Tour De France Contenders - who has a shot?

[Moose McKnuckles]

So far, assuming nobody gets banned, I have as podium contenders:

Contador
Evans
A. Shleck
F. Shleck
Valverde
Van den Broeck
Leipheimer
Wiggins
Menchov
J. Rodriguez...maybe
S. Sanchez...maybe

Anyone else? That's a lot of guys shooting for the podium.

 

[Richeypen]

Nearly 100km of TTing, JRod has no chance. And if VdB etc is up there then Nibbles should be too.

 

[Havetts]

I know Gesink is regarded a bad timetrialist but if Rodriguez is mentioned then Gesink should be on the list.

*butthurt mode off*

Not sure if Valverde has the recovery to win it, Cunego as an outsider? Nibali?

 

[Boeing]

So far, assuming nobody gets banned, I have as podium contenders:

Contador
Evans
A. Shleck
F. Shleck
Valverde
Van den Broeck
Leipheimer
Wiggins
Menchov
J. Rodriguez...maybe
S. Sanchez...maybe

Anyone else? That's a lot of guys shooting for the podium.

Do you think Frank has the second shot over Horner and Kloden if andy has no form?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Ah, man, I had a glass of wine and spaced it. I forgot to add Basso and Nibali.


Boeing - I think F. Shleck will get the nod, but I also think that Horner will get some leeway here.

 

[Boeing]

Ah, man, I had a glass of wine and spaced it. I forgot to add Basso and Nibali.


Boeing - I think F. Shleck will get the nod, but I also think that Horner will get some leeway here.

good post regardless. That is a tight field really.

 

[cineteq]

Nibali and Gesink are missing. If Froome goes, it needs to be considered too. So if JRod and Frank are there, why not Kloeden and Horner?

 

[Richeypen]

good post regardless. That is a tight field really.

Theres going to be some big name podium contenders missing out on a top 10 place

 

[SHAD0W93]

Kloden, Nibali, and maybe some others considering everything can go to hell and people crash or bad form. It would be interesting to see whos on podium.

 

[Boeing]

Interesting race if the big guns dont crash the TT's will have a huge impact

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Some will argue froome also.
cobo is apparently taking it seriously also.
Nibali, basso but he aint racing (i dont think, at least not for gc anyway)
jrod not riding tour as far as i know.

 

[luckyboy]

Contenders for the win: Contador, Evans, maybe Menchov.

 

[The Hitch]

So far, assuming nobody gets banned, I have as podium contenders:

Contador
Evans
A. Shleck
F. Shleck
Valverde
Van den Broeck
Leipheimer
Wiggins
Menchov
J. Rodriguez...maybe
S. Sanchez...maybe

Anyone else? That's a lot of guys shooting for the podium.

How are the following riders rated above Samuel Sanchez?

F. Shleck
Valverde
Van den Broeck
Leipheimer

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

if F.Schleck, A.Schleck, Vandenbroeck and Rodriguez are mentioned than sure as **** add Gesink

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

As Robbie Mcewen said i think the contenders are Contador, Evans and Wiggins. Wiggins will obviously do well coz of the 2 TTs and though he might not attack the other favourites in the mountains he is good enough to limit his losses and get a podium. Froome might do something as the shackles might be let go off him if by chance Wiggins is off form.

when did wiggo become a top 3 dog? I mean if were gonna mention wiggo, surely we mention others also. I mean menchov for example has won a few GTs

Wiggo couldn't keep up with poels, cobo, froome etc. Yet he is gonna take on the best climbers in the world in peak form.

In reality; contdor vs crash/injury vs hearing result.

for the podium, the list is pretty big imo.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I'd rate Gesink and Mollema as outside chances. They simply cannot TT and their climbing is inconsistent.

I don't know what to think at this point. I would say that RadioNissan have the best team, with BMC in second. While Contador may be the best of them all, I don't see that he has a superb team around him. Certainly nothing of the sort that Armstrong had.

Is anyone from Astana a possibility, or are they just racing for stages?

Ah. I forgot. An outside chance for Pierre Roland as well.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

err it's not like BMC have a great team in regards to GC and mountain support. Many teams have better.

They have a superb classic team, but that hardly applies to the tour.

ps. I think Gesink on form is more then an outside chance, at the very least on par with JVDB.

 

[cineteq]

I'd rate Gesink and Mollema as outside chances. They simply cannot TT and their climbing is inconsistent.

You seem to be describing Andy Schleck, not Robert Gesink

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You seem to be describing Andy Schleck, not Robert Gesink

yeah well gesink is nothing special with a tt bike, but he is not that bad either.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

You seem to be describing Andy Schleck, not Robert Gesink

Andy's climbing is inconsistent? At the Tour? I beg to differ.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Andy's climbing is inconsistent? At the Tour? I beg to differ.

Gesink isn't inconsistant tho, generally the opposite.

Gesink got injured, he didn't fail in the mountains cause of inconsistancy.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Gesink isn't inconsistant tho, generally the opposite.

Gesink got injured, he didn't fail in the mountains cause of inconsistancy.

This is a fair point. I do think though, when we see steady high-tempo climbing, Gesink can get into a bit of trouble.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I'd rate Gesink and Mollema as outside chances. They simply cannot TT and their climbing is inconsistent.

I don't know what to think at this point. I would say that RadioNissan have the best team, with BMC in second. While Contador may be the best of them all, I don't see that he has a superb team around him. Certainly nothing of the sort that Armstrong had.

Is anyone from Astana a possibility, or are they just racing for stages?

Ah. I forgot. An outside chance for Pierre Roland as well.

I think only Janez is going to ride for GC(if hes there) while Kreuziger is doing Giro. Everyone else is stage.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I guarantee you Wiggins will beat Menchov in both TTs in next years Tour if he stays clear of injury. I never said he will keep up with the best climbers in the world. What i said is that he will gain enough sufficient time in the TTs and that he wont lose enough time in the mountains to go behind them. Thats what i mean.

you said "i think the contenders are Contador, Evans and Wiggins".

and imo no way is he one of the 3 top dogs. No way can he be considered that from what we've seen. It's fine if he is a contendor, but if you include wiggo, a bunch of other guys are just as feasible. He is NOT a step above the rest (even on this course imo). And I don't argue that menchov will beat wiggo in the tts. But I wouldn't be surprised if menchov beat wiggo overall.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I guarantee you Wiggins will beat Menchov in both TTs in next years Tour if he stays clear of injury. I never said he will keep up with the best climbers in the world. What i said is that he will gain enough sufficient time in the TTs and that he wont lose enough time in the mountains to go behind them. Thats what i mean.

Wiggins is only going to podium in the Tour if all the main contenders crash.