Who will win 2012 Tour de France

[kanari]

Then it is not a prologue but a simple itt.

Paris-Nice this year (9.4 km) is a case in point:

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=22026

 

[JA.Tri]

voting tends

I note that Denis' vote has softened (no idea why [edit: he is taking it easy so far in D] ) and Cadel's percentage of the vote has increased (probably as a result of his showing so far in the Dauphine).

Suspect Brad's vote will go thru the roof after the ITT and Andy to get a decent bump after he shows (a bit?) in the Queen stage...

 

[dlwssonic]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-tour-de-france-preparations-on-track

nuff said

 

[Gloin22]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-tour-de-france-preparations-on-track

nuff said

Almost every GC rider is saying they felt stronger at this point in year than last year. So nothing new really

 

[hughmoore]

Almost every GC rider is saying they felt stronger at this point in year than last year. So nothing new really

Andy and Frank are saying they are stronger than last year, sweet.



Hugh

 

[theyoungest]

I have no idea why you are so certain Sagan 'won't come close to top 10 in the TDF prologue'. Considering these results

These prologues were technical and/or hilly. The Tour prologue is nothing of the sort. I think his Tirreno TT this year is the only realistic reference, he did pretty well there.

 

[dlwssonic]

It will be a bit difficult for sagan to top 10 the prologue. When there are lot of specialists lining up.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Paris-Nice this year (9.4 km) is a case in point:

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=22026

No, it was called stage 1, exactly because it was over 8km it was not a prologue

 

[kanari]

No, it was called stage 1, exactly because it was over 8km it was not a prologue

Well, that's exactly what I meant...

 

[Zam_Olyas]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-tour-de-france-preparations-on-track

nuff said

I also note that Jurgen Van Den Broeck is copying my preparations for the Tour. Whenever I train I see him on the same roads. But he is not alone. It seems to me like all the riders mimic each other in the build up to the Tour. The 100km of time trials will certainly not disadvantage him. But none of the contenders will let him take time out of them so easily as he did in 2009."

..el pistol where you at?

 

[Angliru]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-tour-de-france-preparations-on-track

nuff said

Could this be perceived as a slight dig at JVdB? Wasn't there a bit of conflict between them at Lotto in Evans' years there? At the same time he is giving him credit by naming him as one of his threats for the overall.

Edit: My bad. He doesn't actually name him as threat for the overall just as one of the contenders. Only Wiggins and Andy are named.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

What's so amusing to me is that in some of the Tours Mig won, the total TT distance approached 200km. I believe one of them was over that amount. So to have people comment on this Tour's 100km makes this old timer scratch his head.

 

[dlwssonic]

When did JVDB take time from the contenders in 2009??
He was only riding in breaks.

 

[Walkman]

What's so amusing to me is that in some of the Tours Mig won, the total TT distance approached 200km. I believe one of them was over that amount. So to have people comment on this Tour's 100km makes this old timer scratch his head.

Agreed! I am no "old timer" but a Tour should, in my opinion have at least around 100 km of time trial every year. 150-200 km would be nice from time to time too!

 

[karlboss]

I'm a sadistic dude and I'd love to see a normal length stage ridden as a TT. Maybe one between 100 and 150, Alpe de huez stage from last year maybe. That'd shake up a GC.

 

[burning]

I'm a sadistic dude and I'd love to see a normal length stage ridden as a TT. Maybe one between 100 and 150, Alpe de huez stage from last year maybe. That'd shake up a GC.

Max length of a TT is 60km I guess, but I'd love to see a TT like in Giro 2009

 

[karlboss]

Max length of a TT is 60km I guess, but I'd love to see a TT like in Giro 2009

Yeah I know, seems like an arbitray rule to me, a one off exception is allowed, but i don't think anyone would be as interested as I in a TT like that.

 

[VeloCity]

What's so amusing to me is that in some of the Tours Mig won, the total TT distance approached 200km. I believe one of them was over that amount. So to have people comment on this Tour's 100km makes this old timer scratch his head.

I am also an old timer and well remember those days. But I also don't want a Tour to be decided by TTs. I have no real reason for it and I know that TTs are as much a part of the game as climbing skills, but to me a Tour should always be decided on the road, in the mountains, on the hills, in attacks and breakaways, etc. I dread a return to the days when an Indurain or an Armstrong would take a stranglehold on the race in the TTT and the first long ITT and then ride defensively (yes I'm generalizing) through the mountains, and then solidify the win in the final ITT. Which is all to say that, to me, even 100km of TT is way too much.

 

[VeloCity]

Agreed! I am no "old timer" but a Tour should, in my opinion have at least around 100 km of time trial every year. 150-200 km would be nice from time to time too!

I am an old timer like Alpe and well remember those days! But I also don't want a Tour to be decided by TTs. I have no real reason for it and I know that TTs are as much a part of the game as climbing skills, but to me a Tour should always be decided on the road, in the mountains, on the hills, in attacks and breakaways, etc. I dread a return to the days when an Indurain or an Armstrong would take a stranglehold on the race in the TTT and the first long ITT and then ride defensively (yes I'm generalizing) through the mountains, and then solidify the win in the final ITT. Which is all to say that, to me, even 100km of TT is way too much.

 

[Ruby United]

JVDB is a rider who is good enough on (most) mountains to stay with the favourites, but can't actually gain (enough) time on the mountains or tt

 

[Panda Claws]

JVDB is a rider who is good enough on (most) mountains to stay with the favourites, but can't actually gain (enough) time on the mountains or tt

We'll see, JVDB hasn't rode a GT in top condition since 2010.

 

[theyoungest]

We'll see, JVDB hasn't rode a GT in top condition since 2010.

But have you ever seen VDB put in an attack that gained him time on other contenders? I struggle to think of one. Mende, maybe.

 

[Magnus]

It's a reasonable concept, but not when there's a group of 70 coming over five wide as was the case on Stage 1.

Individual timing in road races is a concept that completely disregards the fundamental dynamics of road racing (apart from tt's).

 

[Panda Claws]

But have you ever seen VDB put in an attack that gained him time on other contenders? I struggle to think of one. Mende, maybe.

Yes, but it is hard to say how much he might have improved.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Individual timing in road races is a concept that completely disregards the fundamental dynamics of road racing (apart from tt's).

And safety of the riders...