Tom Danielson's Tour Chances

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

top 20.

I'll take a jab and say 12th

 

[movingtarget]

I reckon he is just happy to be at the Tour. Top 20 or 25 I think as he will be used as a domestique. If Hejesdal has a bad race, Danielson might get a bit more freedom to try something if he is riding well.

 

[Andre.J]

if he finishes...top 40 for sure

 

[Eric8-A]

He'll be a key domestique to either Christian or Ryder. After he finishes way down on a stage and loses all hope of battling it out for GC, he'll try getting into a breakaway to try and win a stage which is his best bet in this race.

 

[Granville57]

I really hope he makes it to Paris because I think this is going to be one of the more interesting stories to watch unfold. So much speculation, so much potential—a rider's dream fulfilled to ride le Tour!

As a domestique he could prove to be extremely valuable. But if his star shines the brightest, he will most certainly have the support of CVV. It wouldn't be the first time that Christian openly embraced a role-reversal in the interest of the team.

If Tommy D. stays healthy, and is able to feed off the adrenaline, he could surprise a lot of people in the mountains.

JV considers him a great asset to the TTT, so that will be fun to watch as well.

He's got the engine. Of that, there is no doubt.

I voted top 20, which of course includes the podium.

Now THAT would be awesome.

 

[just some guy]

Waited along time for Tommy D to get to the big dance.

It will be an all or nothing show I fear. Garmins Top 10 or in the bus for the harder days.

Ryder and CVV will have no problems riding for Tommy if he is on and they will have the support of Tommy if they are riding well.

I really hope CVV is there guy but would like to see Danielson ride well - be a nice story - the next great hope to .... we will see

 

[theyoungest]

I voted top-20, but of course the guy is notoriously unreliable for GC. If he can keep it together for three weeks, top-10 might even be a possibility.

 

[luckyboy]

Either top 20 anonymously or finish way down anaonymously.

 

[Swabian Lass]

He'll be domestique-ing for Christian and Ryder, so I don't think he's got much chance in the GC. He might get the chance to go in a break and depending how things are going, he might just get a stage.

Wouldn't mind being proved wrong, though. I'd like to see him do well.

 

[Arnout]

How is it possible that top 10 is discussed here? When people in other threads don't see Samuel Sanchez end up in top 10 due to the level of the field...

This guy had one good GT and since then he is a major hype.

 

[El Pistolero]

Aah, the Samu Sanchez always gets forgotten and underrated thingie pops up in yet another thread

 

[veganrob]

I voted he would be back, but I hope not far back. Would like to see him put in a great GT, for him. He has been very erratic in his career. JV said it was due to his diet a few years back but they probably still don't have it right. Tom seems to be a good guy.

 

[search]

This guy had one good GT and since then he is a major hype.

without his illness 2009 he'd have finsihed every Vuelta he participated at inside the Top 10

he deserves his chance at the tour and with Vandevelde and Hesjedal not being reliable as well I doubt that Danielson has to live with domestique-duties.

 

[Midnightfright]

The guy got comftably out performed by roche at vuelta last year and he had all ready rode the tour so he would need to step up just to replicate what nick roche done last year. I cant see it, as much as I would like to happen he is just too inconsistent to get a top 10 I wouldst be at all surprised of he finished high up in s couple of tough stages though

 

[Eric8-A]

There's talk about Tommy D being Garmin's big surprise at this years Tour to crack the top 10. Here are the things with him.

We havn't really seen much of Christian and Ryder as we've seen from Tommy D. My guess is that both Christian and Ryder have just been racing to build on their form and to stay safe and healthy til the Tour. Something that's better for Christian considering the previous two years or so. We're going to see really if the training has paid off for Christian and Ryder once the Tour hist the mountains. Sure if Tommy D shows he's better than the other two, chances are he'll be the GC leader (also someone said that Tommy D will be working for DZ's top 10. Come on, Zabriskie's my favorite rider but if he couldn't hang in Paso Robles at the Amgen, then he's not gonna top in the Tour). If Tommy D does end up being Garmin's GC man, he better not find himself in the situation he found himself in the '09 Vuelta where he had to abandon due to bronchitis while he was placed 4th on GC.

