TDF 2018 thread

Sunweb actually did better than they thought they would... pre-race Dumoulin had said his team would suffer in team TT due to absence/injury of Wilco Kelderman (he was replaced last minute by Chad Haga) so they must be vhappy with todays result.
And then come the individual TT well Dumoulin is the World Champion, so as long as he learns lessons from past few years and does his climbs at his own temp he should do well... in the past he has had bad luck on climbs by sticking with certain riders who won't help out as they ride to finish 7th or 6th because they know they will never finish first anyway.... it should a great tour.
Either way, put money on it... within the next few years Dumoulin will win the other 2 classics and get all three.
IN this years tour I'm also going to tip Bauke Mollema (Trek) to be up there at the end... and with this Fantasy Tour game... I've got Greg van Avermaet (BMC) in my team! :cool:
Haga is a time trial specialist
 


Bloody Saturdays stage looks shit...weekends normally have the mountain or big GC days

Pan flat and unless wind blows boring as fuck :rolleyes:

Today’s was canny mind....
Sunday’s Roubaix stage might be a belter as well
 
Bloody Saturdays stage looks shit...weekends normally have the mountain or big GC days

Pan flat and unless wind blows boring as fuck :rolleyes:

Today’s was canny mind....
Sunday’s Roubaix stage might be a belter as well

Aye, the first Saturday is normally at least a bit lumpy making it a possibility for a break to win. This is failed break with sprint barring wind or a late crash.
 
Aye, the first Saturday is normally at least a bit lumpy making it a possibility for a break to win. This is failed break with sprint barring wind or a late crash.

Prudhomme when stage announced mentioned possibility of wind :eek:

Can’t see it...some good stages as well during next week, early finishes at work planned

Somebody who keeps my diary asked the other day what these French places in my outlook calendar are ?

Just said not to book owt for afternoons ;)
 
Movistar allocating one cobbles expert to each GC leader...odd approach

Next weeks three days in The Alps will really shuffle GC....early finish tomorrow to stage, means can watch it before going out on the piss :cool:
Everyone else has one for their team leader so suppose it makes sense they cover all three. Doesnt leave much wiggle room for drink runs etc in an 8 man team though. Sagan to take it again? did this years roubaix quite happily so wouldnt put it past him
 
Everyone else has one for their team leader so suppose it makes sense they cover all three. Doesnt leave much wiggle room for drink runs etc in an 8 man team though. Sagan to take it again? did this years roubaix quite happily so wouldnt put it past him

Having a particular “minder” to act as escort over cobbles seems crazy...so much can go wrong.

Fancy Stuyven at 20/1 for stage.
 
Having a particular “minder” to act as escort over cobbles seems crazy...so much can go wrong.

Fancy Stuyven at 20/1 for stage.
May seem daft but watching the highlights theyre suggesting they are all doing it this time round. G to mind Froome was one pairing i noticed
 
May seem daft but watching the highlights theyre suggesting they are all doing it this time round. G to mind Froome was one pairing i noticed


Sky are suggesting they will try and ride as a group...with Moscon, Castro,Kwiatkowski and Rowe as vanguard. Not that Sky have done well in cobbled classics mind.
When watching successful cobbled teams it’s numbers rather than minders for particular riders. Quickstep lately have shown how it can work, granted the cobble rostas don’t include 60kg climbers

Like to be there when Thomas is told he’s Froomes minder ;)
 
I
Sky are suggesting they will try and ride as a group...with Moscon, Castro,Kwiatkowski and Rowe as vanguard. Not that Sky have done well in cobbled classics mind.
When watching successful cobbled teams it’s numbers rather than minders for particular riders. Quickstep lately have shown how it can work, granted the cobble rostas don’t include 60kg climbers

Like to be there when Thomas is told he’s Froomes minder ;)
Yates has said similar. Talking about how he is surrounded by classics riders.
 
I thought it was odd or poor research from ITV suggesting that Thomas would usually be Froome’s helper on this stage, Moscon and Rowe have both placed top 10 in recent editions of Paris Roubaix and are here solely as domestiques


This...I’d be amazed if not just Sky but the likes and of BMC don’t do the mob handed approach to cobbles...Movistar minder plan might work but hey ho we’ll see
 

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