Tour 2012. Who is your money on.

[The Hitch]

Sammy Sanchez is fair as long as similar riders are included, but putting Martin and Cancellara was a joke. And omitting Nibali was unforgivable.

Nibali is not as good a tter as anyone in the poll other than maybe Valverde who is better in the hills and mountains department.

Nibali is a similar rider to Evans, Samu, Menchov who are in the poll.

Cancellara and Martin on the other hand are in the poll as they offer something else. TT.

Those who believe the tt will dominate this race could vote for them.

 

[The Hitch]

Sammy Sanchez???

Am I missing something. If he is included then other riders need to be included. And please don't try to sell me the great TT that he is.

He is a great tter a great climber and a great descender.

He has won tts descents and mtfs in Grand Tours.

he has been up there in the last 4 or 5 gts he has raced.

Which riders deserve to be in there ahead of Samu? I dont know of a better gt tter who is not in the poll already. And only andy Schleck is a better climber.

 

[cineteq]

Nibali is a similar rider to Evans, Samu, Menchov who are in the poll.

You agree, so how come he's not there then?

Cancellara and Martin on the other hand are in the poll as they offer something else. TT. Those who believe the tt will dominate this race could vote for them.

Voila, you're talking about the entire race, Le Tour de France, not just ITTs. So it's not justified.

Are we talking in circles here?

 

[Zoncolan]

Assuming they are all invited/not banned/on top form:
1. Contador
2. Evans
3. Menchov
4. Wiggins
5. Velits (Peter, of course)

 

[Escarabajo]

He is a great tter a great climber and a great descender.

He has won tts descents and mtfs in Grand Tours.

he has been up there in the last 4 or 5 gts he has raced.

Which riders deserve to be in there ahead of Samu? I dont know of a better gt tter who is not in the poll already. And only andy Schleck is a better climber.

Nibali, Kloden. Even Basso can improve in TT. Valverde has been more of a irregular in that discipline also. Nibali, Kloden and even Basso have more chance than Cancellara and even Martin IMHO.

 

[jens_attacks]

c'mon that was a flame by the hitch putting cancellara on the top of the list.and also tony martin.
lot of people is dissapointing with the route so here comes the sarcasm...

 

[Zoncolan]

Nibali, Kloden. Even Basso can improve in TT. Valverde has been more of a irregular in that discipline also. Nibali, Kloden and even Basso have more chance than Cancellara and even Martin IMHO.

Basso can only improve in ITTs if he works with Steven Spielberg.
As for the rest of your post, I fully agree.

 

[Escarabajo]

Basso can only improve in ITTs if he works with Steven Spielberg.
As for the rest of your post, I fully agree.

Ferrari will do the job better than Spielberg. But he has more chance than others that he put in that list anyway.

Just read Jens_attacks and I take it like sarcasm from The Hitch.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

Voted Contador, and think Cadel and Wiggins will complete the podium. Hardly original, yes I know! Dark horse is Menchov, but will Geox be invited? Would love for Frandy to be absolutely nowhere

 

[Kvinto]

btw i find it ridiculous to see Froome, Menchov and Wiggins in this poll while the man who beat them all (and he actually did it in the race which is taken as the main argument for inclusion of the first of these three persons in a rank of GT favourites) is missing.
i demand justice!

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Yes I know the route hasnt even been announced.

But lets milk this cow for all its worth.

If the Tour is what they say it is, who do you think will win.

Who does it favor most.

Also throw in names that havent been mentioned so far or arent in the poll, who could do well.

Like Kreuziger. Nibali. Levi. Who else.

Sagan?

Who is favourite, who the course favours, and who you think will win are 3 different questions.

Contador, Wiggins, Contador/Evans/Wiggins would be my answers.

I should also add a 4th question you raise - who your money is on - probably Wiggins, betting on favourites is a mugs game.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

btw i find it ridiculous to see Froome, Menchov and Wiggins in this poll while the man who beat them all (and he actually did it in the race which is taken as the main argument for inclusion of the first of these three persons in a rank of GT favourites) is missing.
i demand justice!

