2016 predictions

[Velolover2]

As we are approaching 2016, let's make a list of predictions for the next season.

Down Under: Porte
Paris-Nice: Froome
Tirreno: Landa
Catalunya: Rodríguez
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Špilak
Dauphiné: Van Garderen
Suisse: Thomas

Giro: 1. Nibali, 2. Landa, 3. Valverde
Tour: 1. Froome 2. Contador 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Landa, 2. Contador 3. Rodríguez

Strade: Sagan
Sanremo: Viviani
Flanders: Stybar
Roubaix: GVA
Amstel: Felline
Flèche: Kwiatkowski
Liège: Valverde
Lombardia: Gallopin

Olympic TT: Froome
Olympic RR: Valverde

 

[b.broadhurst]

Down Under: Porte
Paris-Nice: Porte
Tirreno: Landa
Catalunya: Rodriguez
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Froome
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Thomas

Giro: 1. Landa, 2. Nibali, 3. Uran
Tour: 1. Froome 2. Quintana 3. Contador
Vuelta: 1. Contador, 2. Valverde 3. Rodriguez

Strade: Kwiatkowski
Sanremo: Sagan
Flanders: Thomas
Roubaix: Sagan
Amstel: Kwiatkowski
Flèche: Kwiatkowski
Liège: Valverde
Lombardia: Rodriguez

Olympic TT: Froome
Olympic RR: Kwiatkowski

 

[johnymax]

I feel like Landa is being really overrated on this site. He has done nothing to show that he can win a one week stage race with a TT (I assume Tirreno has an ITT). If we are talking about a mountain heavy GT, that's another story. There he is a podium contender, no doubt.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Down Under: Dennis
Paris-Nice: Contador
Tirreno: Nibali
Catalunya: Contador
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Let's go for Majka
Dauphiné: Contador
Suisse: Let's go for Rui Costa

Giro: 1. Nibali, 2. Valverde 3. Landa
Tour: 1. Contador 2. Froome 3. Aru
Vuelta: 1. Rodriguez 2. Quintana 3. Tejay

Strade: Valverde
Sanremo: Lobato
Flanders: Stybar
Roubaix: Cancellara
Amstel: Valverde
Flèche: Rodriguez
Liège: Let's go for Felline
Lombardia: Diego Rosa

Olympic TT: 1. Big Tom 2. Tony Martin 3. Froome
Olympic RR: 1. Nibali 2. Contador 3. Valverde
Worlds TT: 1. Malori 2. Tony 3. Tom
Worlds RR: 1. Kittel 2. Bouhanni 3. Cavendish

WT: Contador
Most wins: Sagan
CQ ranking #1: Valverde
4th GT: Bobby Gesink

 

[WheelofGear]

Down Under: Kwiatkowski
Paris-Nice: Contador
Tirreno: Landa
Catalunya: Contador
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Pinot
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Thomas

Giro: 1. Landa 2. Valverde 3. Pozzovivo
Tour: 1. Froome 2. Quintana 3. Aru
Vuelta: 1. Contador 2. Rodriguez 3. Chaves

Strade: Dumoulin
Sanremo: Griepel
Flanders: Sagan
Roubaix: Stybar
Amstel: Matthews
Flèche: Kwiatkowski
Liège: Valverde
Lombardia: Aru

Olympic TT: Dumoulin
Olympic RR: Nibali

 

[bala v]

Paris-Nice: Contador
Tirreno: Valverde
Catalunya: Purito
Pais Vaco: Contador
Romandie: Porte
Dauphine: Froome
Suisse: Dumoulin

Giro: Nibali,Valverde,Landa
Tour: Contador,Quintana,Froome
Vuelta:Quintana,Landa,Chaves

Strade: GVA
MSR: Sagan
Ronde: Cancellara
Roubaix: Boonen
Amstel: Matthews
Fleche: Purito
Liege: Kwiatkowski
Lombardia: Valverde

Olympic TT: Dumoulin
Olympic RR: Valverde
Worlds TT: Malori
Worlds RR: Kristoff

 

[Arredondo]

