2016 Tour de France

[Gen]

https://twitter.com/MarkCavendish/status/753139489875320832

[Cav']

Movistar better protect Yoda, or he might lose out today (all 58kg of him).

 

If there is no split and it comes to a bunch sprint, I'd love to see Greipel get a win.

[Gen]

Movistar better protect Yoda, or he might lose out today (all 58kg of him).

 

If there is no split and it comes to a bunch sprint, I'd love to see Greipel get a win.

Ja.. GC teams will be very nervous today

[Gen]

Strong crosswinds (above 30 km/h) all day long. Highest chance of echelons since the start of Le Tour. #TDF2016 https://t.co/w4DRMiW0FA

 

[Gen]

If they aren't wide awake the GC could be lost today

[Gen]

Tinkoff and Etixx to try and force the split in the wind[emoji12]

[Gen]

Movistar better protect Yoda, or he might lose out today (all 58kg of him).

 

If there is no split and it comes to a bunch sprint, I'd love to see Greipel get a win.

 

 

ja and we've seen how Moviestar mess up in the wind hey

[Gen]

Can you guys remember the stage I think it was in 2013 where Cannondale hammered it and basically TTT to set up  Sagan for the win.. The hammered it hard and got rid of all the other sprinters

 

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-de-france/peter-sagan-scores-first-win-in-2013-tour-de-france-28202

[Vetplant]

I'm not clued up on the abilities of the various teams, is there a chance one of the GC contending teams will actively attack Team Sky on a day like today with massive crosswinds?

 

What are their chances of taking time out of Froome today, considering they have been unable to take time on the mountains thus far?

 

 

Edit: replaced "him" with "Froome" for clarity

[Gen]

I'm not clued up on the abilities of the various teams, is there a chance one of the GC contending teams will actively attack Team Sky on a day like today with massive crosswinds?

 

What are their chances of taking time out of him today, considering they have been unable to take time on the mountains thus far?

 

 

Chances are very good that they will try.

 

But it's a multi ambition stage today.. GC guys will want to stay very close to the front to not get caught out in the crosswinds and the sprinter teams will want to stay right up there as to not let the last sprinter stage before Paris slip away.

 

We've seen that Sky are very good at positioning themselves upfront .. if anything they may want to try and force the split cause Moviestar don't have the best track record in the crosswinds.

 

 Etixx will be very very prominent upfront and I reckon so too will Tinkoff... I am hoping they try to work together (team tinkoff) for Sagan today.  Etixx know how to ride in the wind and so do Jumbo...hey... I can hardly wait.

 

any case that's all just my opinion lol

 

One more thing.

 

how will today's efforts effect Ventoux tomorrow??

[carbon29er]

I'm not clued up on the abilities of the various teams, is there a chance one of the GC contending teams will actively attack Team Sky on a day like today with massive crosswinds?

 

What are their chances of taking time out of him today, considering they have been unable to take time on the mountains thus far?

Absolutely. This is a valid race tactic and has been used to good effect often. I think most recently Astana used it a few years back.  Quintana lost a minute and Dennis lost yellow last year when echelons formed going into Zeeland on stage 2.  Ultimately that time loss cost Quintana victory in Paris.

 

But as a successful strategy it rarely sticks till the end of the stage when a GC guy has been dropped.

[Gen]

Absolutely. This is a valid race tactic and has been used to good effect often. I think most recently Astana used it a few years back.  Quintana lost a minute and Dennis lost yellow last year when echelons formed going into Zeeland on stage 2.  Ultimately that time loss cost Quintana victory in Paris.

 

But as a successful strategy it rarely sticks till the end of the stage when a GC guy has been dropped.

 

 

I wish it would start already lol

 

 

 

With all the news of the wind coming through I now wonder if they will let any break form?

[Gen]

In 2013 when there was a big split due to crosswinds the 2 teams that forced the split stayed in the same hotel the night before and rumour has it they agreed over breakfast to work together it was OPQS and Belkin.

 

 

Here is the hotel info for last night[emoji57]

 

[Gen]

Lol etixx are definitely up to something and they are licking their lips for today's stage lol

 

I think few teams look forward to crosswinds like Etixx lol

https://twitter.com/Etixx_QuickStep/status/753162737350574083

[tombeej]

If they aren't wide awake the GC could be lost today

 

Yup, big stress for all the GC teams.

[tombeej]

Belgi

 

Lol etixx are definitely up to something and they are licking their lips for today's stage lol

 

I think few teams look forward to crosswinds like Etixx lol

https://twitter.com/Etixx_QuickStep/status/753162737350574083

 

Belgians just looooove the crosswinds!

 

E-QS & Lotto Soudal must be licking their lips today. The front echelon is going to be "invitation only" with some big bouncers at the door.

 

I think Sky will be just fine. With G, Stannard and Rowe in there, the Dawg will be well protected by his own VIP bouncers who will make sure the door to the front echelon stays open.

 

BMC should be ok. Some strong boys in there to protect Porte and Van Garderen.

 

But a different story for Movistar. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in their team bus. Lots of very worried faces and some chewed nails. Big responsibility on Erviti's shoulders today (I reckon he made the TDF team for this specific type of day, so time to step up boet).

 

The French teams will also be worried. They don't have the muscle needed to fight for their positions in the front echelon - they will get worked over good and solid. A very stressful day in store for Bardet, etc.