2016 TDF Predictions

[LaFlorecita]

Froome is probably the best bike handler among gt contenders, did you see him on the cobbles and in the descents last year? Imo only sagan is a better bike handler in the peleton.

What the hell did I just read

 

[Oliwright]

Froome is probably the best bike handler among gt contenders, did you see him on the cobbles and in the descents last year? Imo only sagan is a better bike handler in the peleton.

What the hell did I just read

That is completely wrong Contador and Nibali are clearly better.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The dauphine crash no one knows what caused it, the cameras never saw the fall just the after shot. I'm not saying Froome doesn't crash, just that he's a better bike handler than Quintana. No one has ever attacked Quintana on a decent. Where as plenty have attacked Froome on descents.

I don't think there is any evidence he is a better bike handler. They both crashed out of GTs. They've never attacked eachother on a descent.
My impression is that Froome is not that good of a bike handler, I've seen him have so many wobbles during stages that didn't result in crashes, but could have ended much worse.
I don't know about Quintana, I've not seen much of him but apart from his crash he's never suffered in GTs because of his bike handling skills, so I don't think we can conclude he has bad skills.

 

[Oliwright]

The dauphine crash no one knows what caused it, the cameras never saw the fall just the after shot. I'm not saying Froome doesn't crash, just that he's a better bike handler than Quintana. No one has ever attacked Quintana on a decent. Where as plenty have attacked Froome on descents.

I don't think there is any evidence he is a better bike handler. They both crashed out of GTs. They've never attacked eachother on a descent.
My impression is that Froome is not that good of a bike handler, I've seen him have so many wobbles during stages that didn't result in crashes, but could have ended much worse.
I don't know about Quintana, I've not seen much of him but apart from his crash he's never suffered in GTs because of his bike handling skills, so I don't think we can conclude he has bad skills.

The only way we will see is if Quintana attacks and Froome has to chase him on a descent or if Quintana is in yellow and he has to defend from Contador or Nibali.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Froome is probably the best bike handler among gt contenders, did you see him on the cobbles and in the descents last year? Imo only sagan is a better bike handler in the peleton.

What the hell did I just read

That is completely wrong Contador and Nibali are clearly better.

For sure Nibali and Valverde and probably also Contador, and in the entire peloton I could name at least 50 riders who are better, for starters all sprinters and classics riders. 2nd best behind Sagan? Huh?

 

[LaFlorecita]

The only way we will see is if Quintana attacks and Froome has to chase him on a descent or if Quintana is in yellow and he has to defend from Contador or Nibali.

Yes, that is true, right now it is a bit of a mystery, we can only look at circumstantial evidence. We cannot really compare them.

 

[Oliwright]

Froome is probably the best bike handler among gt contenders, did you see him on the cobbles and in the descents last year? Imo only sagan is a better bike handler in the peleton.

What the hell did I just read

That is completely wrong Contador and Nibali are clearly better.

For sure Nibali and Valverde and probably also Contador, and in the entire peloton I could name at least 50 riders who are better, for starters all sprinters and classics riders. 2nd best behind Sagan? Huh?

Nibali and Sagan are the best imo.
Others like Chaves are good.

Contador is better than Froome. (I'm saying this as a Froome fan)

But i think Froome is underrated. He does have near misses a lot, but i agree there are lots of better bike handlers.

 

[Lexman]

Froome is probably the best bike handler among gt contenders, did you see him on the cobbles and in the descents last year? Imo only sagan is a better bike handler in the peleton.

surely made my day with this remark... Nibali, Sagan, Valverde, Contador are way better then Froome
and then let's talk when it rains....

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re: Re:

Pessimistic prediction:
Froome takes yellow with one attack on Arcalis or Ventoux, extends his lead in the flat time trial. The black and blue train (Chattanoogoo Choo Choo) controls the rest of the race. Quintana crashes out. Aru loses time in a transitional stage. Contador's attacks are made pointless by Henao, Landa and Thomas. Attacks by Bardet, Pinot and Barguil are controlled by BMC, defending a podium place for Porte or Van Garderen, so Sky doesn't have to work that much. Froome is never isolated from his teammates. There is no suspense for yellow in the last nine days.