Down Under:
Paris-Nice: Porte
Tirreno: Froome
Catalunya: Purito
Pais Vasco: Landa
Romandie: Zakarin
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Dumoulin

Giro: 1. Landa (it has to be), 2. Nibali 3. Majka
Tour: 1. Contador 2. Froome 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Quintana 2. Landa 3. Chaves

Strade: Stybar again
Sanremo: Bouhanni
Flanders: Sagan
Roubaix: Cancellara
Amstel: Gerrans
Flèche: Moreno
Liège: Purito (finally)
Lombardia: Diego Rosa (good idea Flo )

Olympic TT: 1. Big Tom 2. Tony Martin 3. Froome
Olympic RR: 1. Purito 2. Nibali 3. Chaves
WT: Valverde
Most wins: Bouhanni
CQ ranking #1: rad race between Valverde and Sagan
4th GT: Pappy Horner

 

[MatParker1711]

Down Under: Kwaitkowski
Paris-Nice: Froome
Tirreno: Landa
Catalunya: TJVG
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Froome
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Thomas

Giro: 1. Landa 2. Nibali 3. Valverde
Tour: 1. Froome 2. Contador 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Contador 2. Quintana 3. Aru

Strade: Kwaitkowski
Sanremo: Viviani
Flanders: Cancellara
Roubaix: Kristoff
Amstel: Gilbert
Flèche: Kwiatkowski
Liège: Valverde
Lombardia: Nibali

Olympic TT: Froome
Olympic RR: Nibali

 

[Gigs_98]

Down Under: Porte
Paris Nice: Thomas
Tirreno: Quintana
Catalunya: Rodriguez
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Froome
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Pinot

Giro: 1.Nibali, 2.Landa, 3. Uran
Tour: Contador, Froome, Quintana
Vuelta: Landa, Majka, Van Garderen (I have no idea who will even ride the vuelta because many gc riders will concentrate on the olympic RR)

Strade: Valverde
MsR: Sagan
Ronde: GVA
Roubaix: Cancellara (one last time)
Amstel: Matthews
Fleche: Martin
Liege: Purito
Lombardia: Valverde

Olympic TT: Martin
Olympic RR: Nibali (actually I think Valverde, but I'd prefer Nibali)
Worlds TT: Martin
Worlds RR: Kristoff

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Down Under: Porte
Paris-Nice: Froome
Tirreno: Nibali
Catalunya: Rodriguez
Pais Vasco: Quintana
Romandie: Froome
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Pinot

Giro: 1. Nibali, 2. Valverde, 3. Landa
Tour: 1. Froome, 2. Quintana, 3. Contador
Vuelta: 1. Quintana, 2. Chaves, 3. Rodriguez

Strade: Stybar
Sanremo: Kristoff
Flanders: Sagan
Roubaix: Degenkolb
Amstel: Matthews
Flèche: Valverde
Liège: Valverde
Lombardia: Nibali

Olympic TT: Tony
Olympic RR: Valverde

Worlds TT: Tony
Worlds RR: Kristoff

 

[Jspear]

Down Under: Porte
Paris Nice: Contador
Tirreno: Nibali
Catalunya:
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Spilak
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Costa

Giro: 1. Nibali, 2. Landa, 3. Valverde
Tour: 1. Contador, 2. Froome, 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Jrod, 2. Majka, 3. Landa

Strade: Stybar
MsR: Sagan
Ronde: Cancellara
Roubaix: Cancellara
Amstel: Gilbert
Fleche: Jrod
Liege: Martin
Lombardia: Valverde

Olympic TT: Domoulin
Olympic RR: Valverde
Worlds TT: Martin
Worlds RR: Cavendish

 

[May0maniac]

Down Under: Porte
Paris Nice: G. Thomas
Tirreno: Nibali
Catalunya: Rodriguez
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Spilak
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Majka (?)

