Initial Top 10 for the TDF

[alexcta]

1.Contador
2.Wiggins
3.Evans
4.Nibali
5.Leipheimer
6. Sammy Sanchez
7. Baby Schleck
8. Frank Schleck
9. Peraud
10. Basso

 

[Swede1]

1. Contador
2. Cadel Evans
3. Van Den Broeck
3. Menchov
4. Wiggins
5. Peraud
6. Schleck Andy
7. Schleck Frank
8. Nibali
9. Kreuziger
10. Tony Martin

Isn't Kreuziger going for the Giro? Brajkovic is going to be team leader w/ Vino at the tour for Astana

 

[Ripper]

The Galibier and Alpe d'Huez stages were badly designed in that regard and penalized early attacks by their very designs. Next year's edition offers better opportunities despite the weaker course.

VDB's TT record is known. He sucked really bad in recent years, excluding this year's Dauphine TT. He changed his position which didn't help matters much. They are working to correct that mistake. He was a decent TTer before and shouldn't lose too much time to the likes of Andy Schleck or Vincenzo Nibali.

Those terrible stage designers

If VDB becomes a decent TTer next year, his climbing plummets. Mastering both is not something I see likely for him.

I am looking forward to some interesting stages with some interesting breakaways. I think teams with strong roleurs will be pretty good - so like it or not, Trek/RS, Saxo, and BMC. I think someone might try the suicide mission and fail.

 

[greenedge]

I think Rabo will do their split the peleton in the winds tactics again. Except next year they will actually have people going for GC. Is Vanendert an ok ITTer?

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I think Rabo will do their split the peleton in the winds tactics again. Except next year they will actually have people going for GC. Is Vanendert an ok ITTer?

Vanendert is not actually :/

 

[Handbrake]

1. Contador
2. Wiggins
3. Sanchez
4. Evans
5. A Schleck
6. Nibali
7. Rolland
8. Kloden
9. Menchov
10. Vande Velde

 

[Panda Claws]

1. Cadel Evans
2. Alberto Contador
3. Andy Schleck
4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck
5. Denis Menchov
6. Bradley Wiggins
7. Frank Schleck
8. Samuel Sanchez
9. Bauke Mollema
10. Damiano Cunego

 

[movingtarget]

Evans
Contador
Menchov
Wiggins
Andy Schleck
Sanchez
Rolland
Frank Schleck
Leipheimer
Basso or Voeckler

Tony Martin I think is the unknown. If he can improve his climbing he should be in the top 7 or 8 maybe better but it's a big if even if he does do really well in the TT's. His climbing last season was pretty hit and miss but he could make huge time in the TT's against the Schlecks, Basso, Voeckler and Rolland. Froome is the other unknown but the Vuelta is not the TDF. Can he make the top 10 ? It will be hard but you never know

 

[movingtarget]

I forgot Gesink, Horner and VDB.........ok it's harder than I thought to pick the top 10. Throw those three into the hat as well ! Contador may not even be there but I kind of expect he will be. If either of the Schlecks makes the podium I will be surprised unless wind tunnels and Bruyneel can work their magic.

 

[taiwan]

1. Contador
2. Menchov
3. Wiggins
4. Klöden
5. Evans
6. Samuel Sanchez
7. Peraud
8. Andy Schleck
9. Danielson
10. Tony Martin

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

1 Contador
2 Evans
3 Menchov
4 A Schleck
5 Gesink
6 Vandenbroeck
7 F Schleck
8 S Sanchez
9 Froome
10 Wiggins

 

[The Hitch]

1 Contador
2 Evans
3 Menchov
4 A Schleck
5 Gesink
6 Vandenbroeck
7 F Schleck
8 S Sanchez
9 Froome
10 Wiggins

You said many times that Menchov would have won the Bordeaux tt if it wasnt for the wind, so strong was he there.

TT is even more important this time round, so where do you think Cadel will beat the Pope?

 

[roundabout]

They are pretty equal time trialists. Menchov was convincingly faster than Evans about once when they were riding for GT GC.

 

[Ferminal]

You said many times that Menchov would have won the Bordeaux tt if it wasnt for the wind, so strong was he there.

TT is even more important this time round, so where do you think Cadel will beat the Pope?

