Tour de France 2015 - may contain nuts and SPOILERS

[Berk on a Bike]

I don't think it's been decided (or at least released) yet

If I'd making the calls for Giant, I would leave Kittel out of this Tour and go full for Degenkolb. He won't get the wins that Kittel gave them the past 2 years (but would Kittel be able to give them like 3 wins this year?!?) but he definitely has a good/better shot to go for the green jersey. Because even with the change in sprint points, it wouldn't surprise me that it's going to be - once more - a "complete sprinter/fast puncher" that takes it

Not forgetting too Degenkolb won Paris Roubaix over the old pahvay so he'd be useful for the cobbled stage.

 

[raindog]

looks like he's definitely out
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/marcel-kittel-will-not-ride-tour-de-france
the sprints will still be as bonkers as ever though

 

[Shadow]

Not forgetting too Degenkolb won Paris Roubaix over the old pahvay so he'd be useful for the cobbled stage.

Also not forgetting winning M-S-R too.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I had to do a search to check what the sprint points changes this year are.
So, in case any of you are as badly informed as me (surely not!) to save you looking:

The changes favour stage winners and will only be in place for the nine flat stages of the race. The winner of the stage will score 50 points, 20 more than the second placed rider, who will score 30 points, boosting the stage winner's points total and rewarding stage winners more than rider who place consistently.

The first 15 riders to cross the finish line to be rewarded with 50, 30, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 points respectively on the nine flat stages. The remaining 12 stages will continue to award points in the same distribution from 2012 to 2014 when the classification was last changed with 45, 35, 30, 26, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 points to the first 15 riders across the line.

"We have made some changes to the green jersey competition next year," Govenou said. "When we are almost certain that the stage will end in a sprint, we will add a little bonus to first place."

"Previously we've had 45, 35 and 30 points for the top three positions respectively. Now we will award 50, 30 and 20 points. The person who wins the stage will have a bigger advantage over the others, and it's something which brings the pure sprinters back into the frame for the green jersey."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/changes-to-tour-de-france-green-jersey-classification-confirmed

 

[Crackle]

It's changed to favour the pure sprinters but those intermediate sprints could definitely be vital this year.

 

[raindog]

brilliant potted guide from INRNG
http://inrng.com/2015/06/tour-de-france-guide-2015/

 

[The Couch]

If I'd making the calls for Giant, I would leave Kittel out of this Tour and go full for Degenkolb.

looks like he's definitely out
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/marcel-kittel-will-not-ride-tour-de-france

I guess my disguise is ruined and I have to confess that I am part of the Giant-Alpecin management team

Well, now the the story is out... you should really feel my hair, that stuff is amazing

 

[Crackle]

I reckon it's good that they've adopted Shaun Kelly's favourite word, bonifications, this year. Often makes for an interesting end to the stage.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I reckon it's good that they've adopted Shaun Kelly's favourite word, bonifications, this year. Often makes for an interesting end to the stage.

Second favourite surely. You have to make the calculation before you get the bonification.

 

[Slaav]

So the odds on Cav becoming the greatest ever (clean) TdF Stage winner are shortening then?

1 Eddy Merckx

Belgium 34
2 Bernard Hinault

France 28
3 Mark Cavendish

United Kingdom 25

I am working on the basis that Cav is 100% clean (which I truly believe to be the case) vs Merckx who although a different era, does seem to have considerable baggage....

 

[The Couch]

So the odds on Cav becoming the greatest ever (clean) TdF Stage winner are shortening then?

1 Eddy Merckx

Belgium 34
2 Bernard Hinault

France 28
3 Mark Cavendish

United Kingdom 25

I am working on the basis that Cav is 100% clean (which I truly believe to be the case) vs Merckx who although a different era, does seem to have considerable baggage....

Still...not that many pure sprint opportunities this year, so he will still have a way to go for Merckx

You know, if you would have asked me 3 years ago, I (as many people, I guess) would have said that Cav would take this stat away from Merckx, but with the upcoming competition of the last years, I can only see him surpass Hinault, but I see him struggling to ever make it passed Merckx


and however little or severe Merckx might have been taken the doping of his era... I still feel it's not really fair (towards Merckx) to compare them in stage wins:
A sprinter (in a modern day brought to the finish with a sprint train) vs. an all-rounder/gc rider

 

[RobNewcastle]

Millar's Sky team picks:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/ro...cks-the-team-sky-squad-for-the-tour-de-france

 

[smutchin]

Interesting that the organisers have given the revised points weighting to nine stages, but as Inrng says, only five of them at best look like proper sprint stages, so the new system doesn't necessarily point to a sprinter winning the green jersey.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Anyone know why they decided to reintroduce time bonuses?

 

[biking_fox]

Anyone know why they decided to reintroduce time bonuses?

They're only for stages 2-8 so I guess it's in an effort to spice up the first week of racing and make sure people contend for every stage.