If The TDF was an Individual Race & not a Teams Event......

[JackRabbitSlims]

who would you pick to win the 2010 race?

Hi - long time reader, first time poster.
Have just been reading some History of the TDF and was amazed to read that in the "Old Days" it was an individuals race, no teams!!

So......who would you pick to win this year? - No Team members (although, I'm sure alliances would form), no DS, no radios etc

 

[kurtinsc]

Cadel Evans.

He already knows what it's like to ride without a team to support you.

 

[Willy_Voet]

Jens Voigt or Fabian Cancellara.

With no race radio, these guys could sneak into a break in a transitional stage, excel in ITTs and could hold their own in mountains stages.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Great comment on Cadel

I would think that Fabian and Jens would lose too much time on the big climbs, especially if they have 3, 4 days in a row of big climbing....??

 

[taiwan]

Probably still Contador

He can't be touched in the mountains, and apparently in the TTs. Last time his team was working against him anyway, and he still won emphatically.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

He can't be touched in the mountains, and apparently in the TTs. Last time his team was working against him anyway, and he still won emphatically.

Yep, Contador has a good shot.
Cancellara's not going to hold his own on climbs with Contador.
On the flats, breaks get chased down. On the climbs, it's a lot harder to chase the rabbit up the mountain.

Of course, I might have to go with Andy Schleck, as his brother would help him team or no team.

 

[badboyberty]

Twitterstrong. Bruyneel would just buy a team under the table.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure exactly how all your restrictions work, but I'd imagine the field would be much smaller. The GC guys would still ride together in the peloton most days, but might have to learn to take pulls because there's no incentive for other guys to push the pace. I guess the yellow jersey wearer would be expected to pace set by himself at the front, so no one would want to wear it. Breakaways would be different.

Never mind, Contador for the win.

 

[Awolpe]

Cadel Evans.

He already knows what it's like to ride without a team to support you.

sad but true

 

[sTTevie]

sad but true

tell that to guys like Aerts, Vansevenant or Summie
they ride their asses off ...

and the one time they buy a rider that the public actually acknowledges/appreciates as a "good" domestique ... Popo ... he doesn't do sh$t

 

[Angliru]

Cadel Evans.

He already knows what it's like to ride without a team to support you.

He's not a rider that garners broad support and while in this scenario you are saying "no teams", nationalities would kick in and there is no nationality that helps its own more than the Spaniards. Contador would be my pick regardless because of his superiority among his competitors in the mountains and versus the clock. Unrestrained by riders chasing past glory, a ds hoping to add to his legacy with a greedy podium sweep, Contador would win going away.

 

[Vanspringel]

I'm not sure exactly how all your restrictions work, but I'd imagine the field would be much smaller. The GC guys would still ride together in the peloton most days, but might have to learn to take pulls because there's no incentive for other guys to push the pace. I guess the yellow jersey wearer would be expected to pace set by himself at the front, so no one would want to wear it. Breakaways would be different.

Never mind, Contador for the win.

If the Tour was run like a typical amateur/club race where everyone is expected to do their share of the pace, I reckon we would see some vastly different results. The top riders, both GC and sprinters, go through so many stages without sticking their noses in the wind once. Maybe Contador/Schlek/Evans would still win but it would be so much harder and not all that certain. Ans as for the sprinters without their teams! Cavendish would be lying on the side of the road crying.

 

[taiwan]

Second, thought, if it was like it used to be, carrying all your own equipment, no team to break the wind, etc., you might pick someone who's just hard, like Jens Voight.

 

[Stealth]

no teams

Cancellara, Evans, or Valverde would be on the podium if there were no teams.

With no team to help, Contador isnt smart enough to win on his own. Sure he would excell in the mtns and the TTs but he would loose time in the flat windy stages, just like we saw last year. Also the flat stages would play a bigger part in the G.C. than they do today.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Second, thought, if it was like it used to be, carrying all your own equipment, no team to break the wind, etc., you might pick someone who's just hard, like Jens Voight.

Like it used to be? Don't think so.
Briek Schotte got second once at about 25 minutes behind a genuine GT talent.
But that was in really extreme conditions and even for Schotte, who was world-class, a surprise in the end.

Voigt just isn't that good.

/edit: If it would become a individual event, it would become a bidding war.
Spanish (speaking) riders will help each other nonetheless, so it would still be Contador.

 

[taiwan]

[tries to find out who Breik Schotte is]

I just thought if you aren't getting any help on the flat, and you're carrying all this stuff, a bigger guy, a rouleur might get on better than someone of Contador's size/weight. I forgot there was a precedent to this scenario. I better look at the guys who actually did win.

 

[taiwan]

Take the point about national support...

 

[Polish]

Oppy

Do you mean like the old old days?

