Is there a slowtwitch league on velogames??

I have watched about 90% of all races this year, so here is my prediction based on what I have seen this year.
Like always we will lose one GC contender in the first week due to crashes
Someone will turn up a positive on a dope test and be forced not to finish/resign

Here are my top 10 GC
1. Nibali
2. Froome
3. Contador
4. Talansky
5. Kwiatkowski- would be higher, looks like he has not recovered from the Spring
6. Rui Costa
7. Valverde
8. Van Garderen
9. Rolland
10. Mollema or Van Den Broeck
Outsiders- Frank Schleck, Fulsang, Leopold Konig, Chavanel, Pineau, Zubeldia, Taaramae, Navarro

Green jersey- Sagan will win Cobble stage and another hilly stage like stage 7 and pull ahead
Polka Dot Jersey- Horner, Leopold Konig, Purito, Rolland
Young riders- Does Talansky still qualify, if not then Kwiatkowski
Team- Astana

I finally think it will not be a Sky show this year- watch out for Leopold Konig in his first Tour- I should have him higher in the top 10
I know I am missing someone, but I will stick with this list

I like Koenig a lot and hope he can get into the top 10 and/or win a stage. For some reason I don't think TVG will get into the top 10, he did have some hip issue as well. Fifth for Kwiatkowski also seems a bit too high for me although he does have that long TT at the end. Other than that I'll be hoping Rolland does well as he really won me over at the Giro. Will be a great tour and I'm really looking forward to that cobbled stage. And just for the record it's Pinot*.

You guys aren't getting it. Yes, I agree, Sagan (likely) can't hang with these guys in a pure 2 up or 3 up field sprint. Granted. I get it, I agree. You're right. Correct. Yup. Got it.

However, as I've repeatedly said at this point, this is precisely not what I've talking about. I'm talking about the green jersey, not a field sprint. Green jersey. You see, Sagan has ALREADY won green at the Tour. Twice in fact. Giving him a train, as is likely next year, is only going to help him finish higher in group sprints. This will only increase the chances that he holds onto green. It will only make him more dominant. In the points competition, not in field sprinting. Again, field sprinting is not what I'm talking about.

I can't say it again. Please don't make me say it again.

He's won quite a few more points classifications than just Le Tour, btw.

His typical finish is 3rd-5th in a field sprint. Cav wins by timing coming off a wheel. Kittel wins by coming off a wheel with pure power and speed. Sagan gets 3-5 because he follows the wheels of those guys to the line, knowing he won't come around them. Put the best train in front of him and he'll still get 3-5.

So in GROUP SPRINTS, it won't significantly improve the points he gets for o/a GREEN JERSEY.

I'm really, really looking forward to the Cav/Kittel/Greipel battle. I think Sagan will walk away with the green jersey because all 3 of those guys will be going all out for stage wins and not worrying too much about the intermediate sprints. Kittel was very impressive last year, but I don't think Cav was on top form - maybe a little tired from winning the points jersey at the Giro, plus his train was still relatively new. This year he skipped the Giro and has come out and said he's focusing everything on the Tour. If all 3 of them get their trains going there should be some absolutely cracking sprint finishes.

Pharmstrong 2014!!

But really Talansky is my hopeful, Contador is my real pick. While I know not to read in the buildup race results, Sky does not have the strong team it has had in the previous two years. With Contador, Nibali and Talansky all with strong teams, it will for sure be a more intertaining race this year. Even if Sky and Froome do come out on top. My team choice will be Garmin purely because I like them.

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Robert Dao
ATC Racing - Austin, TX
Gold's Gym Triathlon Coach
@speedao1
@daotraining

Hope you're right re it being a more entertaining race. The only TT being on the penultimate stage is a great move. Nobody is going to want to be going into that TT with too much to do, so there should be a lot of moves in the mountains. Sky definitely don't look as strong as the last 2 years, a lot of it for them is going to come down to whether Porte is back to form. Having 2 riders who can stay in that select group on the steepest climbs gives you a lot more options.

Looking forward to seeing what Geraint Thomas can do this year as well - very talented rider but it's never quite come together for him at the Tour. 2011 he was in the white jersey but blew his GC chances by waiting for Wiggins when he broke his collarbone. 2012 he skipped the Tour to go back to the track for the Olympics. 2013 he rode the whole race with a cracked pelvis. He's been talked about as a potential GT winner himself at some point, he needs to start showing it if so.

Surprised to see Millar left off the Garmin squad for the Tour. I figured that - with the Tour starting in Britain, this being his final year as a rider, and the fact that he is a part owner of the team (!) - they would throw him a bone.

