Can Basso win the 2011 Tour?

[mombus]

Why? Why not?

 

[will10]

If Contador doesn't ride then yes it's possible.

 

[Roland Rat]

As above, if Contador doesn't ride then yes. He's still one of the best climbers, as last year's Giro showed, and he won't be tired from the Giro this year. Added to that, I'm not convinced Schleck will be at 100% this year, he may ease it off by the 1-2% that could make the difference in his new found freedom, particularly if he doesn't have Contador as a target.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

yes, why ? He's one of the best climbers there is

 

[jens_attacks]

he definitely can.of course,the two main favourites will be alberto and andy.and that's a good thing for ivan.liquigas will probably take a top5 in TTT,he won't lose more than 20 seconds to anyone important for GC.the shock will come to stage to luz ardiden where neither alberto or andy won't drop basso.and then a masterstroke a la 2006 up to plateau de beille.so yes finally, i think this will be basso's tour de france,a well-deserved win.

 

[The Hitch]

Yes he can. But i think (and hope) that Samu will be able to get a better programme by then. Not that he had a bad one last year. But hes a real friend with Contador (not a fake one like Andrew) so im hoping Alberto will give Samu his connections for a year.

Basso has a good one but has to be careful because he is an official "doper" in cycling world.

Andrew and his brother will obviously have a good one though i hope they lose out in the itt and descents. Actaully i hope andrew has another chain misfortune or something. Last year i rooted for him. But this year signing Canc for the ttt and a bunch of other great riders, as well as having Andrew do his usual only race LBL and the Tour rule, they are trying to make it boring and win by 10 minutes. I hope they fail miserably.

Oh and by "programme" im talking about their training programmes and when i say "connections" i mean what nutritionists they are seeing. Absolutely nothing to do with that clinic stuff which isnt to be discussed outside the clinic

 

[adamski101]

could well be his best chance to win it. Especially if Contador isn't there. Even so, with Contador, I still think he has a chance. Liquigas won't lose much in the TTT and the parcours should certainly suit him. He is still one of the very best climbers in the peloton and if rides to the level he showed in the Giro last year he won't be far off.

 

[mombus]

Why do you think Andy will be less than 100%?

 

[euanli]

I'm backing Basso for the Tour this year

 

[Ferminal]

No more or less of a chance than Evans, so yeh, he cannot win it

 

[Roland Rat]

Why do you think Andy will be less than 100%?

Maturity and/or mentality. Remember your first year away from the parents?

 

[veganrob]

I will go for Basso is AC is not in it. Andy will drop his battery or something.

 

[hfer07]

I was thinking about it over the last days-in which I have spent some quality time watching last year's Giro- & this is what I think so far:

*As impressive as his Giro victory was-Basso's powers & abilities are far away from the "ET" performance of 06, which are required to win a race such the Tour.
* Folks here keep saying he's got a good chance if AC is banned... but what about Andy Schleck? can he go side by side with him in the climbs, and most of all-attack & drop him? don't think so....
* Basso might get podium under the right circumstances, but I honestly doubt he can win it...
nonetheless he's a magnificent rider & his comeback has given him a new career.

 

[El Pistolero]

Not a chance. Unless you're counting on some other guys dropping out.

 

[uphillstruggle]

I would have to say no as well. If Contador rides all he has to do it say with the top climbers in the mountains and beat them in the TT. Not sure about Conti's team for the TTT but he won't lose that much. AS has more of a kick than Basso when climbing and his weaknesses, namely descending and TTing are also Basso's weaknesses. Having said all that I would love to see him tempo climb away from everyone, that man is grace on a bike.

 

[Monte Zoncolon]

Ivan Basso has chance of winning the Tour in 2011. Liquigas have a strong Team. Le Tour 2011 has alot of Mountain stages that will suit Basso. You would expect Liquigas to get a good placing in the Team Time Trial. But will Ivan Basso ride the Giro in 2011. He has hinted that he may. If he does ride the Giro, he may not recover in time sufficiently, to be amongst the main contenders in the Tour De France.

 

[The Hitch]

Ivan Basso has chance of winning the Tour in 2011. Liquigas have a strong Team. Le Tour 2011 has alot of Mountain stages that will suit Basso. You would expect Liquigas to get a good placing in the Team Time Trial. But will Ivan Basso ride the Giro in 2011. He has hinted that he may. If he does ride the Giro, he may not recover in time sufficiently, to be amongst the main contenders in the Tour De France.

No he wont. Basso has come out again and again and again and again and again saying "I will not ride the Giro, i will ride the Tour this year". He has said it so much its getting boring by now.

