Which team will win TDF?

[K-0tic]

Are you serious????

Schleck,Klöden,Horner,Monfort,Zubeldia,Popovych and Cancellara. I can't see them fail at a particular stage with these riders.

 

[cineteq]

Schleck,Klöden,Horner,Monfort,Zubeldia,Popovych and Cancellara. I can't see them fail at a particular stage with these riders.

On paper looks ok, but then you've been oblivious to the saga that's been going on.

 

[K-0tic]

On paper looks ok, but then you've been oblivious to the saga that's been going on.

It's why I'm tipping Sky and Rabobank. But if RSNT can get their **** together, they should not even have a single bad day.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I agree more with your first point.
Generally you find that the teams who win the team classification it is because of every stage where they get riders in the breaks.
The reason garmin won last year was not primarily down to Danielson, Hesjedal etc riding consistently in the mountains but rather it was because they managed to get Hushovd, Hesjedal, Hushovd etc in to breaks which stayed away and these gained them time which would be equal to however much they may lose on a mountain stage.

Sky this year and also Movistar imo have at least 3 riders who can do well in the mountains so they should be the favorite, but they wont be getting riders in breaks as they will mostly working for Cav/Wiggins and so they could lose out possibly, yet that is only if they are up against a team like Movistar or Astana who may additionally be sending the riders up the road. Once again this is especially relevant this year when a lot of stages are possible breakaway stages and the mountains are rather limited.

Its mostly about having guys in the breakaways and then somebody or two who can come in limiting their losses.

I'm just thinking, there may not be that many people so far done the break gets given more than a handful of minutes given the lack of super selective stages in the first half of the race; there will be stages that create gaps, but not the kind that leave people so far down the break gets allowed to go half an hour up the road like how Xacobeo-Galicía won the 2009 Vuelta teams classification by having 2 guys in the break Caisse let go 25 minutes in the stage Boom won and 2 more in the break that went 15 minutes in the stage Deignan won.

Therefore I'm thinking the gaps the breakaway wins stages by in the middle of the race will be smaller gaps, which will enable Sky with their strength in depth and UK Postal style from the Dauphiné to gain much of that time back in the TTs and mountain stages.

 

[Froome19]

Its mostly about having guys in the breakaways and then somebody or two who can come in limiting their losses.

I'm just thinking, there may not be that many people so far done the break gets given more than a handful of minutes given the lack of super selective stages in the first half of the race; there will be stages that create gaps, but not the kind that leave people so far down the break gets allowed to go half an hour up the road like how Xacobeo-Galicía won the 2009 Vuelta teams classification by having 2 guys in the break Caisse let go 25 minutes in the stage Boom won and 2 more in the break that went 15 minutes in the stage Deignan won.

Therefore I'm thinking the gaps the breakaway wins stages by in the middle of the race will be smaller gaps, which will enable Sky with their strength in depth and UK Postal style from the Dauphiné to gain much of that time back in the TTs and mountain stages.

I dont think it is true that it will be influenced by the lack of selective stages in that manner, because the breakaway men and the sprinters etc will do what they usually do which is that they will let themselves go and anyway the time gaps after the first mountain stage are generally exorbitant in a Grand Tour unless you are aiming for a top 15 finish.

On the contrary I believe the introduction of a mountain stage on stage 7, as opposed to last year where the first mountain stage was stage 12 and therefore Voeckler could attain the jersey through a break. Even though the final climb is short it will create massive gaps for the riders who softpedal in within the time limit and this will probably open up the race more from stage 7 for big breakaways and furthermore lookin at the route there are a lot more stages this year which have the potential to be claimed by a breakaway.

I voted for Sky but in hindsight it will most likely come down to a battle between Astana and Movistar.

 

[K-0tic]

If you see the latest winners, there's no need to have someone in top-5. You need someone who can do good in the breakaways and some guys who can limit their losses

2011: Garmin-Cervelo
-Tom Danielson 9th
-Christian Vande Velde 17th
-Ryder Hesjedal 18th

2010: Radioshack
-Chris Horner 10th
-Levi Leipheimer 13th
-Andreas Klöden 14th
-Lance Armstrong 23th

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Sky take an early lead.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Twitter saying that means they wear yellow helmets tomorrow.

I hope that is a s****.

 

[Fetisoff]

Radioshack is probably going to have 3 guys in top-20 overall at the very worst and do well in time trials, so they're gonna take this meaningless competition

 

[Gloin22]

Radioshack is probably going to have 3 guys in top-20 overall at the very worst and do well in time trials, so they're gonna take this meaningless competition

So will Sky.

Wiggins-Froome-Porte and will do as well in Time-Trials.

It's going be quite close imo. Rabo stands fair chance too

 

[Fetisoff]

So will Sky.

Wiggins-Froome-Porte and will do as well in Time-Trials.

It's going be quite close imo. Rabo stands fair chance too

Yeah, only difference is Shack don't have a Cavendish to work for, so I give them the slight edge

 

[Gloin22]

Yeah, only difference is Shack don't have a Cavendish to work for, so I give them the slight edge

Yes, the faster Cav pulls out of Tour - better for Sky in Team category.

But as you said, there's not much meaning to it anyway.

 

[WindLessBreeze]

Jersey seekers don´t win Team Cat´

So far I thought I was mingling with true pundits, but I learned the hard way otherwise. Teams like SKY, seeking two jerseys, yellow and white´, not green....can not be bothered with other objectives.......Kappish!!!!

 

[Pippo_San]

Lol at those who chose Rabofail

(second choice of the forum, I can't believe it )

 

[maxmartin]

What's up with richie porte?

top form in D to make the selection, non-factor in the tour?
or just save the energy to do the work in the mountain?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Are you serious????

I am not alone am I

 

[ingsve]

The other teams will let Sky win the classification to avoid having to wear those awful helmets.

 

[Froome19]

What's up with richie porte?

top form in D to make the selection, non-factor in the tour?
or just save the energy to do the work in the mountain?

Probably the latter, he has been following a similar build up to Wiggins and should be on around the same form - top form.

 

[maxmartin]

Probably the latter, he has been following a similar build up to Wiggins and should be on around the same form - top form.

not too sure about that, Mick Roger keep with the pace without any problem