Tour de France: Prologue - Rotterdam - 8.9km

[auscyclefan94]

Sorry about this thread starting so early but I was eager to start some speculation about who is going to take the opening day of the tdf.

Here is the profile

Here is the map:

My tip: Wiggins ftw and Dimspace/TeamSkyfans will go nuts therefore BroDeal will not be able to blurt out his Wigans jokes!

Also, Bookwalter will be the surprise again!


Could the mods sticky this thread?

 

[Moondance]

The Canc for the win.... Maybe Martin or Wiggins.

 

[stefrees]

One of canc, Tony Martin or ebh, contador 4th wiggins 5th

 

[lancewillwin8]

I predict 4 radioshack riders in the top 10. Lance will come in 3-7 - he is too smart to take yellow so early.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I predict 4 radioshack riders in the top 10. Lance will come in 3-7 - he is too smart to take yellow so early.

No, Lance is smarter than to show how good his riders and he is. He will tell them to do a Floyd and attend to the start gate late and don't go too fast during the prologue. This will get Contador into a false sense of security and his "team" (if they are even good enough to be called that) will be all used up and tired after the first stage and will have to dropout. Lance will keep it close till the 1st mountain stage as he is a showman. He is like a great play, he has the audience on the edge of there seats and then just blows them away.

Lance could become a script writer!

 

[Jamsque]

Cancellara, Martin, Wiggins, Contador. Armstrong not in the top 10.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cancellara, Martin, Wiggins, Contador. Armstrong not in the top 10.

What about Cadel? He was 3rd at the giro opening tt, 2 seconds behind wiggins when he said he could of taken it harder in some parts of that course. Wiggins was a lot heavier then so his lighter frame will be a hinderance in a short effort like that.

 

[The Hitch]

What about Cadel? He was 3rd at the giro opening tt, 2 seconds behind wiggins when he said he could of taken it harder in some parts of that course. Wiggins was a lot heavier then so his lighter frame will be a hinderance in a short effort like that.

good point about wiggins. I dont expect him to do well if he really is going to go for it in the mountains.
Cadel is not at his peak. Besides coming second to wiggins and coming second to Cancellara are 2 very different tasks.

 

[powderpuff]

What about Cadel? He was 3rd at the giro opening tt, 2 seconds behind wiggins when he said he could of taken it harder in some parts of that course. Wiggins was a lot heavier then so his lighter frame will be a hinderance in a short effort like that.

I would be surprised if he is top 10, as he has not had any racing in about 5 weeks, along with a bit of mountain re-con not the best warm-up for a prologue. He definitely doesn't want to burn too much energy early on.

I wonder how Basso will handle the descents in the prologue they look a little tricky.

 

[ThorFolerSegSterkIDagDu]

1. Martin
2. Cancellara
3. Wiggins
4. Hushovd
5. Armstrong
6. Evans
7. Brajkovic
8. Contador
9. EBH
10.Kloden
11.Farrar
12.LL Sanchez
13.Leipheimer
14.Menchov
15.Vinkokourov
16.Schleck A
17.Hincapie
18.Sanchez G.
19.Chavanel
20.VdV

There you have it, no need to watch the stage now.

 

[Inner Peace]

prologue top 10 perfect prediction

tony martin
edvald hagen
fabian cancellara
bradley wiggins
alberto contador
jens voight
alexander vinokourov
levi leipheimer
cadel evans
andreas kloden

 

[The Hitch]

I see Cancellara taking it, Tony MArtin very close 2nd, then everyone else about 10-15 seconds back, with Kreuziger and Contador in 3rd 4th. Lars Boom, Millar, Rogers, Leipheimer Jens in the top 10. Armstrong top 20.

Gesink to not make the time limit.

 

[online-rider]

Don't know where to ask this : Are the riders in Rotterdam yet? (Wednesday evening) or are they still at home training, and come up on Friday ?

