Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 56 total)
  • TdF
  • RealMan
    Free Member

    Don't think anyone has started a thread yet..

    So who else is getting excited?

    Stage 16 looks like the big one to watch.

    The riders will have to tackle Peyresourde from the start, Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque. Admittedly, the Aubisque pass is 60 kilometres from the finishing line, but it is followed by 30 kilometres of descent before getting to grips with the valley bottom. It is the same route (except that the stage finish was in Mourenx) as in 1969 when Eddy Merckx was victorious after a 180-kilometre breakaway. We wanted to make this stage a little tribute to him.

    Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, Aubisque, 200km? All in one day? Mental. I've done all those climbs except the Aubisque (and I've heard its a tough one).

    Contador seems the obvious bet, but Wiggins – how is he going to do? How is his fitness? And is Lance even going to be aiming to get a good place? Or is he just supporting someone else in his new team?

    And of course, Cavendish. There's about 9 flat stages, and 2 hilly stages, and it would be great to see him ride into Paris with the green jersey on.

    warton
    Free Member

    tough one this year, can't see further than Contador. Would be great to see Evans and Cancellara keep up their early season form, but I imagine the big climbs will be a step to far.
    Basso looks strong, as does the new kid riding for radioshack, branjkovic is it?

    Can't see Wiggins doing much TBH, hasn't got anything like the team he had last year, but he may surprise me

    aP
    Free Member

    Contador will probably win, Evans top 5 at least – as will the Schlecks, Cancellara is not a GC competitor and has never been so.
    It s probably a tour too far for Armstrong (and anyway the upcoming WADA investigation must be starting to distract him).
    Back to that stage – the 30Km before the stage end surely means that all the GC contenders will stick together. The big gaps will be made on the mountain top finishes – unless Vinokourov goes all funny and attacks his team leader again, and again, and again.

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    warton
    Free Member

    Cancellara is not a GC competitor and has never been so

    in the past no, but he's a lot leaner than past seasons, and I think he may surprise a few people

    aP
    Free Member

    He won't get over the hills.

    njee20
    Free Member

    Yep, downhill finish will be dull, there'll be a suicide breakaway from a no-hoper on GC who may just last, long way from the top of the climb though.

    Contador will win, challenged by Andy Schleck, but never really with a threat of losing! Evans 3rd, Frank Schleck 4th, Lance 5th. Wiggins will disappoint, he'll have a couple of bad days and be somewhere in the top 20.

    Cav will win a few stages, but not the green jersey. He'll be universally disliked by the peleton!

    Cancellara will win the prologue, then there'll be some ballsy riding from him early on to retain it, he'll win on the cobbled stage from a break too. Won't win the GC though.

    KoM will be some relative unknown who goes for it, probably on the stage with the 4 climbs.

    It's gonna be good!

    Dougal
    Free Member

    +1 everything Nick just said.

    Can't wait to start me some spoilerful threads. Gonna be a great July!

    jonb
    Free Member

    Have they actually banned radios. I was hoping they had as it was all getting a bit formula one with the very predictable breakaway being caught in the lastfew km for a sprint finish. I want to see some nervousnous in the pelton when they don't know where the breakaway is, should mix things up a bit.

    Equally I can't see past contador but the only tour I've followed closely was the Giro and there were too many external factors like crashes to see who was strong. I was impressed by Evans, wiggins was looking good until he got caught up in those two crashes. Unfortunately that may effect Team sky because they didn't get the experience of trying to ride for a GC place?

    Anyway looking good, I'm excited. Lots of good riders for the GC but it might be a fight for 2nd unless something happens to AC.

    RealMan
    Free Member

    Cav will win a few stages, but not the green jersey. He'll be universally disliked by the peleton!

    Probably right about the universal dislike, he is a bit of a dick at times. But I don't see why he's not the most likely to get the green jersey? With his lead out team, and the fact that he's just so stupendously fast, I think all he has to do is not push anyone off or ride around with a "I hate the French" sign on his bike and it will be his.

    khani
    Free Member

    love it
    ride in morning, beer and tour in the afternoon, sorted 8)
    what world cup

    warton
    Free Member

    RealMan, Green jersey is not decided on the final sprints alone, theres 2/3 points sprint every stage, and its very hard to get a lead out for each of those sprints due to breakaways, mountain etc. you need a clever team and rider to get those points, I'd love to see Cav do it, but I doubt he will.

    last year thor hushovd went off the front on an alpine stage to seal victory in the points jersey. It was an incredible ride, and something that Cav just couldn't do

    njee20
    Free Member

    I strongly suspect the other riders, and the officials, will be doing a lot to stop him getting the green jersey, particularly after his antics on the Tour de Suisse!

    He also has to get through the mountains, ok he did it last year, but we will see. If he wasn't British I wouldn't want him to win it, Hushovd seems a much nicer guy!

    finbar
    Free Member

    I'm dead excited. All bets are off on the GC until after stage three on the pave.

    RealMan
    Free Member

    I know, it was a great ride by Hushovd. But why can't Cav do that? Has he ever tried?

    And I can't remember completely, but I thought that Cav would've won if he hadn't of been punished..?

    warton
    Free Member

    All bets are off on the GC until after stage three on the pave.

    Very true, bit of rain into the mix and it could be carnage

    flatwarwick
    Free Member

    I can't see Cavendish winning the Green Jersey TBH. He'll win a few of the big stage finishes in style but the green jersey is about consistency. Regularly picking up those spot sprints even on the hard days. Just don't think Cav is that sort of rider. Not sure what Hushovd's form is like this season as haven't seen him feature much but the green jersey will be won by somebody of his ilk. I.e. someone that'll fight hard all the way to paris, get in breakaways and perform on those long hard undulating stages.

