Tour de France 2012

[Wez-O]

So just to be different, I'm going with Popovych for the yellow. Maybe this will finally be the year he gets a great result. And with Radioshack missing their lead rider with the absence of Andy, and Frank probably being burnt out after the Tour de Suisse it could be him leading the team. I also hope Cancellara dominates the time trails

Edited June 19, 2012 by Wez-O

[Cav']

So just to be different, I'm going with Popovych for the yellow. Maybe this will finally be the year he gets a great result. And with Radioshack missing their lead rider with the absence of Andy, and Frank probably being burnt out after the Tour de Suisse it could be him leading the team. I also hope Cancellara dominates the time trails

I think Kloden will do better than popi on GC to be honest

[petatodd]

Wow, we're really scraping the RSN barrel of geriatrics to find the best RSN placed old man. What about the old old one Horner? What a farce from a supposedly SUPER TEAM.

[Cav']

Wow, we're really scraping the RSN barrel of geriatrics to find the best RSN placed old man. What about the old old one Horner? What a farce from a supposedly SUPER TEAM.

I agree , the ony rider who i think will give them 1 maybe 2 stage wins in the tour is Sparticus

[Squier]

I agree , the ony rider who i think will give them 1 maybe 2 stage wins in the tour is Sparticus

 

Depends how much work he has to do for whoever the team leader is going to be. Without a real chance at GC (and JB will know this) he might be given some freedom to go for stage wins. Last year Tony Martin whipped him in the TTs but he had to do a lot of work for the Schleck sisters in the mountains so was naturally more fatigued than Martin. My gutt still says Martin will be the one to beat in the TTs (despite his lack of form leading up, I'm sure he'll be ready). Really hoping for stage wins from Spartacus.

[Cav']

Depends how much work he has to do for whoever the team leader is going to be. Without a real chance at GC (and JB will know this) he might be given some freedom to go for stage wins. Last year Tony Martin whipped him in the TTs but he had to do a lot of work for the Schleck sisters in the mountains so was naturally more fatigued than Martin. My gutt still says Martin will be the one to beat in the TTs (despite his lack of form leading up, I'm sure he'll be ready). Really hoping for stage wins from Spartacus.

Sparticus will definitely take the prologue in my opinion.

Have to agree with Martin on the longer TT's but my prediction would be :

Wiggins

Martin

Garaint Thomas

Evans

Fabian

Chavanel

['Dale]

BMc's Cadel feels this team is stronger than last year:

 

Marcus Burghardt (Ger), Steve Cummings (GBr), Cadel Evans (Aus), Philippe Gilbert (Bel), George Hincapie (USA), Amaël Moinard (Fra), Manuel Quinziato (Ita), Michael Schär (Swi), Tejay van Garderen (USA).

 

 

Read more here:

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/defending-tour-de-france-champion-evans-to-head-bmc-team

['Dale]

I really wish Menchov can shake up the GC ladder this year.

Here's his team.

 

Katusha team for the 2012 Tour de France:

Giampaolo Caruso, Oscar Freire, Vladimir Gusev, Joan Horrach, Aliaksandr Kuchynski, Denis Menchov, Luca Paolini, Yuriy Trofimov and Eduard Vorganov.

[gummibear]

Wow, we're really scraping the RSN barrel of geriatrics to find the best RSN placed old man. What about the old old one Horner? What a farce from a supposedly SUPER TEAM.

 

I really feel sorry for Jakob as he has worked really hard for the last few months.I believe that he would have take one of the stages.

That team is in such a mess i am surprised that the riders are still riding.

 

Politics,grudges and cash flow problems are nasty in cycling......I wonder which rider will write a book about it first.

[Tumbleweed]

^{Lotto team}

^{Lars Bak (DEN), Francis De Greef (BEL), Andre Greipel (GER), Adam Hansen (AUS), Greg Henderson (NZL), Jurgen Roelandts (BEL), Marcel Sieberg (GER), Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL), Jelle Vanendert (BEL)}

^{Replacement: Jurgen Van de Walle (BEL)}

['Dale]

I really feel sorry for Jakob as he has worked really hard for the last few months.I believe that he would have take one of the stages.

That team is in such a mess i am surprised that the riders are still riding.

 

Politics,grudges and cash flow problems are nasty in cycling......I wonder which rider will write a book about it first.

 

I agree, gummibear...

Wonder what's going on the thinking and reasoning of the decision-makers there.

Horner should stay at home and mow his lawn.

[TNT1]

Multiple winners

7: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 1999-2005

5: Jacques Anquetil (Fra) – 1957, 1961-64

5: Eddy Merckx (Bel) – 1969-72, 1974

5: Bernard Hinault (Fra) – 1978-79, 1981-82, 1985

5: Miguel Indurain (Spa) – 1991-95

Victories by nation

France: 36

Belgium: 18

Spain: 13

USA: 10

Italy: 9

Luxembourg: 5

Holland and Switzerland: 2

Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Australia: 1

Smallest winning margins (since 1947)

8 seconds: 1989 - Greg LeMond (USA) beats Laurent Fignon (Fra)

23 seconds: 2007 – Alberto Contador (Spa) beats Cadel Evans (Aus)

32 seconds: 2006 – Oscar Pereiro (Spa) over Andreas Klöden (Ger) after Floyd Landis was disqualified.