Cobo's an underrated time triallist, but let's face it, where he makes most of his gains are in the stages that are non-existent in this parcours.

Menchov will have ample opportunity to throw it away in week 1, otherwise I'd call him for the win.

 

[Angliru]

haha I like how u left the Schlecklets out of the equation after the leak that the course will have 2 ITTs

I think he should have put them in just to reveal who the true blindly faithful Frank and Andy disciples are.

 

[Angliru]

What are Martin and Cancellara doing in this poll?

I was wondering the same thing???

 

[Midnightfright]

Alexandre geniez. The either Contador or Evans depending on hearings.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I was wondering the same thing???

Tony is a legitimate name on the list in the circumstances.

He climbs terribly when he's not trying, but he's won Paris Nice and will beat every GC contender in all TTs, so he is definately a legitimate consideration.

 

[Angliru]

***** Contador, Evans

**** Froome, S. Sanchez, A. Schleck

*** Wiggins, F. Schleck , Valverde, Menchov

If Andy can climb like 09/10 then he can regain much of the time he loses in the TT (excluding Contador)

I can't understand why there is the belief that somehow Andy was not on form for the Tour. I'm guessing many are basing their assumption on his feeble attacks in the early mountain stages but IMO this was more a result of his waiting on Frank than his own inability to take time. Only when presented with the liklihood that he may not even get on the podium did he throw all caution to the wind and commit to his attack that led to his stage win on the Galibier. Supposedly the purpose for his move was to set up his brother, hoping that his opponents would wear themselves and their domestiques out in trying to reel him in, allowing Frank to sit in, and ultimately attack and gain valuable time once the catch was made, at least that is what I recall reading somewhere.

 

[Angliru]

If Tony can find his clibing legs of 09 is a serious contender for the podium

The way he struggled massively in mountainous stages in weeklong stage races, mounting attacks, being reeled in quickly and then dropped I'd have to see a lot more from him to warrant rating him as even a top 7 pick.

 

[Kvinto]

Cobo's an underrated time triallist, but let's face it, where he makes most of his gains are in the stages that are non-existent in this parcours.

Menchov will have ample opportunity to throw it away in week 1, otherwise I'd call him for the win.

it's more a question of inclusion Froome to the poll than non-inclusion Cobo.
In the end imo it's a "fully deserved" course. Let's face the other thing - give Giro's parcours to the Tour and they'll still ride it like they used to, couple of interesting stages and all the rest doesn't worth watching. Maybe now, having less mountains and more tts the likes of Schlek would start appreciate existing mountain stages.

 

[Angliru]

Well Cancellara has said that once in his career he'll go for the Gc, didn't he?
WEll Next year seems a good opportunity

Cancellara will be too focused on pursuing victories in Paris-Roubaix and RVV to risk having another lost season like 2011 to chase fools gold in the Tour gc.

 

[Angliru]

He finished 7th in Grenoble this year. That's pretty solid i 'd say
Contador and Evans were the only GC contenders ahead of him.

He's shown steady improvement in that area, so it's only natural to give him his just due when talking up his chances.

 

[LaFlorecita]

^^^^^ That guy.

 

[The Hitch]

He finished 7th in Grenoble this year. That's pretty solid i 'd say
Contador and Evans were the only GC contenders ahead of him.

And Sammy didnt even have anything to fight for. He had the KOM sorted, and was ahead of Basso and Cunego by the 1st checkpoint.

He had also gone on the attack the day before, and on 5 out of the 6 contested mountain stages in total.

 

[Tank Engine]

As long as Bertie rides, he'll be the man to beat, since he'll skip the Giro and come hit top form. Otherwise, Cadel is the best bet.

 

[El Pistolero]

And Sammy didnt even have anything to fight for. He had the KOM sorted, and was ahead of Basso and Cunego by the 1st checkpoint.

He had also gone on the attack the day before, and on 5 out of the 6 contested mountain stages in total.

Come'on that's not true, Euskaltel needed every single World Tour point they could get their hands on