The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[teaboy]

And he managed not to swear on live TV for a change!

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

CAV 15 points off Green jersey

Tour De France 2012: Stage 2 Results | Cyclingnews.com

 

[Stat Brother]

The Abdujaparov crash would have been in the bingo.

 

[1066familyman]

Get in there Cav ! Superb win today.

I honestly thought all the talk of Griepel, Cav & Kittel was missing the point that Goss has looked strongest in the mini battles of the intermediaries. As I said earlier, I thought Goss would win today. I would have put Goss in my team but 2 other Greenedge riders prevented me from doing so. Bit of a result that I got to put Cav in instead then.

Btw, according to ITV commentary, Kittel off the back today because of a stomach bug. Veelers done a bloody good job of taking over for him though. Was really hoping that Saxobank jersey I saw right at the front on the finish line was Cantwell and not Haedo, but alas, no such luck.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 2 result:-

1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling 4:56:59
2 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
3 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
4 Tom Veelers (Ned) Argos-Shimano
5 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
6 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
7 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat
8 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
9 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
10 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Sharp

GC, unchanged from yesterday:-

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan 10:02:31
2 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:07
3 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
4 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:10
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:00:11
6 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:00:13
7 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
8 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:17
9 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:18
10 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Sharp

 

[1066familyman]

Should be a great finish again tomorrow. I think the stage win will come from either Chavanel, EBH or Gilbert. All three are looking good now. Mind you, Sagan could continue to amaze everyone and Spartacus might be looking for a repeat effort like on stage 1, but I can't quite see that as it's a bit lumpier tomorrow.

Decision decisions tonight as to who to put in for Cav.

 

[Pantani]

Superb from Cav, I forgot Fantasy cycling rule number one. Always put Cav in your team. A bit tired and grumpy after a long day at work so here are some moans.

Tour de Francis: seriously just **** off, why are you crying because you rode up a steep hill. Stupid Halford's and your stupid adverts, every year they come with something even worse than the previous effort.

Sagan is not the Cannibal. He has won 14 races this year, five of which were in the Tour of drug cheats with the only other half decent sprinter being Heinrich 'I've never won anything of note' Haussler. The actual Cannibal won 50 races a season for four years, would win the Tour de France overall, and win the green jersey, and the polka dots and six or seven stages not just some stages you would expect him to win.

 

[Stat Brother]

Nighty night night P.


(BTW totally agree with you)

 

[perseus]

It looked steep to me, a local hill, but it was 2% for a mile. It has to be 5% to make Category 4. I would get off and walk. Its quicker for me.

 

[Stat Brother]

Talking of The Cannibal.
I'm halfway through Fotheringham's book, and it's proving to be a very good read.

I commend it to the house (so far).

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 3:-

Cav out, Gilbert back in.
Plus Inglinsky (sp) as a nod to the Spring Classic form.

 

[Marxo]

Oh dear! Radio 5live sports bulletin just now: "Mark Cavendish wins his 21st ever tour stage but he says he wants to win the race". Cue Cav saying that he doesn't expect to win much because "WE'RE" here for the yellow. Reminds me of the days when they used to say "Lance Armstrong still leads the Tour DESPITE only finishing 38th in todays stage".

 

[Pantani]

Talking of The Cannibal.
I'm halfway through Fotheringham's book, and it's proving to be a very good read.

I commend it to the house (so far).

Finished it a while back, it is very good isn't it.

 

[Pantani]

Today's predictions:

Chavanel for the stage. Evans to have another dig to gain some seconds back on Wiggins, and to succeed. My tip for the rider in the breakaway and polka dots at the end of the stage is Giovanni Bernaudeau of Europcar. I did not have enough transfers to put him in my team though, so kind of hope this prediction does not come off.

 

[Stat Brother]

Finished it a while back, it is very good isn't it.

Yeah nicely written, well paced.
Plenty of quotes and insight.

I do love the old skool stories, proper characters warts n'all.

 

[Stat Brother]

Today's predictions:

Chavanel for the stage. Evans to have another dig to gain some seconds back on Wiggins, and to succeed. My tip for the rider in the breakaway and polka dots at the end of the stage is Giovanni Bernaudeau of Europcar. I did not have enough transfers to put him in my team though, so kind of hope this prediction does not come off.

GB is in mine, so you can scrap that idea, straight away.

Evans does seem keen to be on the front, and pressurising Sky.
Who, lets face it, don't seem to be protecting Brad.

 

[Stat Brother]

Sagan is not the Cannibal. He has won 14 races this year, five of which were in the Tour of drug cheats with the only other half decent sprinter being Heinrich 'I've never won anything of note' Haussler. The actual Cannibal won 50 races a season for four years, would win the Tour de France overall, and win the green jersey, and the polka dots and six or seven stages not just some stages you would expect him to win.

I wonder what Cav, a student of the sport, would have said had people tried to call him The Cannibal.

I'd like to think he'd say 'fook off there's only 1, and it's not me'. Or words to that effect.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Today's a tough call would the peloton ever let Chavanel of Voeckler get away, I doubt it.

So Edvald again for me, if Sky let him break away

 

[Stat Brother]

So Edvald again for me, if Sky let him break away

I just can't see it today.
It's not ideal for Brad, and they will be hammering up those short climbs to disrupt him.
Sky's first proper test today, all hands to the pump.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Superb from Cav, I forgot Fantasy cycling rule number one. Always put Cav in your team.

Fantasy rules I have gleaned so far -

1) Cav looks expensive but he's usually worth it

2) Gilbert looks expensive, he's usually not worth it

3) Always transfer in the KOM

4) Don't pick expensive domestiques that are on form if they have a major sprinter in their team (they'll just kill themselves in the train)

Any other gems?

I've ignored no. 4 and put an outside bet on Albasini for today's stage.