One of the best tours ever coming up?

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'm content that there is a prologue and 20 great stages with the potential for a new "winner" every day.

I think that's a valid point, and probably the same thinking of the organizers.

 

[franciep10]

I just hope there is solid competition and not just a Contador solo for 5k on every mountain stage

 

[quadsRme]

I just hope there is solid competition and not just a Contador solo for 5k on every mountain stage

I agree, although the Chicken can't race until end if July. So who will contest Contador?

 

[hawkeye87]

I've said it before, in the opening prologue, both Contador and Leipheimer will beat Armstrong or even win, setting up the Astana team hierarchy for the rest of the race. Chances are Contador will dance away from the rest of the Astana team in Pyrynees, Alps and Ventoux. Contador will finish highest of the Astana boys. Whether this means that he wins the Tour, I don't know. All I do know is that I'm not betting on anybody other than Contador.

I think the only "guesses" we will wonder about is who gets 2nd and 3rd.

I'm personally keeping my fingers crossed that the AFLD may surprise the riders again and take down the Preying Mantis-appearing Contador. Nothing would please me more (well, 2nd to JB having the team busted) than to see that Spanish cowboy go down.

 

[peloton]

I think the only "guesses" we will wonder about is who gets 2nd and 3rd.

I'm personally keeping my fingers crossed that the AFLD may surprise the riders again and take down the Preying Mantis-appearing Contador. Nothing would please me more (well, 2nd to JB having the team busted) than to see that Spanish cowboy go down.

lovely attitude there.... *sigh

I'm hoping most of the riders being clean this time, every doping bust is hurting the sport, and unlike the poster above, I hope we'll finally have a race without scandals.

Seems like some people only follow cycling because of the scandals, not because of the beautiful sport.

 

[patswana]

Unless he crashes or gets busted for his flagrant doping, Contador should win by >10 minutes.

The only other thing stopping him is that he'll be forced by the Hog to ride in support of Armstrong if the latter is remotely competitive.

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

I know that talk of a repeat of 1986 has quieted down since Armstrong broke his collarbone; but in case there is any lingering doubt that Armstrong and Hinault are the same person:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.p...tures/tour_de_france_ladder_apr09/PIC13543643

 

[tifosa]

Seems like some people only follow cycling because of the scandals, not because of the beautiful sport.

I consider the doping scandals similar to riding my bike and finding trash on the roadway:
I can go around it, or I can go through it.
I usually prefer to take the detour.
I'll let the others ride through the trash.
For road bike fanatics, some really do love to ride through crap!

 

[hawkeye87]

lovely attitude there.... *sigh

I'm hoping most of the riders being clean this time, every doping bust is hurting the sport, and unlike the poster above, I hope we'll finally have a race without scandals.

Seems like some people only follow cycling because of the scandals, not because of the beautiful sport.

Interesting interpretation you have on my post. I find the dopers disgusting. Equally as disgusting are the groups who simply want to look the other way and also fans, like yourself, who want to pretend it is gone because you are told that by a non-independent source.

As disappointing as the busts were last year, I was somewhat glad that they seemed to be making progress.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

The only other thing stopping him is that he'll be forced by the Hog to ride in support of Armstrong if the latter is remotely competitive.

I think that's a pretty good assessment. But don't you agree that's one of those things that keeps it interesting?!

 

[skidmark]

Unless he crashes or gets busted for his flagrant doping, Contador should win by >10 minutes.

I'll bet you ten bucks that Contador never wins a Tour by more than ten minutes.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Considering the last time a Tour was won by that margin was 1984, I'd say you have a pretty safe bet. And even that year can be chalked up to Fignon being at his peak, and the guy in 2nd was Hinault just coming back from injury, and 3rd was Lemond in his first Tour.

Before that, you need to go back to Hinault's wins in 81 and 79 where he truly was crushing his rivals in both the TT's and the mountains, winning by nearly 15 minutes.

Somehow I don't see this year being like that.

 

[Angliru]

The last three Tours were close to the end, and had some dramatic racing. Unfortunately they were also badly tainted by doping.

My only complaint about the Tour (versus the Giro I suppose) is that the Tour seems to follow the same format nearly every year with where it places it's climbs and TT's. I also think they throw in too many long semi-flat stages, especially in the 2nd half of the race, that do almost nothing to GC - meaning the race is actually only decided on 4-5 stages.

In the last few Giros, the Italians have tried to do things like toss in some short uphill finishes at the end of a few more stages, encouraging GC contenders to mix it up more. It looks like this year's Vuelta is going to be the same way. Great course design by them this year, btw.

The Tour did include an uphill finish in its first stage instead of its normal prologue and that turned into one of the most exciting opening stages to a Tour I'd seen in years. They added another uphill finish in the first week that also was exciting and pleasant change of pace. Both of these stages almost forced the punchers like Schumacher and Bettini to mix it up with the gc guys of Valverde, Evans, Ricco, Menchov. I liked that in these 2 stages they were forced to race almost like a hilly classic. There were complaints that some riders were expending more energy than others in going for the stage win
and potentially burning matches that could be better utilized later in the race
but this was a bunch of hooey since all the gc guys had to stay alert, ride smart in staying in position to avoid losing time to those going for the stage win. As a result only seconds were actually lost by most of the contenders while the fans were given an early stage, and not a prologue/ITT, that the guys who would be fighting for the overall later on, were competing against one another.