2012 Tour de France
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2012 Tour de France
Postby AUbicycles » Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:02 pm
With the new Aussie team, Team GreenEDGE, will 2012 see the most Australian's ever riding the TDF?
The 2012 course is out: www.letour.fr
So lets look at some of the riders:
Contador - a verdict is apparantly due out this month in the farce surrounding the doping case. Lets say he leaves out the Giro d'Italia, does he have a chance?
Schleck Brothers - Can Andy learn to do a better Time Trial in one year?
Voeckler - Was 2011 a coming of age with 2012 the natural progression to an overall win, a French win?
Cadel has pros and cons - the respect and fear (by other riders) of someone who can actually win, but also the intense 'marking of the man' that has been seen before where his opponents know he is dangerous and seek to persistantly counter each move and narrow any advantage. This is where his team has to work hard.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby DavidS » Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:03 am
Contador has to be a very good chance if he gets off. When he takes off up a hill it is magical, then again maybe too magical
Andy Schleck suffers from not being an all rounder - he is weak on time trials and descending. The race is so close you can't afford any weaknesses. Mind you, anyone who comes second clearly has the ability to win, but he does need to lose less time on the time trials.
Cadel certainly could do it again. He needs to do what he did this year and concentrate on his own strengths. He needs to grind them down up the hills rather than exploding like Contador does.
Can't see Voeckler being a serious contender.
Who was that young French guy who won a mountain stage last year? He looked very good but maybe too young as yet.
DS
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby briztoon » Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:14 am
As for GreenEdge, they'll provide a nice lead out train for Cavendish at the sprint finishes.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby Tale » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:14 am
I can't remember. But I am always on the lookout for Amaël Moinard. He's always under the radar (except that BMC was clearly impressed). He came 15th in the TdF a few years ago, is the same age as Contador and did one of the most amazing solo breakaways I've seen (stage 11, 2008, climbing and descending like a freak - was just run down at the end). Won a stage of Paris-Nice last year.DavidS wrote:Who was that young French guy who won a mountain stage last year? He looked very good but maybe too young as yet.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby roller » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:46 am
pierre rolland, he won the alpe d'huez stage i think it was.DavidS wrote:Who was that young French guy who won a mountain stage last year? He looked very good but maybe too young as yet.
DS
such a great stage that.
and the white jersey.
can't wait for the TDF this year!
If contador is racing and doesn't do the giro, i'd back him, though I think with the route they have put together Cadel has a real shot at it too.
The schlecks will suffer because of the extra time trial kms.
All in all, i think it's wide open, which can only be a good thing
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby DavidS » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:17 pm
Does look wide open. I hope it's as exciting as 2011, that was a great race.
DS
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby population100 » Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:56 am
With the extent of TT in year I'm putting my money on him.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby roller » Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:14 pm
no.population100 wrote:Does anyone think Wiggins has a good chance of winning?
I think he'll get shafted as sky, despite all their "we'll support both" talk, will end up going for stage wins for cav and then are too spent to support him in the mountains.
or they'll head into the tour with goal of getting cav the green jersey and wiggins the yellow and by trying to achieve too much they will fail in both.
and possibly boasson hagen will be wanting to improve on last year's results, so that could be another drain on the team's resources.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby population100 » Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:51 pm
Perhaps you are right (although I hope not). I guess the problem is that Cav is a much greater certainty for the green jersey / stage wins than Wiggins for yellow. I suspect that the strategy will be decided as the race unfolds - i.e. if Wiggins gets through the first week well and is looking strong after 1 or 2 mountain stages then he'll get support from the team. If not then they'll all work for Cav.roller wrote:I think he'll get shafted as sky, despite all their "we'll support both" talk, will end up going for stage wins for cav and then are too spent to support him in the mountains.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby im_no_pro » Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:06 pm
One I was looking forward to seeing this year was Tony Martin. Not suggesting he could have taken it out but with the large amount of time trialling in this years course I honestly believe he could do top 10. Apparently he is only focusing on the two TT stages though as his ultimate goal for the year is the Olympics TT
master6 wrote: Moderators are like Club Handicappers; I often think they are wrong, but I dont want the job.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby briztoon » Fri Jan 20, 2012 2:40 pm
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby population100 » Fri Jan 20, 2012 2:58 pm
The Lotto train is dominating at the TDU. No one else seems to be able to establish a lead out.briztoon wrote:So plan B for Sky, tell Cav to tack on to the back of the Lotto Belisol train
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2012 Tour de France
Postby Parrott » Sun Jan 22, 2012 5:35 pm
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby toolonglegs » Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:01 pm
Wiggo wasn't the strongest rider at Sky last TDF after all. Cav won't have an 8 man Skytrain if Wiggo is in form...if he isn't then Cav will have a very fast train .
