Tour de France Thread 2014

Fed up with the uncertainty at SMS so looking for positives. Enjoying the Giro and looking forward to seeing them go up Zoncolan tomorrow. Le Tour starts in just over a month in UK. Anyone going to see it over here. Predictions also.

 

Personally I'm not going, frankly it is so much better on TV. Saw it go through in a blur in Winchester in 1994 and pretty much expect it to be the same this time around.

 

Would be good to see Cav win in Harrogate as it is his mum's hometown and also on The Mall, but that second stage looks a right beast. Very similar to LBL/Amstel Gold. Has particular similarities to the former with a stupid ascent in Sheffield reasonably close to the finish a bit like the Cote de Saint Nicolas in Liege (

) prosaically referred to as the Cote de Jenkin Road. Be interesting to see the sprinters get up there. Probably suits Sagan, but Degenkolb and possibly Ben Swift on home soil could be outside bets.

 

As for the tour as a whole it looks like a straight fight between Froome and Bertie and I can't see it being as easy for the former as it was last year.

Yeah can't wait for it to start so I can also resume the 14:00 tv start time and await the battles in the mountains or watch the battle the wind splits across the flat lands.

 

Getting the Frome book as soon as its out so have gotta back him, also since I have seen him on his bike out in the cradle of humankind in the Jozi area when he trains back here.

 

1st - Frome,

2nd - Nibali (just like something about him)

3rd - Kreuziger (I just remember him having to stop and help contador lots last year on the climbs)

 

Green - Sagan - Loves the birds and wheelies