Predictions for 2010

[maltiv]

AC will definitely be a lot worse with a sports director that doesn't hate him and insult him in the press.

Hilarious how people think this switch might affect Contador negatively.

 

[Jukebox]

I don't want to predict the winner for every other race, but here's just some guesses:

Milan - San Remo will be one from a breakaway group
Paris Nice will be just like every other years
Tirreno - Adriatico will be won by a surprise winner.

Cancellara will finally take Vlaanderen.
One of the Schlecks will take Fleche Wallone or Liege
Kroon wins Amstel
Haussler will win one classic this year.
Boonen will fail in Vlaanderen and Roubaix.

Tour-Podium: Contador, ASchleck, Basso
Sastre podiums in Giro or Vuelta and rides a solid top 10 tour.

Evans will be cursed by the Rainbow jersey
Hincapie's Paris Roubaix curse will not get away

Cav will be the favorite for the WC but will fail

Gesink wins Lombardia.

Hard to see Gesink winning Lombardia with all of the technical descending in the finale. He goes downhill with all of the grace of Frank Schleck.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Hard to see Gesink winning Lombardia with all of the technical descending in the finale. He goes downhill with all of the grace of Frank Schleck.

Gesink isn't that bad a descender. That still comes from from the Paris - Nice he lost where somebody (yes, F Schleck) fell right in front of him so he got a bit scared, plus there was an uber-elite group working perfectly together in front. That all combined would put most riders on 3 minutes.
I can't name another race where he lost a lot of time in a descend.


He was in the group chasing Gilbert and Samsan this year without a problem.

 

[zapata]

Just guessing..

Milan San remo: Cavendish

Vlaanderen: Maaskant

Ghent-Wevelgem: Hutarovitsj

Paris-roubaix: Flecha..or Boasson. Maybe a one-two for sky!?

Amstel: Kolobnev

Fleche walonne: Cunego

Liege: Samuel sanchez

Giro d'Italia: Basso.

Tour de France: Contador

Vuelta d'espana: Contador

San sebastian: Luis leon sanchez.

Lombardia: Paolini.

WC: Boasson,

 

[auscyclefan94]

These are some interesting ones!!

What do you think for the scandal:

A team specific/festina like scandal?

Or another Operacian Puerto like scandal?


BTW, if BMC miss le Tour I think you/I will be more than happy to see Cadel do the Giro/Vuelta double win!

I just think that their will be some massive riders eliminated from the tour from many teams across the board right before the tour like Puerto.

 

[Pedaaldanser]

I just think that their will be some massive riders eliminated from the tour from many teams across the board right before the tour like Puerto.

While I don't think that's very likely since things like that don't happen very often on a large scale, it could be possible that they will reveal some riders since they are already looking at some profiles ( http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gripper-were-winning-the-war-on-doping ). And these things always take several months.

 

[Mellow Velo]

All the up and coming Tour riders to fulfill their potential and clean sweep the top 10.
Wet weather for Roubaix.
The Tour of Cali to get their tv coverage sorted.
Twitter to be struck down by a mysterious virus.
Contador to take LBL.
No more race cancellations.
Ricco to to take vow of silence, in order to raise, "Silence is Golden" awareness.

An exciting racing season, with plenty of the unexpected!

 

[gatete]

My guesses

TOC not Levi
Paris nice Contador
Paris Robuiax Boonen (and it sucks, because that's when I'm not really rooting for him)
Giro Don't know, but definitelly not Pelizotti
Tour Contador- (then Lance will realize, there is more money with Contador in Radio Shack ala De la hoya not having everybody that kick his *** in the golden boy productions roster)
Vuelta Contador
WC Samuel Sanchez

 

[Moondance]

Hard to see Gesink winning Lombardia with all of the technical descending in the finale. He goes downhill with all of the grace of Frank Schleck.

The 'Gesink is a bad descender' thing is complete bullsh!t... Yes, he screwed up royally in '08 Paris-Nice, but that was simply lack of experience with both the parcours and the situation he was in.

If you saw the Vuelta for instance this year, you'll see that after Basso, Evans and Valverde dropped Gesink on the climb to Xorret de Cati, Gesink worked his way back to them in large part on the descent.

 

[Thorum]

Curious how this will fall out. Probably a zero. First who I think will win. Second who I hope will win (a realistic hope).

San Remo: Cavendish | Gilbert;

Wevelgem: McEwen | Boonen;

Vlaanderen: Nuyens | Nuyens;

Roubaix: Cancellara | Hoste;

Flèche Wallonne: Cunego | Cunego;

Liège Bastogne Liège: Valverde | Gilbert ;

Giro: Evans | Cunego;

Tour: Andy Schleck | Andy Schleck;

Vuelta: Vinokourov | Contador;

World Championships: Cancellara | Leukemans.