 

[hrotha]

I sure hope Hesjedal hasn't being just building up for the Tour. That'd be stupid of him, as the Ardennes classics suit him much better than any GT. I wouldn't want to lose a good classics rider in exchange for another mediocre guy trying to score a top 10.

 

[theyoungest]

I sure hope Hesjedal hasn't being just building up for the Tour. That'd be stupid of him, as the Ardennes classics suit him much better than any GT. I wouldn't want to lose a good classics rider in exchange for another mediocre guy trying to score a top 10.

His second place at Amstel last year was a bit flattering to begin with. This year he rode like shit there (pun intended) but in Pais Vasco and the other classics I think he was at his level.

Of course his entire season is primed toward the GP Montreal, which he'll want to win this year.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

This is his year

 

[Deagol]

My guess (it’s not really more than just a guess, honestly) is to place in the mid-teens. But to at least finish. Hope he does..
I hope he blows Contador’s doors off on a mountain stage, but then I also hope the volcano in my back yard erupts diamonds.

 

[mwbyrd]

Amazing the lack of respect Danielson gets. He is one of the top US riders. How many other riders have 3 top 10s in a GT? LeMond, Armstrong, Leipheimer, Hampstein?

I don't understand why the expectations are so high for Tommy D. He's excelled when healthy. Unfortunately, he's gotten beat up in some crashes, unfortunately gotten sick at the wrong time. So he hasn't been as lucky as some. VV has been a super domestic, he's been just as unlucky as TD these last few years, yet he get's way more respect for this years Tour. Ryder has had one good GT result.

I wonder how many other US Pro's would like to have his race resume? How many euro pros? I bet a lot would.

I'm hoping he does well and finishes top 10.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yes I'm sure most euro pros are dying for the awesome palmares of Tom Danielson.

Look, I see him as top 10 candidate definately, but don't overdo it

 

[El Pistolero]

I quite honestly can only remember one victory from Danielson when he won a stage in the Vuelta. I doubt many are jealous.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't understand why the expectations are so high for Tommy D. He's excelled when healthy. Unfortunately, he's gotten beat up in some crashes, unfortunately gotten sick at the wrong time.

You contradict yourself. You state that you don't understand why the expectations are so high in your first statement, then you state why expectations are high in the second.

 

[ozerulz]

Stuck with the support role for RH and CVV unfortunately. Shame actually. It would be best for Crashton to just get it over with now and slip on a banana peal prior to the tour so he can be replaced. He'll crash out in the first week anyway. Ryder's just too big to ever be anything other than 3rd place. He always blows his wad too early on the climbs and fades. Would be better if he just did as he always does and let Tommy D sit in til he was done.
On the local ride everyone has an opinion about the pros. Kinda funny how there's 2 guys everyone agrees on without exception and Tom Danielson is one of them. I hope he gets a stage win at least. If half the stories I hear about him are true he deserves it.

 

[Granville57]

I always love reading this article from 2009

Jonathan Vaughters on the enigmatic Tom Danielson
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/436522/jonathan-vaughters-on-the-enigmatic-tom-danielson.html

Dr Millan's testing methods are groundbreaking...when he called me from our training camp in New Mexico, his excited tone was something I'd never heard before. In his funny Basque accent, he blurted out with glee, "Jonathan, I have discovered that you have one of the most talented riders in the world on your team. His values are incredible, like Contador. He can win some very big races, I am sure."

I assumed he was talking about Christian Vande Velde, but he soon corrected me.

"No, Tom Danielson. You must be very careful with this rider, he has an incredible engine. He is so very talented."

THE PARADOX THAT IS TOM'S METABOLISM
Tom Danielson in 20 per cent Eskimo in his heritage, and this probably contributes to what I can only describe as a uinique metabolism. He has a strong tendancy to store fat, not use it as fuel, if untrained.