Tour de France 2015

Sveino's in my team just 'cos he's awesome.

One winter Tuft spent so much of his off-season skiing and snowboarding that when the time came around for training camp, he was short on base miles. So he simply rode down Highway 101 from Vancouver to team camp in Southern California, packing camping gear, a sack of potatoes, and Bear (his dog), drinking from streams and cooking by campfire. Because it was February, he faced wind and rains almost the entire trip.

Kristoff was winning for fun early season. Given you have the likes of him, M Matthews and Degenkolb means Sagan has a lot more competition in the lumpier sprint stages, which should make the green jersey a lot more open as they should all be grabbing points here and there. Plus Tinkov-Saxo will be hunting yellow, I wonder how much freedom Sagan will have.

Last decision, unclassed at 8 points. Trying to choose between Geraint Thomas and Sylvain Chavanel.

I am right in thinking that whilst Thomas has done better than Chavanel lately, the Tour might see Thomas relegated to support duties whilst Chavanel might get a little boost from French national pride?

You almost wonder whether the open battle for the lumpy stages will favour someone like Cav for the green then - if he can get three or four wins and mop up intermediate points, you never know. Plus he's getting over the lumps really well this year.

Neither Valverde or Rodriguez will ever win the Tour. Both are outside bets for the podium, but there are 5 or 6 riders in this race who are stronger than them.

Given that Sagan will probably leave the team at the end of the year, what does he have to gain from helping Contador? Why the fuck should he? He should go for every win he can and spit on Oleg at the finish line.

I heard he's signing for Wiggle Honda next year as a soigneur

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/02/alberto-contador-fabian-cancellara-tour-de-france-2015-yellow-jersey

They really need to get some reporters that actually know a little about cycling, this is a real gem:

Contador and Fabian Cancellara are a study in physical contrast but are two riders with one ambition – to win the 2015 Tour de France in the Yellow Jersey, the greatest prize in professional cycling.

Err, no

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/03/tour-de-france-2015-five-contenders-yellow-jersey?CMP=share_btn_tw

Not sure this article is much better... Would be amazed if Pinot finishes in front of Contador.

I can't see either getting a stage. Chava is past his best and Thomas will be on team duty.

Get one of the Yates twins in.

That opening line in Suze Clemitson's piece is clearly contradicted, and her real meaning made obvious, later when she turns to Cancellara. Looks more like a sub-editing mistake than anything.
I'm pretty sure she knows as much, possibly even more, about cycling than we do. Sounds crazy I know.

She is @FestinaGirl on Twitter. Follow her there and you'll quickly be disabused of that notion.

When I said 'we' I didn't really mean 'we'.

Yeah it does look a typo, but a crass one given it is in the first line of the article. I didn't realise she's FestinaGirl

'having made the switch from Liquigas-Cannondale last year'

Another kind-of-clanger

Joined, and will be happy to accept muffins in the post.

Should you win, I think @I_am_Hingis should cycle to Cambridge to deliver them. Ideally retracing the route of last year's third stage.

You know Kittel is out right?

Yes! Better rework my team then...

I nearly tweeted him last week to tell him that he may be out of the tour but he's still really hot. Sometimes I'm really lynx-like.

Sean's calculations: http://roadcyclinguk.com/racing/previews/irish-legend-sean-kellys-tour-de-france-predictions.html/1

Calculations that he's made?

Calky Lations, surely?

I can't contain myself, get on your bikes you skinny bastards!

“You can’t look beyond the four main riders – Froome, Contador, Quintana, Nibali – so I’m hoping that all five will still be in strong contention after the first five days of racing.".