Le Tour de France 2013: who will win?

[LaFlorecita]

Lollllzzzzzz those russians

 

[Angliru]

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


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.

Pinot near the end wasn't so easy to rid themselves of. I shudder to think how he'll be once he gains more experience. I'm more excited about his prospects than Froome's.

 

[airstream]

Pinot near the end wasn't so easy to rid themselves of. I shudder to think how he'll be once he gains more experience. I'm more excited about his prospects than Froome's.

trolling? Didn't Van Endert bother you after the 2011 Tour? You've got a bit of organic rejection towards Cristopher.

 

[burning]

Team Leopard Trek was the only one that tried to attack on high mountain stages.

What did you expect?
Evans to attack knowing that he will easily beat Andy in TT and descents?
Contador to attack even though he was injured on Pyrennees? (He won the tour for Evans in Gap as well and I remembered that he went for "fun" in one of the stages)
I remember that some guy in orange jersey attacked 3/4 of HC finishes and won some jersey

Dont forget next best avaliable guy was Voeckler and everybody else was in hospital or totally irrelevant

 

[LaFlorecita]

What did you expect?
Evans to attack knowing that he will easily beat Andy in TT and descents?
Contador to attack even though he was injured on Pyrennees? (He won the tour for Evans in Gap as well and I remembered that he went for "fun" in one of the stages)
I remember that some guy in orange jersey attacked 3/4 of HC finishes and won some jersey

Dont forget next best avaliable guy was Voeckler and everybody else was in hospital or totally irrelevant

Yea indeed what about Alberto and Samu

 

[Jason_Mercier]

trolling? .

Pinot beat him in La Toussuire and i am secure in the last climb of the Porrentruy stage he climbed faster than Chris Froome. And was close him in Peyragudes. Some people are blind with his 10th position. He was involved in the day of missing time of the climbers. 2 minutes in Metz, 10 minutes in the ITT's . End at 17' of Wiggins in the GC. In the MT stages he only get really dropped in the Bagneres de Luchon stage and in the beginning of the one of Davezieux if im not wrong. He was there in Belles Filles, Porrentruy, La Toussuire, Grand Colombier, Foix and Peyragudes stages. The next year the route suites him much more than this year. The lost time in the ITTs maybe will be less than the half of this year. Also if we consider Froome was overcooked in La Vuelta we have to say that Thibaut came to France without an specific set up. Probably as Contador in 2008 Giro. Who knows. Until one or two weeks before the race the frenchman didnt know he would be in France. He's 22 years, the normal thing is that he will improve in comparison with this year. But its an unknown factor. That's why today i put Chris Froome ahead him. And because of the Time trial.

 

[airstream]

Pinot beat him in La Toussuire and i am secure in the last climb of the Porrentruy stage he climbed faster than Chris Froome. And was close him in Peyragudes. Some people are blind with his 10th position. He was involved in the day of missing time of the climbers. 2 minutes in Metz, 10 minutes in the ITT's . End at 17' of Wiggins in the GC. In the MT stages he only get really dropped in the Bagneres de Luchon stage and in the beginning of the one of Davezieux if im not wrong. He was there in Belles Filles, Porrentruy, La Toussuire, Grand Colombier, Foix and Peyragudes stages. The next year the route suites him much more than this year. The lost time in the ITTs maybe will be less than the half of this year. Also if we consider Froome was overcooked in La Vuelta we have to say that Thibaut came to France without an specific set up. Probably as Contador in 2008 Giro. Who knows. Until one or two weeks before the race the frenchman didnt know he would be in France. He's 22 years, the normal thing is that he will improve in comparison with this year. But its an unknown factor. That's why today i put Chris Froome ahead him. And because of the Time trial.

it's not quite serious. as soon as pinot becomes a threat for top-3, he will immediately get absolutely different resistance. sky let him go tactically.

 

[Jason_Mercier]

it's not quite serious. as soon as pinot becomes a threat for top-3, he will immediately get absolutely different resistance. sky let him go tactically.

In La Toussuire let him go? In Peyragudes stage when he attacked? Pinot didnt take any important advantages due to Sky let him go. Maybe only in Porrentruy stage, not more than 1 minute.

 

[Jason_Mercier]

You talk like Pinot did a Top10 thanks for two or three brekaways when he was the fourth or fifth best climber.

 

[Angliru]

trolling? Didn't Van Endert bother you after the 2011 Tour? You've got a bit of organic rejection towards Cristopher.

Actually I like Froome. Just because I'm more excited about Pinot than Froome, don't assume that I'm not a believer in Froome's potential, I'm just hesitant to proclaim him the next great grand tour champion. Pinot I'm excited about because he appears to me to be France's best chance at a Tour podium, even more so than Pierre Rolland, one that I believe will live up to the hype.

 

[El Pistolero]

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.

Plenty of guys do the Tour-Vuelta. Of course he wasn't on top form, but this guy didn't race a lot this year. He basically did nothing and then hit form out of nowhere at the Dauphiné. Contador on the other hand didn't race for many months(nothing after the Tour in 2011 with only San Luis and Eneco Tour before the Vuelta) and still won the Vuelta. You think that doesn't affect your performance level?

