Who will win the Tour 2013 - Wiggins or Contador?

[ferryman]

LOL. People still completely writing him off after he won the Tour by over three minutes and over six minutes ahead of the much hyped Nibali. Not to mention the fact that he's just had one of the best season's of any cyclist in the modern era. The only time he looked in a bit trouble on any climb in the Tour was when his teammate indulged in a bit of showboating. If I'm Wiggins, I'm thinking, bring on more serious mountains stages and let me prove them wrong (again).

A showboating domestique who you dismissed a few posts earlier as no threat can put his captain in trouble (how many times was it again?). Thank you for the laugh. I love you people. Priceless.

 

[veganrob]

The whole Sky train gets derailed next year. Froome returns to his pre '11 Vuelta form, Wiggins returns to what he really is. Great TT, mediocre climber. I don't care how much weight he has to lose, he cannot come close to Contador. Nowhere.

 

[No_Balls]

LOL. People still completely writing him off after he won the Tour by over three minutes and over six minutes ahead of the much hyped Nibali. Not to mention the fact that he's just had one of the best season's of any cyclist in the modern era. The only time he looked in a bit trouble on any climb in the Tour was when his teammate indulged in a bit of showboating. If I'm Wiggins, I'm thinking, bring on more serious mountains stages and let me prove them wrong (again).

Nibali? Who ever spoke about Nibali? Have you forgotten to take your pills again.

Besides. Thank you for proving my point. There will be a lot of showboating next year when that teammate (whom you yourself previously wrote off) must guard sideburns from Contador and/or likely Schleck the younger and as you saying his past doesnt really suggest he is capable of handle a little showboating.

 

[willbick]

Wiggins wont be riding the tour next year

 

[SafeBet]

Wiggins wont be riding the tour next year

What will he ride then? The Giro?

 

[willbick]

no idea but i've heard a lot of rumours (including directly from Shane Sutton) that he's not prepared to go through all the training schedule again i.e. being away from family for months.

 

[willbick]

tbh i can see next year being very quiet for wiggins. all the massive media hype and UK adulation of the tour and the olympics will have freaked him out and i can see him wanting to lie low

 

[ferryman]

Wiggins wont be riding the tour next year

Wiggins will definitely ride the Tour next year. No way a defending champion doesn't. It may well be in a role for Froome with pressure off but he will ride.

 

[The Hitch]

tbh i can see next year being very quiet for wiggins. all the massive media hype and UK adulation of the tour and the olympics will have freaked him out and i can see him wanting to lie low

Wiggins will ride the Tour but wont be able to win it or anything and might just domestique and win a tt (well if Cancellara and Martin get injured again)

Doubt the adulation freaked him out, its clearly what he craved all along.

 

[sartoris]

This is the one that matters. We can see this in the popularity of the Contador and Schleck threads throughout June and July, even after it became clear both were out of this years edition.

The Great One is clearly the favourite with the tt but Schleck will push him hard in the mountains.

Wiggins only chance is that they both get injured.

Scathing, caustic, mordacious, vitiolic aren't enough to describe some of your comments. Just have to love them

 

[The Hitch]

Scathing, caustic, mordacious, vitiolic aren't enough to describe some of your comments. Just have to love them

Unfortunately its what i predicted for the olympic tt with Cancellara and Martin and they both got injured

Fortunately Froome would also need to get injured, and wiggins isnt going to go for it anyway (well if those 3 get injured in March or something he might change his mind)

 

[sartoris]

Unfortunately its what i predicted for the olympic tt with Cancellara and Martin and they both got injured

Fortunately Froome would also need to get injured, and wiggins isnt going to go for it anyway (well if those 3 get injured in March or something he might change his mind)

Maybe swimming coach training doesn't suit him after all and gets eventually injured too.

 

[the asian]

LOL. People still completely writing him off after he won the Tour by over three minutes and over six minutes ahead of the much hyped Nibali. Not to mention the fact that he's just had one of the best season's of any cyclist in the modern era. The only time he looked in a bit trouble on any climb in the Tour was when his teammate indulged in a bit of showboating. If I'm Wiggins, I'm thinking, bring on more serious mountains stages and let me prove them wrong (again).

Lol. You have a year to keep dreaming.

 

[airstream]

I just recommend everyone who tries to estimate the things democratically and looks up to team Sky strength not to argue with Contador fans (not everyone surely). That's useless because people handle any circumstance (even Sky wins) in Contador's favour and always find a way to remind the Giro 2011 as the only сorrect argument. In the fullness of time I discussed the same stuff with them, evaluating Andy's chances, but as I see, nothing changed in case of Sky — the same blind negative averment.

 

[The Cobra]

Wiggins wont be up to much next year imo. We saw after he finished 4th in 2009 all the adulation he received, it goes striaght to his head. I can see a repeat of a 2010 type of season coming up, too much time going to ''events'' and not enough time in the mountains. Whatever you believe Sky were or werent up to Wiggins did train a hell of a lot this year and dedicated himself to the Tour 100%, thats what it takes to win, all or nothing.