Nibali for Giro Vuelta. Basso for the Tour.

 

[theyoungest]

Ivan Basso has chance of winning the Tour in 2011. Liquigas have a strong Team. Le Tour 2011 has alot of Mountain stages that will suit Basso. You would expect Liquigas to get a good placing in the Team Time Trial. But will Ivan Basso ride the Giro in 2011. He has hinted that he may. If he does ride the Giro, he may not recover in time sufficiently, to be amongst the main contenders in the Tour De France.

Liquigas have a strong team, yes, but will they have a strong Tour team? I doubt it. Not in comparison to some of the other teams, at least.

 

[Monte Zoncolon]

No he wont. Basso has come out again and again and again and again and again saying "I will not ride the Giro, i will ride the Tour this year". He has said it so much its getting boring by now.

Nibali for Giro Vuelta. Basso for the Tour.

That's not what he said in this article:

http://ivanbassoofficial.com/article/basso-rides-100km-christmas-day

"For now both are in my plans for 2011. The grand tours are decided on the climbs. And so if the Giro is hard, it's hard for everyone. So far I'm fitter than I was last winter. I weigh less and I've got a lower fat percentage, the tests prove it. It's going to be a very hard season but I'm ready for it."

 

[skidmark]

That's not what he said in this article:

http://ivanbassoofficial.com/article/basso-rides-100km-christmas-day

"For now both are in my plans for 2011. The grand tours are decided on the climbs. And so if the Giro is hard, it's hard for everyone. So far I'm fitter than I was last winter. I weigh less and I've got a lower fat percentage, the tests prove it. It's going to be a very hard season but I'm ready for it."

Although he did say yesterday in thisarticle,"If I participate [in the Giro], it will be to help Nibali," Basso said according to AFP. "I will calmly decide in the coming months. "

So while he hasn't necessarily said 'again and again and again' that he won't ride the Giro, period, he won't ride it to win.

 

[Climbing]

If he can win the Tour, it's this year.
And of course, he will ride the Tour in top form, and skip completely the Giro (or just train there helping a bit Nibali - but I doubt it).

 

[The Hitch]

So while he hasn't necessarily said 'again and again and again' that he won't ride the Giro, period, he won't ride it to win.

Yes he has. While i may be off an again or 2 i remember him making this comment on several occasions.

This is one occasion

Basso, 33, said last week that he plans to skip the 2011 Giro, which he won overall for the second time in his career this year, in favour of targeting the Tour de France

source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/liquigas-cannondale-hit-the-dolomites-for-training-camp

Its also telling when a Italian Giro winner who was treated like a returning hero, skips the Giro presentation. Even Menchov came when he was the reigning champ. Ok so he was racing but it wasnt that big a rac0e.

 

[Monte Zoncolon]

If Basso want's to have any chance of winning the Tour 2011. Skipping the Giro would be the correct approach for him. It is very doubtful that he will take part in the Giro. My guess is that he will not ride the Giro ( which he has won twice ) and focus his season around winning the Tour.

 

[Angliru]

My opinion is biased in that it's my hope that Andy never wins the Tour, such is my dislike for this dude. Just a bit too smug and always floating his brand of goofy/cocky charisma.

That said even considering my basic dislike for the primary contender that is Andy (that is if Contador doesn't race which I think he will not), I still believe that Basso has the talent, experience and the team to beat Andy.

The primary obstacle for Basso is the inevitable alliance that will occur between Team Schleck and Radioshack. The Shack has to know that they have absolutely no chance of winning the Tour with any of their supposed "contenders" (Kloden, Leipheimer and Brajkovic) so they will do everything in their power to barter a stage win here and there and a high placement in the gc, likely for Brajkovic. With both being Trek teams, I think their working together is inevitable, especially if it means stopping Cannondale from getting their 3rd grand tour win in 2 years.

Being a happy Cannondale rider for most of my cycling life I can't but help but be a strong supporter of the team that they are a primary sponsor of. Plus I refuse to root for another Trek juggernaut like Team Schleck is building up to becoming. Please no! Trek stores are all over the place where I live, strangling the life out of any other brand.

 

[therealtimshady]

liquigas wont lose much time (if at all) in the TTT. meaning that basso will be on a par with schleck into the mountains. schlecks tactics at times in the mountains are poor and i can see him waiting right until alpe d'huez by that stage he wont break basso, and basso although an average at best time trialist will hammer andy in the final time trial, as schleck even last year was pretty poor in this discipline and was made to look better by contadors worst ever time trial by some distance