38 seconds: 1968 – Jan Janssen (Hol) beats Herman Van Springel (Bel)

Largest winning margins (since 1947)

28m 17s: 1952 – Fausto Coppi (Ita) beats Constant Ockers (Bel)

26m 16s: 1948 – Gino Bartali (Ita) beats Alberic Schotte (Bel)

22m 00s: 1951 – Hugo Koblet (Sui) beats Raphael Geminiani (Fra)

Yellow jersey wearers by nation

France: 82

Belgium: 53

Italy: 25

Holland: 17

Germany: 12

Spain: 12

Switzerland: 10

Luxembourg: 7

Denmark: 6

USA: 5

Great Britain and Australia: 4

Ireland: 3

Canada: 2

Austria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Estonia, Colombia, Norway and Ukraine: 1

Most days in the yellow jersey

Eddy Merckx (Bel): 111

Lance Armstrong (USA): 83

Bernard Hinault (Fra): 79

Miguel Indurain (Spa): 60

Jacques Anquetil (Fra): 52

Most green jersey victories

6: Erik Zabel (Ger) – 1996-2001

4: Sean Kelly (Ire) – 1982-83, 1985, 1989

3: Jan Janssen (Hol) – 1964-65, 1967

3: Eddy Merckx (Bel) – 1969, 1971-72

3: Freddy Maertens (Bel) – 1976, 1978, 1981

3: Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (Uzb) – 1991, 1993-94

3: Robbie McEwen (Aus) – 2002, 2004, 2006

Green jersey winners by nation

Belgium: 19

France: 9

Germany: 8

Holland, Ireland and Australia: 4

Uzbekistan: 3

Italy, Switzerland and Norway: 2

Spain, Great Britain: 1

Most polka-dot jersey victories

7: Richard Virenque (Fra) – 1994-97, 1999, 2003-04

6: Federico Bahamontes (Spa) – 1954, 1958-59, 1962-64

6: Lucien Van Impe (Bel) – 1971-72, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1983

Polka-dot jersey winners by nation

France: 18

Spain: 15

Italy: 13

Belgium: 11

Colombia: 4

Most white jersey victories

3: Andy Schleck (Lux) – 2008-2010

3: Jan Ullrich (Ger) – 1996-98

3: Marco Pantani (Ita) – 1994-95

White jersey winners by nation

France, Holland, Italy and Spain: 5

Germany: 4

Luxembourg: 3

Colombia, USA and Russia: 2

Australia, Mexico and Ukraine: 1

Highest average speed of Tour winner

41.654kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2005

40.940kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2003

40.553kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2004

Biggest winning margin in a stage (since 1947)

22m 50s: 1976 (Montgenevre-Manosque) - Jose Luis Viego (Spa)

21m 48s: 1957 (Pau-Bordeaux) – Pierino Baffi (Ita)

20m 31s: 1955 (Millau-Albi) – Daan De Groot (Hol)

Most stage victories

34: Eddy Merckx (Bel)

28: Bernard Hinault (Fra)

25: Andre Leducq (Fra)

22: Andre Darrigade (Fra)

22: Lance Armstrong (USA)

20: Nicolas Frantz (Lux)

20: Mark Cavendish (GBr)

Most time trial victories

20: Bernard Hinault (Fra)

16: Eddy Merckx (Bel)

11: Jacques Anquetil (Fra)

11: Lance Armstrong (USA)

Most stage wins in one Tour

8: Charles Pelissier (Fra) – 1930

8: Eddy Merckx (Bel) – 1970, 1974

8: Freddy Maertens (Bel) – 1976

Oldest Tour winners (age at end of the race)

36: Firmin Lambot (Bel) – 1922

34: Henri Pelissier (Fra) – 1923

34: Gino Bartali (Ita) - 1948

34: Cadel Evans (Aus) – 2011

Youngest Tour winners (age at end of the race)

19: Henri Cornet (Fra) – 1904

21: Romain Maes (Bel) – 1935

22: Francois Faber (Lux) – 1909

22: Octave Lapize (Fra) – 1910

22: Philippe Thys (Bel) – 1913

22: Felice Gimondi (Ita) – 1965

22: Laurent Fignon (Fra) – 1983

Longest gap between victories

10 Years: Gino Bartali (Ita) – 1938 and 1948

Most Tour starts

16: Joop Zoetemelk (Hol)

16: George Hincapie (USA)

[Cav']

 

Most Tour starts

16: Joop Zoetemelk (Hol)

16: George Hincapie (USA)

Probably why he's only retiring at he end of 2012 and not last year

[TNT1]

Probably why he's only retiring at he end of 2012 and not last year

 

I thought it was for the olympics, but his withdrawal kills that theory.

[Bos]

Highest average speed of Tour winner

41.654kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2005

40.940kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2003

40.553kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2004

 

 

Please dont turn this into a lance thread...

that thread is a mudfest..

 

just saying

[Cav']

Highest average speed of Tour winner

41.654kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2005

40.940kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2003

40.553kph: Lance Armstrong (USA) – 2004

 

 

Please dont turn this into a lance thread...

that thread is a mudfest..

 

just saying

Ya please - we all know you Motor when you're on dope