Giro: 1.Nibali, 2.Landa, 3. Pozzovivo
Tour: 1.Contador, 2.Froome, 3.Aru
Vuelta: 1.Purito, 2.Majka, 3.Van Garderen

Strade: Rosa
MsR: Tommeke
Ronde: Tommeke
Roubaix: Tommeke (Ok, it's just wishful thinking)
Amstel: Matthews
Fleche: Betancur
Liege: Dani Moreno
Lombardia: Valverde

Olympic TT: Tom Dumoulin
Olympic RR: Chaves (Edit: forget about that, Alex Diniz FTW)
Worlds TT: T. Martin
Worlds RR: Kristoff

 

[robin440]

Down Under: Porte
Paris Nice: Betancur
Tirreno: Quintana
Catalunya: Contador
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Froome
Dauphiné: Contador
Suisse: Thomas

Giro: 1. Nibali, 2. Landa, 3. Valverde
Tour: 1. Contador, 2. Quintana, 3. Froome
Vuelta: 1.Contador, 2. Dumolin, 3. Rodiguez

Strade: Gilbert
MsR: Degenkolb
Ronde: Cancellara
Roubaix: Cancellara
Amstel: Gilbert
Fleche: Valverde
Liege: Kwiat
Lombardia: Valverde

Olympic TT: T.Martin
Olympic RR: Kwiat
Worlds TT: T.Martin
Worlds RR: Kittel

 

[jens_attacks]

Landa Landa Landa

That's all.

 

[Squire]

Re:

Down Under:
Paris-Nice: Porte
Tirreno: Froome
Catalunya: Purito
Pais Vasco: Landa
Romandie: Zakarin
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Dumoulin

Giro: 1. Landa (it has to be), 2. Nibali 3. Majka
Tour: 1. Contador 2. Froome 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Quintana 2. Landa 3. Chaves

Strade: Stybar again
Sanremo: Bouhanni
Flanders: Sagan
Roubaix: Cancellara
Amstel: Gerrans
Flèche: Moreno
Liège: Purito (finally)
Lombardia: Diego Rosa (good idea Flo )

Olympic TT: 1. Big Tom 2. Tony Martin 3. Froome
Olympic RR: 1. Purito 2. Nibali 3. Chaves
WT: Valverde
Most wins: Bouhanni
CQ ranking #1: rad race between Valverde and Sagan
4th GT: Pappy Horner

That's a proper disappointing season you're predicting for Valverde! No big wins, no GT podium, but the WT and CQ victories. If that happened I would be the most frustrated cycling fan imaginable! No wins but tons of podiums, apparently.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

OHN: SVM
KBK: AK
DDV: SVDB
E3: PS
GW: PS
RvV: PS
SP: Viviani/Crash
PR: PS

 

[Brullnux]

Down Under: Porte
Paris-Nice: Porte
Tirreno: Nibali
Catalunya: Rodríguez
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Špilak/Zakarin
Dauphiné: Contador
Suisse: Dumoulin

Giro: 1. Nibali, 2. Landa, 3. Valverde
Tour: 1. Contador 2. Froome 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Rodríguez, 2.Landa 3. Contador

Strade: Rosa
Sanremo: Kristoff
Flanders: GVA
Roubaix: Stybar
Amstel: Matthews
Flèche: Alaphillipe
Liège: Purito
Sebastian: Gallopin
Lombardia: Valverde

Olympic TT: Martin
Olympic RR: Nibali

Worlds RR: Degnkolb
Worlds TT: Malori

 

[Velolover2]

Strade: Rosa
Sanremo: Kristoff
Flanders: Stybar
Roubaix: GVA
Amstel: Matthews
Flèche: Alaphillipe
Liège: Purito
Sebastian: Gallopin
Lombardia: Valverde

I love your classics predictions! I hope they all will come true.

 

[Moviestar]

Down Under: Gerrans
Paris Nice: Thomas
Tirreno: Quintana
Catalunya: Contador
Pais Vasco: Henao
Romandie: Spilak
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Thomas

Giro: 1. Nibali, 2. Landa 3.Majka
Tour: 1. Quintana, 2. Froome 3. Contador
Vuelta: 1.Contador 2.Quintana 3.Rodriguez

Strade: Sagan
MsR: Kristoff
Ronde: Van Avermaet
Roubaix: Stybar
Amstel: Gilbert
Fleche: Kwiatkowski
Liege: D.Martin
Lombardia: T.Gallopin

