The 100th Edition Of The Tour de France: Chirps, Opinions, News, Updates.

[gummibear]

Hehe,I would love for Andy to surprise everybody but I don't think that will happen unfortunately......

 

Luxembourg champs on this weekend and should get an idea of his shape.

[igknot]

Check out the bike radar chanell on YouTube with stage previews.

I am willing to bet some worn out parts that the winner of stage 19 is the same guy that gets a yellow pullover in parys.

[T-Bob]

Check out the bike radar chanell on YouTube with stage previews.

I am willing to bet some worn out parts that the winner of stage 19 is the same guy that gets a yellow pullover in parys.

 

6 pack on that.... (non craft).

[nickc]

Surprising bit of trivia

 

“I’d like to wear the yellow jersey after the first stage in Corsica. It’s the only one of the three grand tours where I haven’t worn the leader’s jersey, so I’d like to do that,”

 

Cavendish

 

 

Seems like Sagan also has the same idea !!

 

Sagan to target the yellow and green jerseys at the Tour de France

 

 

Cannondale hoping for an early spell in the maillot jaune

Peter Sagan is hoping to wear the Tour de France race leader’s maillot jaune, the yellow jersey, before going on to fight for a second points competition green jersey in this year’s 100th edition of the Grand Boucle. The Slovak will be the sole leader of the Cannondale team.

Sagan proved he will be at his very best in for the opening stages of the Tour de France by winning two stages at the Tour de Suisse. He was able to handle the hilly stages and then had the speed to beat his rival in the sprint to the line. He also won two stages at the Amgen Tour of California and won the points jersey yet again.

The 23 year-old Slovakian won three stages in the 2012 and took the green jersey. With this year’s Tour de France beginning with three road stages in Corsica before travelling to Nice for the team time trial, Sagan is targeting a few days in yellow as well as a second green jersey. A good performance in the stage four team time trial could see Sagan stay in yellow all the way to the Pyrenees.

As a result Sagan and his Cannondale spent Monday morning training for the contre-la-montre par équipes in Italy.

“We would like to try to be in the yellow jersey in the first part of the Tour and so the time trial is a very important part of this plan," Sagan said in a press conference at home in Slovakia as he prepared for Sunday’s national championships.

"Last year we had Vincenzo Nibali in the team who was an overall contender. Now I’m the leader. My goal is clear: to defend my green jersey and get the most stage wins I can. It won’t be easy because I’ll be up against Cavendish, Greipel and Goss. You can’t have a bad day, you’ve got to choose the right tactics and you need a strong team.”

"The Tour de France is a special race. The first week is very important. There’s a lot of nervousness and crashes happen that even take out overall contenders. You always have to fight for position and the racing shows who is the very best.”

A team of domestiques

Sagan will have the whole support of the Cannondale team this year. The final line-up is packed with sprinting domestiques, including Maciej Bodnar, Kristijan Koren, Alessandro De Marchi, Alan Marangoni, Fabio Sabatini, Ted King and Brian Vandborg.

"There will be riders who can work on the front of the peloton to help the chase and to help in the final sprint,” Sagan confirmed. “The team will also include riders who can help me on the climbs. Most sprinters will be dropped on the climbs but with the help of my teammates I hope to stay at the front.”

Sagan has raced in a special Slovak national champion’s jersey since winning the title for the first time in June 2011. He hopes to continue in the jersey at the Tour by winning a third successive title on Sunday in Dubnica.

"I’m glad that the championship is held near my home for the second year in a row. It's a good test for me before the Tour de France,” he said.

“It’s a unique race for me and it’s actually harder than the Tour of Switzerland because I'm going to have to take on teams that have lots of different riders.”

Cannondale for the 100th Tour de France: Peter Sagan, Maciej Bodnar, Kristijan Koren, Alessandro De Marchi, Alan Marangoni, Fabio Sabatini, Ted King and Brian Vandborg.

['Dale]

The Orica GreenEdge team for the Tour de France: Michael Albasini, Simon Clarke, Simon Gerrans, Matt Goss, Daryl Impey, Brett Lancaster, Cameron Meyer, Stuart O'Grady and Svein Tuft.

[nickc]

Cannondale - The Italian outfit will build their team around Sagan, 23, who won three stages on his Tour debut a year ago en route to the green jersey awarded to the race's top sprinter.

"This team is the ideal one to target our goals at the Tour," said the team's sporting director Stefano Zanatta.

"A talented rider such as Sagan deserves to be supported in the best way. He prepared for this event with great commitment and accuracy. His wish to win the green jersey is our wish."

Only Italian youngster Moreno Moser, 22, who's making his first appearance in the Grand Boucle along with teammates Alessandro De Marchi, Alan Marangoni and Ted King, is likely to be afforded the chance to compete for a stage win outside of Sagan.