No support....fix your own mechanicals....450km stages...sleep in a ditch?
Crappy dinners...no custompainted carbon wheels...no air-conditioned valet service
to the start of the stages?

The current pro peloton is not set up to compete in that manner lol,
and most would not be able to even complete the event.

But if I had to pick a rider, it would be someone like Kloden.

 

[DarkWing]

Do you mean like the old old days?

No support....fix your own mechanicals....450km stages...sleep in a ditch?
Crappy dinners...no custompainted carbon wheels...no air-conditioned valet service
to the start of the stages?

The current pro peloton is not set up to compete in that manner lol,
and most would not be able to even complete the event.

But if I had to pick a rider, it would be someone like Kloden.

Or Adam Hansen - didn't he win the crocodile trophy?

Actually I think Armstrong would have a good chance of winning. He has good tactics and can ride well on flats and mountains.

 

[ak-zaaf]

[tries to find out who Breik Schotte is]

I just thought if you aren't getting any help on the flat, and you're carrying all this stuff, a bigger guy, a rouleur might get on better than someone of Contador's size/weight. I forgot there was a precedent to this scenario. I better look at the guys who actually did win.

Alberic Schotte is a true cycling legend.
'Iron Briek' is maybe the toughest man to ever ride a bike. Started in 20 editions of the Ronde van Vlaanderen and won twice. Two time world champion also.
In the 1948 TDF the weather got so bad most riders just gave up the fight. Schotte wasn't a GC contender at all, but in those conditions he managed to get a second place overall because no one else could cope with the conditions. Only Gino Bartali did better becuase he had to save his country from a civil war by winning the tour. But that's a different story.

Briek Schotte died like he should, at an old age and on the day of the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

 

[Polish]

Or Adam Hansen - didn't he win the crocodile trophy?

Actually I think Armstrong would have a good chance of winning. He has good tactics and can ride well on flats and mountains.

Adam Hansen - excellent pick!
He would be a favorite for an old school no-support hard man TdF:
"Affectionately known as "Croc man" due to his success in Australia's Crocodile Trophy MTB race, Adam is quiet and intelligent but underneath his calm disposure is one hard man who never complains of discomfort."

Thats what I'm talking about.
http://www.highroadsports.com/team/16-Adam-Hansen

(Much better than Kloden who is a bit fragile).

 

[maltiv]

Voigt just isn't that good.

Blasphemy!

 

[Anonymous]

Do you mean like the old old days?

No support....fix your own mechanicals....450km stages...sleep in a ditch?
Crappy dinners...no custompainted carbon wheels...no air-conditioned valet service
to the start of the stages?

The current pro peloton is not set up to compete in that manner lol,
and most would not be able to even complete the event.

But if I had to pick a rider, it would be someone like Kloden.

And if we are really being historical, no group riding (frowned upon), heavy 14-15kg steel fixed gear bikes and massive stages... well, can't go past big Fabo cancellara.

Talk of Contador is ridiculous (if we assume no peloton, drafting frowned upon). The old days favoured a rider with a high power output (not high power/weight) because they had to lug all the gear, with no drafting on heavy bikes. I dare say, carrying a 15kg bike (with maybe 5kg of stuff with you), Fabo Canc would beat AC up a mountain.

Yep, an 80kg guy would be stronger than a 65kg guy on the old equipment and the old conditions because those 500 watts are gonna let you push a big gear on the flats, whilst allergy boy has to spin a higher cadence to maintain his little gear

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cancellara, Evans, or Valverde would be on the podium if there were no teams.

With no team to help, Contador isnt smart enough to win on his own. Sure he would excell in the mtns and the TTs but he would loose time in the flat windy stages, just like we saw last year. Also the flat stages would play a bigger part in the G.C. than they do today.

Don't agree with cancellara but the rest of the post i agree with

Voigt just isn't that good.

Agree

And if we are really being historical, no group riding (frowned upon), heavy 14-15kg steel fixed gear bikes and massive stages... well, can't go past big Fabo cancellara.

Talk of Contador is ridiculous (if we assume no peloton, drafting frowned upon). The old days favoured a rider with a high power output (not high power/weight) because they had to lug all the gear, with no drafting on heavy bikes. I dare say, carrying a 15kg bike (with maybe 5kg of stuff with you), Fabo Canc would beat AC up a mountain.

Your dreaming...

 

[Anonymous]

Your dreaming...

You need strength and power to ride a 15kg fixed gear bike for 400km a day with no drafting, no help whatsoever. The featherweights didn't bother entering the tour in ye olde days because power/weight ratio wasn't important. No way Alberto would be able to beat a strong individual rider like Cancellara. No dream time here .

It would be between big strong guys like Cancellara, Hushovd and Boonen, not climbers like AC, Schecklet, Armstrong or Evans. The traditional GC guys would have no hope in old conditions, old rules, old bikes. I'd have no hope, i'm a featherweight too