Gone for 4 big players who should rack up the points and a handful of nobody's because I ran out of points
Mine's the same. It'll be interesting to see who people choose. I expect a lot will select the same 3 or 4 riders and it'll be decided by how well the low value riders perform.
I've been in a bit of a malaise recently, since the classics i've been struggling to find much enthusiasm for bike racing, what with the disappointing Giro and the lack of TV coverage of the Dauphine and the TdS. However I am excited about the Tour, even when the GC race isn't great, the Tour is still the Tour, with all the fun, gossip, and futile breakaways that go with it.
I'm really hoping for an open race, I wish him no ill personally, but would quite like to see Froome lose a bit of time early in the race, 3 or 4 minutes minutes would do, so that other guys are brought into the GC race and Sky would have to take risks and go on the offensive. I don't mind who wins really, would just be nice to see the GC battle go all the way to the Alps, rather than being decided after the first TT and the Aix 3 Domaine stage.
Fingers crossed. All my money went on Sagan, Cav, Froome and Porte. So if Sky have a good race I'll be well positioned. It should be another couple of days for the sprinters before it gets lumpy at the weekend.
OK, so the the finish of second stage of the Tour de Bretagne feminin (a time trial) was at the bottom of the road where my parents live so I figured I'd go watch the ladies live and check out the TDF on the highlights. It's going to be a dull sprinters stage after all. What have I got to lose. Fortunately the folks got bored of the ladies, went home and switched on the telly and insisted I should watch the entire stage 'as live' which I've just finished doing.
What a corker. One of the best GT stages in recent years in my opinion. I've not read any of this thread yet but I'm guessing that there has been a fair amount of controversy. In anticipation, some thoughts:
OPQS deserved that victory for forcing the split in the first place. Kudos to them.
I'm not a Valverde fan in the least but can't help feeling sorry that he lost time in the way that he did. Belkin were working the front before he had his mechanical but had seemed to have lost a little bit of heart only to re-gain it following his mechanical. Unsporting from Belkin? Payback for previous Movistar shenanigans? I'm not convinced either way. In any event, I suspect it will have a detrimental effect on the race for yellow now that Valverde and Costa (whose team is probably the strongest in the race when the road goes uphill) are effectively out of it.
Froome was incredibly lucky that JC Peraud and J-Rod didn't make the Contador split. If they both had, he wouldn't have been in yellow tonight. If one of them had, he'd have lost at least another minute to the front group. That is how weak Sky are at the moment. http://d2ride.co.uk/News-and-Blog.php
So, as we head into the final weekend with 2 mountain stages before the final sprint, there's only 50 points between the top 3. My lead's been whittled right down this week and I reckon I'll lose it today or tomorrow with Quintana performing well, before Cav drags me over the line on Sunday evening. Squeaky bum time.
A good race. not as GCtastic as 2011 but froome was a lot closer to losing it than the 5mins would have you believe. so room for years of argument there over stage 9 and whether froome could have lost the jersey. Some good stages and good attitude. all obvious performances people have pointed out but in general the riders rose to the challenge and gave it a good go. a lot of teams underperformed or failed to show but plenty tried. BMC punched below their weight but tried Good to see the sprints shared about. Europacar were moronic at times and made poor use of what they had. feel sorry for thibout and fdj. just fell apart. Astana were poor. birdsong was just left to it on his own. + marks for saxo and garmin really making a race of it at times along with quickstep/belkin. shame for them that the dutch challenge faded in the alpes. the suffering on the alpe looking very convincing all round. the sharp end of that day took years off riders. Young men at bottom where middle aged at the top the structure of the race was good...tweak it here and there. shout out for the second technical hilly tt which was very successful at producing a close stage and decent spectacle. the whole day on the alpe was pretty memorable as stages go. ... overall not 1987 or 89 but a hell of a lot better than 2008, 2012, 2004, 2005 and a host of others ok better or worse than 2011?... I would say better because it was more engaging the whole way through where as 2011 didn't come alive until the 3rd. www.d2ride.co.uk
Comments
I'm in; expecting my usual performance of total mediocrity
Thor has it over a short race, but even he says he can't manage a 3 week stage event
Signed up, gone for different strategy this year. I have chosen rider's who might win
Gone for 4 big players who should rack up the points and a handful of nobody's because I ran out of points
Gone for 4 big players who should rack up the points
That's what I thought when I picked Brad in the Giro!
Now's a good time to check for any last minute changes to team line ups. One of my minor riders had pulled out.
Mine's the same. It'll be interesting to see who people choose. I expect a lot will select the same 3 or 4 riders and it'll be decided by how well the low value riders perform.
