Tour de France 2022

[Ispeed_V]

Looks as if most of the teams have opted for more climbing specific options

[fanievb]

 

[fanievb]

 

[fanievb]

 

[Jewbacca]

8 minutes ago, FondTF2 said:

Looks as if most of the teams have opted for more climbing specific options

I think it looks as if most teams have ignored a proper run at GC and selected pretty balanced teams that will hopefully win stages.

Relegation points in the mix too.

This edition should make for some very exciting racing looking at the way teams are lining up.

I'm not talking GC, but rather racing for wins.

 

[FootballingCyclist]

1 hour ago, fanievb said:

 

Eddy must've paid his Belgian mate Patrick some decent dough to leave Cavs out. 

The sponsors must be pretty bleak too, I mean the amount of publicity and media attention Cavs would've received would have only been beneficial to the team and sponsors, In 30 years time when the record for stage wind was spoken about, if Cavs had broken the record, he would've been in the AlphaVinyl colors, He would've thanked the sponsors and Patrick non stop I'm sure.

 

Anyway, Now I'm not THAT excited anymore for Le Tour to begin. 

[FootballingCyclist]

19 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I think it looks as if most teams have ignored a proper run at GC and selected pretty balanced teams that will hopefully win stages.

Relegation points in the mix too.

This edition should make for some very exciting racing looking at the way teams are lining up.

I'm not talking GC, but rather racing for wins.

 

On the GC front, Obviously one would be silly to write of Pogacar, seems only a covid positive test could stop him currently, But on team wise, Jumbo-Visma look to have a proper proper well rounded team to challenge for stages aswell as GC

[FootballingCyclist]

Vingegaard for me this year will be exciting to watch. In 1 of the previous races recently(slips my mind which 1), He had to sit up and wait on the climbs for Roglic i think it was. He could easily have ridden away, But obviously had team orders. Reminded me of the Froome waiting for Wiggins in the one TdF stage.

[FootballingCyclist]

Just for a case like this with Cav being excluded, I feel after x-amount of stage wins or whatever, a rider should have an automatic place in the race, same as the Golf PGA Lifetime card some players received which means they don't have to qualify. And then said riders team should be allowed to add an extra rider.. Oh well...

[Jewbacca]

13 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

On the GC front, Obviously one would be silly to write of Pogacar, seems only a covid positive test could stop him currently, But on team wise, Jumbo-Visma look to have a proper proper well rounded team to challenge for stages aswell as GC

Yeah, definitely.

But in many other editions we have seen way more GC hopefuls line up with a hope of making the podium or the top guys crashing out on wet cobbles... ahem....

This year seems very thin on overall riders and leans more towards stage wins.

I'm definitely not complaining. I prefer that sort of racing to the 'protect X and Y and gain 4 bonus seconds' with maybe 1 or 2 big flexes all race.

This is shaping up for a LOT of flexing. 

I think Jala is a far bigger loss to racing than Cav. It's a big double whammy for everyone that neither are riding. 

[fanievb]

 

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by fanievb

[FootballingCyclist]

4 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

 

I think Jala is a far bigger loss to racing than Cav. It's a big double whammy for everyone that neither are riding. 

No World CHamps jersey at TdF this year is also going to be weird i agree, Also no Alaphillipe going into France aswell, The man is a local hero, his presence alone n\brings out the crowds. Definitely not saying selecting the team was easy, But i mean Jakobsen is still young, I'm sure 1 more year of missing out wouldn't have killed him and it's not like Cavs was just going for the cameras, The man is literally still a green jersey overall threat aswell as any sprint stage, especially with that lead out train of his on their day.

[lechatnoir]

29 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Eddy must've paid his Belgian mate Patrick some decent dough to leave Cavs out. 

The sponsors must be pretty bleak too, I mean the amount of publicity and media attention Cavs would've received would have only been beneficial to the team and sponsors, In 30 years time when the record for stage wind was spoken about, if Cavs had broken the record, he would've been in the AlphaVinyl colors, He would've thanked the sponsors and Patrick non stop I'm sure.

 

Anyway, Now I'm not THAT excited anymore for Le Tour to begin. 

you make good points

12 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Just for a case like this with Cav being excluded, I feel after x-amount of stage wins or whatever, a rider should have an automatic place in the race, same as the Golf PGA Lifetime card some players received which means they don't have to qualify. And then said riders team should be allowed to add an extra rider.. Oh well...

but if they're a one-sprinter team, they should probably take their best sprinter...

[FootballingCyclist]

Just now, lechatnoir said:

you make good points

but if they're a one-sprinter team, they should probably take their best sprinter...

Yeah when selecting a team you'd definitely want to pick your best available, I agree 100%, I understand that. Just saying if they had selected Cavs it's not like stage wins and green jersey contention would've gone out the window and they're just filling a spot, that man genuinely is a threat. and with only a 1yr contract extension, I don't see Cavs making it to the TdF next year in this same form he's in now. Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

Anyway, I'm done sulking, I'll go back to my corner now.. LOL

[Jakkals.]

23 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Just for a case like this with Cav being excluded, I feel after x-amount of stage wins or whatever, a rider should have an automatic place in the race, same as the Golf PGA Lifetime card some players received which means they don't have to qualify. And then said riders team should be allowed to add an extra rider.. Oh well...

Cav has had enough chances while riding for DD to go for the record. 

[FootballingCyclist]

Not even a call to say he's not made the team...