    Going to be a stunning tour though!

    BigDummy
    Free Member

    I'm depressed at the idea of Contador winning. I mistrust him. 😕

    IHN
    Full Member

    Me v.excited.

    If anyone, in a true TdF geek stylee, would like a copy of the old Channel 4 music as a ringtone, drop me a mail 🙂

    njee20
    Free Member

    last year thor hushovd went off the front on an alpine stage to seal victory in the points jersey

    And very nearly came a cropper on the way down, some nice skillz kept him on the road!

    Cav was gifted the Paris stage, Hushovd couldn't be beaten, so didn't contest. So yes, on paper Cav would've won had he not been penalised, but then Hushovd wouldn't have handed him another stage win.

    zbonty
    Full Member

    I know nothing about road racing but will be watching all the 7pm ITV4 highlights programme.
    Should be good!

    flatwarwick
    Free Member

    I think i like Contador myself. Seems honest enough (how many times have we said that about pro cyclists though!) and i kind of liked the way he handled Amrstrong last year. Don't think he'll have any of an easier time of it this year though. Maybe less team politics but there should be a few riders who can test him in the hills.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    after tour du suisse cant see cav getting much leeway ! but he still has a very strong team for the sprint out and see him winning as above a few stages but not the domination he will be looking for

    as a lance fan id like to see lance win GC as his final tour but i suspect cadel, he has on paper a very good team.

    contador on the other hand – has a team of sorts but not great – he is a rider who could do it relitively alone on breakaways in the mountains though

    Cancellara will be on team orders to work for schleck – even leaner hes no climber – athough still faster than me 😉

    wiggins – no doubt the papers will cream over him but i cant see him repeating last years relitive success !

    njee20
    Free Member

    I don't trust Contador, I'm not sure why. I don't like that although he can speak English, he always gives interviews in Spanish.

    Would like to see Lance do it, but I just don't think he can, and that's a real shame.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Would like to see Lance do it, but I just don't think he can, and that's a real shame.

    thats why i want to see lance do it more than anything

    leggyblonde
    Free Member

    I don't like that although he can speak English, he always gives interviews in Spanish.

    A bit like Lance only giving french interviews after many years of only speaking english. I'm suspicious of Contador too, which is a shame if he is genuinely a once in 50 year talent, but I really dislike Lance. Lance comes across as a rude, arrogant man who is an extremely boring and ugly bike rider.

    None of the sprinters have had a blinder so far this year The green jersey fight could be the most interesting thing about the race as Contador destroys everyone boring-lance stylee and leaves the rest racing for 2nd.

    finbar
    Free Member

    Lance, boring? I don't think so. Admittedly he didn't have any truly exciting moments in last year's Tour, but as far as i remember that's true of all the other GC contendors as well.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtZhG2kWVLY

    clubber
    Free Member

    If I had to put money on it, of the faves, I'd say the following have probably 'prepared' well for the TdF

    Contador
    Armstrong
    Schlecks

    So that's the top three from last year covered. I'd also add Basso to the list.

    Evans – not really sure – not so certain about his preparation
    Wiggo – don't think he's prepared as well as the first three I named

    sheldona
    Free Member

    Wahooo I'm going to be on the last climb on stage 8 then on stage 9 in Morzine 😉

    warton
    Free Member

    hope Lance gets arrested and deported back to the US before the prologue Nasty, spiteful, hateful man. read about his treatment of Simone (sp?) after he dared talk about doping, and say you still love him. amongst other things this is why I cannot stand him

    leggyblonde
    Free Member

    finbar, circumstances forced lance to do the only exciting bit of racing he has done in more than 10 years. Looking into someone's eyes is hardly exciting! His scientific way of racing is unarguably effective, but bl00dy boring to me. He almost never races for stage wins apart from in TTs. I think his win in Limoges in after Casartelli's death was the last time I got excited about his riding.

    StumpyBlurRider
    Free Member

    as a gambler £ on condor win,cav 3/4 stage wins…an i got my kraftwerk TDF ringtone 🙂

    oldgit
    Free Member

    Outsiders to do well – Kreuziger?

    roper
    Free Member

    It is looking competitive so should be lots to look for throughout.
    Contador does appear to have the edge but I would like to see him tested a bit more than last year.
    Does anyone know how Wiggins training has gone?

    molgrips
    Free Member

    According to Wiggo's interview on the BBC site, he hadn't really prepared much last year and came 4th. This year he's really focused on it and has a great team setup (although I can't say owt about the riders in it). So could be interesting perhaps.

    leggyblonde
    Free Member

    Last year wiggins went a lot better in the giro. Yhis year he was yo-yoing big time. Doesn't nec mean much though, his training will mean be aimed peak just perfectly for the tour and screw the other races.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    That's what it sounded like.

    nickc
    Full Member

    Contador, One of the Schlecks, Evans. Wiggins top 5, Lance top 10.

    I know what you mean about Contador, prefer his attitude to Lance though

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    could be time for bumface? would like to see wiggo and cavendish in yellow and green.
    lance to retire due to breaking news from the federal prosecuter in the U.S.A
    possibly a few other elder statesmen to pull out too due to allegations.

    leggyblonde
    Free Member

    bumface?

    miketually
    Free Member

    bum face = big-chinned wheelsucker = Evans?

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 56 total)

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