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Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 Tour Finish, 'Official' Thread

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Jan the Man said:
Levi has the experience and has podiumed before- he has had a good season but may have gone too deep in Suisse.

Horner hasn't shown he can top 5 in a GT yet let alone podium- he has had a good season so far but has not raced for eight weeks leading up to the Tour.

Brajkovic hasn't shown he can top 5 in a GT- has not done much this season.

Klöden- had an excellent start to the season and has not gone deep in Suisse. On top of that he has podiumed in GT's before.

Of the four Levi and Klöden have the track record and if I had to put money on who was to finish higher in the TdF I would put it on Klöden.

That's what makes it intresting. I can see why uve come to your conclusions but I think Horner in the last year and a half has impressed me more with his climbing in the last year and a half and I just think Levi is more consistent obviously if hes went too deep in Suisse he will suffer I'm not so sure he did. I do agree brajkovic won't finish the your there leader abd i dont think johan really believes he is its more in hope that he shows something.
 
I think all Radioshack'ers will come up short for the top 5.

Leipheimer, Horner and Klöden maay still be top in 1-week races, they are not good enough anymore for a GT. Horner might be the best chance if he has California-form for that long.
Leipheimer and Klöden climb too badly, they can be good on 1/2 mt stages, but eventually they fall through completely.

Brajkovic is a big question mark in a GT, so far he has never been able to keep top form for 3 weeks. This year he had a different approach to the Tour to try and keep the best shape for the last 2 weeks. If that plans out well, he might be the best Radioshack hope..

They might have 4 top 10 candidates, but i see no podium threats
 
Oct 29, 2009
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Brajkovic and Gesink will fight for podium. You'll see
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p.s. I hope they both end on the podium;)
 
I think Kloden/ Levi/ Horner/ Jani all have chances for top 10. It's just whether they can use a 4 pronged attack or commit 2 to work for the others. I think Kloden has the best build up but Jani has potential and has been quiet so is a dark horse.
 
Great ride to keep with the big boys on stage 4, whilst putting small distance between himself and his teammates. The dream for a podium remains truly alive, and stage 8 may present an opportunity to finally take yellow :)

BTW, great win by Cadel, especially after the problems he had on the stage.
 
I've always said that Klöden would be the best RSH rider during this Tour. He managed to finish with the lead group today, which isn't a huge sign, but a positive one nonetheless.

Cool stat: he has been the first Shack rider across the line on every stage so far, not including the TTT of course.

I can't see Brajkovic staying up there the whole three weeks. As much as looking at past results doesn't prove a whole lot, 43rd in the Tour last year, and 17th, 12 minutes behind Seeldrayers in Giro 2009 don't say he can top 10 here.

Levi and Horner I am less sure about. Maybe they'll be a bit behind Klödi.
 
Jani's crash and subsequent TDF retirement is very hard luck for him. He will have to wait at least another year to discover whether he really is a GT GC rider or not. There are ramifications for Kloden here too. I think the benefit of having one less rival for team leadership slightly outweighs the negativity of losing a potential helper in the mountains. Andreas continues to finish well up on each stage. It seems that he will continue to go well until at least stage 12......then we shall really see the potential of Klodi's 2011 Tour.
 
Jun 1, 2011
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gregrowlerson said:
Jani's crash and subsequent TDF retirement is very hard luck for him. He will have to wait at least another year to discover whether he really is a GT GC rider or not. There are ramifications for Kloden here too. I think the benefit of having one less rival for team leadership slightly outweighs the negativity of losing a potential helper in the mountains. Andreas continues to finish well up on each stage. It seems that he will continue to go well until at least stage 12......then we shall really see the potential of Klodi's 2011 Tour.

Klöden is the logical choice. That decision should be made. The Shack need nudge out the sprinters teams on the climb during today's stage and establish a presence at the front to keep out of trouble before they loose more of the team.
 
Klöden is doing exactly what is required of him at this stage i.e. avoid all of the crashes/splits in the peleton. He finished in the lead group when Cadel won despite it not being his type of finish.

I still think he will struggle a little against the pure climbers in stages 12, 14, 18 and 19 but he is very good at riding within his limits. Losing Jani will be a blow because I thought that of the four GC contentders he would probably be the least likely to succeed and most useful mountain domestique.
 
Mar 31, 2010
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good thing leipheimer flatted today and that overrated brajkovic crashed. now all attention from the team will be put on kloden and horner as they should've done from the beginning
 
Mar 17, 2009
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I'll be surprised if Kloden isn't riding for Horner by the end of the Pyrenees. The two of them are both staying nicely under the radar thus far, but when the road tips up I think it favors Chris-- in fact, he may be the best pure climber next to Contador in the Tour this year, and his tactical sense is second to none.
 
levi was never supposed to be leader for le tour 2011 anyway especially after he messed up all the program in tour de suisse going full gas,suitcase of courage gone.hell i can't wait for luz ardiden,that will be the day of truth but i trust klodi,he will be strong no doubt.
 
agree, Levi was going all out in suisse, getting RS a stagerace win. Thus probably shaping up to peak too early. Meanwhile, klödi softpedaling in the mountains schleck-style, only testing it in the TT. Klöden will reach form in the late part, according to plan.

Who knows what horners been up to before the tour, not much can be said about his form-curve before any real tests, but targeted the tour after the ToC so should probably peak in the right time.

Klöden/Horner were better GC-bets than Leipheimer allready!
 
Ryo Hazuki said:
good thing leipheimer flatted today and that overrated brajkovic crashed. now all attention from the team will be put on kloden and horner as they should've done from the beginning
harsh but truth-the Time for Kloden to take the reigns of the team has come-no more excuses or BS because he should be up there with the best.
 

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