Tour 2012. Who is your money on.

[theyoungest]

So Omega Pharma Quickstep could start with a team like this:

Martin
Leipheimer
Velits
De Weert
Chavanel
Boonen
Devenyns
Steegmans
Grabsch

Doesn't seem that bad does it?
On the other hand, its a Lefevre team....

Now if only there were a team time trial...

 

[El Pistolero]

Now if only there were a team time trial...

A prologue, 2 time trials, stages in Belgium, easy mountains(Velits, Leipheimer)

Lefevre won't be complaining

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

saying sanchez is overrated as GC contender and then naming wiggins as a serious contender. . . .

oh boy oh boy

p.s. just going to add something to support my comment on how idiotic that post was.

samu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_S%C3%A1nchez

wiggins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Wiggins

On this particular route, there are a few riders who are worse than Sammy that I expect him to be beaten by.


EDIT - just read Sammy's wiki page and was a little surprised at the lack of big results, aside from the Beijing smog race. Top quality rider, but a bit of a nearly man.

 

[El Pistolero]

No-one's mentioned Niels Albert? Hell, that kid can even climb too.

Kevin Pauwels and Niels Albert are much better climbers than Sven Nys.

 

[HiCadence]

Conti imo.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I voted for the pope, and i still believe.

 

[ferryman]

No surprise in 60% voting Contador. What would be interesting is how many of them/us would use a second vote. Maybe a poll without Contador anyone?

Personally I'm not sure. Evans probably.

 

[will10]

lol nicely done.

Ive unfortunately gotten used to this after the ignorance in this years Tour with people claiming Wiggins was a contender but Samu wasnt, Schlecks not rating him as one of their top contenders, Ligget saying he thought Porte would beat Samu, during the Tour this Anthony Tan character saying Samu was no threat because Evans could take 4 minutes out of him in the tt.

Then everyone, commentators, newspapers saying that Frank Schleck led the heads of state home on Luz Ardiden and Andy on Plateau de Beille.

Hell some even said that stage 12 was won by a break. You ****ing believe that.

Tis a disgrace.

Pfff, even Sammy says himself that he is not a contender for the overall.

 

[The Hitch]

Pfff, even Sammy says himself that he is not a contender for the overall.

The fact that Wiggins thinks he can win the Tour de France while Sammy thinks that he can't does not make Wiggins a better contender.

Based on the last few years, especially his performances on tts on hills and in mountains, Sanchez is one of the contenders, even if like most of the contenders his chances are low.

 

[will10]

Nothing to do with Wiggins. Sanchez would be overrated on here regardless.

 

[greenedge]

Samu is also always consistent, except for stage 18 this year. But he also races for stage wins which is good. I think he can top this years' performance ( by getting in the top 5 ). Though Wiggins, Froome, Menchov and Shleck will probably be in the mix as well.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Nothing to do with Wiggins. Sanchez would be overrated on here regardless.

Like greenedge, I think he can top this year's performance. From stage 3 onward he lost less time to Evans than Frank Schleck did. Because of his attacks, he lost more energy than him also. You could make a case that he was the 4th best rider, behind Evans/Andy, and Contador, with Frank Schleck 5th best.

Maybe you are underrating him?

 

[gregrowlerson]

Like greenedge, I think he can top this year's performance. From stage 3 onward he lost less time to Evans than Frank Schleck did. Because of his attacks, he lost more energy than him also. You could make a case that he was the 4th best rider, behind Evans/Andy, and Contador, with Frank Schleck 5th best.

Maybe you are underrating him?

This is totally spot on. The best GC riders in this years TDF were:

1. Cadel Evans
2. Andy Schleck
3. Alberto Contador
4. Sami Sanchez

Frank deserved his podium (on the basis of numerous good performances over the years), but not necessarily in that race.

 

[Altitude]

Wiggo has a great shot at the win in Paris. I was always incredibly skeptical but he really impressed me this year at the Dauphine and especially at the Vuelta. The course suits him perfectly.

 

[El Pistolero]

Wiggo has a great shot at the win in Paris. I was always incredibly skeptical but he really impressed me this year at the Dauphine and especially at the Vuelta. The course suits him perfectly.

He still lost against Froome and Juan José Cobo. Shouldn't Froome have impressed you more?

 

[roundabout]

Like greenedge, I think he can top this year's performance. From stage 3 onward he lost less time to Evans than Frank Schleck did. Because of his attacks, he lost more energy than him also. You could make a case that he was the 4th best rider, behind Evans/Andy, and Contador, with Frank Schleck 5th best.

Maybe you are underrating him?

He was a whole 7 seconds faster with a lot more freedom to ride. BFD.

 

[Altitude]

He still lost against Froome and Juan José Cobo. Shouldn't Froome have impressed you more?

No. Froome will be a one hit wonder.

Cobo is always a wild card. If he's in form he'll beat Wiggins everytime in the Vuelta. Too bad you never know what you'll get from him.

 

[Granville57]

I voted for Fabian because that would quite simply be the greatest spectacle I could ever witness in professional cycling. I also couldn't resist fanning the flames of a few exploding heads over his presence in the poll. He's in the poll therefore he has a chance.

However, even if Contador is cruelly prevented from entertaining us in 2012, I'm willing to bet that he still shows up for the Tour. What's to prevent him from simply jumping onto the course and dangling in front of the peloton (PELOTON) with a 1:00 gap on each stage with a catch-me-if-you-can attitude? Ratings would soar, P&P would be beside themselves, he would quickly become a fan favorite for his panache, and the gendarmes would be forced to fall in line and allow the brazen display to continue.

I really can't see it unfolding any other way.

 

[maltiv]

No. Froome will be a one hit wonder.

As opposed to Wiggins whom no one predicted to be a one hit wonder

 

[jens_attacks]

froome already proved in beijing and copenhagen that he ain't no one hit wonder.he will still prove in the spring i'm sure.

 

[williamp78]

I have to say that i am interested to see how froome does this coming season. He was very hit and miss last season up until la vuelta

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I have to say that i am interested to see how froome does this coming season. He was very hit and miss last season up until la vuelta

He was very miss and miss for most of his career up until that Vuelta. The only thing I could remember him doing was a Taaramäe on San Luca in the '09 Giro. He showed very small glimpses of promise in the 2008 Tour and 2011 Tour de Suisse, but absolutely nothing whatsoever to indicate that his Vuelta was possible. And it's all well and good pointing out the underperformances of Antón, Rodríguez and Nibali, but most people would have considered you mad for suggesting Froome would finish ahead of Kessiakoff, Martin, Monfort or Fuglsang before the race started.

 

[El Pistolero]

He was very miss and miss for most of his career up until that Vuelta. The only thing I could remember him doing was a Taaramäe on San Luca in the '09 Giro. He showed very small glimpses of promise in the 2008 Tour and 2011 Tour de Suisse, but absolutely nothing whatsoever to indicate that his Vuelta was possible. And it's all well and good pointing out the underperformances of Antón, Rodríguez and Nibali, but most people would have considered you mad for suggesting Froome would finish ahead of Kessiakoff, Martin, Monfort or Fuglsang before the race started.

I was a bit surprised by Monfort's performance as well though. Nothing à la Froome however.

 

[roundabout]

The only time Monfort surprised was on the Angliru. He only finished top 10 in stages there and in the TT.

Still got 6th somehow.

 

[El Pistolero]

The only time Monfort surprised was on the Angliru. He only finished top 10 in stages there and in the TT.

Still got 6th somehow.

He was very consistent, I think he only had one bad day. Don't forget he already did a lot of domestique work at the Tour.