2010 TdF - Can this be the Best?? - Vote

[McClimber]

Thinking of all the contenders doing well in the June races.

2010 TdF could be one of the best.

Multiple past winners.
World Champion that can be at the top.
Strong leaders on most team.
Strong Lt.s

Contador
Schleck Brothers
Armstrong
Wiggins
Evans
Millar
Vande Velde

I hope they race each other to the MAX every day!!

Green Jersey will be off the hook too!!

2010 - Isn’t the latest the greatest?

1989 – Greg Lemon v Laurent Fignon – Closest finish ever and on the last day - Pedro Delgado misses prologue start by 2:40 and is still third @ 3:34

1986 – Greg Lemon v Bernard Hinault – Two team members fighting all the way – America’s First

2003 – Lance Armstrong v Jan Ullrich – Lance is vulnerable and Jan is at his best.

2008 – Sastre win – 3 CSC riders road for the win with #1 & #2

1974 – Eddy Merckx #5 and Triple Crown

1992 – Miguel Indurain first defense and double with the Giro – Miguel crushes past winners

1987 – Stephen Roche v Pedro Delgado – Roche has bad days and amazing days - Roche does Triple Crown - Laurent Fignon tries again, 18 minutes back - No Lemond – Winning gap of 40 sec.

1988 – Pedro Delgado win – Makes up for getting beat in ’87 - No Lemond

1903 - The First!!

 

[luckyboy]

Would be better if AC wasn't there. Also more mtf's.

It'll never beat the Giro though.

 

[markene2]

2003. For the people that started to watch then. At least for me

 

[Anonymous]

Im completely lost by your choice of dates..
Some details on those dates might have been nice, i really cant be bothered to go back and remind myself of exactly what happened in those particular tours.

could you maybe add some information for each of those dates to your initial post for those who dont have an encyclopedic memory

 

[Cobblestones]

1974. The cannibal's triple.

(and one of Poupou's second places)

 

[RedheadDane]

The recent years I can understand... even all the way back to 74... (not to be rude but sometimes it does seem like some of you have a age so you'd remember it...) but 1903? okay... it was the first... but still, rather different from what they are today... like... another race. Weren't the riders required to ride on their own? That would make it one huge ITT!

 

[Anonymous]

And a tour that hasnt happened yet, that is likely to be just like last years with everyone trudging up hills is leading
why is this years going to be any different to last years drudge fest.. who is riding this year that wasnt.. Vino, Basso, well vino might make things fun but I dont foresee a legendary tour..

 

[Wallace]

1998. Pantani climbs better than any human being ever has on a bicycle. Beats Ullrich, who was the overwhelming pre-race favorite.

With so few mountain top finishes, this year's Tour won't be too exciting. AC will roll to victory with all the excitement of watching a steam-roller go down a road.

The Armstrong circus will provide a lot of silliness in the papers and on Versus (and in these forums), but won't have any impact on the real racing.

 

[icefire]

I've always had special memories of TdF 1987. Top 4 in the final GC wore the yellow jersey at some moment of the race.

 

[Archibald]

It'll never beat the Giro though.

that - regardless of cobbles.

 

[ttrider]

with the riders and teams it could for sure
in fact if it was on the 2010 Giro course it definitely would but its a shocking parcours
60 km to pau?! why

 

[ridley]

One can only HOPE that this will be a excellent TdF and NOT a predictable one from the get-go ...

 

[Polish]

2003

OMG 2003! How soon some people forget
2nd Place 1989

2003 was "The Centenary Edition" with the Special Route
From WIKI "started and ended in Paris....Due to the centennial celebration, this edition of the tour was raced entirely in France and did not enter neighboring countries....route recreated, in part, that of 1903. There was a special Centenaire Classement prize for the best-placed in each of the six stage finishes which match the 1903 tour - Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes and Paris. It was won by Stuart O'Grady...by Armstrong's own admission, his weakest Tour from his seven-year period of dominance over the race....

