posted Oct 25, 2007

Cadel (the follower) for yellow? Please follow the comments on Belgian text: he already ruled himself out for a tour wins 2008, blaming the shortage of ITT km's.

Regards, cycling knowitall from the Netherlands

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posted Oct 26, 2007

Cadel hasn't ruled himself out completely. He said that the lack off ITT kms would make things tougher and would have to reassess his training.

Also, cycling 'knowitall', can you explain how 'some unknown outsider' is going to be wearing yellow for the first few days.

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posted Oct 26, 2007

I have no idea how it's happened, but we seem to have come out of all the recent disputes and problems with a fairly exciting looking Tour. No time bonuses for the finish seems risky, but could pay off, idem dito the fact that it's no longer in the Pro Tour.

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posted Oct 26, 2007

I'm in agreement with stanlar - The problem with the time bonus system and the Tour's first week, is that the teams all tend to ride easy most of the day, happily keeping a breakaway group (who are only there to get the TV cameras on them anyway) dangle off the front at around 2 minutes before predictably winding them all back far to easily! This anti-racing is often caused by the time bonuses and small time gaps between the sprinters set by the prologue! I think it's a great move by Mr Prudhomme Vive Le Tour!

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posted Oct 26, 2007

No time bonuses makes the race for more interesting, as it basically means that in the stages before the first TT, the stage winner becomes the Yellow jersey.

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posted Oct 26, 2007

I think that the mountain bias, removal of bonuses and reduced time trialling will do precisely what it has been designed to do. Revitalize an institution that had lost its way. IMHO, the Vuelta has been the best of the Grand Tours to watch for years now anyway. Always marvellous, competitive racing on every terrain.

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posted Oct 27, 2007

big crashes on stage 1 then

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posted Oct 28, 2007

Climbers Tour simple really. Who would bet against Contador..if Astana get the invite that is.

Been up to the Italian finish, It's pretty awesome and as for the Bonette....fantastic, wonder if SHE will mind a few days camping at Alpe D'Huez

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posted Oct 28, 2007

No time bonuses means the probability of a french yellow jersey is increased. Simple. Don't believe me, scribble down your ten favourite sprinters and then re-consider. As an aside (perhaps) it also reduces the probability of riders who have failed drugs tests of wearing yellow (eg AP). The irony of this will be seeing Monsieur Feillu miss yellow by a whisker in the prolgue, and then steam home at the head of the pack on stage 1. Oh - but hold on a minute, there is no prologue! I guess the French aren't very good at those either......

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posted Nov 3, 2007

> No time bonuses means the probability of a french yellow jersey is increased <
Plus of course the fact that the organisers now get to choose which teams enter, which probably means more French cyclists anyway.

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