Geraint Thomas is concerned about 1st day carnage without a Prologue;
http://d2ride.co.uk/News-and-Blog.php
Well G did make a habit of falling off during the Classics
Woof
Just checked mine ... and they're all in still! That's the first road crash safely negotiated!
Shame about Tony Martin Foo!! Looks like you've got my 'Giro' luck!!
Yeah..hows your luck
Blimey. You wait all year for the Tour, then a bus comes along...
Hooray, finally some decent points on the board - thanks Gilbert!
Can we stop now, 2nd is the highest I've ever got in any of these things
I've been in a bit of a malaise recently, since the classics i've been struggling to find much enthusiasm for bike racing, what with the disappointing Giro and the lack of TV coverage of the Dauphine and the TdS. However I am excited about the Tour, even when the GC race isn't great, the Tour is still the Tour, with all the fun, gossip, and futile breakaways that go with it.
I'm really hoping for an open race, I wish him no ill personally, but would quite like to see Froome lose a bit of time early in the race, 3 or 4 minutes minutes would do, so that other guys are brought into the GC race and Sky would have to take risks and go on the offensive. I don't mind who wins really, would just be nice to see the GC battle go all the way to the Alps, rather than being decided after the first TT and the Aix 3 Domaine stage.
Vive Le Tour www.d2ride.co.uk
knocked off top spot!! guess who hasnt got Cav then
Think the team with the Cav, sagan double will be hard to beat overall.
Fingers crossed. All my money went on Sagan, Cav, Froome and Porte. So if Sky have a good race I'll be well positioned. It should be another couple of days for the sprinters before it gets lumpy at the weekend.
OK, so the the finish of second stage of the Tour de Bretagne feminin (a time trial) was at the bottom of the road where my parents live so I figured I'd go watch the ladies live and check out the TDF on the highlights. It's going to be a dull sprinters stage after all. What have I got to lose. Fortunately the folks got bored of the ladies, went home and switched on the telly and insisted I should watch the entire stage 'as live' which I've just finished doing.
What a corker. One of the best GT stages in recent years in my opinion. I've not read any of this thread yet but I'm guessing that there has been a fair amount of controversy. In anticipation, some thoughts:
OPQS deserved that victory for forcing the split in the first place. Kudos to them.
I'm not a Valverde fan in the least but can't help feeling sorry that he lost time in the way that he did. Belkin were working the front before he had his mechanical but had seemed to have lost a little bit of heart only to re-gain it following his mechanical. Unsporting from Belkin? Payback for previous Movistar shenanigans? I'm not convinced either way. In any event, I suspect it will have a detrimental effect on the race for yellow now that Valverde and Costa (whose team is probably the strongest in the race when the road goes uphill) are effectively out of it.
Froome was incredibly lucky that JC Peraud and J-Rod didn't make the Contador split. If they both had, he wouldn't have been in yellow tonight. If one of them had, he'd have lost at least another minute to the front group. That is how weak Sky are at the moment. http://d2ride.co.uk/News-and-Blog.php
So, as we head into the final weekend with 2 mountain stages before the final sprint, there's only 50 points between the top 3. My lead's been whittled right down this week and I reckon I'll lose it today or tomorrow with Quintana performing well, before Cav drags me over the line on Sunday evening. Squeaky bum time.
Table
I have Quintana, so don't be at all surprised to see me storming up the table into the top 3!!!
What a feckin' disastrous campaign from me.
Me an Gladys are having a scrap for last, thanks to TJ I'm off the bottom for the first time since Corsica !
A good race. not as GCtastic as 2011 but froome was a lot closer to losing it than the 5mins would have you believe. so room for years of argument there over stage 9 and whether froome could have lost the jersey.
Some good stages and good attitude. all obvious performances people have pointed out but in general the riders rose to the challenge and gave it a good go. a lot of teams underperformed or failed to show but plenty tried. BMC punched below their weight but tried Good to see the sprints shared about.
Europacar were moronic at times and made poor use of what they had. feel sorry for thibout and fdj. just fell apart. Astana were poor. birdsong was just left to it on his own.
+ marks for saxo and garmin really making a race of it at times along with quickstep/belkin. shame for them that the dutch challenge faded in the alpes.
the suffering on the alpe looking very convincing all round. the sharp end of that day took years off riders. Young men at bottom where middle aged at the top
the structure of the race was good...tweak it here and there. shout out for the second technical hilly tt which was very successful at producing a close stage and decent spectacle.
the whole day on the alpe was pretty memorable as stages go. ...
overall not 1987 or 89 but a hell of a lot better than 2008, 2012, 2004, 2005 and a host of others
ok better or worse than 2011?... I would say better because it was more engaging the whole way through where as 2011 didn't come alive until the 3rd. www.d2ride.co.uk
I've 500 points to make up before the OH beats me...
Bugger.
And Gladys is the Lanterne Rouge !