Hopefully Wiggins does decide to give the Giro a shot, would love to see him win that and leave the Tour to Froome.

As for who's going to win the Tour, impossible to say before the route is even revealed. One thing is certain that whatever it is Contador will be the big favourite and deservedly so. I hope Andy is back to his best too, I want to see all the big players going at each other full gas.

 

[Cookster15]

I can see a repeat of a 2010 type of season coming up

As for who's going to win the Tour, impossible to say before the route is even revealed. One thing is certain that whatever it is Contador will be the big favourite and deservedly so. I hope Andy is back to his best too, I want to see all the big players going at each other full gas.

I hope you're right but I think it comes down to the course. If 2013 is a return to 2011 style course than AC definitely gets my vote. But if two long TTs then Wiggins might just have the edge unfortunately.

 

[The Hitch]

this is from a week ago,

“For me [it is] not big at all,” he said, referring to missing the worlds TT. "I am the Olympic champion, that is the one everyone wants to win."

I have a lot of commitments now in the next six weeks and I am probably not going to be able to give the time to the training that is required to win the gold there.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...best-for-Cavendishs-career.aspx#ixzz245uH53bZ

The worlds tt is not big enough for him. but if he put in the neccesary training, he would win gold.

Christ wigo, you do realize Martin was coming off an injury?

 

[willbick]

jesus christ. some of the ****e talked about wiggins on this forum cant be believed. what a bunch of miserable sour old gits. how can any sane person claim that wiggins isnt a) currently the best TTer and b) one of the best climbers?? the idea that someone like schleck would put wiggins and the skytrain in trouble in the mountains is just a joke.

and why do u have this notion that it is impossible to improve as a cyclist without taking a load of EPO?? martin used to be a better TTer than wiggins, then wiggins worked his **** off and martin had some bad luck with crashes and stuff, so wiggins became a better TTer. its not that hard to understand.

one final thought. when was the last tour de france winner who DID NOT LOSE A SINGLE SECOND of time to any serious GC rival????

 

[The Cobra]

this is from a week ago,



http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...best-for-Cavendishs-career.aspx#ixzz245uH53bZ

The worlds tt is not big enough for him. but if he put in the neccesary training, he would win gold.

Christ wigo, you do realize Martin was coming off an injury?

Yeah really dissapointed he's not going for the Worlds TT. Sure Olympic gold is awesome but so is riding around in the rainbow jersey. Would have been the big big favourite to win it as well. You shouldnt pass opportunites like that up because things can change so much from year to year he might never get the chance again.

 

[Carols]

Cancellara out
Martin injured

Equals: Worlds ITT in the bag for Wiggins.

Guess he thinks he's had a long enough, successful enough season. It would be difficult to argue against that viewpoint!

 

[Afrank]

this is from a week ago,



http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...best-for-Cavendishs-career.aspx#ixzz245uH53bZ

The worlds tt is not big enough for him. but if he put in the neccesary training, he would win gold.

Christ wigo, you do realize Martin was coming off an injury?

No Cancellara, Injured Martin, he could probably win the world TT with minimal training but he's not going to even try? Sure he already has had a good season winning the tour and olympic TT but why not try to get a rainbow jersey as well? Who knows when he will have as good a chance as he does now?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Let's wait until we see zje route first

 

[greenedge]

jesus christ. some of the ****e talked about wiggins on this forum cant be believed. what a bunch of miserable sour old gits. how can any sane person claim that wiggins isnt a) currently the best TTer and b) one of the best climbers?? the idea that someone like schleck would put wiggins and the skytrain in trouble in the mountains is just a joke.


one final thought. when was the last tour de france winner who DID NOT LOSE A SINGLE SECOND of time to any serious GC rival????

Lance in 02- not a good example.
Shleck would not put Wiggins in trouble because as you say it is the Sky train who does all the work. Shleck is a pure climber as well so of course he is better than Wiggins. Wiggins was up against his own teammate, Nibali and JVDB ( who is a solid rider, not one who attacks- Gesink is a better climber ).

 

[Jason_Mercier]

Next year i expect something like the 94 edition. One more time Sky domination. At first wining the TTT getting distance with the opponents, and Wiggins taking 2 or 3 minutes to Froome, Contador and Van Garderen in the ITT. So Bradley in the paper of Indurain, keeping differences in the mountain, Froome like Piotr Ugrumov fighting against Wiggins in the last week and taking stage victory, Contador in the paper of Pantani overcooked after the Giro (maybe) or in decline (like the 2011 race) Pinot like Luc Leblanc and Rolland in the paper of Richard Virenque, successing the firsts mountain stages making dreams of the french people, but really nothing to do versus Sky, the improved version of Us Postal. Nibali and Van Garderen in the paper of Conti and Zulle. A superhigh level edition. And that's all

 

[Cimber]

Wiggins wont even be up there (if he even choose to participate), as there will be alot more mountains (As Prudhomme has already confirmed). It will be among Andy, Froome and Contador and maybe an outsider who steps up a level.