Who will win the Tour?

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Nibali

Why is piti not in the poll?

Why putting a guy in it who got beaten by Pinot en Peraud?

Nibali for me.

And why then Purito, Bardet and Van Garderen are in the poll?!

Because Purito is a better GC rider for the Tour. Always have been.

And Bardet has got the potential. Van Garderen rode well in the Dauphiné.

But you can put Valverde in the poll too, whatever

Purito is not, never was, and never will be better GC rider than Valverde. Not for the Tour, nor any other race.
The only reason for not putting Valverde in the poll might be cause he will not be the team leader, in any other case Valverde tops that three by some margin

Purito tops Valverde by some margin. He owned Piti in the Alps back in 2013.

Valverde great allrounder. Great classic rider. But not a great climber. Just the facts. Vuelta is perfect for Piti, while on the longer climbs, Purito is just better.

That you even say he will beat Bardet, TvG and Purito by some margin, makes me laugh. After last years embarrassement

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Nibali

Why is piti not in the poll?

Why putting a guy in it who got beaten by Pinot en Peraud?

Nibali for me.

And why then Purito, Bardet and Van Garderen are in the poll?!

Because Purito is a better GC rider for the Tour. Always have been.

And Bardet has got the potential. Van Garderen rode well in the Dauphiné.

But you can put Valverde in the poll too, whatever

Purito rode one time a better result than piti in the tour and he's the better GC rider . Keep hanging on that tour, it's all you got. And piti might have been on the podium if he didn't get unlucky beating your purito.

Hey guys let's hang on potential. You're dutch right? Yea now i understand why you bet your money on potential

You're quite a frustrated member, are you?

Valverde tried for 10 years to reach the podium of the Tour. He got owned last year by several riders. Even guys like Van Garderen and Ten Dam climbed better then he did

He just got blown away by Purito and Nairo in the Alps. And it will happen again this year, just live with it

 

[Mr.White]

You do realize that without stage 13 deficit of 10 min he would end up second in 2013 Tour, the one that he got owned by Purito . And you say after last year's embarrassment ... So 4th place, AHEAD of Purito, Bardet and Van Garderen is an embarassment?!!! You're a little lost, seems to me...

 

[Netserk]

Re:

You do realize that without stage 13 deficit of 10 min he would end up second in 2013 Tour, the one that he got owned by Purito . And you say after last year's embarrassment ... So 4th place, AHEAD of Purito, Bardet and Van Garderen is an embarassment?!!! You're a little lost, seems to me...

Without the crosswind stage, he'd have finished 4th. If he hadn't punctured, but finished in the same group as Froome, Quintana and Purito and everything else was the same, he would've finished 5th.

 

[Escarabajo]

This thread is about how many fans does each rider has. Nothing else.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Seriously?? they are hanging out?? instead of secretly plotting how to kill each other

Nibali looks starved. IMO he is the skinniest. Quintana will lead the race on the alp d huez. AC will lead the race in Paris.

 

[Tonton]

I have to stick to my guns, as in the "predict the top 5" thread where I picked Nibbles. I think Nibali has been hiding is cards, he is stronger than we think. Bertie won't be 100% after the Giro, Froome and Quintana will lose a lot week one. Well, we'll see real soon. 3 votes for Pinot? I wish, but too many things would need to happen. He'll be happy with a top 5. Podium if he takes chances. Only two out of the so-called Big 4 will make it to Paris.

 

[orangerider]

Froome, Nibali and Contador are showing their experience here being physically optimal. Quitana looks like he's carrying a few too many pounds to go against this elite class.

 

[phanatic]

Re:

I voted for Contador out of a dread that he may really be this good. I believe Froome's brutal elevation of pace makes him the most feared opponent, though his bike handling and variability threaten to get the best of him. As a fan, I want to see Quintana destroy them all in the mountains. As a reader of this forum, Nibali's second successive TDF victory would make my year.

This thread is about how many fans does each rider has. Nothing else.

I consider myself far more complex than that.

 

[meat puppet]

Voted nibali but in Reality froome. Probably lighter than ever. Others have muscles where there should be none. Healthy sport, this.

 

[franic]

Re: Re:

Seriously?? they are hanging out?? instead of secretly plotting how to kill each other

Nibali looks starved. IMO he is the skinniest. Quintana will lead the race on the alp d huez. AC will lead the race in Paris.

You should watch arrows: it looks like Contador will win on the Alpe d’hues and Froome in Paris

 

[franic]

I have to stick to my guns, as in the "predict the top 5" thread where I picked Nibbles. I think Nibali has been hiding is cards, he is stronger than we think. Bertie won't be 100% after the Giro, Froome and Quintana will lose a lot week one. Well, we'll see real soon. 3 votes for Pinot? I wish, but too many things would need to happen. He'll be happy with a top 5. Podium if he takes chances. Only two out of the so-called Big 4 will make it to Paris.

It reminds me a lot of 2000 when everybody was sure Pantani and Ullrich were clearly superior to Armstrong. We all know what happened.

