Ninja of the Tour

[Armchair Cyclist]

If we were to define the ninja-est rider of the Tour as the highest finisher in GC without managing a single top ten on a stage (and let's say out of the top 5 teams in the TTT), who do you think it will be this year?

Had we been doing this last year, everyone's assumption of the ninja-est, Haimar Zubeldia, would have disqualified himself by coming 9th on the stage to Hautacam: the award would in fact have gone to 13th overall, Jurgen Van Den Broeck.

Prior to that:
2013, Bardet, 15th
2012, Costa, 18th
2011, De Weert, 12th
2010, Lofkvist, 16th
2009, Knees, 20th

I'll go for Geniez. By way of a tie-breaker, if anyone else picks him, I'll estimate 17th.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Any Ninja contest where Zubeldia doesn't win is a flawed competition

 

[Miburo]

Let's go crazy, devolder.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Haimar Zubeldia is the ninja of the Tour - so secretive he even finds a way not to win the most secretive rider competition lest he get any undue attention.

All hail king Haimar!

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Zubeldia vs Van den Broeck is like the battle of giants when it comes to being the most anonymous rider ever. This year I'm gonna go with Kelderman as the ninja'est rider!

 

[Poursuivant]

Mollema

 

[djpbaltimore]

I'll go with Talansky. His teammates Martin and Hesjedal will animate the stages while the American will focus on a fairly meaningless GC spot.

EDIT 11th place

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Navarro

 

[Anderis]

My first thought was Vuillermoz. Not sure how justified guess that is. Perhaps that's the first rider who I expect to finish somewhere between 12th and 18th that came to my mind.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

Zubeldia vs Van den Broeck is like the battle of giants when it comes to being the most anonymous rider ever. This year I'm gonna go with Kelderman as the ninja'est rider!

Francis de Greef and his epic, now lost battle to maintain his record of finishing 21st would like a word with you.

 

[SafeBet]

Bobby G.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

Bobby G.

Beat me to it. Was about to post the same thing.

 

[Ryaguas]

Haimar is so ninja that not even the OP considered him in the list... He doesnt even get mentioned in the TV.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

Re:

Zubeldia vs Van den Broeck is like the battle of giants when it comes to being the most anonymous rider ever. This year I'm gonna go with Kelderman as the ninja'est rider!

That's a bit unfair on poor VDB. He always gets at least a little dig in. Not like it's any good mind you. King Haimar is godlike.

Anyways, looking at the startlist I was going to go with Mathias Frank, though I expect him to lose a bunch of time at some point and go on a near-successful mountain breakaway. So a fail on both counts. Mollema is tempting too but he'll manage a top 10. Going with Laurens Ten Dam

 

[Gigs_98]

that prediction is lame but I will just go with zubeldia

 

[HelloDolly]

Its definitely Zubeldia again

Did you see the Tour of California and I think it was Sagan crossing the line on final stage and just for a slip second a figure in ninja gear came around the last corner . Defo Zubeldia

 

[gunara]

One day in 2003, a rider secretly made me see, an attack that would be so rare, it's as if he no longer cared.
But then I had to be away from cycling for hundreds of days. When I was back it ain't certain if I ever saw him again,
maybe I did, maybe I didn't, maybe he hid, it's just too weird, race after race from place to place, I still couldn't remember his face.
And hey there's only one ninja, and we call him Zubeldia! How can this contest be legit if the real thing is not in it?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Of course Zubeldia is a legitimate choice for this year: all I said was that in the terms of what I'm proposing, he wouldn't have won it last year.

 

[RENS99]

Mathias Frank

 

[Koba80]

Alberto Contador

 

[IndianCyclist]

Monfort
All of Lotto NL Jumbo leaders

 

[HiroAntagonist]

Haimar will always be the true ninja. We need a special drinking game for those rare moments he's captured on film!

 

[Scarponi]

FEILLU Brice

Will hold on as long as can in every mountain stage until there is 15-20 left.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Monfort
All of Lotto NL Jumbo leaders

Monfort ain't racing it right?

 

[cellardoor]

Haimar will always be the true ninja. We need a special drinking game for those rare moments he's captured on film!

Really bad idea as generally the point of a drinking game is to actually drink!