 

[python]

I predict 4 radioshack riders in the top 10. Lance will come in 3-7 - he is too smart to take yellow so early.

i predict 4 shack riders will crash, armstrong will finish 47th and announce his retirement again b/c he's too smart to embarrass himself for 3 weeks.

 

[joy118118]

Don't know where to ask this : Are the riders in Rotterdam yet? (Wednesday evening) or are they still at home training, and come up on Friday ?

From twitter, HTC-Columbia and Radioshack's rider will go to the pave on Wednesday. And teams will have team presentation on Thursday.

 

[online-rider]

From twitter, HTC-Columbia and Radioshack's rider will go to the pave on Wednesday. And teams will have team presentation on Thursday.

Thanx Its seems like too much sitting around when you've got three weeks of racing away from the family to have to sit around all thursdauy night, Friday, All saturday except for 10,11 minutes riding and then finally start your Tour de France on Sunday if you're a sprinter or something.... I think they should allow all the lead out men and sprinters to just roll up on the Saturday morning, what differance is it goin to make for them ???

 

[Jamsque]

I'd be surprised if Evans put in a top-5 ride in the prologue, I think he worked so hard at the Giro that he will be a non-factor for most stages of this Tour.

As for other names being thrown around, I think 8.9km is a bit too long for guys like Hushovd and Farrar to be in the mix.

 

[Kwibus]

1. EBH

That would be a decent suprise, but he's probably a bit too young to take it. He will in the future.

I'm soooooo sad I can't be there. It's like 15 minutes from my home, but I'm at a festival from Thursday till Sunday. I am considering leaving the festival(Belgium) on saturday. Drive to Rotterdam.. watch the prologue and go back to the festival.
Crap

edit: p.s. When does it start? According to the TdF site it starts at 16:15, but I also read at different places that because of the World Cup it starts at 12:00 instead. Since there is a World Cup quarterfinal match at 16:00.
Anyone knows?

 

[joy118118]

Thanx Its seems like too much sitting around when you've got three weeks of racing away from the family to have to sit around all thursdauy night, Friday, All saturday except for 10,11 minutes riding and then finally start your Tour de France on Sunday if you're a sprinter or something.... I think they should allow all the lead out men and sprinters to just roll up on the Saturday morning, what differance is it goin to make for them ???

I think other riders will also go for the route recon. Contador has already gone back from the 52 km ITT.

 

[Sasquatch]

Cancellara, Martin, EBH or Wiggins.

Can't see anyone else other than those four winning.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

1. Martin
2. Cancellara
3. Wiggins
4. Hushovd
5. Armstrong
6. Evans
7. Brajkovic
8. Contador
9. EBH
10.Kloden
11.Farrar
12.LL Sanchez
13.Leipheimer
14.Menchov
15.Vinkokourov
16.Schleck A
17.Hincapie
18.Sanchez G.
19.Chavanel
20.VdV

There you have it, no need to watch the stage now.

No Kreuziger? He's got good prologue results.

7th in 2009
9th at Paris-Nice 2010
2nd at Tour de Suisse 2010

 

[joy118118]

No Kreuziger? He's got good prologue results.

7th in 2009
9th at Paris-Nice 2010
2nd at Tour de Suisse 2010

agree with you. He has better prologue results than martin

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Probably but Martin has more pure TT talent and the prologue in Rotterdam is 8km.

I give Martin more chance in 8km than Kreuziger. If it was 4/5km... I would be in doubt

 

[movingtarget]

Cancellara is the obvious one on this type of course. If it was shorter I would give Hushovd a chance. Millar, Wiggins and Martin not far behind. Evans and Contador in the top six or seven.

 

[mowie133]

agree with you. He has better prologue results than martin

how about the f word form!!!! martin is in strong form,so you can't go past him..
will be awesome if he does win,i can't his team protecting the yellow the next day, the break away might get 5 hours an win the tour