Pick the Podium for the Tour de France 2010

[ferryman]

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.

Fair point but hopefully Frank's win today means all is well in Team Schleck. So:

1 Contador
2 A Schleck
3 F Schleck

for me

 

[offbyone]

Fair point but hopefully Frank's win today means all is well in Team Schleck. So:

1 Contador
2 A Schleck
3 F Schleck

for me

Doubtful, but if it turned out that way I bet it would be a fun race to watch and surely fun to see the brothers on the podium together. There is only the one big time trial so that is good for frank, but it is a 51 km TT, he will lose at least a minute.

 

[nvpacchi]

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.

No one to guide him on cobbles?? Koldo Fernandez got 6th in Gent Wevelgem last year .

Its gonna be a battle of the fresh riders.

Contador
A. Schleck
Sanchez G.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

No one to guide him on cobbles?? Koldo Fernandez got 6th in Gent Wevelgem last year .

Euskaltel's preliminary Tour lineup of 10:

Aitor Hernández
Íñaki Isasi
Egoi Martínez
Juan José Oroz
Alan Pérez
Rubén Pérez
Samuel Sánchez
Amets Txurruka
Iban Velasco
Gorka Verdugo

no Koldo there. Isasi is at least quick, and Rubén Pérez just won a sprint in the Bayernrundfahrt, but are they really helpers on the cobbles? And do we really see Txurruka battling the odds to attack on them?

Also, which Sánchez is Sánchez G.? Samuel is Sánchez González, and Luís León is Sánchez Gil...

 

[nvpacchi]

Euskaltel's preliminary Tour lineup of 10:

Aitor Hernández
Íñaki Isasi
Egoi Martínez
Juan José Oroz
Alan Pérez
Rubén Pérez
Samuel Sánchez
Amets Txurruka
Iban Velasco
Gorka Verdugo

no Koldo there. Isasi is at least quick, and Rubén Pérez just won a sprint in the Bayernrundfahrt, but are they really helpers on the cobbles? And do we really see Txurruka battling the odds to attack on them?

Also, which Sánchez is Sánchez G.? Samuel is Sánchez González, and Luís León is Sánchez Gil...

I meant Samu, didn't realize Lulu had the same initials.

I can't see Amets attacking, especially after coming off his broken collarbone, he may not want to risk anything on such a shot in the dark stage. But yes Euskaltel's shortcoming on the cobbles will be an adventure to say the least.

 

[taiwan]

Went Contador, Schleck, Sanchez. I didn't spend long thinking about it, and I couldn't bear to put Armstrong on the podium despite my suspicions.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I meant Samu, didn't realize Lulu had the same initials.

I assumed you meant Samu, but had to double-check. Because of his being a well-known name some people overestimate Lulu's potential in such a situation, though he has come into this season significantly lighter than previous years in the expectancy of having to step up with Valverde being banned.

I can't see Amets attacking, especially after coming off his broken collarbone, he may not want to risk anything on such a shot in the dark stage. But yes Euskaltel's shortcoming on the cobbles will be an adventure to say the least.

Amets Txurruka spits in the face of risk and logic. In fact, the more ridiculous, inappropriate and doomed to failure an attack is, the more likely Amets Txurruka is to do it.

 

[nvpacchi]

Amets Txurruka spits in the face of risk and logic. In fact, the more ridiculous, inappropriate and doomed to failure an attack is, the more likely Amets Txurruka is to do it.

touche...

Now I am rooting for an viscous, ruthless attack right at the beginning of the cobbles.

 

[the vagabond]

Frank Schleck almost certain to finish ahead of Andy Schleck.

 

[theyoungest]

Frank Schleck almost certain to finish ahead of Andy Schleck.

Because of his performance in the Tour of Luxembourg?

 

[Michielveedeebee]

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?

what about eddy merckx?

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Amets Txurruka spits in the face of risk and logic. In fact, the more ridiculous, inappropriate and doomed to failure an attack is, the more likely Amets Txurruka is to do it.

