Tour de France 2017

Sport
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Starts tomorrow.

Stage 1, Saturday, July 1: Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf (ITT), 13km
Stage 2, Sunday, July 2: Dusseldorf – Liege, 202km
Stage 3, Monday, July 3: Verviers – Longwy, 202km
Stage 4, Tuesday, July 4: Mondorf-Les-Bains – Vittel, 203km
Stage 5, Wednesday, July 5: Vittel – Planche des Belles Filles, 160km
Stage 6, Thursday, July 6: Vesoul – Troyes, 216km
Stage 7, Friday, July 7:Troyes – Nuit-Saint-Georges, 214km
Stage 8. Saturday, July 8: Dole – Station des Tousses, 187km
Stage 9, Sunday, July 9: Nantua – Chambery, 181km
Rest day 1, Monday, July 10
Stage 10, Tuesday, July 11: Perigueux – Bergerac, 178km
Stage 11, Wednesday, July 12: Eymet – Pau, 202km
Stage 12, Thursday, July 13: Pau – Peyragudes, 214km
Stage 13, Friday, July 14: Saint-Girons – Foix, 100km
Stage 14, Saturday, July 15: Blagnac – Rodez, 181km
Stage 15, Sunday, July 16: Laissac-Severac L’Eglise – Le Puy-en-Velay
Rest day 2, Monday, July 17
Stage 16, Tuesday, July 18: Le Puy-en-Velay – Romans-Sur-Isere, 165km
Stage 17, Wednesday, July 19: La Mure – Serre-Chevalier, 183km
Stage 18, Thursday, July 20: Briancon – Izoard, 178km
Stage 19, Friday, July 21: Embrun – Salon-de-Provence, 220km
Stage 20, Saturday, July 22: Marseille – Marseille (ITT), 23km
Stage 21, Sunday, July 23: Montgeron – Paris Champs Elysees, 105km

I see one of Contador’s team was busted for EPO during the week - this just proves that the drug testing process is working, that riders who cheat because they’re not good enough will be caught out. We can thankfully now look forward to a clean race.

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Who are the favourites sid? Its the only cycling I watch really. Are Froome, Quintana, Contador, Porte, etc. partaking?

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I presume so. I don’t really follow cycling very much outside of the Tour these days to honest.

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The winner should come from that four. Froome is marginal favourite for me, not as dominant in the build up to the Tour compared to previous years, did not win the Dauphine for example.Richie Porte should go well but he always has one bad day and not sure how strong his team BMC (including Nico) is compared to Team Sky.

Only 36km of time trials this year so that will help Quintana. Contador might be a bit past it now. I’d expect Daniel Martin to go well, would fancy him to win stage 5 to La Planche des Belles Filles or stage 18 that finishes on the Col d’Izoard.

A few tricky stages in the first nine days, won’t be all flat finishes for the sprinters. No dominant sprinter this year, Cav is just back from sickness but he is a ferocious competitor, four stages behind Mercxx’s total of 34. Sagan will probably be the pick of the sprinters and he can mix it with breakaways as well. Hard to see him being stopped for his sixth green jersey in a row.

Race starts in Dusseldork, the home of Kraftwerk. Expect this to get an airing this weekend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps6wRHFdKdA

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Any of the Irish lads expected to go well? Sam Bennett was going well lately wasn’t he ?

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Who was the poster who gave top tips for the Tour every year again?

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He’s not riding. Did well in the Giro. Nico is in BMC riding for Richie Porte. Dan Martin is riding for Quickstep and should go well.

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Can’t remember. Tony (not Dan) Martin will win the TT tomorrow. Philippe Gilbert could win the stage into Liege on Sunday.

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The Tour started in Germany 30 years ago too. I don’t expect an Irish winner this year however.

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And the only German winner 20 years ago. Ullrich is not invited though.

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Paul Kimmage was discussing that tour on the radio last night. He said the first 5 days were pure brutality.

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What would be classified as well for Dan Martin? Top 10?

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@Anto

A much missed poster.

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yeah but at this stage of his career and almost no TT kms he should be aiming top five.

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A great man for the amateur boxing tips as well although he wasn’t so knowledgeable about darts.

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That was the last year of the crazy long stages, lots of 5-6 hour stages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2D_cKdOTIc

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Is Dumoulin in it?

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Not this year. Might win it in a couple of years.

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Nice to see somebody new challenging the usual lads.

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I just did a quick google on that.

This year’s Tour is 700 km shorter than 1987. '87 was the last Tour of over 4000 km in length.

Mind you, the '89 Tour was 1000km shorter than '87 and that was the most exciting Tour ever.

1 Like