[VdB]

VdB is considering going with a team that doesn't have a full sprinter squad this Tour. He feels that the number of likely podium candidates is fairly small and thus may go with 3-5 GC riders next to his usual sprinters. But a lot will depend on the actual startlist/points distribution of course!

[N.B.O.L.]

Even though start lists are not anywhere near finalized, NBOL has started his TdF picks. So far he has someone to contend the sprints, someone who can contend the medium mountain stages, someone with a potential to score high on the TTs, and someone who could get NBOL some points on the end of race GC placings. The big question NBOL now has is which 11 men he picks to go along with Sagan.

[shag]

N.B.O.L., on 12 June 2012 - 07:36 PM, said:

The big question NBOL now has is which 11 men he picks to go along with Sagan.

Nice.

[Burkni]

shag, on 12 June 2012 - 07:39 PM, said:

Nice.

Doesn't that apply to everyone?

Tweeter Sagan had this to say today:

Quote

@TweeterSagan: Tomorrow Sagan cross finish line backwards. This how Sagan train with Juraj normally. #easy

[N.B.O.L.]

NBOL obviously intended a little bit of humor with his Previous post, but does predicts that Sagan will be the number one pick in WP for the Tour. Slightly nullifies the relative advantage of picking him.

NBOL also gives props to VdB and Burkni who were on the Sagan bandwagon before NBOL knew him from Adam.

[Burkni]

N.B.O.L., on 12 June 2012 - 10:44 PM, said:

NBOL also gives props to VdB and Burkni who were on the Sagan bandwagon before NBOL knew him from Adam. Juraj

Burkni fixed that for NBOL

But yes, Burkni even had Sagan on his classics team when he would harvest 0 points.

This post has been edited by Burkni: 12 June 2012 - 11:40 PM

[The Rake]

N.B.O.L., on 12 June 2012 - 07:36 PM, said:

Even though start lists are not anywhere near finalized, NBOL has started his TdF picks. So far he has someone to contend the sprints, someone who can contend the medium mountain stages, someone with a potential to score high on the TTs, and someone who could get NBOL some points on the end of race GC placings. The big question NBOL now has is which 11 men he picks to go along with Sagan.

No disrespect to the Sagan juggernaut (I used to love his series "Cosmos", by the way) but surely you are thinking of Wiggins? Won a sprint at the Tour of Romandie, won a prologue there, won a long TT in Romandie and Dauphine, won a mountain TT in Paris-Nice. Not sure he was won a mountain stage but definitely there or thereabouts, and certainly a contender for GC. He also wins bonus points for the messiest hair cut.

Perhaps pick Wiggins and Sagan and then 10 people who aren't riding?

[N.B.O.L.]

The Rake, on 13 June 2012 - 08:04 AM, said:

Perhaps pick Wiggins and Sagan and then 10 people who aren't riding?

NBOL is considering a modification of that plan. Pick Sagan and Wiggins and 10 zero or 1 point riders who are starting.

[VdB]

The Rake, on 13 June 2012 - 08:04 AM, said:

No disrespect to the Sagan juggernaut (I used to love his series "Cosmos", by the way) but surely you are thinking of Wiggins? Won a sprint at the Tour of Romandie, won a prologue there, won a long TT in Romandie and Dauphine, won a mountain TT in Paris-Nice. Not sure he was won a mountain stage but definitely there or thereabouts, and certainly a contender for GC. He also wins bonus points for the messiest hair cut.

Perhaps pick Wiggins and Sagan and then 10 people who aren't riding?

Tsss...VdB leaves his team to train for the Tour and they come back in this kind of form? Shameful display. On a sidenote, he did enjoy Rake's quip about Sagan's forays into astronomy and physics. Cycling beast by day, Slovak beauty queen spinning coach by evening, astrophysicist by night. He truly is a miracle of a man, and rapidly ascending to become VdB's personal hero.

VdB must admit that Burkni's faith in Sagan exceeded his own though, and that he has only been truly convinced since this spring (in part due to Burkni's insistence)!

On a more serious note, while it would be silly not to include Wiggins in a GT squad at this Tour, VdB does want to point out that he has never truly delivered at a 3-week race yet. Evans' comment about Wiggins being the 'best in the world over 1 week' after the Dauphiné was both a delightful backhanded compliment and not entirely untrue so far.

[N.B.O.L.]

If there were a TTT this year, NBOL would pick Sagan, Wiggins, and as many of the rest of the Sky team as he could fit in the budget, and then fill in with zero/1 point riders.

[N.B.O.L.]

The Rake, on 13 June 2012 - 08:04 AM, said:

(I used to love his series "Cosmos", by the way)

Where is Penguin? Normally he would catch something so flagrant within 30 seconds of the poster pressing "Add Reply". Leaving the Captain to catch it isn't like him.

[The Rake]

It isn't an "i", it is a "1".

Rake has seen too much of the Queen and the other blue bloods on the TV recently...

[shag]

So is this the year it finally makes sense NOT to pick Cav?

[Burkni]

shag, on 21 June 2012 - 04:32 PM, said:

So is this the year it finally makes sense NOT to pick Cav?

Could be

[Patrick B. Penguin]

Burkni, on 21 June 2012 - 04:49 PM, said:

Could be

Despite the articles and quotes, Penguin has a hard time believing that Cav will ride just "to finish". Why ride at all then?

Penguin's preliminary team puts him at -4805pts. Penguin has a bit of work to do...

[N.B.O.L.]

NBOL hopes that the start lists will have solidified a little more by the weekend. He plans to publish his TdF spreadsheet this weekend.

[The Rake]

Patrick B. Penguin, on 21 June 2012 - 07:52 PM, said:

Despite the articles and quotes, Penguin has a hard time believing that Cav will ride just "to finish". Why ride at all then?

Penguin's preliminary team puts him at -4805pts. Penguin has a bit of work to do...

Rake agrees. He is struggling to find much value, to use a bit of gambling parlance.

He has one question though regarding who is going to be his token sprinter: Goss or Greipel?

[crockett]

What to do? What to do?

This is no Giro. Crockett expects some very different teams as there isn't enough money to go around. So many sprinter stages, yet all the sprinters are so expensive!

[Patrick B. Penguin]

crockett, on 25 June 2012 - 03:14 AM, said:

What to do? What to do?

This is no Giro. Crockett expects some very different teams as there isn't enough money to go around. So many sprinter stages, yet all the sprinters are so expensive!

Penguin's team currently consists of 6 sprinters and 1 TTer and 30pts left. Penguin is very tempted to submit a partial team this year...

[Burkni]

Patrick B. Penguin, on 25 June 2012 - 04:18 AM, said:

Penguin's team currently consists of 6 sprinters and 1 TTer and 30pts left. Penguin is very tempted to submit a partial team this year...

+1