Optimistic prediction:
Froome takes yellow with one attack on Arcalis or Ventoux, extends his lead in the flat time trial. The black and blue train seems to have everything under control, until Quintana and Contador attack together on the penultimate climb in the stage to Finhaut Émosson. The Chattanoogoo Choo Choo derails, Froome collapses further in the next two stages, leading to a second Brexit. Quintana wins the Tour, Contador finishes second with a stage win and the polka dots. Bardet steals the third podium spot from Porte after a long range attack in the stage to Morzine. Aru finishes fifth and wins on the Mont Blanc.

third Brexit leaving the football europe with their "soccer" was the second one

You're right, I didn't want to make it too complicated by mentioning football. Froome and Thomas leaving together, exhausted from the bad weather in the Alps would indeed be the third Brexit. :twisted:

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Quintana is the big favorite imo.

Big favourite? Nah, but if he doesn't have bad luck on this particular route which is TAILORMADE for him, I think chances are he will win it all in the Alps. Forclaz + Finhaut Emosson and Joux Plane, leggo.

 

[Anderis]

My feeling is:
Quintana 40% chance of winning TdF
Froome 30%
Contador 20%
The rest 10%
Or something simillar.

 

[barmaher]

Yellow Jersey: Quintana
Podium: Froome and Porte
White Jersey: Barguil
Green Jersey: Sagan
Polka dot Jersey: Who knows? Gonna go with Rui Costa here.
Team Classification: Movistar
Combativity Award: Who knows? Gonna go with Voeckler here.
Surprise of the Tour: Dan Martin
Breakthrough of the Tour: Coquard joins the top table in GT sprinting.
1st Yellow Jersey: Kittel
Story of the Tour: Epic battles for yellow (Quintana v Froome with epic battles including trackstands and explosive attacks), amd green (Coquard pushing Sagan very hard until Paris but coming up short)
Flop of the Tour: Sad to say, but Contador.

 

[AlexNYC]

Even as a Froome fan i expect him to struggle with Quintana this year. But people didn't expect him to win last year. Those expecting him not to be on the podium are stupid imo. Yes he has crashed out of GTs before but so has Quintana and Froome is by common consensus a better bike handler than him. But if he doesn't crash Froome has been the best rider in the last 4 Tours. I understand people don't like Sky winning but I just find it funny, how many wish bad for them. Let's hope for and I predict a good race.

This is just false. Froome might or might not be a better bike handler than Quintana, but that's only a consensus inside your head.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Yellow Jersey: 50/50 Quintana Froome
Podium: Froome/Quintana & TJ
White Jersey: Bardet
Green Jersey: Sagan
Polka dot Jersey: CAS
Team Classification: AG2R
Combativity Award: Pierre-Luc Périchon
Surprise of the Tour: Groenewegen outsprinting Greipel and Kittel on 2 stages
Breakthrough rider: Antoine Duchesne
1st Yellow Jersey: Kittel
Story of the Tour (eg Team Sky's abuse by fans last year): Some cyclist will hit a reporter
Tour defining stage: Stage 1
Flop of the Tour: Astana

 

[Microchip]

Tour defining stage: Stage 8
Flop of the Tour: Chris Froome who crashes on stage 7 and loses 19 minutes on stage 8.

LOL! Such a precise prediction! Sooo funny!

 

[Microchip]

Re:

Story of the Tour: The sudden disappearance of Christopher Froome, Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador
Tour defining stage: Stage 7, Froome, Contador and Quintana break light speed on the Aspin, they travel back in time, and find themselves lost on the Aspin in 2015, with nobody there. Quintana and Contador don't shave their beards and their legs, go incognito, watch the 2015 Tour and decide to drink away their misery of watching that together. Meanwhile, Froome tries to fix his stem which for some reason, only displays "42", and doesn't respond to anything.

Another one! And I've only just started reading this thread. Love the humour.

 

[Oliwright]

Re:

Yellow Jersey: 50/50 Quintana Froome
Podium: Froome/Quintana & TJ
White Jersey: Bardet
Green Jersey: Sagan
Polka dot Jersey: CAS
Team Classification: AG2R
Combativity Award: Pierre-Luc Périchon
Surprise of the Tour: Groenewegen outsprinting Greipel and Kittel on 2 stages
Breakthrough rider: Antoine Duchesne
1st Yellow Jersey: Kittel
Story of the Tour (eg Team Sky's abuse by fans last year): Some cyclist will hit a reporter
Tour defining stage: Stage 1
Flop of the Tour: Astana

Re your story of the tour, i have a few in mind for which I want it to come true

 

[Oliwright]

Even as a Froome fan i expect him to struggle with Quintana this year. But people didn't expect him to win last year. Those expecting him not to be on the podium are stupid imo. Yes he has crashed out of GTs before but so has Quintana and Froome is by common consensus a better bike handler than him. But if he doesn't crash Froome has been the best rider in the last 4 Tours. I understand people don't like Sky winning but I just find it funny, how many wish bad for them. Let's hope for and I predict a good race.

