Who will win the 2014 Tour de Suisse?

[christopherrowe]

I really wanted to include Pierre Rolland in the options, but surely he's exhausted.

 

[offbyone]

Hard to say without knowing the full start list. But if that is the list of contenders it should be a fairly easy win for Wiggins. Not quite a tour of california situation where it is wiggins versus the B list, but similar.

 

[Netserk]

Costa or Wiggins. Depends on how good form they show up in.

 

[christopherrowe]

Hard to say without knowing the full start list. But if that is the list of contenders it should be a fairly easy win for Wiggins. Not quite a tour of california situation where it is wiggins versus the B list, but similar.

Oh, I don't know about fairly easy. One factor will be the team Wiggins is bringing, which is a mixture of guys who rode for him in California and guys coming off the Giro. The California squad didn't impress all that much and the Giro guys will be coming off peak form. So except for Peter Kennaugh maybe I'd say he's going to be short-handed.

Costa surely wants a threepeat and my money's on him.

 

[BigMac]

Hard to say without knowing the full start list. But if that is the list of contenders it should be a fairly easy win for Wiggins. Not quite a tour of california situation where it is wiggins versus the B list, but similar.

Wiggins won't even podium. This parcours is way to mountainous. The time trial won't be enough to place the time he needs on the other contenders, especially because it is hilly. And, there are much better climbers than him in here.

I am rooting for Costa. He has the chance to set an historic record with three successive overall wins. Never achieved.

So, Valverde not riding afterall?

 

[yespatterns]

I'm not a wiggins fan, but I want him to win just to put a fly in Sky's TDF soup.

 

[christopherrowe]

So, Valverde not riding afterall?

I didn't include Valverde because of media reports stating that he was going to the Route du Sud.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I like a troll option in a poll as much as the next man, but seriously, putting it 2nd option rather than at the bottom is just poor form.

 

[BigMac]

I didn't include Valverde because of media reports stating that he was going to the Route du Sud.

Oh okay,

10char

 

[BigMac]

I like a troll option in a poll as much as the next man, but seriously, putting it 2nd option rather than at the bottom is just poor form.

He has been doing good so far and was yellow jersey last year until the last stage. He deserves to be on the poll. What names would you include instead of him? None, the poll would be too short.

 

[ILovecycling]

I like a troll option in a poll as much as the next man, but seriously, putting it 2nd option rather than at the bottom is just poor form.

Who do you mean?Frank?
I voted for him,decent climber,very good hilly tt and always brave and motivated for his home races

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

He won't win this race as long as he has a hole in his ****. The fact the poll would be too short is the race organiser's problem, not mine.

 

[christopherrowe]

I like a troll option in a poll as much as the next man, but seriously, putting it 2nd option rather than at the bottom is just poor form.

I listed the riders alphabetically. Even setting aside my romantic notions about having a Swiss rider present, he is going well this season, and did very well here last year, wearing the leader's jersey for most of the race.

 

[Gloin22]

Frank in amazing form and looks veryyyy improved in TT.

I am going for bit longshot, but he's the winner of this.

 

[Jspear]

IMO it is very hard to say who will win....when Valverde was "supposedly" riding he was the easy pick for the win, but without him I really dunno. I voted Wiggins just because I think it would be funny if he won. (especially if someone manages to beat Froome at the CD) I don't know what sort of form these guys have because I haven't seen them racing recently. I actually really want to see Kreuziger win, but I don't think it will happen.

 

[offbyone]

Wiggins won't even podium. This parcours is way to mountainous. The time trial won't be enough to place the time he needs on the other contenders, especially because it is hilly. And, there are much better climbers than him in here.

I am rooting for Costa. He has the chance to set an historic record with three successive overall wins. Never achieved.

So, Valverde not riding afterall?

The time trial is hilly, but it isn't like a mountaint tt or anything. In terms of the course in general you might be right. The stage 2 and 3 mountains are no big deal, but the last two stages might prove to be too decisive for Wiggo. However, I don't think Costa is a pure climber so it might not suit him either.

 

[Kokoso]

Is Betancur racing this?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Judging from the toughness of the stages, It's between Kreuziger, Costa and perhaps Wiggins. The Verbier-stage and Saas Fee-stage look like the only 2 stages where they can drop Wiggins. Both TT's look pretty hilly though, so that shouldn't favour Wiggins too much.

 

[christopherrowe]

Is Betancur racing this?

Oh, good call, I should probably have included him. He's on the tentative startlists I've seen, yes. He hasn't shown himself much since Paris-Nice, but hey, Colombians are the hot ticket right now, eh?

Edit to ask: how does he go in time trials?

 

[Kokoso]

Oh, good call, I should probably have included him. He's on the tentative startlists I've seen, yes. He hasn't shown himself much since Paris-Nice, but hey, Colombians are the hot ticket right now, eh?

Edit to ask: how does he go in time trials?

That's the reason why he isn't gonna win this.

 

[Wallenquist]

How about Janier Acevedo as dark horse ?

 

[christopherrowe]

How about Janier Acevedo as dark horse ?

Eh, I bought that suggestion at the Tour of California and nothing much came of it. Which is not to say I wouldn't be delighted to see him excel here. Garmin Sharp is kind of my default favorite team (in as much as if I have to have one, then I guess I choose them) and I'd love to see them go all in supporting him in Switzerland.

He doesn't seem to have a lot of experience, for all that he's 28 and been riding in the Americas for three or four years. He only seems to race about 20 or 30 days per year. But they're apparently bringing him to Switzerland and he's also rumored to be on their Tour de France short list, so I guess they see something in him I've yet to see.

 

[PirazziAttacksVino]

This has potential The ITTs are bumpy enough to prevent Wiggins from taking this easily. Costa, Kreuziger, Frank, Wiggo, Mollema, hopefully Pinot, it should be interesting. My money is on Rui though to finaly win something in that jersey he holds

 

[Parrulo]

I don't think they will manage to drop wiggins on the climbs hard enough to win the time lost on the time trial. There also doesn't seem to be any trick stages like last year's second road stage.

 

[greenedge]

I voted kreuziger but would not be surprised if Wiggins won.