Tour de France 2019 **SPOILERS**

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rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
I thought it was about time we started to speculate wildly about the Grand Boucle Shame that FroomeDawg won't be there but plenty of others in a seemingly open race.
Quintana, a busted flush?
Dumoulin, a flushing toilet?
Bernal or Thomas for Ineos
Pinot a better French hope than Bardet?
Fuglsang going well... his name means birdsong you know... CK...
Kruisjwik? Is he a runner?
Can Mas quickstep up to the plate?
And others?
 

brommers

Years beyond my wisdom
Location
Clacton-on-Sea
Buchmann and A. Yates
 

Adam4868

Guru
Yes I know I'm biased but I can't see passed Thomas or Bernal.
Dumoulin has pulled out of the Dauphine to get fit for the Tour,I hope !
I like Bardet but can't see him winning,a podium at very best.
Same for Pinot I just don't see three weeks in him.
Quintanna,Porte,don't see it happening.
Fulsgang,why not he seems on form.
Mas,Kruiswijk,maybe.
I'd like to think Hugh Carthy would be up there or is that wishfull thinking ?.
Finally I think Sagan will be back to form but can Golden boy VanAert take green from him ? That's going to be a interesting battle..
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
VanAert and Groenewegen leading each other out may be a fearsome sight.

No idea on GC. Yates to be conservative for two weeks, then try everything. Thomas will probably try to be Froome as much as he can, riding the Sky train with a few opportunistic attacks. Bernal and especially Poels will be sacrificed for him, repeatedly, much to everyone's annoyance. I fear Dumoulin's injury will mean his fitness will fail him. Mas is probably the darkest horse to me, but he's got a team with other goals.

Other than that, I fear the great French hopes will collapse under the weight of national expectations but I hope they don't because it would be great for the ambiance!
 

nagden

Senior Member
Location
Normandy, France
I like the look of Alaphillipe, he would be my dark horse. He is very talented but seems to have played down his chances. Other than that someone from Ineos hopefully Thomas.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
For Green ... Will Sagan get it together and find some form?

Are either of the van twins (Aert and der Poel) riding?
 

Slick

Guru
Thomas has got to be favourite now although I wouldn't like to put money on it as there does seem to be a few riders now who will think this could be their time.
 

Adam4868

Guru

View: https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1140960819154497536?s=19

I hope he is riding,fancied him for at least a podium place.
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
I'm really unsure who's going to win this. Dumoulin has to be there or thereabouts but how will his condition be? Quintana...who knows? Can he actually fulfil his potential? I suspect not. Landa and Nibali will be knackered. Pinot can climb but can't TT. After that there's Yates, Porte..hmmm, no

So that leaves Thomas and Bernal.

I've got a feeling it'll be a duke out between Thomas, Dumoulin and Bernal. I'd go with Bernal if Ineos don't require him to babysit
 

Adam4868

Guru
I'm really unsure who's going to win this. Dumoulin has to be there or thereabouts but how will his condition be? Quintana...who knows? Can he actually fulfil his potential? I suspect not. Landa and Nibali will be knackered. Pinot can climb but can't TT. After that there's Yates, Porte..hmmm, no

So that leaves Thomas and Bernal.

I've got a feeling it'll be a duke out between Thomas, Dumoulin and Bernal. I'd go with Bernal if Ineos don't require him to babysit
Fuglsang ? I don't think he'll win but Astana have been strong and after his win at Dauphine he should be up there.Id still go with Thomas and if not Bernal.Pending his latest off !
Edited...Nibali won't be knackered,he'll be up there.
 
Last edited:
Location
Hampshire
I've just been signed up by Team Ineos, Dave B said I was as good at crashing as the rest of the bunch he's got working for him and I'll do it for a lot less money.
20170826_192758.jpg
 
from ineos website regarding Thomas crash earlier today..
..
Geraint Thomas has escaped relatively unscathed following today’s crash at the Tour de Suisse.

Thomas was taken straight to hospital having suffered abrasions on his shoulder and a cut above his right eye in the wake of the crash, but thankfully the 33 year old has not sustained any further injuries.

Speaking to TeamINEOS.com, the reigning Tour de France champion explained how the incident occurred, commenting: “There was a lip in the road that came out of nowhere. An Astana rider hit the lip and crashed and I had nowhere to go. I landed on my shoulder and my face and there was quite a bit of blood. You’ve always got to be cautious with a head injury, and whilst I was keen to carry on, the doctors made the right decision to pull me out of the race.”

Thomas’ involvement in the Tour de France isn’t likely to be affected by today’s crash and he is already looking forward to being on the start line in Brussels on July 6th, adding: “Clearly it’s frustrating and a small setback for my Tour de France preparations, but there’s still plenty of time before we start in Brussels in a few weeks’ time. We will recalibrate and I’m sure my coach Tim (Kerrison) will have a plan in place to ensure I’m ready for July 6th.”
 

deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
from ineos website regarding Thomas crash earlier today..
..
Geraint Thomas has escaped relatively unscathed following today’s crash at the Tour de Suisse.

Thomas was taken straight to hospital having suffered abrasions on his shoulder and a cut above his right eye in the wake of the crash, but thankfully the 33 year old has not sustained any further injuries.

Speaking to TeamINEOS.com, the reigning Tour de France champion explained how the incident occurred, commenting: “There was a lip in the road that came out of nowhere. An Astana rider hit the lip and crashed and I had nowhere to go. I landed on my shoulder and my face and there was quite a bit of blood. You’ve always got to be cautious with a head injury, and whilst I was keen to carry on, the doctors made the right decision to pull me out of the race.”

Thomas’ involvement in the Tour de France isn’t likely to be affected by today’s crash and he is already looking forward to being on the start line in Brussels on July 6th, adding: “Clearly it’s frustrating and a small setback for my Tour de France preparations, but there’s still plenty of time before we start in Brussels in a few weeks’ time. We will recalibrate and I’m sure my coach Tim (Kerrison) will have a plan in place to ensure I’m ready for July 6th.”
It didn't look like a lip in the road, more like a narrow sunken drainage channel (think tyre-width single tram line) between pavement and carriageway. He'll be feeling half gutted, half guttered right now.
 
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