Amets Txurruka is wonderful to watch One day he'll gain a really big win like that

 

[Sasquatch]

Txurruka will win a stage. Which one? Who knows!

 

[Nickbeam]

contador, menchov and someone like Nibali or Samu Sanchez. i really dont believe A.Schleck will gain 2 or 3 minutes on these guys in the mountains before the 50 km ITT. poor time trial gonna kill his chances for podium. but who knows

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Sasquatch - boy I hope so. Guy has no wins in his pro career, and would have absolutely aced the KOM at País Vasco if he hadn't crashed out on that oil.

From Txurruka having to pull out to Horner winning the TT, that was a day of cycling that put me in a foul mood.

 

[Potomac]

I predicted the same riders on the podium as last year, and the same order as last year too.


Contador will win and win easily.

But really there is only 1st place and everything else is tripe. I will give credit to the men that risk everything for a win, rather than the dogs that ride for a good placing.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

1. Contador
2. Menchov
3. I don't even know if he's racing but if he is, Joaquim Rodriguez
4. Andy Schleck
5. Sanchez

If Rodriguez doesn't ride, I'll move Schleck and Sanchez up one and pick Cobo as a dark horse for fifth.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Contador
Menchov
SChleck


This will be another very boring year unless something major happens to contador on the climbs or on the cobbles. This is like the boring old LA years tbh. Ride tempo to fiinal climb then ride away but I am just hoping that it is a big battle and a big fight to the end.

 

[blaxland]

My top 3 positions are;1st=Contador(3mins advantage)
2nd=A.Schleck(3mins+)
3rd=Gesink(Great dutch hope)or Nibali(Liqiugas is so strong as a team)
Would like to be proven wrong but as others have posted,Contador and Schleck would need some bad luck not to go 1-2 in this one......Another bore fest come july..........

 

[richwagmn]

Contador
Schleck
Kloden

Huh? LA'll put a pillow over Kloden's face at night before he'd let that happen.

 

[Sasquatch]

Huh? LA'll put a pillow over Kloden's face at night before he'd let that happen.

What makes you think Armstrong will be racing?

 

[Inner Peace]

1. Contador
2. Armstrong
3. Evans or Schleck (I can't decide how disastrous AS's TT will be this year)

I don't know or even want to think about how, but Armstrong will get his 1999-2005 TT back by July - as we all know with that fella, results from August-June mean absolutely fvck all in terms of predicting form in July.

Very interested by the Menchov analysis - To be honest, i'd forgotten about him, and he will be fresher than most - the guy has basically taken a year off!!

Whilst it will be boring - this grand tour has about 15 contenders for the top 5 - young, old and prehistoric! Imagine this field at the Giro course 2010!!!

 

[Sasquatch]

Sasquatch - boy I hope so. Guy has no wins in his pro career, and would have absolutely aced the KOM at País Vasco if he hadn't crashed out on that oil.

From Txurruka having to pull out to Horner winning the TT, that was a day of cycling that put me in a foul mood.

Txurruka is my outsider for the polka dot jersey.

I mean, one of the orange men will definately be going for it. Martinez is the other one.

 

[karlboss]

picks for the podium are always going to vary, the surprise of this poll is that 3% of folk think Contador will finish outsied the top 3. I suppose they are tipping a crash or positive.

 

[Nearly]

Very interested by the Menchov analysis - To be honest, i'd forgotten about him, and he will be fresher than most - the guy has basically taken a year off!!

Whilst it will be boring - this grand tour has about 15 contenders for the top 5 - young, old and prehistoric! Imagine this field at the Giro course 2010!!!

I agree Menchov is a real threat - he looked very menacing at times in Romandie.

One who has not been mentioned on this thread but has had very solid build up with 2 stage race wins including winning the 2nd most important race in the world against everyone's best team prize favourite with everything to lose is Mick Rogers (assuming Tony Martin is working with/for him again rather than the reverse) - the long TT will suit him.

That said - 1) Conti; 2) A Schleck 3) Evans.

Boring it may turn out to be but as IP points out there are a lot of potentially strong candidates (best field for some time) so anything could happen (except that first is almost a given).