Pick the Podium for the Tour de France 2010

[peacefultribe]

Contador
Basso
Schleck

There does seem to be a lot of love for Menchov in this thread.?

 

[Jamsque]

Contador
Basso
Schleck

There does seem to be a lot of love for Menchov in this thread.?

There isn't all that much Menchov love. If you look at the poll he is leading the 'best of the rest' behind Contador and Schlecklet, but not by miles. He has a very solid GT resume, he's won the Giro and the Vuelta, and he isn't super old like Armstrong or knackered after a brutal Giro like Cuddles and Basso.

 

[sublimit]

Contador
Vinokourov
Schleck


Menchov can go top 10 but I expect Evans, Tony Martin to finish in front of him.

 

[sunplum]

contador
wiggins
schleck or nibali

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Contador
Vinokourov
Schleck


Menchov can go top 10 but I expect Evans, Tony Martin to finish in front of him.

Now what are you saying? Evans and Vino did the Giro and had to go deep for it so they won't be great in the Tour, Martin can climb but he doesn't come to the heels of the real climbers + he's got to work for Cavendish.

 

[sublimit]

Vino is a solid and a more talented rider than Menchov and should recover. I'm sure Giro riders can do well, but obviously Evans will be feeling it but he has so much guts and hangs in there.

Tony Martin hopefully will be given a chance to race and not become a super domestique.

 

[Jamsque]

Vino is a solid and more talented rider than Menchov and should recover.

Did you watch this and last year's Giro? Because they tell a very different story. Vino has always struggled to be consistent over a three-week race, and he did exactly that this May. Besides, he'll be working for Contador.

 

[perico]

1. Contador
2. A. Schleck
3. Vande Velde

 

[sublimit]

OK we will see, I'm not looking out for Menchov particularly. but as i said probably going top 10. I'm not certain Vino was going full bore this time out, like wiggins was holding back also.

 

[eleven]

Who are the 2.53% that didn't pick Contador to be on the podium?!

Strange things could happen, but....

 

[richo36]

1.Contador: Clear race favourite, unless something baziare happens

My next two were rough guesses that i dont think will happen.
2.Evans: He is my hero, but after the giro this isnt seeming likely, i can hope though.
3.Armstrong:I generally dont reckon he is strong enough, but i think hes team will be good enough to carry him, and he is good in TT. He will pose no threat in the race but will do enough to get on the poduim.

 

[Barrus]

1 Contador
2 A schleck
3 Kreuziger

 

[Roland Rat]

A Accountant
A Schleck
D Menchov

Yes, I know, boring.

 

[hfer07]

1. Alberto Contador
2. Andy Schleck
3. Ivan Basso.

I think is clear for everyone what the top 2 is going to be this year, but as far as 3rd place, I'm a bit unsure-although i'm putting Basso, because he's motivated, still has fuel to do the tour, since his early schedule(pre-Giro) wasn't that demanding. the issue with basso will be if Nibali decides to ride it too- and already having Pellizotti & Kreuziger......

 

[slowoldman]

Contador
Schleck
Kloden

 

[Christophe]

Pick the Podium

1) Contador
2) Basso (this year's best supporting team)
3) Evans (Pure ballsy riding)

 

[Zaschrona]

A Schleck
F Schleck
Kreuziger

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Here is the list of people who've gone top 10 in both the Giro and Tour in the last seven years:

Denis Menchov, 2008


That hardly bodes well for Evans or Basso or Vino (especially Vino since he'll not be his team leader). I think people underestimate just how much that Giro took out of people. Bear in mind that Evans has had to be in form through April too, and was visibly running out of gas at the end of the Giro. He only just managed the top 5 at the Giro, and now you think he's going to podium at the Tour, with even less support than he had before, fatigued after the Giro, and with a tougher set of opposition? His riding will be pure and ballsy, but I will be absolutely shocked senseless if Evans podiums. Even acf says he'd be better off losing time and going for the KOM or stage wins, and acf believes Evans could win every race on the planet and would if it weren't for conspiracies! Also, Liquigas targeted the Giro, and many of their best helpers were there. Will the likes of Szmyd be as good in consecutive GTs?

I also think that the people voting for the riders who've just blown our minds and their gaskets in the Giro are underestimating the benefits of being fresh, and recent race training; the riders who rode the Giro will need most of the month off to recuperate for Le Tour, while the riders peaking for the Tour without doing the Giro can build up through June. Menchov is always going to be worth mentioning; he has 3 Grand Tour wins, 3 times as many as Vino, 1 and a half times as many as Basso and infinity times as many as Evans. I'm not saying for a second that he's a better rider than them, but he knows how to deal with the pressure and the Tour is all he has left to achieve. He also has a strong team behind him. Samuel Sánchez is also a good option; he beat Evans at the Vuelta last year, and the parcours could aid him. Working against him are that two of Euskaltel's best riders - Igor Antón and Beñat Intxausti - are being kept for the Vuelta, and that he will be one of the most vulnerable GC men on the cobbles since he doesn't really have anybody to guide him.

Finally, the Tour always throws up a surprise or two; Wiggins in 2009, Kohl and Vande Velde in 2008, Contador and Soler in 2007. I'm sure there will be somebody up there we wouldn't expect. Soler is a possibility; he has looked much more like the Soler of 2007 this year, and Caisse d'Epargne have a very strong support team, they just need somebody like Soler, Sánchez or Cobo to step up and lead them. Rodríguez is another - he's got two GT top 10s riding as a support rider, and the parcours limits his losses by including few TT kilometres.

 

[*G*K*S*]

1.Contador: Clear race favourite, unless something baziare happens

My next two were rough guesses that i dont think will happen.
2.Evans: He is my hero, but after the giro this isnt seeming likely, i can hope though.
3.Armstrong:I generally dont reckon he is strong enough, but i think hes team will be good enough to carry him, and he is good in TT. He will pose no threat in the race but will do enough to get on the poduim.[/QUOTE]

How can a guy who's going to finish +20 minutes down from the winner, stand on the third step of the podium?

 

[richo36]

1.Contador: Clear race favourite, unless something baziare happens

My next two were rough guesses that i dont think will happen.
2.Evans: He is my hero, but after the giro this isnt seeming likely, i can hope though.
3.Armstrong:I generally dont reckon he is strong enough, but i think hes team will be good enough to carry him, and he is good in TT. He will pose no threat in the race but will do enough to get on the poduim.[/QUOTE]

How can a guy who's going to finish +20 minutes down from the winner, stand on the third step of the podium?

I dont think he will try to launch attacks like the schlecks, or menchov. I believe he will be happy just to ride knowing that the schlecks and menchov are going to attack contador, go "into the red" as contador will be to strong. Therfore will be no threat to Contador but will get onto the poduim by every other rider actually having a go for the win and failing.

 

[theyoungest]

1 Contador
2 A schleck
3 Kreuzinger

Are you Mart Smeets' brother?

 

[this_is_edie]

1. Contador
2. Basso
3. A Schleck

 

[Barrus]

Are you Mart Smeets' brother?

NOOO, I'm actually agreeing with something Mart Smeets said
This truly means hell has frozen over.

Ooh wait, I already see my mistake. Used Kreuzinger earlier today as a reference and that was still stuck in my mind

 

[Jpettersen]

Think it will be a deja vu from last year...

1. Contador
2. Andy Schleck
3. Lance Armstrong

 

[offbyone]

I am surprised by all the votes for Andy Schleck. He has had various problems this year and generally looked pretty poor. He has raced less and achieved less results then past years leading up to the tour. I think he might win a stage, but I don't expect him on the podium this year.