Fuglslang is designated leader for Astana. It's likely that Brajkovic will be mountain domestique for him, so won't have the opportunity to get a decent GC result. Best possible outcome would be a stage win from a breakaway on a stage where he isn't domestique for Fuglslang. That being said, we're talking about a rider who will make podium, not top 10. Jw has fuglslang ever done a top 10 in a GT???
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nick101 said:
You can point to TJVG looking after Evans but what about the bad luck that JVDB had during the race? He had an untimely mechanical on the approach to La Planche des Belles Filles which cost him dearly. JVDB was the only one who could consistently stay with the top three last year. He was also one of the few who was able and willing to attack. Also TJVG benefited from the time trial km's last year compared to JVDB.
i really rate QUintana but the lack of recent racing is a concern, will need to hope he doesnt lose time in 1st week getting back into things.
Jaunty Monty said:
C'mon do you really JVDB could've done 5 minutes better if he hadn't had the mechanical. Really?? he lost under 2 minutes, not the 5 minutes necessary to beat Nibali. plus Nibali lost time to JVDB on several stages due to an injury.
Mechanicals are always part of the tour so people can't complain as they happen to most riders. Froome had a flat tyre on one of the flat stages and finished over a minute behind JVDB, TJ, Nibali and Pinot. For me Pinot climbed the best overall of the others, only his tting let him down. He was the only one who held Froome's wheel during that infamous acceleration as well.
nick101 said:
I was discussing the relative merits of TJVG vs JVDB not the top three from last year. You mentioned TJVG could have got fourth if he'd not been helping Evans. I pointed out that he wouldn't have been so close to JVDB had the latter not have had bad luck (or had their been fewer TT km's).
Pinot didn't climb better than JVDB over the whole of the TDF. The only time he put signifcant time on him in the mountains was stage 8 when he won because he wasn't perceived as a threat. Otherwise they pretty much finished in the same group except for Stage 16 where JVDB finished in a group one minute down on the top three and Pinot finished nearly another two minutes back. Regardless of finishing places during stages JVDB was the one outside of the Sky duo who reacted best to the attacks of Nibali. Had he not expended energy attacking or covering attacks but instead raced conseratively perhaps he would have lost less time.
Not like either of them were catching Nibali anyway. In any case, Tejay didn't really lose his podium shot on La Toussiure anyway, he lost it on La Planche des Belles Filles when he lost 3 minutes to the leaders early in the Tour. If he doesn't crack there, he's only a few seconds behind Nibali in fourth going into stage 11, and maybe instead of having him drop back to help Cadel, BMC cuts him loose (especially with the time trial later in the race where Tejay made up almost all the ground he lost to Nibali in stages 12 and on). Subtract the time he lost on those 2 stages and he's about 20 seconds back of Nibali at the end.
In any case, not sure what the point is in quibbling over the 1:50 or so JVDB lost on Belles Filles versus the 1:30 or so Tejay lost on the Toussiure (plus whatever you think the time he might have gained if he'd just been attacking on his own on the Croix-de-fer instead of making a futile effort to drag Cadel along adjusted by whatever percentage you think the chances of him actually staying away would be). Point being, if either one wanted to podium, they would have needed more things to go their way than just those two particular situations. Otherwise, I think we're splitting hairs over the 4th and 5th spots in the GC.
In any case, not sure what the point is in quibbling over the 1:50 or so JVDB lost on Belles Filles versus the 1:30 or so Tejay lost on the Toussiure (plus whatever you think the time he might have gained if he'd just been attacking on his own on the Croix-de-fer instead of making a futile effort to drag Cadel along adjusted by whatever percentage you think the chances of him actually staying away would be). Point being, if either one wanted to podium, they would have needed more things to go their way than just those two particular situations. Otherwise, I think we're splitting hairs over the 4th and 5th spots in the GC.
RiccoDinko said:
Well, maybe most of them, but I can't help but feel that, with as deep as this Tour is and as many fringe GC contenders as there are, that somebody (even other than Contador) is bound to go out and have a monster Tour (by their standards) and challenge for it. I mean, there's so many guys who seem like they could do it, I have to figure at least one of them will.
My instincts were Purito or Valverde. I really like Quintana, but it is not his role so he may lose time the first week. Teejay, I like but I just am not sold on him coming through. VDB is usually there or therabouts but no better. Cadel and Andy are past it for a podium. So I went cynic and picked Porte.
Netserk said:
How dare you touch sexy Birdsong!
I have no idea if the crash affected his form, but he looked VERY VERY good in Dauphine, and he could really surprise after the Vino-cure.
He's gonna net at least a top 5. There.
I think that, dominate Froome or not, the fight for podium will be very interesting: the list of serious candidates are long IMO at the start
TGBM. This may be wishful thinking, but whatever. I'd love to see him really come into his own.
And Kloden for a top twenty.
And Kloden for a top twenty.
Interesting that Brajkovic got no. 61 and not Fuglsang despite Vino saying brajkovic will be riding for Fuglsang.
And no they havent done it alphabetically. In that case Bazayev would have gotten it
And no they havent done it alphabetically. In that case Bazayev would have gotten it
I've just notice a grave error on both CN's and letour.fr's startlists: They've omitted Angel Madrazo. Preposterous. I'll contact the site managers, but for now I'd like to officially change my vote.
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