The Tour de France begins today with the prologue time trial in Liege. Many people are talking up the chances of Bradley Wiggins becoming the first British tour winner ever but he will face stiff competition from the likes of last year's winner Cadel Evans, Vincenzo Nibali, Sam Sanchez, Frank Schleck and Jurgen Van Den Broeck. After having Alberto Contador looking to have only Andy Schleck as competition just a couple of years ago, the field looks very open and the likelihood is that the podium could be very close. Chris Anker Sorenson, Johnny Hoogerland, Sam Sanchez and Michele Scarponi look to contest the King of the mountains jersey with again no clear favourite. In the points contest, Cavendish will start favourite but will face competition from Peter Sagan. The route this year has many new challenges including the first time climbing of the Col du Grand Colombier before familiar challenges such as the aubisque and Col de Tourmalet. The time trials could also prove vital in the race.
Super Sammy Sanchez gets my vote - I've met him and he's a great guy. Despite that, Wiggins will give it a go and will have the cycling-supporting nation behind him so should get podium. Who's Peter Sagan? I don't think I've heard of him to be honest. Hopefully Ben Swift should pick up some points this year too!
I watched in awe today, as two British cyclists blew everyone out the back door, bar Cadel and Vincenzo. Bradley has the beating of these two, in the TT coming up on Monday. If he comes up smiling tomorrow, then puts the hammer down, like he did in the Dauphine TT where he took 30+ seconds out of Tony Martin, (how often has that happened?) the Tour is his to lose.
He beat Cadel Evans by 1.43, the exact same time as in the Dauphine TT. (Although that was 55k I think, so today is even more phenomenal) Spookeeehh! The Colombier awaits on Wednesday. Thank god tomorrow is a rest day. If Cadel can't do for Brad here, let's face it, he has to attack now, where will he gain the time and then some more to account for the last TT to come and more punishment? I would say Froome is more of a threat than Cadel at the moment.
I'm a massive cycling fan and I would have put my money on Van Den Broeck before the tour but Wiggo is looking awesome at the moment. Meowth, I would see Froome as more of a threat if he was in another team but he will only win if Wiggo has a terrible day in the mountains and Froome is ordered to leave him.
Someone will attack tomorrow, maybe Nibali and Evans forming an uneasy alliance or Radioshack using their strength in depth (Zubeldia, Monfort, Gallopin, Schleck and Kloden all in the top 20). Sky have the climbers to counter this but it will be a fascinating day up a brand new climb for the Tour. Can't wait.
I was being a bit unfair to Cadel, but you are right of course. If Froome hadn't had the bad fortune earlier in the tour, things could be very different though. Their GC's would be almost the same.
Nibali was very angry with the lack of support when he went away when interviewed after the stage on RAI Sport 2 today. Didn't name names but made it very clear who he was pissed off with. Wiggins looked vulnerable today for the first time. Tomorrow afternoon will almost certainly show us how things will end up in Paris.
Once again an amazingly controlled race by Team Sky. I was sceptical when it was announced that Sky would win the tour within 5 years of forming but surely Wiggo will win and even if he has a disaster, Froome can win it.
Froome could have put two minutes plus into Wiggins today. Called back just like at the Vuelta last year. Sooner or later he'll have had enough and do what Roche did to Visentini back in the day. Very poor Tour this year with over 100 km of Chronos. Reminds me of the mountainless Giro made to measure for Moser. Then there's that Dutch doctor at Sky...
What are you on? Froome is there for the team and not himself. This is his first year near the top of the standings at the Tour. He is the future no.1 man, he's not gonna **** that over by leaving his team leader behind. I think this year has been one of the best for a few years. Sky's team is very similar to the US postal glory days where they are the main team. I think Andy Schleck would have won if he wasn't injured because RadioShack have an impressive team.
That's true, but has anyone explained his little attack the other day, he left Bradley high and dry? I've missed a lot this year during shifts at work and I only catch the last few minutes by carefully planning tea breaks and watching on my phone. Was there an explanation for what Froome did that day?
Froome explained that he thought he was told on the radio to go. He then got told he had dropped Wiggins so slowed the pace. I think he expected Wiggins to sit on Nibali's and Van Den Broeck's wheel but they went off with Froome. Not on the drug binging front But in how they controlled races. PS: I'm getting ****ed off with all this drug talk. They talk so highly of riders in the past but I bet most of them were druggies back then. It wouldn't surprise me if Merkx was taking drugs during his time cycling.