Olympic TT: T.Dumoulin
Olympic RR: Valverde
Worlds TT: Malori
Worlds RR: Kristoff

 

[greenedge]

Down Under: Gerrans
Paris-Nice: Porte
Tirreno: Nibali
Catalunya: Chaves
Pais Vasco: Contador
Romandie: Uran
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Quintana

Giro: 1. Nibali 2. Valverde 3. Uran
Tour: 1. Quintana 2. Contador 3. Froome
Vuelta: 1.Contador 2. Chaves 3. Landa

Strade: GVA
Sanremo: Greipel
Flanders: Vanmarcke
Roubaix: Boonen
Amstel: Matthews
Flèche: Valverde
Liège: JROD
Lombardia: Vuillermoz

Olympic TT: Dumoulin
Olympic RR: Kwiatowski

Also the WC RR: Cavendish

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Down Under:
Paris-Nice: Porte
Tirreno: Froome
Catalunya: Purito
Pais Vasco: Landa
Romandie: Zakarin
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Dumoulin

Giro: 1. Landa (it has to be), 2. Nibali 3. Majka
Tour: 1. Contador 2. Froome 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Quintana 2. Landa 3. Chaves

Strade: Stybar again
Sanremo: Bouhanni
Flanders: Sagan
Roubaix: Cancellara
Amstel: Gerrans
Flèche: Moreno
Liège: Purito (finally)
Lombardia: Diego Rosa (good idea Flo )

Olympic TT: 1. Big Tom 2. Tony Martin 3. Froome
Olympic RR: 1. Purito 2. Nibali 3. Chaves
WT: Valverde
Most wins: Bouhanni
CQ ranking #1: rad race between Valverde and Sagan
4th GT: Pappy Horner

That's a proper disappointing season you're predicting for Valverde! No big wins, no GT podium, but the WT and CQ victories. If that happened I would be the most frustrated cycling fan imaginable! No wins but tons of podiums, apparently.

I think with his 2016 schedule, he will be good in every race, but not in super shape to win a really big race. He will not be 100% till Giro, so Fleche/Liege victory will be really difficult. I can't see him beating Nibali and/or Landa in the Giro, and i think somebody else will win Rio. In the Tour he will likely work for Quintana and win 1/2 stages. Perhaps he can win a Canadian classic or Lombardia, but i think he will be too tired after Rio.

 

[Squire]

Re: Re:

Down Under:
Paris-Nice: Porte
Tirreno: Froome
Catalunya: Purito
Pais Vasco: Landa
Romandie: Zakarin
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Dumoulin

Giro: 1. Landa (it has to be), 2. Nibali 3. Majka
Tour: 1. Contador 2. Froome 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Quintana 2. Landa 3. Chaves

Strade: Stybar again
Sanremo: Bouhanni
Flanders: Sagan
Roubaix: Cancellara
Amstel: Gerrans
Flèche: Moreno
Liège: Purito (finally)
Lombardia: Diego Rosa (good idea Flo )

Olympic TT: 1. Big Tom 2. Tony Martin 3. Froome
Olympic RR: 1. Purito 2. Nibali 3. Chaves
WT: Valverde
Most wins: Bouhanni
CQ ranking #1: rad race between Valverde and Sagan
4th GT: Pappy Horner

That's a proper disappointing season you're predicting for Valverde! No big wins, no GT podium, but the WT and CQ victories. If that happened I would be the most frustrated cycling fan imaginable! No wins but tons of podiums, apparently.

I think with his 2016 schedule, he will be good in every race, but not in super shape to win a really big race. He will not be 100% till Giro, so Fleche/Liege victory will be really difficult. I can't see him beating Nibali and/or Landa in the Giro, and i think somebody else will win Rio. In the Tour he will likely work for Quintana and win 1/2 stages. Perhaps he can win a Canadian classic or Lombardia, but i think he will be too tired after Rio.

Fair points. I'm very curious about how he'll fare with this schedule. He's changing a winning recipe, but kudos to him for trying something new. Not sure how the weather in Italy will treat him. I would ideally like to see him focus on the Vuelta as his only GT and winning it, maybe with a Dauphiné/Suisse win in addition like 2009, but not in an olympic year with a parcours like Rio of course.