Evans' ITT this year was insane, 7" behind Martin, hard to see even 2010 Menchov TT'ing beating that.

 

[sublimit]

1.Evans
2.Contador
3.Wiggins
4.Andy S
5.Froome
6.Frank S
7.Coppel
8.T Martin
9.Kloeden
10.Rolland

I dont see Menchov doing anything much, maybe top 15.

 

[Netserk]

1. El Matador

2. Raymond
3. Pope

4. Baby Voice
5. The Shark
6. Wannabe Basque
7. Condor
8. René
9. El Imbatido
10. Velits

 

[The Hitch]

Evans' ITT this year was insane, 7" behind Martin, hard to see even 2010 Menchov TT'ing beating that.

Evans could have even beaten Martin on that tt, as he claims to have taken the last 10k easier, but Martin isnt the best example to use in that it wasnt like his tt form everywhere else. For 1 it was a hilly tt. Much more suited to gc riders. Also the fact that it came after 19 days, again suited more to GC riders.

2010 one was pan flat tt.

In next years Tour they have 1 of both. Based on 2009 Giro monster tt I think Menchov can do pretty well on the hilly one, top gc riders on the flat one. Prologue should be for Evans though.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

You said many times that Menchov would have won the Bordeaux tt if it wasnt for the wind, so strong was he there.

TT is even more important this time round, so where do you think Cadel will beat the Pope?

Because you are forgetting the obvious Menchov ****-ups in flat stages, downhills and windy stages

 

[greenedge]

Evans
Contador
Menchov
Wiggins
Andy Schleck
Sanchez
Rolland
Frank Schleck
Leipheimer
Basso or Voeckler

Tony Martin I think is the unknown. If he can improve his climbing he should be in the top 7 or 8 maybe better but it's a big if even if he does do really well in the TT's. His climbing last season was pretty hit and miss but he could make huge time in the TT's against the Schlecks, Basso, Voeckler and Rolland. Froome is the other unknown but the Vuelta is not the TDF. Can he make the top 10 ? It will be hard but you never know

Basso is doing the Giro. Martin could be the surprise factor, i agree. However i don't think his climbing can last him 3 weeks. Also the mountains will be crazy next year.

 

[greenedge]

I think Evans ITT was great this year. Also Martin improved his Dauphinie time. Evans will gain time on Menchov in the prologue, one hilly stage and one mountain stage. Those gaps i think will give him a buffer over Menchov in the ITT, even if Menchov can beat Evans in them, which i think is 50-50 ( regarding Mechov's form )

 

[greenedge]

1. Contador
2. Menchov
3. Wiggins
4. Klöden
5. Evans
6. Samuel Sanchez
7. Peraud
8. Andy Schleck
9. Danielson
10. Tony Martin

A bit low with Evans there.

 

[greenedge]

I forgot Gesink, Horner and VDB.........ok it's harder than I thought to pick the top 10. Throw those three into the hat as well ! Contador may not even be there but I kind of expect he will be. If either of the Schlecks makes the podium I will be surprised unless wind tunnels and Bruyneel can work their magic.

I am insanely evil.

 

[Ferminal]

Evans could have even beaten Martin on that tt, as he claims to have taken the last 10k easier, but Martin isnt the best example to use in that it wasnt like his tt form everywhere else. For 1 it was a hilly tt. Much more suited to gc riders. Also the fact that it came after 19 days, again suited more to GC riders.

2010 one was pan flat tt.

In next years Tour they have 1 of both. Based on 2009 Giro monster tt I think Menchov can do pretty well on the hilly one, top gc riders on the flat one. Prologue should be for Evans though.

Of course a GC rider is going to be closer to the specialist at the end of a GT, isn't that the same for Menchov too? When was the last time he was so close to a prime Martin or Cancellara?

I think dismissing Evans' Grenoble, or indeed his whole Tour as some sort of fluke is dangerous.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I think dismissing Evans' Grenoble, or indeed his whole Tour as some sort of fluke is dangerous.

The contrary risk of using it to ignore the rest of his GT career seems a far more common failing around here.

 

[Ferminal]

The contrary risk of using it to ignore the rest of his GT career seems a far more common failing around here.

Accounting for the rest of his GT career made many of us look foolish in July.