

This year's TDF has a surreal feel unlike that of any pre-race week in the past. Obviously, the Covid-19 impact is a huge factor, what with racing the Tour in September. There are of course mountains, but not all that many mountain-top finishes. Crosswinds, gaps in the peloton, crashes, etc., could make for some strange twists. Despite TJV being so strong, I'm not sure there's a dominant favorite. It could be a year for a dark horse. . . . Maybe literally a dark horse (or dog . . . or old lady on a walker) crossing the road at an inopportune time, who knows.

 

[movingtarget]

Looks the Tour is going to have a lot of wounded warriors. A surprise podium is on the cards maybe. Back injuries don't usually improve quickly especially when you have to ride a three week bike race while recovering from one. Quintana has had some knee issues. With SK, Froome, Buchmann and Thomas out as well there will naturally be a reshuffle of the top 10. Fuglsang, Porte/Mollema will hope to have good legs and be able to stay upright. Roglic and Bernal deserve favouritism and Dumoulin and Pinot should be thereabouts but Pinot always likes to keep people guessing.............like Uran and Landa.

 

[RedheadDane]

Replace Fuglsang with Lopez.
Because, well... it's not the Bird who'll be riding; it's Superman!

 

[Scarponi]

Has there ever been a Tour in the last few years where there is only 1 champion riding?