I guess this means Garmin is dead serious about forming the best possible team of riders to support Talansky.

To be honest, I don't like watching cycling unless Ligget and Sherwin are the commentators.

You should try Daniel Lloyd. Ex pro, talks like a slowtwitcher. Throws out CdA, watts/kg all over the place.

Even is willing to call bullshit on popular myth and lore. It is great.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

can't wait to see how many times Phil sees #7 riding in this years TDF.

Daniel Lloyd's fantastic. He was one of the Cervelo TestTeam riders to ride a (very) early S5 prototype, and one of the main reasons we've kept the rear brake on the seat stays.

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Damon Rinard
Engineering Manager,
CSG Road Engineering Department
Cannondale & GT Bicycles
(ex-Cervelo, ex-Trek, ex-Velomax, ex-Kestrel)

Along with Dan, the Aussie duo of Matt Keenan and Dave Mackenzie are my favourites. Lots of detail and knowledge as well as inside perspectives. Good humour too.
WRT Phil & Paul; they are pretty much an institution. Could do with an update to their vocab though: lets count "suitcase of courage", "head of affairs" and "These are professional bike riders" during July.

Surprised you're picking Nibali after watching all those races. He's been pretty anonymous, so you must believe he's been slowly pulling his form together. I'm not buying it, but I'd love for him to animate the race and prove me wrong.

Exactly why I am picking him.

Watching him last year in the Giro/Vuelta, he is a smart/aggressive rider.The focus will be on Froome/Contador. I think Nibali will gain every second he can. Plus I am not a fan of either Contador or Froome.

With one time trial, I would actually have Horner a lot higher if he was on the bike a little more.

I miss Sean Kelly/David Harmon on Eurosport- since I get to watch on my computer at work, Eurosport was my go to for races

I even would watch an online feed over Liggett/Sherman when at home. After hearing Kelly/Harmon, I cringe when I hear Liggett make a mistake.

I did appreciate Liggett/Sherman for when I first started to watch cycling and their "teaching" commentary, but now I can't stand it

Did you ever find a way to legally watch Dan's live commentary on the internets?

yes!
http://www.dishworld.com/

$10/month!

at least, they had him for Giro, dunno if they even have the tour haven't checked

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

For your viewing and drinking pleasure.

Separated at Birth?


Chris Froome & Dr. Sheldon Cooper

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

i like tomorrow's stage, a real Liege-Bastogne-Liege like course

Looking at the starters, a lot of the super domestiques such as Intxausti, Kangert, Iglinsky, GvA, TJS, Navardauskas could do well. Then you have the likes of Albasini and Chavanel, who are on stage-hunting teams. This would be a great stage for Rui Costa and J-Rod, but it's doubtful they'd be given too much rope. Should be exciting, regardless.

I'm picking GvA, TJS, and Chavanel for the podium, with GvA driving home the caddy.

I don't think Greg Van Avermaet is as good as he was in the beginning of the season. At least, he didn't convince me last week during the Belgian national championship.

I think tomorrow will be a great stage for Sagan - he should still be there at the end and be able to take the win. And I'm also counting in Cancellara again who is definitely looking solid and ready to take a stage win.

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Don't forget to attack!

Have to throw Valverde in the mix on that course, and if even Contador might have a go to test Sky. It will be a very difficult stage to control. But I'm sticking with Sagan.

Just me or was Sky mostly invisible by comparison to how Saxo (as GC contender) was right at the front and clustered as a team? Granted, Froome took care of biz but makes me wonder about next few stages.

if this were a one-day race, i'd definitely throw in Valverde. Typical LBL goes as follows: day long break, gets caught somewhere with 40km to go at La Redoubte, more fighting over Roche & Faucon, thins pack down to 20 or just a few. St Nicholas further narrows the selection. This thing has 6 climbs in the last 30 km, a few of which are St Nicholas/ Roche & Faucon steep.

The GC contenders could take the fight to Froome, and Valverde & Nibali would particularly be good on this type of terrain. Would be interesting to see how the GC teams play this.

Also, dark horse nods to Tony Gallopin and Luca Paolini, though i have no idea what their form will be like

I'm not sure why Saxo made that effort, except to ensure AC would not get caught out in a crash but the traffic was such a mess that you could have ridden in the cars and still not lost time. But they didn't know that. The roads are so tight it's tough to just drag someone up, I guess. I think tomorrow will be more strung out and he'll have guys around him.
I also think the much maligned Nibali, maybe Costa, and others will try to put some time in the bank tomorrow. With cobbles upcoming, times may matter more now in case of pave disaster later.