Le Tour de France 2013: who will win?

[jens_attacks]

thank you shades for the good laugh
i want andy to his best too but those reasons ...lol

 

[LaFlorecita]

thank you shades for the good laugh
i want andy to his best too but those reasons ...lol

Yea I LOL'd

 

[Jason_Mercier]

How exactly do people conclude that Froome is a better TT'er than Contador?

Olympic games. Besançon. I wrote he is Tting better, but not because is a better TTer than Contador, due to other reasons. The same reasons as Wiggins has become the best Tter of the world when three years ago he couldnt dream beat Cancellara.

 

[infeXio]

I still don't get the reasoning behind it, but so be it

 

[Jason_Mercier]

But that's reality. I dont ignore it like others. The people who dream Contador, AS and even Purito are super ahead the two Sky because of the 2010 Tour (3 years ago next season) or the 2012 Vuelta when Froome was clearly overcooked.

 

[The Hitch]

on the climb itself it wouldnt have been such a gap with samu tho. strong effort by him too.

I believe it was a minute and he got 50 s back on the descnet and Contador and Andy, now carrying Moreau were in site, but he just missed it and ended up losing the minute again and more.

 

[LaFlorecita]

But that's reality. I dont ignore it like others. The people who dream Contador, AS and even Purito are super ahead the two Sky because of the 2010 Tour (3 years ago next season) or the 2012 Vuelta when Froome was clearly overcooked.

How many itts did Alberto and Dog race against each other? And in how many did Alberto do better? Right.

 

[Angliru]

"The fact that Froome didn't compete against them doesn't mean he is weaker. Cobo was magical in that Vuelta. Grande Bisonte rode Angliru faster than Contador in 2008. In addition Froome, did a huge chunk of dirty work for Wiggins. Froome worked up to the collar back then. The Vuelta was a titanic effort from him."

+1

I'm not saying that Froome is weaker, just that, as has been often repeated, he is unproven against what is commonly considered the reigning champs of the mountains, Alberto and Andy. We'll see. I'd love to see him give them a battle although I have my doubts about Andy returning to his previous level in 2013. I think more likely in 2014.

 

[Jason_Mercier]

The ITT of La Vuelta. And Alberto did it better because Froome was overcooked. Before 2011 Froome wasnt Froome.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The ITT of La Vuelta. And Alberto did it better because Froome was overcooked. Before 2011 Froome wasnt Froome.

So...? Maybe Alberto wasn't at his best either

 

[Angliru]

But that's reality. I dont ignore it like others. The people who dream Contador, AS and even Purito are super ahead the two Sky because of the 2010 Tour (3 years ago next season) or the 2012 Vuelta when Froome was clearly overcooked.

Who has used the 2012 Vuelta as evidence of Contador and Purito's superiority?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

But that's reality. I dont ignore it like others. The people who dream Contador, AS and even Purito are super ahead the two Sky because of the 2010 Tour (3 years ago next season) or the 2012 Vuelta when Froome was clearly overcooked.

The "reality" is that time trialing will hardly matter in next year's TDF. Barring crashes, echelons and whatnot it is quite likely that the very best and most consistent climbers will finish on top. Froome showed that he was a bit stronger than Nibali and Wiggins in that regard. But that's about it.

 

[Afrank]

So...? Maybe Alberto wasn't at his best either

Contador was a lot better form wise than Froome was at the Vuelta. Their performances in the TT there doesn't mean much because Froomes form had started it's downward trend due to so much racing.

 

[El Pistolero]

Lol, so much racing. The guy was invisible until the Dauphiné.

 

[Afrank]

Lol, so much racing. The guy was invisible until the Dauphiné.

A 3 week grand tour takes a lot out of you. you go try it, and tell us how great you feel after 3 weeks of racing. Froome was fatigued at the Vuelta, this is a known fact now.

 

[theyoungest]

The "reality" is that time trialing will hardly matter in next year's TDF. Barring crashes, echelons and whatnot it is quite likely that the very best and most consistent climbers will finish on top. Froome showed that he was a bit stronger than Nibali and Wiggins in that regard. But that's about it.

Arguably the most climby Tour in recent history (2011) was decided in the time trial. And that race included less time trialing than this one, certainly less flat time trialing.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador was a lot better form wise than Froome was at the Vuelta. Their performances in the TT there doesn't mean much because Froomes form had started it's downward trend due to so much racing.

What about Alberto's 6 (12...) month break?

 

[Gloin22]

I remember someone compared the power data on a diffrent forum from here, from an article. He calculated that Froome output at Tour was 520 watts at maximum. That went down to 480 watts as max power at Vuelta.

He also calculated that Contador was around 515 watts at Vuelta ( with the break, he should improve that - but so will Froome ).

So it's quite even tbh.

 

[Afrank]

What about Alberto's 6 (12...) month break?

Yeah, he didn't have enough racing days prior to the Vuelta, no argument there. This is probably part of the reason he couldn't drop Purito prior to Fuente De. But Froome's form I think was obviously the worse of the two; I don't think Froome would have finished 10 minutes back if he was in the same shape he was in during the Tour.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Yeah, he didn't have enough racing days prior to the Vuelta, no argument there. This is probably part of the reason he couldn't drop Purito prior to Fuente De. But Froome's form I think was obviously the worse of the two; I don't think Froome would have finished 10 minutes back if he was in the same shape he was in during the Tour.

Yes I do agree but I just want people to realize not only Froome wasn't at his best.

 

[infeXio]

Your arguments are sheer dribble Jason

 

[airstream]

How would the Vuelta have ended in case Froome had come there in the Tour form? Predictions?

 

[airstream]

Hilarious thing is that I communicate within the limits of Russian speaking cycling community for many years and there vice versa most people think Froome is already the strongest climber. It is not so numerous like CN surely, but still..

 

[ILovecycling]

Hilarious thing is that I communicate within the limits of Russian speaking cycling community for many years and there vice versa most people think Froome is already the strongest climber. It is not so numerous like CN surely, but still..

Hahahah,they dont know anything about cycling,maybe in july a bit..during the year they watch ice-hockey hah?

 

[airstream]

Hahahah,they dont know anything about cycling,maybe in july a bit..during the year they watch ice-hockey hah?

Cycling is not popular all to pieces, to my greatest regret, but they are quite knowledgeable.

The "reality" is that time trialing will hardly matter in next year's TDF. Barring crashes, echelons and whatnot it is quite likely that the very best and most consistent climbers will finish on top. Froome showed that he was a bit stronger than Nibali and Wiggins in that regard. But that's about it.

Froome exponated something more significant than just beating Nibali and Wiggins. I never saw anyone who worked so much on the front during decisive km's [everyone desperately try to hide in slipstreams to save crumb of energy], going full 'steady' blast, when tempo is maximal. Often guys who win GT's don't work so much. On Peyresourde Froome dropped others as easy as pie. It wasn't his matter, just a coercion. What would have been, if he could have attacked — I shudder to think.