 

[Thorum]

The favorites for now (a favorite tiercé (1-2-3) based on all predictions in these 6 pages - only for races with enough predictions):

San Remo: Cavendish - Gilbert - Haussler

Gent Wevelgem (which is now BEFORE Vlaanderen): Cavendish - Boasson Hagen - Hutarovitsj

Vlaanderen: Boonen, Ballan, Boasson Hagen, and Cancellara all mentioned twice, and 5 others mentioned once

Roubaix: Boonen - Hushovd - Hincapie

Amstel Gold Race: Gesink, Cunego, and Gilbert on the same level

Flèche Wallone: Cunego - A. Schleck - F. Schleck

Liège: Gilbert - Valverde - both Schlecks

Giro: Pelizotti - Evans - Nibali

Tour: Contador - A. Schleck - ?

San Sebastian: Valverde - Sanchez - ?

Vuelta: Contador - Gesink - Sastre

World Championships: Cavendish - Cancellara - Sanchez

Lombardia: Cunego - Gilbert - Gesink

 

[Tugboat]

MSR - Hushovd
RVV - Cancellara
Roubaix - Boonen
AGR - Gilbert
Fleche Wallone - Gilbert
Liege - Vinokourov
Giro - Nibali
Tour - Contador
Vuelta - Menchov
Worlds TT Cancellara
Worlds RR - Greipel
Lombardy - Ballan

 

[Phantom Menace]

The Tour gets whacked by the Shack and dominates the podium. Lance lays the smackdown on the field.

 

[auscyclefan94]

For those tipping Nibali for the giro, well their is not much chance of that happening. ON Velonews, Liquigas announced that Pellizotti and Basso would be the leaders for the giro, Basso the leader for the tour with Kreuziger, Pellizotti and Nibali there for support and for the vuelta it would be Nibali and kreuziger leading Liquigas.

Also Samuel Sanchez isn't riding any of the spring classics.

 

[taiwan]

Could this be merged with http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=5892 ?

 

[luckyboy]

For those tipping Nibali for the giro, well their is not much chance of that happening. ON Velonews, Liquigas announced that Pellizotti and Basso would be the leaders for the giro, Basso the leader for the tour with Kreuziger, Pellizotti and Nibali there for support and for the vuelta it would be Nibali and kreuziger leading Liquigas.

I'd like to see Liquigas do well. I'm going to be a bit bold and say that they will have a rider on the podium of each GT. Pellizotti winning the Giro, someone in 3rd after AC and AS in the Tour (not necessarily Basso), and either Roman or Nibali in 3rd for the Vuelta..

 

[stjohnswell]

MSR: Cavendish
GW: EBH
RVV: Ballan. Devolder and Boonen both marked-out?
PR: Hushovd
ToC: Livestrong.org
Giro: Cunego
Tour: Contador
Vuelta: Evans
Worlds: Boonen

 

[luckyboy]

Cunego?!.......

 

[mr. tibbs]

MSR: Cavendish
GW: EBH
RVV: Ballan. Devolder and Boonen both marked-out?
PR: Hushovd
ToC: Livestrong.org
Giro: Cunego
Tour: Contador
Vuelta: Evans
Worlds: Boonen

I have to think that there are few cyclists who can mark out both Boonen and Devolder at Der Ronde. If it comes to that, I think there will be a group of favorites (Boonen, Devolder, Cancellara, Ballan, Hoste, & Pippo immediately spring to mind) who will be sitting on each other, and that only favors Quick Step. They will send Devolder. If anyone chases, Boonen is there; if no one chases... well. Three-peat.

I think marking riders will tip the race in QS's favor. Is there any team that has the firepower to watch both of them? (And I totally forgot about Chavanel, who is less strong maybe then the top-tier favorites but can't be allowed up the road.)

 

[luckyboy]

I think marking riders will tip the race in QS's favor. Is there any team that has the firepower to watch both of them? (And I totally forgot about Chavanel, who is less strong maybe then the top-tier favorites but can't be allowed up the road.)

Oh yeah, I forgot he was top 10 last year. Would be cool to see him win..

 

[53 x 11]

MSR - Vino
RVV - Vino
Roubaix - Vino
AGR - Vino
Fleche Wallone - Vino
Liege - Vino
Giro - Vino
Tour - Vino
Vuelta - Vino
Worlds TT Vino
Worlds RR - Vino
Lombardy - Vino


YAY, gonna be a good season! Vino 4 eva.

 

[auscyclefan94]

MSR - Vino
RVV - Vino
Roubaix - Vino
AGR - Vino
Fleche Wallone - Vino
Liege - Vino
Giro - Vino
Tour - Vino
Vuelta - Vino
Worlds TT Vino
Worlds RR - Vino
Lombardy - Vino


YAY, gonna be a good season! Vino 4 eva.

President of Kazakhstan: Vino

 

[markene2]

MSR - Hausler
RVV - Cancellara
Roubaix - Boonen
AGR - Vino
Fleche Wallone - Vino/Schleck/Cunego
Liege - Vino
Giro - Vino/Evans/Basso/Kloden
Tour - Contador
Vuelta - Contador/Vino*/Nibali *If he rides
Worlds TT Cancellara
Worlds RR - Vino/Hasuler/Cavendish
Lombardy - Vino/Cunego

 

[il_fiammingo]

...
Roubaix - Boonen
...

==> now that will certainly **** off Roger De Vlaeminck!