Vuelta a Espana

There used to be a red jersey in the TDF for intermediate sprints..Kelly won it three times...something i'd gladly see return.

As well as adding an extra competirion it's added value would be in the positioning of those sprints on the stages. Its' a shame it was used at a time when cycling "enjoyed" plenty of very long stages with a sprint at the end... it would be interesting to see how it would be used now.

Intermediate sprints classification in the Tour de France - Wikipedia

I can vaguely remember a combined jersey as well, probably in the eighties, which somehow worked out the best rider in the general, points and mountain categories. I think I can remember Hinault wearing it but it clearly didn't stand the test of time.

I remember that. 

Is Kuss about to do a Vingegaard and Jumbo know roglic is unlikely to be at this best?  Apart from the ITT, he's a match for this field IMO.

I just wouldn't put it past Jumbo.  I suspect they knew Vingegaard was their man for the tour in a similar situation and let Roglic take the media pressure.

Dare I?

In my Purist team 

Roglic in, then out, then in, then out, then in.....

might be a couple of interations yet.

Edit - I see the deadline has passed.  For good or bad, he is in.

Massive gamble but, Roglic out, Yates and Kuss in!  Not really that massive, though, as I screwed up my Purist at the start of the season.

Looking forward to this one.  Le Tour is a massive race we all can't take our eyes off, but in terms of racing, the less controlled races are often the best to watch.

Sniffer wrote:

In my Purist team 

Roglic in, then out, then in, then out, then in.....

might be a couple of interations yet.

Edit - I see the deadline has passed.  For good or bad, he is in.

If you're high up in the Purist standings, probably the only safe thing to do as the other leaders are unlikely to gamble on no Roglic.

Daniel Norton wrote:

Sniffer wrote:

In my Purist team 

Roglic in, then out, then in, then out, then in.....

might be a couple of interations yet.

Edit - I see the deadline has passed.  For good or bad, he is in.

If you're high up in the Purist standings, probably the only safe thing to do as the other leaders are unlikely to gamble on no Roglic.

I am not. Never been good at the Purist game. Don't give it much thought.

Didn't go for Roglic either. Then again decided to go Spanish rider heavy and only consider riders eligible for the white jersey so no Yates, Hindley, Carapaz etc either!

Hoping for Almeida and Evenepoel doing well on GC with Juan Ayuso and Carlos Rodriguez either having break out tours GC wise or going for the KoM jersey. Ethan Hayter and Francisco Galvan for sprints with Carlos Canal and Juan Pedro Lopez for multiple breaks/stage hunting. Very unlikely to be successful but gives me some different riders to follow rather than all the usual suspects. 

I put Chaves in for some breaks. Nothing for EF other than Uran, Carthy and Chaves stage hunting... the field is too strong.

If Alaphilippe doesn't have a go, it wouldn't surprise me to see Chaves win the KOM jersey.

Quite a lot could. Lots of CAT 1'S and CAT 2's and very few HC climbs brings loads of riders into the game. Lutsenko, Alaphilippe an ageing Valverde... loads of riders like that. This KOM competition is wide open.

In a game were we can't have them all i'd be quite happy with any of those three... they'll all score well.

Well I took a risk in leaving out Evenepoel from my purist team. I expect to lose a lot of points in the first week. I need him to crumble 2nd week if I am to have a chance of catching the doc (changed my mind a few times over that one)

I think i've f up to be honest. Your team looks much stronger than mine. I got a bit transfixed on getting Hayter but i think Alaphilippe may better him by a distance, which was my other path, (i'm pretty sure i had your exact team at one point).. my main f up was not realising so many intermdiates are beyond the spinters of any kind.

I don't think Evenepoel has a hope in hell of winning.. but he'll still be going for stages even when the GC is gone (i hope)..and the young riders jersey....  

Its hard to know at this stage. I thought the same thing at the Giro - overpaid for VDP while you picked smarter with Girmay & some others - but in the end it worked out as more of my guys stayed in the race for longer. I'm still kicking myself for leaving Thomas out of my Tour team, however (age bias).

Thanks. I'm on holiday for some of it so "Quest" may be my only viewing for a fortnight. Good tip.

Good spot. It would take a lot of happenstance to fall into place but i think Ayuso at 40/1 is as good a price as any for the win as an outsider.

Agree and he fits very nicely into my Purist team where I've decided to go Spanish rider heavy and only pick riders eligible for the white jersey competition. Hoping to see the likes of Carlos Canal up the road in the breakaway most days and Ayuso and Carlos Rodriquez realising their potential in the mountains.

Kuss is an interesting outsider, if Roglic isn't really fully fit.  Kuss seems to be stronger when he already has a GT in his legs.

He's very interesting. Even when he's the last support rider he often goes higher than most. 

I put my money where my mouth is and have an e/w bet on Kuss.  Unfortunately for me, I'll be there at the Alicante TT to watch him lose loads of time if he's in the GC race.

Well TJV were very definitely protecting him over Roglic. I don't think he took a single turn in that TTT.

Dr Winston wrote:

Well TJV were very definitely protecting him over Roglic. I don't think he took a single turn in that TTT.

Given Kuss's TT abilities and the strength of TJV, do you think Kuss could have taken a turn?
Reminds me of when I go up a group in the local chain gang. I am holding on for grim death.

Well maybe one or two... on the other hand, rather than protecting him, i suppose they may have taken the view he would actually slow them down, so just left hin hanging.