Who will win the 2013 tour?

[icefire]

Taking a look at the pyranees stages, so will 30 others.

The best ones will stay behind playing track stands

 

[brilleaben]

Andy for KOM!

 

[cineteq]

A Contador circa 2012 Vuelta should be enough to win this year's Tour. Purito will be his only threat.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Andy for KOM!

It will require multiple initiatives to beat this man:

Schleck better go for GC placement or risk being embarrassed.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A Contador circa 2012 Vuelta should be enough to win this year's Tour. Purito will be his only threat.

If Contador only manages Vuelta '12 form this year, he will be beaten by 3-5 minutes in the tour. No question about it.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Much ado about nothing it was..clear now that froome will run away with it.

 

[ILovecycling]

Taking a look at the pyranees stages, so will 30 others.

Umm,no.I wrote it couple of days ago,you understimate what this competition(Contador,Froome and even Valverde) will do on lets say bad parcours- including Sky train at Pailhares imo.This is not gonna be like Tour 2011 nor 2012.

 

[ILovecycling]

I hate to hype riders that I like because I am a little superstitious and I don't want them to fail like it has happened to me in the past. But I really hate the fanboyism of some people in here. Reminds me the times of the Texan sometimes.

Cadel is going to be 50 one day and people will still be voting for him. Andy Schleck one year won't be able to climb a bridge and people will still vote for him. While we are at it, we are going to have to deal with Wiggins and Froome for the next 10 years. Where were these last two 5 years ago when Uran was dusting them in the climbs?

Yea,I understand.But as for me,hyping is just part of biased prediction of a fanboy.And nobody should take it seriously

 

[MellowJohnny]

Froome's Tour to lose now I feel, The Sky team is must more robust than Saxobank IMO, J-Rod for third.

 

[cineteq]

If Contador only manages Vuelta '12 form this year, he will be beaten by 3-5 minutes in the tour. No question about it.

By whom? Didn't Froome finish 10 min. down on the same race? Check the facts.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

By whom? Didn't Froome finish 10 min. down on the same race? Check the facts.

ah you are looking at the result and not the race action.

Trust me when I say Contador wasn't strong in the Vuelta.

And then forget about Froome's performance in the Vuelta, he was running on fuumes.

Bring Froome in Tour '12 form together with Contador Vuelta '12 form at the Tour this year and Contador will likely look like an amateur.

 

[Boeing]

Froome, he has really stepped up his game this year. Outside of sickness or crashes, I think he's going to win by a fairly comfortable margin (around 3 minutes).

How exactly has he stepped up his game this season compared to last?

 

[cineteq]

Bring Froome in Tour '12 form together with Contador Vuelta '12 form at the Tour this year and Contador will likely look like an amateur.

Froome hasn't been a successful leader over a 3-week race, plus he's mentally weak, and that's exactly what happened to him on 2012. I never bought he was tired, or any excuse that him or his followers gave. It's unlikely that Chris Froome will win this year's Tour. Contador should win this race with a 2012 Vuelta form. I have the feeling he'll be much better.

 

[Pricey_sky]

By whom? Didn't Froome finish 10 min. down on the same race? Check the facts.

This is the same Froome who peaked for the Tour/Olympics against a guy who was completely fresh and targeted the Vuelta. By week 3 Contador was only getting stronger while Froomes legs were well and truly gone.

We now have the Tour where both men have targeted it and we should see who is the best now with no excuses.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Froome hasn't been a successful leader over a 3-week race, plus he's mentally weak, and that's exactly what happened to him on 2012. I never bought he was tired, or any excuse that him or his followers gave. It's unlikely that Chris Froome will win this year's Tour. Contador should win this race with a 2012 Vuelta form. I have the feeling he'll be much better.

Sorry, then I think you are clueless (underlined).

However, I agree about Froome's leadership, he hasn't shown any at this point. When sh!t hits the fan we will know if he has any or not. Did he show weakness at T-A? Maybe, not sure.

I would forget about Froome's Vuelta performance. Can't be used as marker.

 

[The Hitch]

Froome hasn't been a successful leader over a 3-week race, plus he's mentally weak, and that's exactly what happened to him on 2012. I never bought he was tired, or any excuse that him or his followers gave. It's unlikely that Chris Froome will win this year's Tour. Contador should win this race with a 2012 Vuelta form. I have the feeling he'll be much better.