Hoping to be at every stage this year...fingers crossed. Whether I get to actually see much of it is another matter.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby Parrott » Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:15 pm
Davide Appollonio (Ita)
Michael Barry (Can)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor)
Mark Cavendish (GBr) - from HTC Highroad
Alex Dowsett (GBr)
Bernhard Eisel (Aut) - from HTC Highroad
Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa)
Chris Froome (GBr)
Mathew Hayman (Aus)
Sergio Henao (Col) - from Gobernacion de Antioquia
Jeremy Hunt (GBr)
Peter Kennaugh (GBr)
Christian Knees (Ger)
Thomas Lofkvist (Swe)
Lars-Petter Nordhaug (Nor)
Danny Pate (USA) - from HTC Highroad
Richie Porte (Aus) - from Saxo Bank-SunGard
Salvatore Puccio (Ita) - from Menfi-AG
Michael Rogers (Aus)
Luke Rowe (GBr) - from GB Academy
Kanstanstin Siutsou (Blr) - from HTC Highroad
Ian Stannard (GBr)
Chris Sutton (Aus)
Ben Swift (GBr)
Geraint Thomas (GBr)
Rigoberto Uran (Col)
Bradley Wiggins (GBr)
Xabier Zandio (Spa)
Vs
Lotto Belisol 2012
Lars Ytting Bak
Gaetan Bille
BULGAC Brian
Sander Cordeel
Bart De Clercq
Francis De Greef
Kenny Dehaes
Gert Dockx
Andre Greipel
Adam Hansen
Gregory Henderson
Olivier Kaisen
Maarten Neyens
Vicente Reynes Mimo
Jurgen Roelandts
Marcel Sieberg
Mehdi Sohrabi
Jurgen Van De Walle
Jurgen Van Den Broeck
Joost van Leijen
Dennis Vanendert
Jelle Vanendert
Jonas Vangenechten
Frederik Willems
I don't know alot of the riders, but there are more names I recognise on Sky. You are right TL Cav will have a strong lead out train.
Hopefully Bak, Hendersen and Hansen can keep them honest in the last km though.
Hope I can get holidays again like I did last year, it was awesome. Not as good as being there though you lucky bugger.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby you cannot be sirrus » Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:55 pm
Cadel didn't put a foot wrong this year, avoided all the crashes and kept fit. It would be hard to do that two years running.
I reckon Andy Schleck can do it as long as Contador isn't there, how that farce will pan out is anyone's guess.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby briztoon » Sun Jan 22, 2012 9:14 pm
Are your serious? With two individual time trials in this years tour, the Schlecks will need to build massive time gains in the mountains.you cannot be sirrus wrote:I reckon Andy Schleck can do it as long as Contador isn't there, how that farce will pan out is anyone's guess.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby population100 » Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:52 pm
No way, not with this that much ITT. Cadel put about 2 and a half minutes into Andy over a 42km course. What's the amount if ITT in the 2012 TDF? I thought it was about 80km. I don't think the Andy Schleck can gain that much of a lead in the mountains. Especially with other GC contenders who can time trial (i.e. Wiggins)you cannot be sirrus wrote:I reckon Andy Schleck can do it as long as Contador isn't there, how that farce will pan out is anyone's guess.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby briztoon » Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:29 am
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby roller » Tue Jan 24, 2012 10:55 am
never too early to start discussing anything TDF related!briztoon wrote:Is it to early to start discussing and guessing the team make up for GreenEdge at this years leTour.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby population100 » Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:09 pm
Impressive start to the season, although I thought they were given a nice dose of luck given some of the other team tactics on the final 2 days of racing.briztoon wrote:Is it to early to start discussing and guessing the team make up for GreenEdge at this years leTour.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby im_no_pro » Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:31 pm
I've been trying to figure out what sort of leadout they will put together for Gossy.briztoon wrote:Is it to early to start discussing and guessing the team make up for GreenEdge at this years leTour.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby Drunkmonkey » Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:24 pm
Funniest comment I have read on this forum all yearyou cannot be sirrus wrote:I reckon Andy Schleck can do it as long as Contador isn't there
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby Drunkmonkey » Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:28 pm
And there are only 3 mountain top stagesbriztoon wrote:Are your serious? With two individual time trials in this years tour, the Schlecks will need to build massive time gains in the mountains.you cannot be sirrus wrote:I reckon Andy Schleck can do it as long as Contador isn't there, how that farce will pan out is anyone's guess.
The route is perfect for Cadel and Wiggo.
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Re: 2012 Tour de France
Postby Drunkmonkey » Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:38 pm
Dont forget the Schlecks had to get Fabian to drag them around the course in the prologue TTT - they wont have his help this yearpopulation100 wrote:No way, not with this that much ITT. Cadel put about 2 and a half minutes into Andy over a 42km course. What's the amount if ITT in the 2012 TDF? I thought it was about 80km. I don't think the Andy Schleck can gain that much of a lead in the mountains. Especially with other GC contenders who can time trial (i.e. Wiggins)you cannot be sirrus wrote:I reckon Andy Schleck can do it as long as Contador isn't there, how that farce will pan out is anyone's guess.
ITT for 2012:
prologue - 6.1 km
Stage 9 - 38km
Stage 19 - 52km
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