What about Menchov at the TdF 2012

[TeoSheva]

Menchov is the rider that has won more GT that is going to do LeTour: however this year he didn't show more than something...

What he will do at the TdF 2012?

 

[the asian]

Hopefully he can win and complete his grand slam of Grand Tours! I even picked him in the poll.
Didn't look too good at the Dauphine though. Don't think he'll beat Wiggins in the ITTs, and even though he won't probably lose more than three minutes he'll have to attack in the mountains to take back lost time.

 

[benzwire]

Silent assassin has been silent...

 

[Fetisoff]

LOL @ poll options

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Yeah I voted 'he will defintely win', but my real opinion is 'he should be able to contend for the win together with Evans and Wiggins'.

 

[The Chicken]

He'd better bluddy well win coz I backed him @ 50-1 and yeh, yeh I know some got him @ 80-1
The latest from him is that he's happy with his form and his knee is fine now.

 

[Afrank]

He doesn't have bad form going into it, he is just being quiet. Silently building form, but not getting any real high placings. Making his rivals think he is not a factor so they ignore him. Then when no one is expecting it, he attacks out of nowhere and wins the tour!
Or...
Age has caught up with him and he will just try to survive the tour, and try to stay in the top 10, or top 15.

 

[jens_attacks]

he will be there on the podium,otherwise the guy won't even race anymore.that's the only race which motivates him.he didn't show his cards unlike wiggo which is even better.
at the end of the second week,we'll find out that he's in this race and that he might win it

 

[rzombie1988]

Who knows his form right now. Could be good, but maybe not. The goal for him should be to lose no time until the first mountain stage. Judging by the season so far though, it's going to be hard to choose anyone except Wiggins.

 

[TeoSheva]

for me he can reach a top10... if he goes really well a top5... not more, really!

 

[Morbius]

One reason Menchov is not considered a favourite is that while there are several riders who go on to win the Vuelta or Giro after winning the Tour, there are very very few riders who have done it the other way round.

In the last 25 years I could only find two (Pantani and Roche) and none who won the Giro or Vuelta more than a few months before winning the Tour.

 

[The Hitch]

One reason Menchov is not considered a favourite is that while there are several riders who go on to win the Vuelta or Giro after winning the Tour, there are very very few riders who have done it the other way round.

In the last 25 years I could only find two (Pantani and Roche) and none who won the Giro or Vuelta more than a few months before winning the Tour.

Not that noteworthy a statistic when you consider that almost all of the Tour winners of that period have prioritised the Tour to a far higher degree than Menchov ever has.

Carlos Sastre (and Perreiro) is the only one to have done more Giros and Vueltas combined than just Tours, and his best non tour performance came in the Vuelta years earlier.

 

[rzombie1988]

Carlos and Perriero are both spanish though. I looked at alot of old Vuelta results and not until the last 10 years were their huge amounts of non-Spanish people in it.

 

[cineteq]

Carlos Sastre (and Perreiro) is the only one to have done more Giros and Vueltas combined than just Tours

Carlos and Perriero are both spanish though.

Gentlemen,
So it doesn't get contagious, his name writes like this: Pereiro.
Stop *******izing his name.

Carry on.

 

[richwagmn]

Menchov is the rider that has won more GT that is going to do LeTour: however this year he didn't show more than something...

What he will do at the TdF 2012?

Crash out and withdraw. What else does he do?

 

[blaxland]

probably nothing and finish top 10 overall...

 

[orangerider]

Menchov has a solid chance I'd say. Freire will likely continue with his new strategy of being a breakaway specialist instead of bunch sprints, so that frees up the need to have riders work for him and instead devote to Menchov. That also works to the advantage if Menchov takes yellow they'll just send Freire to fire off ahead so the team doesn't need to work as much. Joaquim Rodriguez, despite his exhaustion, will probably need to be enlisted for some help though.

 

[Fetisoff]

Menchov has a solid chance I'd say. Freire will likely continue with his new strategy of being a breakaway specialist instead of bunch sprints, so that frees up the need to have riders work for him and instead devote to Menchov. That also works to the advantage if Menchov takes yellow they'll just send Freire to fire off ahead so the team doesn't need to work as much. Joaquim Rodriguez, despite his exhaustion, will probably need to be enlisted for some help though.

Purito's not riding TDF, that's for sure. Neither is Moreno. And Spilak pulled out of the TDS, so he's under question. So it's gonna be Gusev/Horrach/Vorganov/Trofimov/Caruso for Menchov

 

[greenedge]

I think anywhere from 3rd to 5th is logical, he may not be billed as a favourite as much but he is the Silent Assassin.

 

[airstream]

Despite on Schleck's exclusion, bookmaker odds on Menchov only go down. Yea, really, not despite but thanks to. Although I wouldn't see potential to hit top 3 for him even if Andy rode.

 

[Jan the Man]

Hoping he'll go well managed to back him (40/1) and Klöden (80/1) each way earlier this year.

 

[SilentAssassin]

The whole age factor thing.... wasn't cadel the same age as menchov when he won. And that was when Andy was in it.

 

[airstream]

The whole age factor thing.... wasn't cadel the same age as menchov when he won. And that was when Andy was in it.

Cadel can do much more things in cycling.

 

[Gubby Allen]

Really would like to see him go well, but I think around 8th at absolute best.

 

[Afrank]

The whole age factor thing.... wasn't cadel the same age as menchov when he won. And that was when Andy was in it.

Yes Cadel was the same age when he won. Age seems to affect some riders (like Basso) but not affect others (Evans, Wiggo). Though when Cadel won he had also won other races earlier in the season, and menchov so far hasn't done anything.