Who will be the big surprise at the tour?

[auscyclefan94]

Other than the genuine contenders for the classifications that we know, who will be the big surprise at the tour?

P.S Please...Nothing to do with drug scandals or doping on this thread.

 

[Snake8]

Put "no dope" in the thread title and it'll keep the bats away.

As to the topic at hand...I love Voelkler/Perieiro wild cards and they are hard to predict, but this tour looks to have a lot of riders feeling each other out trying to stay close until ventoux and that could really play into the hands of a young gun with ambition and a strong team not necessarily looking for gc....I dunno, Tony Martin maybe?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Put "no dope" in the thread title and it'll keep the bats away.

As to the topic at hand...I love Voelkler/Perieiro wild cards and they are hard to predict, but this tour looks to have a lot of riders feeling each other out trying to stay close until ventoux and that could really play into the hands of a young gun with ambition and a strong team not necessarily looking for gc....I dunno, Tony Martin maybe?

i guess the bats/trolls won't think a doping positive is a surprise.

 

[Anonymous]

Putting anything about not talking about doping in the title or first post of a thread is a sure fire way to get a response about doping.

If I write "don't dare think about a monkey" you will all picture a monkey in your head.

Just post the thread and talk about what you want to talk about. Everyone here is a big boy or girl and are capable of deciding for themselves what they will and will not post. If someone like me annoys you, ignore me. I promise it won't hurt my feelings.

That being said, I won't post about doping, but because of your suggestions I have thought about it.

As to the topic, I would like to Ryder Hesjedal finally win a stage from a break. The guy can climb and has come close to winning something important. I hope he has a good ride sometime in the next 3 weeks.

 

[ambrose]

Personaly i believe tony martin will go well and Roman Kreuziger will also be higher up on GC at the end of the race then many predict.
In the sprints, Allan Davies should excell on some of the harder flat stages with less conventional finishes. He was consistent at the Giro, so with a team built for a sprinter (boonen who i assume won't start) Davies will probably be high up for the green.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Van de Velde.

 

[Snake8]

That being said, I won't post about doping, but because of your suggestions I have thought about it.

As to the topic, I would like to Ryder Hesjedal finally win a stage from a break. The guy can climb and has come close to winning something important. I hope he has a good ride sometime in the next 3 weeks.

Thank you, and agreed.

I like Hejddjkjf too except I cant spell it so I picked martin.

 

[jaylew]

Not necessarily predicting it, but I'd really like to see LL Sanchez do something. He should have free reign this year w/ the Green Bullet out.

Wouldn't be terribly surprised to see Maxime Monfort or Astarloza break into the top 10.

Gesink or Kreuziger on the podium is certainly a possibility and would be considered a big surprise to a bunch of people but probably not most of us on this forum.

 

[jaylew]

Putting anything about not talking about doping in the title or first post of a thread is a sure fire way to get a response about doping.

It doesn't have to be that way(though sadly, it often is) if people are considerate and if the thread starter asks in the right way which I think this guy did.

 

[Anonymous]

It doesn't have to be that way(though sadly, it often is) if people are considerate and if the thread starter asks in the right way which I think this guy did.

I am speaking from a purely psychological perspective. It has nothing to do with "doping." Many people are rebellious or so I have heard........I mean I don't know anyone like that......but I hear that is the case sometimes
















Doping

 

[amp300]

I'll go with Gesink, and Karpets as my surprises. I know they are both riding domestique, but could see some good results. I think Karpets is due.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I'll go with Gesink, and Karpets as my surprises. I know they are both riding domestique, but could see some good results. I think Karpets is due.

Gesink wont just ride domestique. Watched an interview a few days ago where he said he wont just go to france to ride for another guy, he wants to push himself and get a good GC himself. Still a dark horse in terms of coming to paris in yellow, but a top 10 maybe even 5, wouldn't be mind blowing. He can climb with the best.

Karpets really has shown enough to hint he will contest at the tour, a top ten would surprise me, but should have full team support.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/26062009/58/gesink-targets-gc.html

Gesink, Kruziger, Any rider form High Road, Nibali, Pellizotti, VdV even F. Schleck are all Dark horses for the yellow in my opinion.