This is just false. Froome might or might not be a better bike handler than Quintana, but that's only a consensus inside your head.

At my cycling club & Sunday ride it's fairly unanimous

 

[Angliru]

Even as a Froome fan i expect him to struggle with Quintana this year. But people didn't expect him to win last year. Those expecting him not to be on the podium are stupid imo. Yes he has crashed out of GTs before but so has Quintana and Froome is by common consensus a better bike handler than him. But if he doesn't crash Froome has been the best rider in the last 4 Tours. I understand people don't like Sky winning but I just find it funny, how many wish bad for them. Let's hope for and I predict a good race.

Where do you get stuff like this from

Froome is probably the best bike handler among gt contenders, did you see him on the cobbles and in the descents last year? Imo only sagan is a better bike handler in the peleton.

What a hilariously ridiculous statement!

 

[Rollthedice]

Having done the body scans, Froome tucks into some fruit and sandwiches and strips for action, revealing a big, bloody wound on his knee. He smiles wryly. “I was taking my racing bike and my time-trial bike to wash them in the car wash.” It was around the corner from his apartment in Monaco; he was riding one bike and wheeling the other alongside when the handlebars became entangled. “Down I went, quite heavily.”

 

[RattaKuningas]

I'll have a go.

Yellow Jersey: Contador
Podium: Quintana and Froome
White Jersey: Alaphilippe
Green Jersey: Sagan
Polka dot Jersey: Pinot (I think he will have a bad day, lose lots of minutes and will get the jersey instead)
Team Classification: Astana (I think that Movistar is the best team but since Valverde says that he intends to lose time then I'm going with Astana who I think will have up to 4 riders in the top 20 when 3rd week starts).
Combativity Award: Nibali
Surprise of the Tour: Aru (explained below)
Breakthrough rider: Aru (will move into same category with Contador, Froome and Quintana)
1st Yellow Jersey: Kittel
Story of the Tour: Contador is back
Tour defining stage: Stage 13 timetrial (someone in the GC will fail)
Flop of the Tour: Porte

 

[Vesica]

Yellow Jersey: Froome
Podium: Quintana and Aru
White Jersey: Barguil
Green Jersey: Sagan
Polka dot Jersey: Quintana
Team Classification: Astana
Combativity Award: Sagan
Surprise of the Tour: Zubeldia (he will be visible )
Breakthrough rider: Groenewegen (well I hope so )
1st Yellow Jersey: Kittel
Story of the Tour: Another crash caused by a moto (sadly)
Tour defining stage: Stage 18 (MTT)
Flop of the Tour: Thomas

 

[PremierAndrew]

Contador's descending ability is seriously overrated on this forum

 

[Sciocco]

Yellow Jersey: Contador
Podium: Quintana & Aruuuu
White Jersey: Alaphilippe
Green Jersey: Sagan
Polka dot Jersey: Quintana
Team Classification: Astana
Combativity Award: Bardet
Surprise of the Tour: Boring tour.
Breakthrough rider: Porte with a big top 10.
1st Yellow Jersey: Kittel (surely he won't lose stage 1)
Story of the Tour: Landa goes crazy in some mountain stages blowing everything to bits. The return of the king with Contador climbing to the top step once again. Lack of hilly/medium mountain stages.
Tour defining stage: 15 to Culoz
Flop of the Tour: Froome though mostly via some bad luck. Pinot unsurprisingly.

 

[ferryman]

Even as a Froome fan i expect him to struggle with Quintana this year. But people didn't expect him to win last year. Those expecting him not to be on the podium are stupid imo. Yes he has crashed out of GTs before but so has Quintana and Froome is by common consensus a better bike handler than him. But if he doesn't crash Froome has been the best rider in the last 4 Tours. I understand people don't like Sky winning but I just find it funny, how many wish bad for them. Let's hope for and I predict a good race.

Where do you get stuff like this from

Froome is probably the best bike handler among gt contenders, did you see him on the cobbles and in the descents last year? Imo only sagan is a better bike handler in the peleton.

What a hilariously ridiculous statement!

Agreed, but it's July time for the Sky/English fans to come out to play and pretend they know about cycling whilst being sleekit in their trolling.