Tdf prediction thread

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ok, not that all peeps suddenly come with the same kind of critic Contador had when he did 1 below average TT a few years back.
All of a sudden Contador was a climber who had to learn how to TT, while Contador was a time trial specialist from his youth.

Gesink was actually dutch TT champion at junior level and was 7th at the World ITT for juniors in his time.
If people joke enough about his time trial, some people are actually gone believe it and create another 'he can't TT'-myth

 

[Mellow Velo]

DT: What's the reason put forward for Sunday's poor showing?
Are you not slightly concerned that he might repeat this effort at the Tour?
All I could see was constant movement in the saddle.
Normal RG, or not?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Style is pretty normal.
There has been no reason put forward, they (Rabo) think it's a combination of the effects of 3 weeks Sierra Nevada and the efforts made in previous stages, plus the stress of wearing the leader jersey..

If Grischa Niermann finishes at 1 minute of Cancellara, a normal Gesink would have no problem at all finishing in the top 10 in such a TT I think. So he must have either been completely waisted or too stressed.
Some people fly with a leader jersey, it seems Gesink has the opposite.

Luckily the chance of Gesink wearing yellow prior to the final Tour TT is as high as Cadel Evans winning a Grand Tour. Pretty much non-excisting.

 

[The Hitch]

Ok, not that all peeps suddenly come with the same kind of critic Contador had when he did 1 below average TT a few years back.
All of a sudden Contador was a climber who had to learn how to TT, while Contador was a time trial specialist from his youth.

Gesink was actually dutch TT champion at junior level and was 7th at the World ITT for juniors in his time.
If people joke enough about his time trial, some people are actually gone believe it and create another 'he can't TT'-myth

but then all he has to do is put in a solid tt when it matters and dispel the myth once and for all.
Also this idea that he cant tt can play into his hands. Maybe Contador will let him go on stage 17 thinking that he can get it all back in the tt anyway and Gesink will have the last laugh. Could have been his plan all along. If so the disastorous tds tt will go down as the single greatest tactic cycling has ever seen.

 

[Tangled Tango]

1 Contador
2 A. Schleck
3 F. Schleck
4 V.Nibali
5 L. Sanchez
6 J. Brajkovic
7 I.Basso
8 Armstrong
9 Evans
10 Sastre

 

[Climbing]

1 Basso!
2 F. Schleck
3 Contador
4 Armstrong
5 Evans
6 A. Schleck
7 Menchov
8 Sastre
9 A Belgian!
10 A French!

Edit: Right, I forgot about Kreuziger... ok I'll add another french! maybe even a belgian!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Nibali won't even start in the Tour.
Niether will Kreuzinger btw (the name is Kreuziger, without an n)

 

[flicker]

Lord Armstrong
Fraank(Vlad) Schleck
Unintentional Ivan Basso
Cuddles
Sanchez
Andreas(Vlad) Kloeden
Sastre
Mr. 91 0/0 Alex Vinokurov
found on ground Gesink
MTV Andy Schleck
Bidet

 

[cody_57]

this is as good as you will get for now
http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MTk2NjI=

THanx, this will help!

 

[ericthesportsman6]

1. Alberto Contador
2. Denis Menchov
3. Joaquim Rodriguez
4. Robert Gesink
5. Rigaberto Uran
6. Andy Schleck
7. Roman Kreuziger
8. Samuel Sanchez
9. Frank Schleck
10. Cadel Evans

White-Robert Gesink
Green-Oscar Freire
KOM-Egoi Martinez/David Moncoutie
Team-Radioshack

 

[sashimono]

The first week doesn't look like it will be very exciting.

 

[blaxland]

If Gesink doesn't crash,get sick,have luck or puts in another poor TT during this Tdf.He might make the top 5.....

 

[auscyclefan94]

If Gesink doesn't crash,get sick,have luck or puts in another poor TT during this Tdf.He might make the top 5.....

He ain't much of a time triallist no matter what others will say.

 

[theyoungest]

He ain't much of a time triallist no matter what others will say.

You mean: no matter what the results say.

 

[auscyclefan94]

You mean: no matter what the results say.

hey it only took 1 minute for a dutchie to reply.

He half admitted he isn't a great itt'er as he said in the tds that it would take his best tt to hold off armstrong who was 55 seconds away.

 

[Oldman]

Lord Armstrong
Fraank(Vlad) Schleck
Unintentional Ivan Basso
Cuddles
Sanchez
Andreas(Vlad) Kloeden
Sastre
Mr. 91 0/0 Alex Vinokurov
found on ground Gesink
MTV Andy Schleck
Bidet

Delusion is your new name, none of these in the top ten after testing. LA "retired" before a positive can happen. End.

 

[theyoungest]

hey it only took 1 minute for a dutchie to reply.

He half admitted he isn't a great itt'er as he said in the tds that it would take his best tt to hold off armstrong who was 55 seconds away.

He also needed his best TT ever to hold off Fränk Schleck.

 

[Angliru]

Nibali won't even start in the Tour.
Niether will Kreuzinger btw (the name is Kreuziger, without an n)

Kreuziger isn't starting the Tour?? Did I miss the article announcing this or is this your own prediction?

 

[Publicus]

Kreuziger isn't starting the Tour?? Did I miss the article announcing this or is this your own prediction?

He was pointing out (ever so gently) that the original poster had misspelled Kreuziger's name.

 

[WLVStudios]

Tour de France previews

Brush up on all your Tour de France knowledge. Universal Sports has previews of the race and the contenders on the Cycling Channel.

http://www.universalsports.com/cycling/index.html

 

[ulrikmm]

I will have a go: Fuglsang will make it in top 10 in the general classification - I hope

He won the Danish ITT today (his form is peaking with perfect timing), has been the greatest MTB talent (= he can ride alone, and climb decently) in Denmark in the past 5 years, he seems clever in cycling tactics, and is mentally very strong.

I dont think he will be allowed to have a free role on Saxo - but I think he will try to minimise time loss on every stage, because he wants to ride for the GC in a year or two on Saxo or another team and therefore wants a good result already this year.

This is very optimistic - but you never know. We cant all just namedrop the ones that impressed us a year (= ages) ago LOL.

 

[metaCYCLE]

Fuglsang will have to move to another team in order to put his mark on a GT GC.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I will have a go: Fuglsang will make it in top 10 in the general classification - I hope

He won the Danish ITT today (his form is peaking with perfect timing), has been the greatest MTB talent (= he can ride alone, and climb decently) in Denmark in the past 5 years, he seems clever in cycling tactics, and is mentally very strong.

I dont think he will be allowed to have a free role on Saxo - but I think he will try to minimise time loss on every stage, because he wants to ride for the GC in a year or two on Saxo or another team and therefore wants a good result already this year.

This is very optimistic - but you never know. We cant all just namedrop the ones that impressed us a year (= ages) ago LOL.

I think saying he'll top 10 in the Tour is optimistic since he'll be killing himself for the Schlecks. Now, as a thank you he could get a free role in the Vuelta and could easily top 10 there. He got a pair of 2nds and a 3rd in last year's Vuelta because once he was out of the GC thanks to his crash with the oil tanker, rather than join Bruyneel's boys and cling on for about 15th, he dropped time and entertained us in multiple breakaways.

 

[ulrikmm]

Fuglsang has spoken of this possibility in an interview from this week.

 

[auscyclefan94]

He was pointing out (ever so gently) that the original poster had misspelled Kreuziger's name.

That is a Liggett pronunciation, along with Maaskrant