Beloki was in second only 40secs behind Lance when he crashed out....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr89ku-K2WU

Jan was was breathing down Lance's neck and was expected by many to take the Yellow from Lance on that final ITT on Saturday before Paris....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFPu6ZYAQBM&NR=1


Vino won the overall Combativity Award that year.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iqwARP2BvQ


And The 2003 Tour de France won the Prestigious "Prince of Asturias Award" for Sports:
1987: Sebastian Coe
1988: Juan Antonio Samaranch
1989: Severiano Ballesteros
1990: Alfonso "Sito" Pons
1991: Sergey Bubka
1992: Miguel Indurain
1993: Javier Sotomayor
1994: Martina Navratilova
1995: Hassiba Boulmerka
1996: Carl Lewis
1997: Spanish Marathon team
1998: Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
1999: Steffi Graf
2000: Lance Armstrong
2001: Manuel Estiarte
2002: Brazil national football team
2003: The Tour de France
2004: Hicham El Guerrouj
2005: Fernando Alonso
2006: Spanish Basketball Team
2007: Michael Schumacher
2008: Rafael Nadal
2009: Yelena Isinbayeva

Even race Radio will agree with me that the 2003 TdF was AWESOME!

 

[auscyclefan94]

So 2007 when it came down to the wire in that final tt wasn't exciting. 2nd shortest winning margin? It deserves a mention.

 

[Polish]

So 2007 when it came down to the wire in that final tt wasn't exciting. 2nd shortest winning margin? It deserves a mention.

Yes, Levi winning that final ITT was very exciting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0tvHWwWlQ4

But taking the Yellow from "The Chicken" really ruined that year's tour
Left a bad aftertaste ...

 

[RedheadDane]

Hmm... wasn't it more taking the Chicken from the Yellow, and the rest of the race?

 

[lancewillwin8]

It will be great watching contador going into the red just trying to stick on lances wheel.

 

[Christian]

From a patriotic point of view I'll have to say 2008.

Kim Kirchen: 6 days in green, 4 days in yellow, stage win in TT (after disqualification of Schumacher), 8th in GC

Fränk Schleck: 2 days in yellow, 6th in GC

Andy Schleck: winner of white jersey, 11th in GC (i think) (after DQ of Bernhard Kohl)

 

[Zerak-Tul]

Probably going to be another Contador-channels-Basso-06-performance one man show again this year, with everyone else fighting for best of the rest (this part might be good, who knows).

 

[red_flanders]

1989 hands down. 2003 was good too, and 1986 a strong contender.

 

[titan_90]

1989

Youtube video of the final TT.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

I feel people say every year that the tour could be the best ever. Also, how is 2008 on this list. I know it was close that year, but after watching the 08 giro, the quality of riders at the tour in 08 were no where near the best in the sport.

Edit- Forgot to mention, my vote would be the 2003 tour, but I only started watching this decade so what do I know.

 

[jens_attacks]

1998,2003,2007 were all great tours.
2008 was probably the weakest tour in history.

 

[Newgymshoes]

I think the battle for the green jersey will be amazing. Everybody looking to Cav and Hushovd (and other sprinters), but I think we might get a surprise. Edvald Boasson Hagen is a not only a very good sprinter, but he is also strong enough to hang on the more hard (not mountain top finish) stages and gather points where the sprinters are out. So my tip is on EBH!

Let the games begin.....oh sweet lord this is gonna be exciting!!!!!!

 

[RedheadDane]

And The 2003 Tour de France won the Prestigious "Prince of Asturias Award" for Sports:
1987: Sebastian Coe
1988: Juan Antonio Samaranch
1989: Severiano Ballesteros
1990: Alfonso "Sito" Pons
1991: Sergey Bubka
1992: Miguel Indurain
1993: Javier Sotomayor
1994: Martina Navratilova
1995: Hassiba Boulmerka
1996: Carl Lewis
1997: Spanish Marathon team
1998: Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
1999: Steffi Graf
2000: Lance Armstrong
2001: Manuel Estiarte
2002: Brazil national football team
2003: The Tour de France
2004: Hicham El Guerrouj
2005: Fernando Alonso
2006: Spanish Basketball Team
2007: Michael Schumacher
2008: Rafael Nadal
2009: Yelena Isinbayeva

Even race Radio will agree with me that the 2003 TdF was AWESOME!

Hmm... that's funny! Everyone else on that list are people or sports teams... how can you give a prize to an event?

From a patriotic point of view I'll have to say 2008.

Kim Kirchen: 6 days in green, 4 days in yellow, stage win in TT (after disqualification of Schumacher), 8th in GC

Fränk Schleck: 2 days in yellow, 6th in GC

Andy Schleck: winner of white jersey, 11th in GC (i think) (after DQ of Bernhard Kohl)

So... guess I just figured your nationality there!