2012 Tour de France Fantasy Cycling

**huckbucket** · 07-01-2012, 05:39 PM

Ahhhh. ... the early 90's. When the gc men were big and the epo flowed like water.

**::: :::** · 07-01-2012, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by telebobski

Cancellera is an outstanding classics racer and ITT rider, but at 6'1" and 175 lbs he's not gonna keep up in the mountains. I think RadioShack is pushing him now for the advertising exposure, 'cause they don't have a decent sprinter and they sure ain't gonna get camera time from Kloden or Schleck.

and also, because he's capable of holding the jersey for four or five days...he's done it before

agreed - this is certainly going to be RSNT's only bright spot for the tour...might as well make the most of it

**::: :::** · 07-01-2012, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by telebobski

Cancellera is an outstanding classics racer and ITT rider, but at 6'1" and 175 lbs he's not gonna keep up in the mountains.

I agree - he can't be the GC guy for a three week grand tour...but maybe for smaller 1 week tours? he's shown he can roll in varied terrain

Tony Martin already has his number in the ITT (he's gotta be pissed about a flat!) so Fabian's going to have to find the next chapter

**TBS** · 07-01-2012, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by acinpdx

I agree - he can't be the GC guy for a three week grand tour...but maybe for smaller 1 week tours? he's shown he can roll in varied terrain

I dunno. The only multi-day event he's done well at is the Tour of Oman two years ago. He's never been a contender in the Tour of Cali, Tour de Suisse or the Dauphine. Part of that is because his teams always seem to have a top-end GC guy that they try to put on the podium, but I usually see him struggling in the mountains too. Despite Big Mig's success, climbers nowadays have to be so small/thin they need to run around in the shower to get wet.

Taking nothing away from him however. He is a hella strong racer and as far as I know, never been implicated as a doper. Nothing wrong with being one of the best one-day racers out there. Two wins in Paris-Roubaix is a monster accomplishment, let alone all of his ITT performances and the other classics.

**ICEHOCEY77** · 07-01-2012, 08:52 PM

Didn't he win the Tour de Suisse a few years ago? I'm pretty sure they kinda rigged the course to assist him in winning.

He's also the one that caused them to start x-raying bikes because of 'phantom' motors. Not giving it any credibility, but it is out there.

**nick > jesus** · 07-01-2012, 09:51 PM

Just came back to the first couple day's results. My team, ambitious but rubbish, is doing well after 2

L7 · 07-01-2012, 10:06 PM

So Phil and Paul (and Bobke) give their picks for faves to win and how can Ryder not even get a mention? Stage 1 they finally mention his name just listing him in 9th for the day, no mention of the Giro win. How does a guy who wins the Giro not get mention for at least a podium spot? Every 40 year old got mentioned. I'm surprised they didn't muse that this could be George's year.

**concretejungle** · 07-01-2012, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by L7

So Phil and Paul (and Bobke) give their picks for faves to win and how can Ryder not even get a mention? Stage 1 they finally mention his name just listing him in 9th for the day, no mention of the Giro win. How does a guy who wins the Giro not get mention for at least a podium spot? Every 40 year old got mentioned. I'm surprised they didn't muse that this could be George's year.

Besides the fact that they're all fucking windbags? No way Ryder can do the Tour/Giro double unless he's more doped up than a normal pro cyclist.

**ICEHOCEY77** · 07-01-2012, 10:18 PM

Seven cyclists have won the Tour and the Giro in the same year:
Fausto Coppi (ITA): 1949, 1952
Jacques Anquetil (FRA): 1964
Eddy Merckx (BEL): 1970, 1972, 1974
Bernard Hinault (FRA): 1982, 1985
Stephen Roche (IRL): 1987
Miguel Indurain (ESP): 1992, 1993
Marco Pantani (ITA): 1998

In their class, Ryder is not.

**huckbucket** · 07-01-2012, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by L7

So Phil and Paul (and Bobke) give their picks for faves to win and how can Ryder not even get a mention? Stage 1 they finally mention his name just listing him in 9th for the day, no mention of the Giro win. How does a guy who wins the Giro not get mention for at least a podium spot? Every 40 year old got mentioned. I'm surprised they didn't muse that this could be George's year.

