Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**

[Bollo]

I'm starting to look at the weather for the first two stages. Stage 1 looks like it will be hit by a nasty westerly crosswind, made worse as the route tracks the coast for much of the day. Given that Quintana arguably lost last year's Tour due to a wind-induced split in the peloton on Stage 2, is there scope for it all to kick off even earlier this year?

(It'll also be in my face for the ride from the ferry at Caen to the finish at Utah Beach. Fecking great )

 

[bladesman73]

who is off to the tour then? i will be in angers for end of s4 and saumur for start of s5. really looking forward to that and a few days of cycling around the loire valley beforehand

 

[Bollo]

who is off to the tour then? i will be in angers for end of s4 and saumur for start of s5. really looking forward to that and a few days of cycling around the loire valley beforehand

End of Stage 1 and start of Stage 2 using the overnight ferry from Pompey.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Eight of us are catching the fast cat over Saturday morning, staying in the Campanille hotel just near the finish for two nights then riding down to Ouistreham for the overnight ferry back on Monday. There may be some drinking involved.

 

[400bhp]

I'm starting to look at the weather for the first two stages. Stage 1 looks like it will be hit by a nasty westerly crosswind, made worse as the route tracks the coast for much of the day. Given that Quintana arguably lost last year's Tour due to a wind-induced split in the peloton on Stage 2, is there scope for it all to kick off even earlier this year?

(It'll also be in my face for the ride from the ferry at Caen to the finish at Utah Beach. Fecking great )

Let me tell you, having just come back from Normandy, it's bloody exposed and lumpy around there.

 

[brommers]

Dan Mclay has been added to the tour start list. Tinkoff have one place left - I wonder if it will go to Adam Blythe?

 

[smutchin]

Tinkoff have one place left - I wonder if it will go to Adam Blythe?

What's his climbing like? They've already got Sagan for stage-hunting, so they'll probably want the rest of the team to be focused on supporting Contador...

 

[brommers]

What's his climbing like?

He won the RideLondon Classic in 2014, so has some ability with hills, but not so sure with the mountains.

 

[Bollo]

Eight of us are catching the fast cat over Saturday morning, staying in the Campanille hotel just near the finish for two nights then riding down to Ouistreham for the overnight ferry back on Monday. There may be some drinking involved.

We're staying in a BnB just north of St Lo Saturday night and are back on the Sunday-Monday overnight crossing from Ouistreham. Is it a delegation from Sotonia so I know to look out for the kit?

 

[smutchin]

Different drummer...

https://twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/747758683736670208

 

[Dave Davenport]

We're staying in a BnB just north of St Lo Saturday night and are back on the Sunday-Monday overnight crossing from Ouistreham. Is it a delegation from Sotonia so I know to look out for the kit?

Most of us are Sotonia members, not sure if anyone will be wearing club kit though, just look out for a bunch of hungover middle aged blokes.

 

[Bollo]

Most of us are Sotonia members, not sure if anyone will be wearing club kit though, just look out for a bunch of hungover middle aged blokes.

That won't narrow it down much! See you there.

 

[Archie]

who is off to the tour then?

Long weekend planned with my daughter in our new (to us) campervan. Plan is see the depart at the Mont, then up to Utah Beach for the finish. Currently wondering how I'll pull it off.

Sunday is much more chilled, leisurely breakfast then off to Cherbourg for the 2nd stage finish.

 

[Crackle]

Bouhanni out due to his hand not recovering from colliding with a set of dentures in his hotel punch up. He needs to take some lessons from The Badger or give up the boxing.

 

[smutchin]

Quelle pilloque.