 

[issoisso]

A big surprise to a lot of people will be that LL Sánchez will be nowhere near the top GC guys, unlike what a heck of a lot of people seem to be advocating.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I kinda agree, he's a hard one to predict tho, climbed well at Paris-Nice, and can TT well. But something tells me he will be non-exsistant in the high mountains this year. we'll see...

Igor Anton is another rider who could do well.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Efimkin in top 5 - that would be something.
F Schleck as winner of the tour.
Chris Anker Sorensen winning the polka dot.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Looking at somebody that few have a clue about. Not going to win anything, but maybe hanging around on the climbs until late, sort of thing, right?

Jonathan Hivert, could justify Skil's inclusion.

Maybe Rigoberto Uran if he's not left his legs at the Giro,
Pierre Rolland, who according to Eurosport, last night is the LBL winner.

Hopefully Nick Roche, newly crowned Irish champ, will please his dad, too.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Most are picking great climbers, and if I'm to toss a name in that hat I'll add Arroyo.

But the route favors a strong TT rider as much as a climber, so names like Rogers, Karpets, Astarloza or Efimkin come to mind.

Surprise as in disappointing results from a high contender? Right now if I had to make a guess, I'd say Menchov, or Levi. Both from being worn out.

 

[anubisza]

I'm going to go for Efimkin having a good ride, poss top 10. I would say Gesink for a top 5 is possible.

 

[Kazistuta]

Most are picking great climbers, and if I'm to toss a name in that hat I'll add Arroyo.

(..)

Surprise as in disappointing results from a high contender? Right now if I had to make a guess, I'd say Menchov, or Levi. Both from being worn out.

So the "worn out" part only applies to Denis and Levi? I seem to recall Arroyo being part of the giro as well and finishing a respectable 11th. Maybe Leipheimer could be worn out after doing a lot of races at high level, but Arroyo and Menchov should be in the same boat here.

I think a potential surprise lies in the young Rigoberto Uran. And if Monfort breaking the top10 is a surprise, then I foresee a surprise

 

[Frosty]

I think that stages 8 and 9 could produce a surprise yellow jersey wearer who could then finish quite high. There is too long after the last climb to make a GC attack stick so, although people will push it hard at the front, maybe the breakaways will be able to build up enough of a gap to stay away. Also, if, say, Contador is in yellow then will be want to try and keep it all the way to Paris? Unlikely in my opinion. Could be different though if Rogers is in yellow after a good TTT and great climb to Andorra. Casar and Dessel could be the men in such a breakaway

 

[Bluebeard]

I'm hoping that Nicolas Roche might prove a better bet than many would have though - a top 30 place on GC would be a very good result, and hopefully he'll get that Grand Tour stage win that eluded him in last year's Vuelta.

I am also hoping for a good Bouygues showing, possibly Pierrick Féderigo winning something like stage 13 or 14, maybe a spell in the maillot a pois for little Tommy Voeckler.

Skil Shimano should do alright, without doing anything big, but Kenny Van Hummel is the man I reckon could go that bit further and surprise. If he is in a standard thrid week domestique break of 14 or 15, he's likely to take his first Tour stage.

 

[Escarabajo]

Brothers Schleck and Gesink are no surprises to me anymore.

Here are my list: Moncoutie, Karpets, LL Sanchez, Uran, Kreuziger, Hesjedal.

I feel Arroyo is tired from the Giro.

 

[uphillstruggle]

I was hoping Dan Martin might do well - shame he had to withdraw I thought he may have done well in the youth comp.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I still think the "menchov will be tired from the giro" claim is ignorant. In past menchov has been stronger in his 2nd GT (and for people saying "he didn't go all out in first GT of the season" well im pretty sure the years he won Vuelta he went all out for the Tour) On top of this, he is more experienced now, a smarter rider, who can handle 2 GTs better then he once did, and add the fact that he just won the Giro and is brimming with confidence (something menchov strives on i feel) I think he could pose a big threat to Conta. we'll see...

 

[Clemson Cycling]

Tyler Farrar grabbing a stage against the sports best