[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[1066familyman]

You can pick your team for Stage 6. They have not put the scores up for Stage 5. How long have you been playing this game?

I think he's doing a Boris on us. This faux buffoonery just doesn't wash with me

 

[1066familyman]

1 and 14 for me. This has been such a low scoring competition all round - just shows how much they've mixed it up. There will be some obvious choices for tomorrow but Friday's stage looks like a complete lottery.

All of which is making for a great race so far. Hopefully even the mountains will bring it's fair share of surprises too.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think he's doing a Boris on us. This faux buffoonery just doesn't wash with me

I selected Juilan Bernard, just how much more evidence do you need?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

All of which is making for a great race so far. Hopefully even the mountains will bring it's fair share of surprises too.

Tight as a nun's at the top not the table. I can't get Bouhanni in for tomorrow.... Will I regret it!

 

[Motogull]

My 7 scorers netted me 35 points.

 

[teaboy]

Bloody Matthew 'Harley' Goss, I know he is rubbish, he never wins, is way too expensive but once every two months or so I take a punt on him and slot him in to my team to end up regretting it by the end of the day.

He's like Marcel Kittel, and on this occasion bloody Degenkolb! If you want him to win, drop him.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Well, that was pretty much as perfect as it gets! Superb stuff. Great team performance.

Some unhappy sprinters at the end though, some squaring up and finger wagging going on!! Great to see some serious competitiveness at the end.

6 Italians in the top 10 finishers. I've not faired well though, I had one eye on not needing to transfer too many out and back in again. Just first place, maybe some minor placings and GC points.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Well, that was pretty much as perfect as it gets! Superb stuff. Great team performance.

Some unhappy sprinters at the end though, some squaring up and finger wagging going on!! Great to see some serious competitiveness at the end.

6 Italians in the top 10 finishers. I've not faired well though, I had one eye on not needing to transfer too many out and back in again. Just first place, maybe some minor placings and GC points.

Great minds! 1066, pantani and I obviously think alike.

Now.......... What the he'll to do for tomorrow.

 

[1066familyman]

Great minds! 1066, pantani and I obviously think alike.

Now.......... What the he'll to do for tomorrow.

I rarely pass on the chance to take easy big points on a pure sprint stage - so much easier to pick for than any other type of stage. Both mini 1066s' out scored me today, but the hard bit is where to go from here and how quickly you can manage to turn the team around into something completely different.

Nice to see where Gavazzi is in comparison with the big boys in a fair fight today (he was involved in a crash on stage 1).

I'm hoping for a fast avg speed for tomorrow's stage and a nice early finish so I can see it all live before getting the train for Palace. Lovely day off work lined up tomorrow with a ride in the morning, Giro watching in the afternoon and then off to Smellhurst. Here's hoping for good results all round.

 

[Stat Brother]

I played the long game this week.
I got lucky yesterday and picked up enough points today, to hold some credibility.

But I already have the makings of a good time trial team, and a couple of good mountaineers.
With 3 transfers still to play, Saturday morning.

 

[1066familyman]

I played the long game this week.
I got lucky yesterday and picked up enough points today, to hold some credibility.

But I already have the makings of a good time trial team, and a couple of good mountaineers.
With 3 transfers still to play, Saturday morning.

I'm finding myself scratching my head a bit for really decent TT'ers in this Giro. The more I look at it the more I think they've gifted this Tour to Wiggo unless something drastic happens in the high mountains. The diesel engine would have to suffer a major breakdown up there for him not to take this I think. I'm hoping there's some serious GC action again tomorrow just like NSC's finest instigated on stage 3. Not because I want to see Wiggins lose , but because I want to see the others make a bloody good race of it and take their chances on Wiggins where ever they can.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm finding myself scratching my head a bit for really decent TT'ers in this Giro. The more I look at it the more I think they've gifted this Tour to Wiggo unless something drastic happens in the high mountains. The diesel engine would have to suffer a major breakdown up there for him not to take this I think. I'm hoping there's some serious GC action again tomorrow just like NSC's finest instigated on stage 3. Not because I want to see Wiggins lose , but because I want to see the others make a bloody good race of it and take their chances on Wiggins where ever they can.