[Tumbleweed]

The Orica GreenEdge team for the Tour de France: Michael Albasini, Simon Clarke, Simon Gerrans, Matt Goss, Daryl Impey, Brett Lancaster, Cameron Meyer, Stuart O'Grady and Svein Tuft.

 

Go Daryl

 

Daryl Impey ‏@darylimpey1h

Really happy announce that I'll be racing the Tour de France again this year with @Orica_GreenEDGE . Looking forward to the chaos

Edited June 19, 2013 by Tumbleweed

['Dale]

Go, Daryl!!

Get that stage win.

[gummibear]

ANDY SCHLECK TO LEAD RADIOSHACK LEOPARD TREK AT 2013 TOUR DE FRANCE

 

RADIOSHACK LEOPARD TREK has finalized its team for the 100th Tour de France starting on June 29 in Corsica. Andy Schleck, 2010 champion, will lead the squad. Schleck will be supported by eight devoted and experienced riders.

 

The team line-up for the Tour de France (June 29 – July 21)

Riders: Jan Bakelants, Laurent Didier, Tony Gallopin, Markel Irizar, Andreas Klöden, Maxime Monfort, Andy Schleck, Jens Voigt & Haimar Zubeldia.

Directors: Kim Andersen & Alain Gallopin

 

For Andy Schleck it will be his return to la Grande Boucle. Due to a pelvis fracture in 2012, Andy was not able to start. Since then the three-time Tour podium finisher suffered greatly from his injury and struggled for many months before seeing the return of his form.

 

“We are happy to see that Andy is back,” declared Team General Manager Luca Guercilena. “Nobody in the Team ever had doubts about the talent of Andy. Little by little he has come back to the level where we expect him. The Tour de Suisse encouraged and convinced us to give him the role he deserves and to give him the opportunity to have dedicated riders surrounding and supporting him. Of course we don’t put pressure on our champion. After the last twelve months it would be unrealistic to expect a podium place. On the other hand, the lack of stress and pressure can be a positive stimulus to a brilliant performance.”

 

With Andreas Klöden and Haimar Zubeldia RADIOSHACK LEOPARD TREK has two other Tour de France specialists: Klöden has finished second overall twice and Zubeldia has finished four times in the top ten overall.

 

“You can consider Haimar as our second weapon,” continued Guercilena. “Haimar, 6th last year, is always consistent and delivers his best.”

 

The roster is a good balance between supportive riders for the leader and guys who are prepared to go in the breaks every day and chase stage wins.

 

“It was not an easy task to select these nine riders,” concluded Team General Manager Luca Guercilena. “Every professional rider wants to ride the Tour and we had more than nine riders in good shape, ready to tackle this 100th Tour de France. It was, for instance, a hard decision not to select champions like Gregory Rast and Stijn Devolder, but we made the choice in good conscience, taking into account the goals we want to reach in this Tour.”

[gummibear]

Tour No 16 for Jensie.

Tour no 17 for Stuart O'Grady

[Wez-O]

Go, Daryl!!

Get that stage win.

Surely the Orica team will eventually figure out the Goss is not a grand tour winner and rather give Daryl a leadout for the win?

['Dale]

Tour No 16 for Jensie.

Tour no 17 for Stuart O'Grady

 

Wow!!

['Dale]

 

Surely the Orica team will eventually figure out the Goss is not a grand tour winner and rather give Daryl a leadout for the win?

 

Loyalty to the Aussie will rule.

If Goss moves out, then another Aussie will be preferred. Like Durbridge...

[sarover]

Interesting fact.. The rally of Corsica is called the rally of a thousand bends.. Saxo have named 2 "bodyguard" teammates for Contador.. And I suspect Benatti is in the team for the TTT and to ensure Saxo start the TTT after SKY by going for minor places in Corsica

['Dale]

"I think we have found a great mix of in-form riders. We have a group of strong climbers in the team, we have riders designated to take care of Alberto on the flat roads and in the wind, and I'm sure we will perform well in the TTT as well. At the same time, this team will allow us to ride aggressively or take a more controlling approach in all terrains depending on our needs. At the end of the day this versatility will be a key component in trying to win the race."

Riis

 

Saxo-Tinkoff for the 100th Tour de France: Saxo-Tinkoff: Alberto Contador (Spa), Michael Rogers (Aus), Roman Kreuziger (Cze), Nicolas Roche (Irl), Matteo Tosatto (Ita), Daniele Bennati (Ita), Sergio Paulinho (Por), Jesus Hernandez (Spa), Benjamin Noval (Spa).

Edited June 19, 2013 by ' Dale

['Dale]

Gesink NOT team leader.

Mollema to be número uno...

 

The Blanco team for the 100th Tour de France: Lars Boom, Laurens ten Dam, Robert Gesink, Tom Leezer, Bauke Mollema, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Bram Tankink, Sep Vanmarcke and Maarten Wynants.