Who will win the Tour de France this year?

[Kwibus]

Alberto for the win.

Despite the fact he allready rode the Giro. He's simly by far the best rider in the peloton right now.

I'm not 100% sure he will win though. The Giro will have some effect on him and besides that it's not certain he will ride the TdF...
Schleck will be his nearest rival so he will end up 2nd.

Behind those 2 there are a lot of options:
Basso
Sanchez
Gesink
Evans

I'd say these are the most likely other podium candidates.

A rather predictable prediction here

 

[Bavarianrider]

1. Contador (If racing)
2. Basso
3.Schleck
4.Klöden
5. Horner
6. Sanchez
7. Martin
8. van den Broeck
9. Vinokourov
10. F. Schleck

 

[Chef_Vodnik]

I think Frank Schleck will do great as well. Don't know why you leave him out.

Shhh, you don't name him here. He's a very terriblydubbilybad TTer and what with thousands of miles of TT here he'll do very poorly and get dropped in the TTT. Also he's a worse climber than Wiggins and Martin, all of which will drop him on every small bump.

 

[cineteq]

1. Contador (If racing)
2. Basso
3.Schleck
4.Klöden
5. Horner
6. Sanchez
7. Martin
8. van den Broeck
9. Vinokourov
10. F. Schleck

Wow, ignoring Evans and Gesing? Perhaps the only two guys who can do anything against Contador? I like Andy, but the 2 TTs will make him lose too much time for him and his team.

 

[Angliru]

Get use to this sight in July

Evans in the autobus with Wiggans and the rest of Sky? I'm in full agreement!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Basoo won't top 5. There is my bold prediction. Just wondering, who does Liquigas left for the tour as personally I think their team for the Giro was quite decent but I am not sure about it for the tour.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

I guess we'll see Szmyd in top form in the tour, he was not his usual self in the Giro at all.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Wow, ignoring Evans and Gesing? Perhaps the only two guys who can do anything against Contador? I like Andy, but the 2 TTs will make him lose too much time for him and his team.

Just don't think Evans has it for three weeks anymore.
Gesink might moove up on my scale if he does well at the Dauphine

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

yeah because it's not like Gesink has proven anything in GC's yet.
Every GT Gesink has finished in his career has been in the top 7. Every stage-race Gesink rode in 2011 he has been in the top 3 (!!)

But yes, he must prove himself first in the Dauphine before you put him in the top 10. You have a weird opinion.

 

[theyoungest]

yeah because it's not like Gesink has proven anything in GC's yet.
Every GT Gesink has finished in his career has been in the top 7. Every stage-race Gesink rode in 2011 he has been in the top 3 (!!)

But yes, he must prove himself first in the Dauphine before you put him in the top 10. You have a weird opinion.

What are you? Gesink's agent? Seriously. Not everyone is as impressed with Gesink as you are, leave them be.

 

[hughmoore]

Are any of the stages in the first week, going to cause splits like last year.

Wind/cobbles/dirt/tight downhills with oil?

Will Shrek be able to negotiate the passage without floaties???


Hugh

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

What are you? Gesink's agent? Seriously. Not everyone is as impressed with Gesink as you are, leave them be.

Dude, but not putting him in the top 10 is just hilarious

 

[movingtarget]

Basoo won't top 5. There is my bold prediction. Just wondering, who does Liquigas left for the tour as personally I think their team for the Giro was quite decent but I am not sure about it for the tour.

Not sure about missing the top 5 but I think Basso will miss the top three. I may end up with egg on my face and it wouldn't be the first time. I just have the feeling he will struggle to make the podium. The Liquigas team may also be a bit thin for the TDF. Even if some of their better Giro riders back up it will be a tough proposition for them. Basso will obviously want Sylvester S in top shape. I think he was sick during the Giro or before it started.

 

[El Pistolero]

Wow, ignoring Evans and Gesing? Perhaps the only two guys who can do anything against Contador? I like Andy, but the 2 TTs will make him lose too much time for him and his team.

Joking right? When have these 2 ever troubled Contador?

 

[movingtarget]

Are any of the stages in the first week, going to cause splits like last year.

Wind/cobbles/dirt/tight downhills with oil?

Will Shrek be able to negotiate the passage without floaties???


Hugh

Maybe the neutral Fabien will call the peloton to another halt..........it's a Swiss thing !

 

[movingtarget]

Joking right? When have these 2 ever troubled Contador?

Evans 2007 ? Not exactly a runaway win by Contador .........

 

[dlwssonic]

Wow, ignoring Evans and Gesing? Perhaps the only two guys who can do anything against Contador? I like Andy, but the 2 TTs will make him lose too much time for him and his team.

erm one is a TTT, and guess what he has a incredible TTT team including some guy called spartacus. He will most likely gain on the other gc contenders in the TTT. He might lose time to most of the gc contenders on the 54km TT. But dont be surprised if he does better, he is always training on his TT. Anyway he easily will get time back from the mountains. If you have watched the past tours at all.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Joking right? When have these 2 ever troubled Contador?

Maybe Contador once had a horrible nightmare or somethng. Sure as hell didn't happen in real life

 

[El Pistolero]

Evans 2007 ? Not exactly a runaway win by Contador .........

I didn't know Contador was still 24 years of age.

Besides even then Evans was no match to Contador in the mountains. No, that's not my definition of troubled. That Tour had more then 110km in tts and was the only reason Cuddles came close to Contador.

If anyone is going to trouble him it's going to be Andy. Or Contador will completely suck because he already did the Giro, I don't know. But then everyone will trouble him.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I think the Giro/Tour combination is possible.
Menchov was what, 5th in Giro and 4th in tour or something, in 2008?

Contador is of a much higher level and if he reserved his energy well he could be top or at least close to top form in the Tour again. And then nobody is a match except Andy

 

[dlwssonic]

I think the Giro/Tour combination is possible.
Menchov was what, 5th in Giro and 4th in tour or something, in 2008?

Contador is of a much higher level and if he reserved his energy well he could be top or at least close to top form in the Tour again. And then nobody is a match except Andy

Andy all the way baby!

 

[movingtarget]

Sure Contador is now a much better rider but give Evans some credit for making it a close race and everyone knows that one crucual error by Evans in the mountains cost him the race. Personally I think that only fatigue from the Giro will stop Contador but to me he looked fresh in the final week. Fresher than the rest. It will be very interesting to see whether the double can be done for the first time in 23 years I think.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Sure Contador is now a much better rider but give Evans some credit for making it a close race and everyone knows that one crucual error by Evans in the mountains cost him the race. Personally I think that only fatigue from the Giro will stop Contador but to me he looked fresh in the final week. Fresher than the rest. It will be very interesting to see whether the double can be done for the first time in 23 years I think.

Pantani 1998 did the Giro-Tour double

 

[movingtarget]

Pantani 1998 did the Giro-Tour double

Forgot that one. Hinault did it as did Eddy and also Fignon too I think. Don't think Indurain did it did he ? Roche did the triple in 1987 with the World Title as well. Even Contador may struggle to do that unless he had the right world's course with lots of climbing. Very hard task I think.

 

[movingtarget]

My mistake. Indurain did the double in consecutive years. Coppi and Anquetil also won both. So it is still a pretty exclusive club.