Le Tour de Pharmaceutical 2015

Only two weeks till kickoff. This years tour includes :
   9 flat stages
   3 hilly stages
   7 mountain stages including 5 summit finishes
   1 individual time trial
   1 team time trial
   2 rest days
Tour starts in Netherlands with the individual time trial & then moves through Belgium. They don't actually reach France until stage 4.

Please BD ... keep your voice lowered ... the least said about cyclists
cavorting about the countryside, the better!

It's bad enough on our roads here without being infested
with the steroid infested bunch of inconsiderate imbeciles
riding 3 deep off the pavement whilst chatting about the colour
of their skin tight lycras and multi-coloured shades.

I blame Wiggins ................. the bastard.

Merlin wrote:Please BD ... keep your voice lowered ... the least said about cyclists
cavorting about the countryside, the better!

It's bad enough on our roads here without being infested
with the steroid infested bunch of inconsiderate imbeciles
riding 3 deep off the pavement whilst chatting about the colour
of their skin tight lycras and multi-coloured shades.

I blame Wiggins ................. the bastard.

I know what you mean. Its the same here. They even just passed a law that says motorists have to keep 1.5 meters away when passing, even if it means technically breaking the law by crossing solid white lines & driving in the face of oncoming traffic. I'm sure it will make the 1% of Cyclists feel safer but it will causes 99% of motorists some grief....insanity.

Will be a very frantic first week as ever, if not more. TT first up. A stage very likely to be affected by wind on the second day (possibly a reduced sprint), the Mur du Huy on day 3 which will open up small gaps in the GC, the Paris Roubaix cobbles on stage 4 before the first certain sprint stage on stage 5.

Could be one or two protagonists down by that time.

tricycle wrote:Will be a very frantic first week as ever, if not more. TT first up. A stage very likely to be affected by wind on the second day (possibly a reduced sprint), the Mur du Huy on day 3 which will open up small gaps in the GC, the Paris Roubaix cobbles on stage 4 before the first certain sprint stage on stage 5.

Could be one or two protagonists down by that time.

Is that what's known as the "syringe effect" ?

No

Kittel won't take part in the tour. Not an injury, fwiw.

A few stage wins there for the taking for Cav then, maybe even a shot at green if he can get to the Champs Elysees? Or are there more younger men in line for the crown now?

Sagan, Degenkolb and Kristoff. Good chance for a few stage wins though.

Kittel has been completely anonymous this season.

Orica announce their team. No GC leaders there but they might pull off a stage win or two.:
Orica-GreenEDGE for the Tour de France
Michael Albasini (SUI), Luke Durbridge (AUS), Simon Gerrans (AUS), Daryl Impey (RSA), Michael Matthews (AUS), Svein Tuft (CAN), Pieter Weening (NED), Adam Yates (GBR) and Simon Yates (GBR).

Movistar are banking everything on Quintana & Valverde:

Movistar for the Tour de France
Nairo Quintana (COL), Alejandro Valverde (ESP), Imanol Erviti (ESP), Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP), Gorka Izagirre (ESP), José Herrada (ESP), Adriano Malori (ITA), Alex Dowsett (GBR) and Winner Anacona (COL).

Quickstep have stacked their team with sprinters:

Etixx-QuickStep for the Tour de France
Mark Cavendish (GBR), Michal Golas (POL), Michal Kwiatkowski (POL), Tony Martin (GER), Mark Renshaw (AUS), Zdenek Stybar (CZE), Matteo Trentin (ITA), Rigoberto Uran (COL), and Julien Vermote (BEL).

Tour kicks off tomorrow with the individual TT



Meanwhile Porte has indicated he is looking for another team so this tour will be Froomes last chance with his favorite wingman.

Huzzah. Aussie Rohan Dennis wins the TT.  Nibali had a good time compared to his GC rivals.

Fine ride. Hopefully be some crosswinds tomorrow.

As you'd expect in the Netherlands, stage two is flat as a tack.
As Trike said, cross winds will be a big factor here.

Does whoever leads at the 6m high peak take the polka dot jersey?

... off we go then.

Did not realise, but apparently Rohan Dennis is the 7th Aussie to wear the yellow jersey.

Got the list, lardy? Can only recall six, Anderson, O'Grady, McGee, McEwen, Evans and Dennis...

Matthews? Gerrans?

I don't follow it closely enough.

It was Gerrans.

Aussies in the maillot jaune

Phil Anderson ('81, '82)
Stuart O'Grady ('98, '01)
Bradley McGee ('03)
Robbie McEwen ('04)
Cadel Evans ('08, '10, '11)
Simon Gerrans ('13)
Rohan Dennis ('15)

Oh yes. Gerrans, of course. Cheers

Fwiw, the weather is horrendous at places. Should split up somewhere. Sky will need Thomas in his early spring form.

Big split.

The breakaway will just be caught before the first big sprint.