Prediction Game

[El Imbatido]

Ok ITT picks are up. Sorry for the lateness but had other sporting commitments to attend to.

Again the tips are much like the tour. Everyone is sort of just looking at each other (picking the same) and no one is attacking (going out on a limb). Yesterday & Arcalis being the exception.

Fabian is hot favourite, with Contador, Armstrong and Wiggins all in there. Couple of people are getting on Nibali and Grabsch.

 

[El Imbatido]

Remember guys there is only a short turn-around to stage 20 - Mt Ventoux.
So tip ASAP

 

[El Imbatido]

Everyones predictions for Mt Ventoux are up. Contador is hot favourite again with Andy right on his tail. After that there is a smattering of Franks, Armstrongs and klodens and Nibalis throughout. Couple of wildcard picks with Evans, Sastre and Menchov. It also seems now that people won't even touch Wiggins with a 10ft pole after blowing up on the Col de Columbiere (only two people picked him and i think it was in their 5th spot).

Also the tallyboard has bean updated with the results of the TT. The big mover was Cosette (who was the only person to pick Gustav Erik Larsson and in the right spot, so extra points for that).

Anyways hoping for a big show on the Mt Ventoux, the tour was supposed to be decided here and might have been if it wasnt for the TTT and the overly dominent Astana.

So good viewing and good luck.

 

[El Imbatido]

Everything has been updated after the tour de france. 180 still leads but his lead has been closed slightly. The people who didnt tip at all for the tdf have gone backwards. Most players scored 65 points for the overalls. (30 for GC, 20 for Young rider and 15 for top team). The player who scored worst was bluebeard who had a terrible time not scoring at all in the overalls.

SAN SEBASTIAN ON AUG 1ST- TIP ASAP

 

[Bluebeard]

The player who scored worst was bluebeard who had a terrible time not scoring at all in the overalls.

Just wait for it - I'm going to pull a Landis in San Sebastian and pick up several hundred points, regardless of the actually available amount!

 

[Cosette]

Speaking of San Sebastian. Where should the picks go?
Still to El Imbatido or to Merckx again? (Why does that sentence sound so weird..?)

 

[El Imbatido]

Speaking of San Sebastian. Where should the picks go?
Still to El Imbatido or to Merckx again? (Why does that sentence sound so weird..?)

Just send them to me as i don't know where merckx (still on holidays??) is or how good his access to a computer is. Although he has managed to put up the info i send him quite quickly and regularly ie. updated leaderboard etc

 

[Cosette]

Clear.
One set of guesses (with San Sebastian being as unpredictable as hell, definately guesses) coming your way...

 

[El Imbatido]

Everyones picks are up for San Sebastian. Valv Piti is overwhelming favourite. Alot of people also picked Sammy Sanchez, Oscar Freire, Sylvan Chavanel and Mr Cunego.

A couple of people have jumped on The Schlecks, Kirchen and kolobnev, Ivanov and Joaquin Rodreiguez. A few people didnt pick, so it is was their loss although some of those guys haven't picked for a long time so they probably aren't playing any more. Oh well

 

[dblueroom]

I am in for the Vuelta

never followed the Vuelta before, since it's going to be on universalsports, i will be able to follow.

 

[Merckx]

Hey guys! Back from my trip to France, and I have to say it was something else. The whole atmosphere that followed the tour (call it a circus, or whatever you want) was electrifying. Living in Canada (where people often enjoy terrorizing cyclists), I found the respect accorded by cars towards cyclists to be quite unreal.

The trip was even better in that we got to climb a couple of the fabled Cols. ( Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Croix de Fer, Ventoux -- while also riding many Kilometers on "false flats", as our local friend liked to call them.. [I always thought of 4% gradients as hills , but hey I guess it's pretty flat here in Eastern Canada] )

In any case, I want to thank El Imbatido for personally taking over the Prediction Game responsibilities while I was gone. The truth is (even though he's been denying it) I gave him the information to my account so he could update the thread for you guys. Mad props to him for being such a stand up guy!

I just thought that everyone should be aware of Imbatido's contributions, and that the game would have ended, were it not for him. So when you get a chance, make sure to thank him!!


In other news, and unless I'm mistaken, the next event is the Tour of Benelux. Please make sure to send me your GC/KOM/POINTS/ETC predictions soon. Also, it would be a good time to start the stage discussions for the Tour of Benelux as well as the Vuelta.

Cheers,

Merckx

 

[Cosette]

Welcome back Merckx!

..So El Imbatido took over the game in your absence... But is very modest about his contribution as well...

A big thank you to both of you for all the effort you put into this!!

------

As for the Eneco Tour (Tour of Benelux) and the Vuelta stages...

There is always one Ardennes stage in the Eneco Tour, which might be a good choice. But I have no idea if there is one this year, and which one it would be....

As for the Vuelta...
Perhaps the Venlo - Liège stage (stage 4).
And one of the time trials (the Valencia or Toledo one)...
Stage 8 (Alzira - Alto de Aitana), stage 12 (Almería - Alto de Velefique), stage 13 (Berja - Sierra Nevada) and stage 14 (Granada - La Pandera) all finish uphill (well, more like mountain). But maybe one or two out of those?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

yup thanks El Imbatido

 

[titan_90]

The Eneco Tour starts soon. So which stages are we going to be using, or are we just picking GC/Points/KOM?