I see Nibs needing to go at Sky sooner rather than later.
Astana don't seem to have featured.

Ryder seems to have Danielson along side, but not much else, TD isn't going the threaten the podium.
RH will need to kick on with or after Nibali, but there's no way he'll be able to put Sky to bed on his own, in just 1 or 2 stages.

Skybet have Nibs @ 13/8, RH @ 11/2, then Evans @ 16/1.
Moderately large and pointless odds for Sanchez, Santambrogio, Gesink and Scarponi.
Before 50 & 66/1 for Uran and Henao.

I just don't see why people aren't filling their E/W boots on the Sky boys.
EVERYBODY knows what's going to happen when Nibali and Ryder show their hand.
Clearly one will blow the other out, and in the process they might ship one of the 3 Sky riders, but they have no chance dropping the other 2.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

The Sky squad is looking very strong this year.

 

[Stat Brother]

Oh and for the record, I'm not bemoaning Sky, just the lack of invention and guile from the other teams.

Big deja vous here, so I assume I'm reliving a Tour grumble.

Nobody will go on an Andy Schleck 70km breakaway, or train on the front at until Wiggo is alone, or de Ghent the final climb.

Chances are none of those will work, but we know for a fact, stealing seconds here and there definitely won't work.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Chances are none of those will work, but we know for a fact, stealing seconds here and there definitely won't work.

But it might with the time bonuses. It almost worked for Rodriguez in the Giro and vuelta last year. Also, Nibali will look to repeat his Tirreno-Adriatico(?) tactic.

 

[Stat Brother]

But it might with the time bonuses. It almost worked for Rodriguez in the Giro and vuelta last year. Also, Nibali will look to repeat his Tirreno-Adriatico(?) tactic.

I bet it ALMOST works again.

 

[1066familyman]

I see Nibs needing to go at Sky sooner rather than later.
Astana don't seem to have featured.

Ryder seems to have Danielson along side, but not much else, TD isn't going the threaten the podium.
RH will need to kick on with or after Nibali, but there's no way he'll be able to put Sky to bed on his own, in just 1 or 2 stages.

Skybet have Nibs @ 13/8, RH @ 11/2, then Evans @ 16/1.
Moderately large and pointless odds for Sanchez, Santambrogio, Gesink and Scarponi.
Before 50 & 66/1 for Uran and Henao.

I just don't see why people aren't filling their E/W boots on the Sky boys.
EVERYBODY knows what's going to happen when Nibali and Ryder show their hand.
Clearly one will blow the other out, and in the process they might ship one of the 3 Sky riders, but they have no chance dropping the other 2.

I think the new look Evans might be a more willing ally than Nibali at this point in the race.

But it might with the time bonuses. It almost worked for Rodriguez in the Giro and vuelta last year. Also, Nibali will look to repeat his Tirreno-Adriatico(?) tactic.

Part of tomorrow's stage is the same as this years fireworks TA stage and it would be great to see Nibs try a repeat performance. I've a feeling he still prefers to try taking mountain time instead (which he probably won't succeed on anyway) and he won't be too persistent tomorrow if his little testers don't feel like they're going to work. I'm hoping RH and/or Evans will be more persistent and keep digging and digging to take what ever they can as they can't afford to pass up any chance they get. Could be I'm just dreaming though and the GC will just sit up, let the break have it's day and save energy for the TT.

 

[Stat Brother]

TBH if I were Sky I'd be saying Evans can do what he damn well pleases, he'll not be within 10 minutes in 2 weeks time.

 

[1066familyman]

Vini Fantini must want this stage soooo bad! Result for Katusha & Paolini not having to do much to defend the leaders jersey today. Di Luca was a proper steal in the fantasy game.

 

[Stat Brother]

It ain't over yet.

Don't go counting points before they have hatched.