So if Froome finished 10 minutes down on Valverde Rodriguez and Contador at the Vuelta but beat Nibali by 3 minutes at the tour that makes nibali 13 minutes worse than valverde

 

[Afrank]

How exactly has he stepped up his game this season compared to last?

2nd at Tour and 3rd in Olympics TT vs. overall wins at Oman, crit International, Romandie, and 2nd overall at TA.

 

[Afrank]

So if Froome finished 10 minutes down on Valverde Rodriguez and Contador at the Vuelta but beat Nibali by 3 minutes at the tour that makes nibali 13 minutes worse than valverde

The holes in cineteq's arguments grow. Good one Hitch.

 

[blaxland]

Just can't go past Contador,he has based his whole season on this race and knows how to win it.Froome will be his biggest rival but will struggle to follow Alberto in the Mountains day after day.Anyways should be an exciting race now that Wiggo is no longer riding.Looking forward to seeing the progreess that Pinot has made since last year?

 

[movingtarget]

If Froome does not win the Tour the commentary will be interesting. I know he can win it but I am not totally convinced that he will.

 

[Jason_Mercier]

It is gonna be interesting figure out which riding style is more likely to win in July.

If the explosiveness, the courage, anarchy, suffering capacity, tactic intelligence, the experience... In few words the Classic Cycling profile... Or, on the other hand, the constant rhytm, the massive recovery, the control, calculated efforts, protection riding... as the New Cycling.

But... i think it wont be a two men battle.
There are like five young supertalents which have demonstrated enough arguments in the past and present season... for take them into account. If only one of them have a good progreess i am sure we can see the born of a new Grand Tour Champion.

And i want to focus specially in Nairo Quintana, Thibaut Pinot and Michal Kwiatkowski.

The first rider is the unique one in the last 20 or 30 years who has won Pais Vasco at the age of 23. His climbing skills are terrific, his qualities of super-diesel and very equilibrated rider make him a TDF contender and the top bet. I suspect he doesnt need too much progress for aim the podium of the race.

The Frenchman is the only climber since Fignon who has won an stage and has been the strongest rider in a whole mountainous block of a TDF at the age of 22 years. And in his first Grand Tour. His mental strength and recovery are tremendous. So he reachs the peak in 21 days. Improving the TT. A Top5 secure shot if the heat hit the race. IMHO.

The last guy, Michal Kwiatkowski. Maybe not that impressive like the others but with the advantage of a solid Mountain - Time Trial binomial. In Tirreno Adriatico showed consistency and a great engine. If hes able to move this performance into a race like the Grande Boucle we are probably talking about a podium menace. If Michal goes a step forward there are no limits.

Then Tejay Van Garderen, Andrew Talansky or even Pierre Rolland...


If one of them progress probably we'll see another name going into the battle. Will be interesting to discover it.

 

[gmedina]

i dont wish valverde bad luck, but if quintana is let off the leash, it could make this TdF very interesting!

 

[airstream]

Just can't go past Contador,he has based his whole season on this race and knows how to win it.Froome will be his biggest rival but will struggle to follow Alberto in the Mountains day after day.Anyways should be an exciting race now that Wiggo is no longer riding.Looking forward to seeing the progreess that Pinot has made since last year?

It is said as though Froome is a fool who has to accept the fate of the fact that Contador magnanimously allows him to win the races during season, because Contador aims the Tour, while Froome clearly realizes he should do his 100% to win less prestigious races since he has no chances in the Tour.

Double standarts, mate.

 

[airstream]

So if Froome finished 10 minutes down on Valverde Rodriguez and Contador at the Vuelta but beat Nibali by 3 minutes at the tour that makes nibali 13 minutes worse than valverde

what is more its in case of relatively weak Contador. the 11 Giro sampla could have won with a half-hour margin

 

[karlboss]

My top 5 is Contador, Froome, Quintana, Rodriguez and Martin.

Froome tour 12 kills contador vuelta 12. Did you see how easily Froome matched everyone? Contador wasn't even the strongest in the race for the Vuelta, smarter and showed more grit, and willing to take a risk. Tour 09, and giro 11, and we have a race. I get the impression we are going to see a stronger Froome than in 2012, and Contador will be around his Giro 11, maybe a little under. Froome to be a little stronger, but Sky to slip up somewhere.