Tour 2012. Who is your money on.

[Duartista]

I was referring to arguably less tolerance in France and at the Tour for le dopage.

I know - I was under the impression that the UCI was in control of testing at all three races, not the organisers.

 

[mb2612]

Contador, Menchov, Wiggins or Evans imo... Don't think any of the other climbers can TT enough. Sammy can on a good day when he's feeling like it but that doesn't happen too often....

Sammy at the end of 3 weeks is a serious prospect, one could argue more than Wiggins even looking at past results

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

I think Sanchez is being mucho overated as a GC contender.. Looking forward to see if Contador will respond, mentally and physically he got a kicking last year. I still don't trust Contador. If it really is the Tour route I can't see past Evans, Wiggins and Contador.

 

[Parrulo]

I think Sanchez is being mucho overated as a GC contender.. Looking forward to see if Contador will respond, mentally and physically he got a kicking last year. I still don't trust Contador. If it really is the Tour route I can't see past Evans, Wiggins and Contador.

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

 

[Ferminal]

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

oh boy oh boy

He beat Mollema at the Vuelta!

 

[Shooter]

I really like Sammy Sanchez, but he is not a true contender. I think Euskaltal is just not good enough nor will they help him like the other teams help Schleck, Contador, Evans, etc. Plus Sanchez has a pseudo-alliance with Contador, and the more he helps him, it hurts his chances, because Alberto is very strong.

 

[The Hitch]

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

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.

 

[rzombie1988]

Samu is definitely a true contender, no doubt about it. He just needs that big win like alot of others right now.

 

[The Hitch]

I really like Sammy Sanchez, but he is not a true contender. I think Euskaltal is just not good enough nor will they help him like the other teams help Schleck, Contador, Evans, etc. Plus Sanchez has a pseudo-alliance with Contador, and the more he helps him, it hurts his chances, because Alberto is very strong.

WTF?

First of all the big favourite and greatest gt rider of our generation, has no team and had no team for his 2 most impressive victories in his career, Evans and Schleck might have help, but Contador has gone through gts with absolutely 0 help and won.


As for the alliance with Contador, how the hell does that hurt him?

The alliance was only for last year anyway. They were 2 guys who suffered in the Monte Allesouts screwjob so needed time back on the others. So they decided they might work together to get back the time they felt they didnt deserve to be down in the first place.

It was only used on stages 16 and 17.

But say there was an alliance, how on earth would that hurt him or stop him being a gc contender?

Because Contador is stronger? Em thats good no, having an alliance with a stronger rider?

Samu is definitely a true contender, no doubt about it. He just needs that big win like alot of others right now.

I hope that turns out prophetic

 

[The Hitch]

Samu is definitely a true contender, no doubt about it. He just needs that big win like alot of others right now.

I hope that turns out prophetic

 

[Maxiton]

I know - I was under the impression that the UCI was in control of testing at all three races, not the organisers.

But you must know that the organizers have influence. In fact, given the arguably corrupt nature of the UCI, organizers and others probably have more influence than we know.

We probably shouldn't discuss this further outside the Clinic, so suffice it to say that the AFLD play a role in such matters in France, but not elsewhere.

 

[gregrowlerson]

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

Tis a disgrace.

Cracked me up

Just read up on Sami on Wiki - I didn't know everything about his results.

A top 10 overall in a GT EVERY season since 2005. Very impressive.

P.S. A lot of the entertainment on these forums involves posters underating S Sanchez (and the inevitable reaction that comes from a certain someone), so keep it up

 

[gregrowlerson]

I find it incredible that people are suggesting that Kloden has more of a chance than Schleck.

Are people giving too much weight to the parcours? Andy has been second in three wildly different Tours de France. He will have the benefit of new training methods and tactics, which have been shown to be beneficial.

Kloden will be 37, Schleck nearing his prime. It will be three years since Kloden lost by 2:30 to Andy in a Tour. Kloden didn't make much more than a minute in the Annecy 40km time trial.

Assuming they both race, if Bruynell were to put all his TdF eggs in the Kloden basket over Andy, he would need his head examined.

I agree with this post; it has also been previously noted that Kloden has had some of his best races when not racing as the designated leader - though this could just be coincidence rather than him liking to ride without that pressure.

I think the "benefit" conversation is better suited to the clinic

If we go off 2011 form (Andreas seemed to be TT better than ever early this season) then it's likely that Kloden will take somewhere between one and two minutes from Andy in the first two TT's, probably leaving him ahead in the overall at that juncture - even allowing for him losing some time on the first MTF. Still, with the Schelck's committed to racing the TDF (though I believe this to be unwise) instead of the Giro, Andy should be the leader; unless they got to the first serious (opening myself up there!) mountain stages and Kloden was able to stay with him (unlikely).

The team will probably be strong enough to have one leader plus another couple of protected riders.

I don't believe that Kloden can win the Tour next year at 37 (maybe the Vuelta if they have a lot of ITT?). Though in hindsight he may have actually been a chance THIS year, given the bad luck that hit so many riders - if that retchered luck hadn't hit him too

 

[The Hitch]

Cracked me up

Just read up on Sami on Wiki - I didn't know everything about his results.

A top 10 overall in a GT EVERY season since 2005. Very impressive.

P.S. A lot of the entertainment on these forums involves posters underating S Sanchez (and the inevitable reaction that comes from a certain someone), so keep it up

lol thanks.

 

[Bavarianrider]

October 20th might bring us another contender you wouldn't have thought off.
Just wait and see.

 

[The Hitch]

October 20th might bring us another contender you wouldn't have thought off.
Just wait and see.

Thats the presentation, right?

The only name i can think of that could be somehow popped up by the presentation, that hasnt been named so far, is Sven Nys.

 

[jens_attacks]

October 20th might bring us another contender you wouldn't have thought off.
Just wait and see.

jan ullrich announcing the comeback,finally!

 

[Bavarianrider]

jan ullrich announcing the comeback,finally!

You are a smart man my friend

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Thats the presentation, right?

No, that's October 18th.

You are a smart man my friend

You're just trolling now. Ulle isn't planning a comeback.

 

[jens_attacks]

No, that's October 18th.



You're just trolling now. Ulle isn't planning a comeback.

you gotta let a man dream.he's saying this for 2 years

i wish but it won't happen

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Thats the presentation, right?

The only name i can think of that could be somehow popped up by the presentation, that hasnt been named so far, is Sven Nys.

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

 

[El Imbatido]

@bavarianrider i thought you knew Ullrich announced on his twitter he had signed for Sky....ages ago

 

[The Hitch]

No, that's October 18th.



You're just trolling now. Ulle isn't planning a comeback.

I said this when during the Mont Allesouts screwjob Bavarianrider came in with breaking news that the stage had been neutralized and that everyone would get the same time.

This gave hope to a lot of people, but Bavarian rider was just making it up to troll.

I was told that Bavarianrider was just getting excited, not trolling.

well here we again.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I said this when during the Mont Allesouts screwjob Bavarianrider came in with breaking news that the stage had been neutralized and that everyone would get the same time.

This gave hope to a lot of people, but Bavarian rider was just making it up to troll.

I was told that Bavarianrider was just getting excited, not trolling.

well here we again.

Yeah, unless Bavarianrider is "special," I'm going with obvious trolling on this one.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

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....