Btw, I think Landa would win the WT in your predicted season

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Down Under:
Paris-Nice: Porte
Tirreno: Froome
Catalunya: Purito
Pais Vasco: Landa
Romandie: Zakarin
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Dumoulin

Giro: 1. Landa (it has to be), 2. Nibali 3. Majka
Tour: 1. Contador 2. Froome 3. Quintana
Vuelta: 1. Quintana 2. Landa 3. Chaves

Strade: Stybar again
Sanremo: Bouhanni
Flanders: Sagan
Roubaix: Cancellara
Amstel: Gerrans
Flèche: Moreno
Liège: Purito (finally)
Lombardia: Diego Rosa (good idea Flo )

Olympic TT: 1. Big Tom 2. Tony Martin 3. Froome
Olympic RR: 1. Purito 2. Nibali 3. Chaves
WT: Valverde
Most wins: Bouhanni
CQ ranking #1: rad race between Valverde and Sagan
4th GT: Pappy Horner

That's a proper disappointing season you're predicting for Valverde! No big wins, no GT podium, but the WT and CQ victories. If that happened I would be the most frustrated cycling fan imaginable! No wins but tons of podiums, apparently.

I think with his 2016 schedule, he will be good in every race, but not in super shape to win a really big race. He will not be 100% till Giro, so Fleche/Liege victory will be really difficult. I can't see him beating Nibali and/or Landa in the Giro, and i think somebody else will win Rio. In the Tour he will likely work for Quintana and win 1/2 stages. Perhaps he can win a Canadian classic or Lombardia, but i think he will be too tired after Rio.

Fair points. I'm very curious about how he'll fare with this schedule. He's changing a winning recipe, but kudos to him for trying something new. Not sure how the weather in Italy will treat him. I would ideally like to see him focus on the Vuelta as his only GT and winning it, maybe with a Dauphiné/Suisse win in addition like 2009, but not in an olympic year with a parcours like Rio of course.

Btw, I think Landa would win the WT in your predicted season

Normally the weather in Italy favours him less then the weather in Spain. He likes warm, almost extreme temperatures. But still he should be able to fight for the podium. But i think Nibali will be deadly motivated to show he's still got it in GT's. And Landa is the unknown factor, in terms of riding a GC as sole leader and with a lot of pressure from now on. But climbing wise he's a class above those two, based on last season.

I was thinking about Landa too, but it depens on how well he rides in stage races like Tirreno, Pais Vasco, Romandie etc. If he's fighting for the win there too,he could be close. But guys like Valverde and Purito have the edge because they are scoring a lot of big points too in the classics.

 

[Vroome.exe]

Down Under: Porte
Paris-Nice: Kwiatkowski
Tirreno: Quintana
Catalunya: Rodríguez
Pais Vasco: Landa
Romandie: Špilak
Dauphiné: Froome
Suisse: Quintana

Giro: 1. Landa 2. Nibali 3. Uran
Tour: 1. Quintana 2. Froome 3. Contador
Vuelta: 1. Landa 2. Froome 3. Valverde

Strade: Stybar
Sanremo: Gaviria
Flanders: Kristoff
Roubaix: Stybar
Amstel: Matthews
Flèche: Alaphillipe
Liège: Alaphilippe
Sebastian: Yates
Lombardia: Nibali

Olympic TT: Martin
Olympic RR: Sagan

Worlds RR: Gaviria
Worlds TT: Martin

 

[greenedge]

I'd be very surprised if Gavriria could win either of MSR or the WC RR. Firstly he has not even ridden a WT race yet and is still quite young, so the distance would be a huge challenge. However he has proven that he can climb well, better than Kittel so maybe they would use him as a sprint option. Secondly at the WC the Colombian team would be inadequate to protect him, I would argue that only Duque and Uran (maybe Contreas and Betancur if he's fat again) could protect him through the whole race and the second tier Colombian climbers that go there like Jaramillo and Pantano would be inadequate. On the other hand, if he can deal with the distance by then and maybe get help from some EQS teammates he could win.