The one that I can't understand gets overlooked all the time is Tejay. What's that boy gotta do to get some love. His palmares are pretty damn impressive;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tejay_van_Garderen

L7 · 07-02-2012, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by concretejungle

Besides the fact that they're all fucking windbags? No way Ryder can do the Tour/Giro double unless he's more doped up than a normal pro cyclist.

I see it as unlikely (maybe not as unlikely as Horner doing anything) but I think it's very likely he lands on the podium. We'll see how he goes with his tendency to strengthen through the race.

**TBS** · 07-02-2012, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by ICEHOCEY77

Didn't he win the Tour de Suisse a few years ago? I'm pretty sure they kinda rigged the course to assist him in winning.

He's also the one that caused them to start x-raying bikes because of 'phantom' motors. Not giving it any credibility, but it is out there.

My bad, he did win TdS in 2009.

And that whole motor thing was laughable. The accusers probably owned a company that provided the X-ray equipment.

**TBS** · 07-02-2012, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by huckbucket

The one that I can't understand gets overlooked all the time is Tejay. What's that boy gotta do to get some love. His palmares are pretty damn impressive;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tejay_van_Garderen

I don't get the fascination with Van Garderen. He's an OK ITT rider and climber, done well in the US and had some success in 2nd rate Euro races, but he is no threat in big races with world class competition. Maybe in a few years, but not now

He is at the TDF to tow Evans over the mountains, so you aren't gonna see much more individual glory for him. He won a tour stage last year with HTC-Highroad because they were at the tour for Cavendish and let him go for it in the mountains.

**ICEHOCEY77** · 07-02-2012, 03:32 PM

Has velogames updated yet?

**concretejungle** · 07-02-2012, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by L7

I see it as unlikely (maybe not as unlikely as Horner doing anything) but I think it's very likely he lands on the podium. We'll see how he goes with his tendency to strengthen through the race.

I like the guy especially since he was a mountain biker I just don't see a double as feasible. Shit, Contadoper couldn't hold his form and we looked like he was racing amateurs at the Giro last summer.

**ICEHOCEY77** · 07-02-2012, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by ICEHOCEY77

Has velogames updated yet?

finally. Took until 6 PM to get it up.

**ICEHOCEY77** · 07-02-2012, 06:47 PM

I think the next two days are going to be ugly. Crosswinds and wet.

Tuesday

Overcast with a chance of rain. High of 66F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Wednesday

Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain in the afternoon. High of 70F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

**TBS** · 07-02-2012, 07:52 PM

Given the stage profile and conditions, it wouldn't surprise me to see a long-shot GC contender (Voelkler, Casar, Niboli and Valverde come to mind) taking a flier at the first KOM climb. I doubt that Skye nor BMC will chase this early

**buttahflake** · 07-03-2012, 09:25 AM

Peter Sagan is a stud!

**tom111869** · 07-03-2012, 09:36 AM

Did Wiggins crash at the end of the stage?

**huckbucket** · 07-03-2012, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by tom111869

Did Wiggins crash at the end of the stage?

Yes ... doesn't look worse for the wear though. Same time as the other finishers based on the 3km rule.

**TBS** · 07-03-2012, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by buttahflake

Peter Sagan is a stud!

True Dat!

Will be very interesting to see how he does in the Alps

BTW, Eddie Boasson Hagan looked good today too.

**ICEHOCEY77** · 07-03-2012, 02:45 PM

thanks for NBC Sports just showing one replay today. Thank goodness I was able to watch the eurosport feed this morning.

Quite a few guys got caught up in the wrecks. It sounded like there were quite a few people pissed with Movistar for upping the pace to take advantage (karma catch up to them when their sprinter Rojas broke a collarbone?)

Cobo lost 10 minutes, Kiryienka and Gilbert around 8, Voeckler/Westra 7, Vande Velde 2, and then it got kind of arbitrary depending on if you are a GC contender (Menchov was initially docked a minute before it was changed)

Sprinter stage tomorrow, but lots of time along the coast. Crosswinds aren't looking too bad, but it looks to be pretty wet.

Wednesday

Overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain in the morning, then partly cloudy with thunderstorms. High of 72F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.