Mike at C&M Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 It really is a year since many of us saw the spectacle of the 2014 Tour racing through Yorkshire or from Cambridge into London. This years' Tour promises much for the cycling fan. An open race with no clear favourite, and a route that differs greatly from the usual formula. So with the individual time trial for 2015 already over, who will win overall? Today's stage took place in Utrecht, which saw a few Dutch trains on the coverage. Tomorrow could be an interesting stage with a run down the Dutch coast. A warm day with the likelihood of crosswinds off the sea which may fragment the field. Allow me to put my neck on the block first: Overall: Chris Froome - assuming that the strong Sky team live up to their potential Winner for stage 2 - Mark Cavendish. It is nearly 2 years since has won a stage on Le Tour. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted July 4, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 4, 2015 Interesting decision to finish (apart from the usual parade to Paris) at Alpe d'Huez. Could well make for an interesting climax this year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkeNd Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Chris Froome 1st ? Ummmm. That overlooks the strengths of some of the new contenders. Don't think it will be Niballi, or Contador this year. I would put my money on one of the 23/25 year olds who sparkled in the Giro - Mikel Landa or Romain Bardet. But lets have 3 weeks of fun finding out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted July 5, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 5, 2015 At least it's staying on the continent this year and not banjaxing the entire weekend for those of us who had no interest in it but were unfortunate enough to live on the route. Oh you old spoilsport you......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markeg Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Surprise. An Aussie to win the first stage! Well done Rohan Dennis. Mark in OZ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iak Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Missile time? Oh yes please... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkeNd Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 At least it's staying on the continent this year and not banjaxing the entire weekend for those of us who had no interest in it but were unfortunate enough to live on the route. Have you no soul man? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 It does look like a Cavendish stage, and no Marcel Kittel this time - but just to be different I will go for John Degenkolb for today's stage. As for the overall winner, it is difficult to predict what might happen over three weeks, but I would say the podium might be Quintana, Froome and Contador but in no particular order. Roman Bardet looks to be a little lacking in overall power for my liking, whereas Pierre Rolland is showing more consistency. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkeNd Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Stage 2. A good day for Froome and Contador. Any bets that Tony Martin asks Cavendish why he stopped pedalling and gave Cancellara the third place bonus points? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Cavendish has always been like that. As soon as he sees someone moving alongside him at greater speed, he gives up. Mind you, he did better than my choice Degenkolb who was "languishing" in the yellow jersey group. Tomorrow will be an interesting one, with the uphill finish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iak Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Give Spartacus some credit mind. Cav went early frankly, he gave Greipel a target... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 I think Cav made a mistake there. I'm not sure why he went so far out, but maybe he thought he had the sheer power to burn off Greipel? Cav needs to be a bit more canny; he is past his best and needs to adopt more of a Robbie McEwen attitude when he has little or no lead out train - just stick behind the most explosive rider and try to come out from his slipstream. Easy for me to say, I know but it worked for Robbie on many occasions. Well done to Peter Sagan for coming second despite a puncture 10km out. The cameras (wisely) did not show him getting back to the back of the group, but it remains to be seen if the officials have pity on him and don't dock him some time. Lets hope they are not of the Giro (we follow the rules to the letter) standard when Richie Porte used an Orica Greenedge bike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Today's stage is a difficult one to call, but I will go out on a limb and pick Tom Dumoulin for stage winner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 looking forward to today's stage. tough little finish should be very interesting. I predict that Rodriguez* will win. (* I will edit my post after the stage with the winner's name in the blank) ***Edited to include correct name of winner and make it look like I was right all along. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at C&M Posted July 6, 2015 Author Share Posted July 6, 2015 The 'Mur de Huy' is the sort of climb that a 'puncheur' should win on, and with Valverde having had repeated success here is the past, I will plump for him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozzer models Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 & now Froome is in yellow for the start of day 4 by 1 sec Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhBBob Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 .....and heading for the cobblestones down to Cambrai. A surface he knows only too well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at C&M Posted July 6, 2015 Author Share Posted July 6, 2015 OUCH! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 And my bet for today's win has abandoned I hope he is ok. He didn't look too good lying on the side of the road. All credit to Fabian Cancellara, getting back on his bike and finishing the stage. Professional cyclists are hard men. Laurence Ten Dam also came up as "abandon" with a dislocated collar bone, but it went back in place ok and I last saw him pedalling towards the finish line. Much respect to all of them. (Compare with those so-called hard men of professional football) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at C&M Posted July 6, 2015 Author Share Posted July 6, 2015 Usually the opening stages of Le Tour can be quite benign - not this year. Some horrible injuries resulting from the large crash today, including Cancellara with fractured vertebrae, and he still managed to finish the stage. Obviously we wish all the injured riders a speedy and complete recovery. Tomorrow is a hard one to call. Whilst there are cobbled sections tomorrow, we are not looking at anything like Paris - Roubaix, but it will take someone with plenty of stamina to win the stage. So not a GC contender, or a sprinter, or a mountain climber. I shall plump for Tony Gallopin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkeNd Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Didn't see it today due to the double and sequential agonies of Murray and Djokovic taking all the available viewing time. It's a but too early for Froome to be in yellow maybe - and there is such a long way to go. The accidents are becoming a plague with too many riders on too narrow roads and maybe the riders will take the same stance with this that the F1 drivers took over car safety and track design. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 three predictions for today: 1. everybody races ahead in order to get to the cobbles first, in order to avoid crashes on the cobbles, which causes a crash before the cobbles. 2. Tony Martin (finally!) gets the yellow jersey after managing to get into a small break, which the GC riders can't be bothered to chase down. Cavendish complains that Tony Martin should have been working for him, to give Cav a chance at the stage win. Tony responds, "see stage 2" 3. stage winner, Sep Vanmarcke Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 Are there time bonuses at the sprints this year? If so Tony Martin could go into yellow by just winning the first one, as Chris Froome will not be contesting anything. His nightmare from last year will probably be all consuming and he will be concentrating 100% on keeping upright on the cobbles. As ParkeNd says, Sky will not really want the yellow jersey this early because they have enough to worry about just getting their team safely to the end of the stage (especially if it rains). Stage winner? I will go for Peter Sagan, (which given my luck will probably result in him abandoning after 20 minutes today). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightspark Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 Well so far this years tour has been very exciting. Today the cobbles and an outstanding performance from the GC contenders.Bad luck to Pinot, I have him down as a top three contender in Paris, who lost so much time due to a slow wheel change.Well done to Tony Martin. That finish line grin says it all. A well deserved winner of the stage and yellow jumper. Now don't forget that the Tour isn't just about the bikes (Please pay attention Wheatley :-) ) It also about the food and drink. So sit back enjoy some cheese and wine from the region that the race passes through that day. I hope that you have enjoyed the Belgium and Dutch beers as well as suitable cheese. So, don't just pick out a winner for the stage, but also pick out some drink and food. Stage 5,Arras Communauté Urbaine to Amiens MétropoleTo start at Arras we have, chitterlings, cheese hearts & chocolate rats.And at the finish in Amiens, macaroons, chocolate tuiles, duck pâté, pear tart, ficelle picarde (savoury pancake).To wash this down, how about some Beer from the Brasserie St Germain in Arras. "Page 24" I found it on the web, and it looks like the only brew on the stage. Unfortunatly the site won't let me in. http://www.page24.fr/english/wholesale-beer-suppliers.php#A good compromise may be Leffe blonde which seems to be on tap all along the north coast. As for the stage win prediction...Well the tip is for a sprint finish. I will say Cav. It's about time he had a win. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at C&M Posted July 7, 2015 Author Share Posted July 7, 2015 Whilst some haute cuisine would go well with Le Tour, I suspect that a butty and a glass of Ribena will be the closest I get tomorrow! The Tony Martin grin was priceless, and nice to see that someone who has provided many great moments in recent tours get the chance of wearing the Maillot Jaune. Strictly speaking, Cav. should ride to protect Martins' lead, but as has been said, he now needs to prove himself, so I too will go for Cav. [That's put the kiss of death on him!] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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