Sastre won the Tour and got third at the Vuelta in the same year for example. I was more impressed with his performance that year than Froome's performance this year.

 

[Jason_Mercier]

Which team will be stronger? Sky or SBTB? Let's make two fives: Froome, Henao, Urán, Kiriyenka, EBH. Contador, Kreuziger, Roche, Majka, CAnkerS. Of course Sky has more alternatives: Locke, Cataldo, Rogers, Porte, Sivtsov, Dombrowski... But IMO SBTB is no far in a nine team.

 

[Gloin22]

Which team will be stronger? Sky or SBTB? Let's make two fives: Froome, Henao, Urán, Kiriyenka, EBH. Contador, Kreuziger, Roche, Majka, CAnkerS. Of course Sky has more alternatives: Locke, Cataldo, Rogers, Porte, Sivtsov, Dombrowski... But IMO SBTB is no far in a nine team.

At the Tour it's important to have a strong roulers / flat riders as well, not only climbers That's why Thomas is a cert in the team ( EBH obviosuly as well ). Great flat rider, and climbs quite well. Same for Rogers / Porte / Knees ( very underestimated doemstique ). Sky will have more rounded team, but they will be both similarly in mountains.

What's the point of missing Wiggins in that list and putting for example Roche for SAxo though ? Obviously Wiggins is stronger imo, even after Giro he should. 2 Colombians will not do the Tour, Uran only I think as well.

Majka might not do the Tour and get his lead at Giro, if they will be WT.

 

[Jason_Mercier]

The fact that Nibali wants to carry a superteam to Italy will imply that Sky should distribute their strenght. And that of course benefits Contador. Yeah i agree. Sky has a more all rounder team.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Which team will be stronger? Sky or SBTB? Let's make two fives: Froome, Henao, Urán, Kiriyenka, EBH. Contador, Kreuziger, Roche, Majka, CAnkerS. Of course Sky has more alternatives: Locke, Cataldo, Rogers, Porte, Sivtsov, Dombrowski... But IMO SBTB is no far in a nine team.

that's no match. sky is WAYYYY stronger than saxo

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The fact that Nibali wants to carry a superteam to Italy will imply that Sky should distribute their strenght. And that of course benefits Contador. Yeah i agree. Sky has a more all rounder team.

not ata ll. since sky can dish out two absolute a teams in both gt's without having any rider do the double

 

[LaFlorecita]

that's no match. sky is WAYYYY stronger than saxo

WAYYYY stronger yea sure ryo keep dreaming

 

[Netserk]

Example of possible sky team selection:

Giro:
Wiggins
Henao
Uran
Cataldo
Kiryienka
Lopez
Dombrowski
Stannard
Pate

Tour:
Froome
Wiggins
Porte
Rogers
Siutsou
EBH
Knees
Thomas

Talk about depth in team..

 

[El Pistolero]

Lol, Dombrowski already getting the superstar treatment? None of those domestiques are going to help you much once Contador attacks anyway.

 

[Netserk]

Lol, Dombrowski already getting the superstar treatment? None of those domestiques are going to help you much once Contador attacks anyway.

Doesn't change the fact that Sky's team is the strongest.

 

[Netserk]

And the A squad on Bank-Bank:

Contador
Kreuziger
Majka
Hernandez/Bennati
CAS
Roche
Paulinho
Tosatto

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

And the A squad on Bank-Bank:

Contador
Kreuziger
Majka
Hernandez/Bennati
CAS
Roche
Paulinho
Tosatto

That's the strongest support Contador has ever had by absolutely miles, given that when he was on the same team as Armstrong, the rest were very much Armstrong's support riders than his.

I'm actually sort of curious about what use Contador will have for them. It's not like he needs a mountain train. His rivals would probably benefit more than him if these guys set some strong, metronomic, pace. I'm guessing that he'll be sending some of those high level climbers off up the road quite a lot.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

WAYYYY stronger yea sure ryo keep dreaming

you give woman such a bad name. it's pathetic really. you remind me of those idiot girls that would be screaming at a concert.

 

[cineteq]

you give woman such a bad name. it's pathetic really. you remind me of those idiot girls that would be screaming at a concert.

Oh it's tuesday night...wed. morning...is it troll night? This is the weakest statement in a while by far. Hope she doesn't take it personally.

 

[Afrank]

Plenty of guys do the Tour-Vuelta. Of course he wasn't on top form, but this guy didn't race a lot this year. He basically did nothing and then hit form out of nowhere at the Dauphiné. Contador on the other hand didn't race for many months(nothing after the Tour in 2011 with only San Luis and Eneco Tour before the Vuelta) and still won the Vuelta. You think that doesn't affect your performance level?

Sastre won the Tour and got third at the Vuelta in the same year for example. I was more impressed with his performance that year than Froome's performance this year.

Read my last post I made before the one you quoted. Of course not having much racing days affected Contador, I never said it didn't. But racing the Tour as domestique had a worse affect on Froomes form than not enough racing had on Contadors form.