Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**

[Dogtrousers]

I warned about spoilers in the title, so it's okay for me to reveal that this year's tour was won by Quintana.
Of the GC contenders I suspect that he's the strongest this year.
Froome - could be close
Contador - ditto, but I think he'll be found out in the mountains
Nibali and Porte - best of the rest? Close but no purito.
Aru - flaky
Pinot, Barguil, Bardet, Alaphillipe - not yet, if ever
Teejay - nah
J Rod - too old

Sprint stages could be tight
Kittel, Cav, Greipel, Kristoff, Sagan, Bouhanni, Matthews et al

IMHO Cav's not getting any younger, and he's distracted by his Olympic obsession. But he's also Cav, so I wouldn't bet against him to picking up a stage.

Some facts, to add to my worthless opinion...

The Dimension data team 13 rider long list is (from FB) :
Serge Pauwels
Daniel Teklehaimanot
Jaco Venter
Jacques janse van Rensburg
Steve Cummings
Mark Cavendish
Bernie Eisel
Natnael Berhane
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
Youcef Reguigui
Mark Renshaw
Tyler Farrar

 

[Shadow]

Sorry, but I'm naïve and green with the terms, but what does IMO stand for?

There is a a whole list of abbreviations and acronyms somewhere on the site. I am unfamiliar with many of them, sometimes causing intense frustration, sometimes casing no grief at all. But it can take ages to find what you are looking for unless its in Shaun's first post!
Ah yes, here it is.

 

[Shadow]

IMHO Cav's not getting any younger.....
The Dimension data team 13 rider long list is (from FB)

Nor is the rest of the DiDa team, a very experienced bunch. Of those 13, only 2 were born after 1 jan '90. Reguigui only 8 days later and Berhane in jan '91. I hope they include him in the final 9.

 

[Crackle]

DiData cleaned up at the Dauphine. The same may be beyond them at the Tour but they do seem very good at playing to their riders strengths which in turn is having a positive effect on performance.

 

[Crackle]

Here's Robert Millar's view on how to beat Froome

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/author/how-to-beat-chris-froome-at-the-tour-de-france/

He too is predicting a vroom from Froome on the first big mtn stage.

 

[Va Va Froome]

Sport! Sport! Sport! Sport!

Football followed by tennis all over our screens. The Tour is the icing on the cake!

Olympic year as well... What a summer!

 

[Apollonius]

Sky team announced. No sprinter, but all the big climbing powerhouses. I think I can discern the plan!

 

[Dave Davenport]

Does having Sagan going for the green jersey dilute Tinkoff's ability to support Bertie?

 

[400bhp]

Does having Sagan going for the green jersey dilute Tinkoff's ability to support Bertie?

With Sagan, probably not. He's good enough to forge his own path and, if he needs a lead out train, then that keeps Bertie up front and safe. But, it's one less bloke that will pull on the front.

 

[smutchin]

Movistar now have, IMO, a stronger team than Sky.

I think you could be right. Quintana this year is also looking like a significantly more mature rider. Never mind the mountains or the time trials, he lost the race on the pan-flat stage two last year. He won't make that mistake again.

I still think there's a question over his form - he looked good at the Route du Sud but that wasn't the same level of test as the Dauphiné. Can't see beyond him or Froome for overall victory though.

Here's Robert Millar's view on how to beat Froome

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/author/how-to-beat-chris-froome-at-the-tour-de-france/

He too is predicting a vroom from Froome on the first big mtn stage.

That would be stage eight? But I don't know if they'll wait that long. I think it might even kick off on stage two, which finishes on the Cote de la Glacerie, which looks like an interesting little climb - one for the puncheurs on paper, but remember Froome's show of force on the Mur de Huy last year...

Stage five could be quite volatile too - third stage in a row over 200km, and three tough climbs in the final 36km.

 

[Dave Davenport]

I think it might even kick off on stage two, which finishes on the Cote de la Glacerie, which looks like an interesting little climb - one for the puncheurs on paper, but remember Froome's show of force on the Mur de Huy last year...

I've ridden it a couple of times and I don't think it's long or steep enough for Froome to use to any significant advantage. I'll have a good view if he does though as eight of us are staying in the Campanile hotel at the top next weekend

 

[smutchin]

I've ridden it a couple of times and I don't think it's long or steep enough for Froome to use to any significant advantage.

Yebbut we all said much the same before the Mur de Huy stage last year, where he took 11 seconds out of Nibali, Tejay and Quintana, 18 seconds out of Contador, 36 seconds out of Bardet, and basically put Pinot out of the race. Maybe not decisive ultimately but a very strong statement of intent and ferocious show of strength. And he'd already taken a minute and a half out of Quintana the day before, so it's not like he needed to attack him, he just did it to make a point. All I'm saying really is I don't think they'll wait for the mountains to start racing - it will be hard and aggressive from day one.

It was the same in 2014 - Nibali attacked the race from the first stage and cranked up the pressure on Froome and Contador, which may well have been a factor in both of them crashing out.

I'll have a good view if he does though as eight of us are staying in the Campanile hotel at the top next weekend

Cool!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've ridden it a couple of times and I don't think it's long or steep enough for Froome to use to any significant advantage. I'll have a good view if he does though as eight of us are staying in the Campanile hotel at the top next weekend

I stayed there in 2013. It was OK. The hill is steep.

Er ...that's all I have to say

 

[david k]

Is froome not favourite?

 

[suzeworld]

Gawd -- this football is shite ... wish the Tour was in on already!

For the record, I am rooting for Quintana too.