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Predict the Top 5 GC in Tour de France

1. Froome - providing he doesn't crash again he is the strongest, other than that perhaps the only weakness are those short, steep hilltop finishes in week 1.
2. Contador - in tremendous form, maybe by week 3 just paying the price of a Giro/Tour double.
3. Quintana - I think he will lose time in week 1 but will be very strong in the final mountain stages.
4. Nibali - On a level playing field I think he's the weakest climber of the 'big 4', not enough iTT to get an advantage on Quintana. Will need to gain lots of time on the cobbles again.
5. Pinot - Lack of iTT will really help him, had a great Tour last year and just like last year will drop Valverde in the mountains to get 5th.

If one of the top 4 abandons then a toss up between Valverde and Bardet for 5th.
 
Feb 21, 2014
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Re:

Pricey_sky said:
1. Froome - providing he doesn't crash again he is the strongest, other than that perhaps the only weakness are those short, steep hilltop finishes in week 1.
2. Contador - in tremendous form, maybe by week 3 just paying the price of a Giro/Tour double.

You gotta hope AC's kinda screwed by the Giro, because If he is in "tremendous form" as you say, he ain't loosing lol regadless of Froome's shape.
 
Jan 24, 2012
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1. Contador
2. Quintana
3. Froome
4. Majka
5. Nibali

Will assume at least one of the "big four" abandons, so rest slide up and some french rider takes 5th.
 
Nov 16, 2011
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1. Contador
2. Froome
3. Reserved for some unknown rider whooping the cream of the crop but not quite enough to win.
 
Quintana, Nibali, Froome and Contador will definitely not all finish in top 5. That never happens. I'm not even sure 3 of them will finish there. 2 at best.

I don't even rate Nibali as a top 5 climber, so let's see. Nibali will lose the most on the Murs.
 
Jun 28, 2011
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jmdirt said:
Contador
Nibali
Quintana
van Garderen
Someone we didn't think of will crack the top five and maybe even stand on the box.

Someone like this?

chris_froome__70325__64779.1411710301.255.331.jpg
 
Re: Re:

Velolover2 said:
Jspear said:
Of course it's way to early to really say. If all come in top form:
1. AC
2. Froome
3. Quintana
4. Nibali
5. Pinot
There is no way that they all 4 are going to in top 5. That's more unlikely than the scenario that it's not on of the big 4 who is going to win.

It is just your opinion that an "outsider" winning is more likely than all the above riders finishing. This top 5 list is just my opinion. None of us really knows what is going to happen hence the term prediction. ;)
 
Re: Re:

Jspear said:
Velolover2 said:
Jspear said:
Of course it's way to early to really say. If all come in top form:
1. AC
2. Froome
3. Quintana
4. Nibali
5. Pinot
There is no way that they all 4 are going to in top 5. That's more unlikely than the scenario that it's not on of the big 4 who is going to win.

It is just your opinion that an "outsider" winning is more likely than all the above riders finishing. This top 5 list is just my opinion. None of us really knows what is going to happen hence the term prediction. ;)

You're so nice and polite, Jspear. I can't even be mad at you. :p
 
Re:

LaFlorecita said:
1 Contador
2 Froome
3 Quintana
4 Pinot
5 Valverde
Nibali will abandon

I was thinking the same. The guy has the weakest "punch" of the 4. I think he will lose 20 seconds on Mur de Huy, failing to win it back on the cobbles and then another 20 seconds on Bretagne. In the first mountain stage, he will lose over a minute and call it a quit.
 
Re:

Pricey_sky said:
1. Froome - providing he doesn't crash again he is the strongest, other than that perhaps the only weakness are those short, steep hilltop finishes in week 1.
2. Contador - in tremendous form, maybe by week 3 just paying the price of a Giro/Tour double.
3. Quintana - I think he will lose time in week 1 but will be very strong in the final mountain stages.
4. Nibali - On a level playing field I think he's the weakest climber of the 'big 4', not enough iTT to get an advantage on Quintana. Will need to gain lots of time on the cobbles again.
5. Pinot - Lack of iTT will really help him, had a great Tour last year and just like last year will drop Valverde in the mountains to get 5th.

If one of the top 4 abandons then a toss up between Valverde and Bardet for 5th.

Contador (il mostro sacro,"sacred monster," as Aru has referred to him) in shape is the best in the business, both phsically and, perhaps even more significant, mentally.
 
Jul 29, 2012
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Kwibus said:
Not possible, because of crashes.

True but if by some miracle none of them crashes, adding with that a really good valverde and it should be a great race.
 
May 27, 2015
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1. Contador
2-3 Valverde/Rodriguez duo, as we saw in Vuelta, always riding together
4. Nibali
5. Quintana

Surprise possibility: Pinot