 

[Merckx]

I'm thinking just overall GC/KOM/Points/Team rankings. Unless anyone has a stage (or two) they would like to suggest.

We also have the Vuelta coming up real soon as well, so there'll be a few more chances to pick stage winners.

Get your picks in soon for the classifications winners for the tour of Benelux guys!

 

[iti_vietnam]

hot pic

 

[Delicato]

Don't know if anyone suggested it before, but it will be fun if there is also a team ranking not only an individual one. There aren't so many participants here, but next year there will definitely be more, and so it will be even more interesting if we have teams, so there can be a designated leader, a time-trialist, who will only give predictions for TTT, sprinter, lead-out man, etc.

 

[Lenovo]

Welcome to the site, thank you for supporting the site. It's people like you who read and try things yourself that make our lives a bit easier. Thank you
comparatif simulation taux credit auto - Taux crédit auto. Comparatif des offres! Les meilleurs taux crédit auto sont sur le net !comparatif simulation taux credit auto

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

woops forgot to submit my predictions

 

[Kazistuta]

Could we get to see peoples Eneco picks?

 

[El Imbatido]

Could we get to see peoples Eneco picks?

You will have to ask Merckx to do that as he is doing it again. A couple of people still sent them to me but i just forwarded them on to Merckx. I guess he'll probably put them up when he has the time. But i don't think many would have had Farrar for victory as he is untouchable at the moment but i don't know the terrain of Benelux tour so he could still lose it. I had Jose Ivan Gutteriz for victory Don't worry tho, i still have an ace up my sleeve *cough*Nibali*cough*

 

[Kazistuta]

Well, my Klöden pick wasn't that lucky either....But at least I seem to recall having picked Farrar for the points competition....

 

[180mmCrank]

Is there some race in Spain (Holland?) starting soon? What stages are we going to pick for? Any suggestions...

 

[El Imbatido]

Here is a quick run down of Vuelta stages we should consider:

Time trial: Choose 1, i reakon
Prologue/Stage 1: Moto Gp circuit 4.5km and flat
Stage 7: 30km ITT, flat
Stage 20: 26km ITT Made for TT specialists, again flat.

Sprint Stages: choose 1, i reakon
Stage 2: Pan flat
Stage 6: Couple of early catagorised climbs, but couple of circuits in finsh town make a sprint likely.
Stage 15: Windy, flatish day, 2 cat 2 climbs, i think freire type sprinter day
Stage 16: Transistion day, so breakaway or sprint
Stage 17: Last chace for sprinters before last day. Defo a sprint especially if there was a break that stayed away on st 16
stage 21: short final day 110km, definietly a sprint.

Breakaway stages Choose 1, i reakon
Stage 3: Has some cobbled sections in it, but they will be taken out if weather is bad. Sprint or break
Stage 4: Covers parts of the routes taken in Amstel Gold and leige-bastogne-leige, so a classicy like day.
Stage 5: first day after rest day, a few catagorised climb for the first day in spain, possible break day
Stage 11: 3 climbs spread out across the course (1 of each cat 1,2,3), likely break
Stage 18: hard climbing day but last two clims only cat 2 and 3, not really hard enough to put good gaps in GC. This stage is also a Breakaway candidate
Stage 19: Last climbing day, four good climbs that go cat 3, 1, 2, 1. Although downhill run to finish. Another possible breakway day, if favourites look at each other

Mountain Stages Choose 2, i reakon
Stage 8: 7 cat 2 and 3 climbs with a mtn top finish
Stage 9: 6 cat 2 and 3 climbs but with downhill run to finish
Stage 12: 2 huge cat 1 climbs + mtn top finish. Over 3550m of climbing
Stage 13: Massive last climb + mtn top finsh
Stage 14: another mtn top finish with the finish having over a km of it at over 12%
Stage 18: hard climbing day but last two clims only cat 2 and 3, not really hard enough to put good gaps in GC. This stage is also a Breakaway candidate
Stage 19: Last climbing day, four good climbs that go cat 3, 1, 2, 1. Although downhill run to finish. Another possible breakway day, if favourites look at each other


Make of this what you want but that is my thoughts on Vuelta. A few stages could fit in multiple catagories. I also grouped the big mountain stages with med mountain stages. If you wnat profiles go to cyclingnews homepage and click on vuelta link.

 

[Bluebeard]

Good list there El Imbatido. I'm going to suggest six rather than five and I am going to suggest these:

2: Sprint finish with the full field of sprinters - get them before they drop and only two are left battling it out
4: Longest stage with a Spring classics feel (and look) suitable for a break or someone wanting to lay a marker before the rest day
9: With the first mountain test the day before, it will almost predicting who shot their load, and who banked on others doing just that
13: Queen stage. 'Nuff said.
17: Breakaway likely
20: Final TT - should have that added tension of decision if it is tight, I hope

Reasonably balanced I think with not too many gaps.

If Merckx is still away and El Imbatido does not want to run it, I volunteer to do this one if need be.