damian13ster said:
He might top 10. I don't expect anything better than that. Weather and the kind of climbs might suit him but he is not a fun rider, won't gain time on rivals anywhere.
And if Kwiatkowski is even at 80% of his shape (top10 in ITT) he should go on his own on the cobbles and try to get yellow jersey. Couple of days in it would be much more valuable than anything Uran can do in the Tour (unless he goes stage hunting)
Well, I think Rigo (and bramati said once) is at the level of the big 4 named usually, Kiatkowski is far from that...but there is no problem on Kiatkowski to get the yellow in the first week or after TTT...the problem is if someone help Rigo in the first week and later if is necessary.
You can not belive that, but...
We see his 2 previous Tours:
2009. He was just 22, the younger rider on le Tour. he wanst predicted to be on the Tour, but he finally was there for differente circusntances, his fist GT.
Well, that Tour gave one impresive moment. Lance armstrong taking the half a minute that the front group with Andy, Contador, Wiggins..had. It was an explosive and amazing counter attack.
We see in this video how Uran could chase Lance in that counter attack.. that is an amazing proof of class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k-8XNcJsDk (1:50)
there were some amazing details at the begining of this video as well that year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k-8XNcJsDk
His second Tour:
He was wearing the white yersey till he got ill before the queen stage, climbing similar to the best.
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=20834
Third in le mur the bretagne
Both stages, Bretagne and Plateau are this year in le Tour, and now Rigo is an stronger rider.
Tour is the race that suit him better, he just need good luck... no illness especially, but he is not gopint to climb as Quintana nor ITT as Froome, but he is at that level and has his chances. He can put time of them is climbs as Huy or Bretagne, he is strong in the mountains and in the flat.
And of course he is better than other GC contenders in classics as Lieja, San Sebastian, Lombardia,...but that is not important in le Tour, others are maybe better in a GT.
Interesting to see this video at the end (3:00:00)
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/columnists/2011/7/16/1310835493775/Team-Skys-Rigoberto-Uran-007.jpg
I didnt remenber Contador thought he won the stage

funny.
Maybe now they play with Kiatkowski for that kind of stages (if he is ok, he wanst ok in Swiss), but Urán can do it very well