Here people say Nibali won just because Contador and Froome weren’t there, but I feel like he’s actually a more solid rider.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I have to stick to my guns, as in the "predict the top 5" thread where I picked Nibbles. I think Nibali has been hiding is cards, he is stronger than we think. Bertie won't be 100% after the Giro, Froome and Quintana will lose a lot week one. Well, we'll see real soon. 3 votes for Pinot? I wish, but too many things would need to happen. He'll be happy with a top 5. Podium if he takes chances. Only two out of the so-called Big 4 will make it to Paris.

It reminds me a lot of 2000 when everybody was sure Pantani and Ullrich were clearly superior to Armstrong. We all know what happened.

Here people say Nibali won just because Contador and Froome weren’t there, but I feel like he’s actually a more solid rider.

I agree. Funny thing is, of the big 4 I think that Froome is the most likely to win but the least likely to finish in the top 10, whereas Nibali is the least likely to win but the most likely to finish in the top 10.

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

You do realize that without stage 13 deficit of 10 min he would end up second in 2013 Tour, the one that he got owned by Purito . And you say after last year's embarrassment ... So 4th place, AHEAD of Purito, Bardet and Van Garderen is an embarassment?!!! You're a little lost, seems to me...

Yeah, Purito was riding for GC last year

At least try to get the facts straight if you discuss about something

 

[malakassis]

i analized a head to head froome vs. quintana for the 2013 tdf.

in the 3 timetrails (nice,mt.st.michel,chorges) froome gained 4:44 min on quintana (correkt me if im wrong).

but in paris froome had a 4:20min gap to nairo. also nairo wasted much energies in pailheres and to early in ventoux. remember when purito had to tell him "lets go now" when froome had crisis on alpe d huez and nairo didnt seem to notice?

i think quintana has matured and gained useful experience. he surely is taktikally equal to at least froome.

btw: i m not sure but i believ there are 24 different possibilities for the big 4 arriving first 4 yes?

 

[DDavies]

btw: i m not sure but i believ there are 24 different possibilities for the big 4 arriving first 4 yes?

Thats right. 4x3x2x1 = 24 possibilities.

I'll stick to my first prediction, Nibali will win it.

 

[franic]

btw: i m not sure but i believ there are 24 different possibilities for the big 4 arriving first 4 yes?

If you pick among them only 4!=24

 

[Squirbos_19]

Head: Nibali
Heart: Rodriguez
History: Contador

The three riders I would most like to see win, but I think Nibali is the most likely

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Voted for Contador with my head.

But will be cheering for Pinot and then Nibali

Still cannot get excited about Quintana - hopefully he will change my mind this year

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Voted for Contador with my head.

But will be cheering for Pinot and then Nibali

Still cannot get excited about Quintana - hopefully he will change my mind this year

I thouht the same thing. Quintana is definitely the least exiting og the big 4.

 

[bala v]

Re: Re:

You do realize that without stage 13 deficit of 10 min he would end up second in 2013 Tour, the one that he got owned by Purito . And you say after last year's embarrassment ... So 4th place, AHEAD of Purito, Bardet and Van Garderen is an embarassment?!!! You're a little lost, seems to me...

Yeah, Purito was riding for GC last year

At least try to get the facts straight if you discuss about something

He ride it, that's enough. Real champions always ride for GC. Also he rode Vuelta, he ended up behind who? In fact when did Purito beat Valverde in GT ever?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

Purito tops Valverde by some margin. He owned Piti in the Alps back in 2013.

Valverde great allrounder. Great classic rider. But not a great climber. Just the facts. Vuelta is perfect for Piti, while on the longer climbs, Purito is just better.

That you even say he will beat Bardet, TvG and Purito by some margin, makes me laugh. After last years embarrassement

That is because Valverde's focus on the classics has often made him peak at the Vuelta instead of the Tour. In a typical Valverde-season, he's best in April and late August/September. Also, we never know if Valverde could have reached the podium in the 2013 Tour, had it not been for his unlucky day on stage 13.
In this year's tour, I must say that I have more faith in Valverde than Rodriguez, with the first week in mind. Better team + could gain lots of time on the cobbles + better on Huy/Bretagne than anyone else.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

You do realize that without stage 13 deficit of 10 min he would end up second in 2013 Tour, the one that he got owned by Purito . And you say after last year's embarrassment ... So 4th place, AHEAD of Purito, Bardet and Van Garderen is an embarassment?!!! You're a little lost, seems to me...

Yeah, Purito was riding for GC last year

At least try to get the facts straight if you discuss about something

He ride it, that's enough. Real champions always ride for GC. Also he rode Vuelta, he ended up behind who? In fact when did Purito beat Valverde in GT ever?

Yeah, similar to what Contador did for Vuelta 2014, right?

 

[Tonton]

i analized a head to head froome vs. quintana for the 2013 tdf.

in the 3 timetrails (nice,mt.st.michel,chorges) froome gained 4:44 min on quintana (correkt me if im wrong).

but in paris froome had a 4:20min gap to nairo. also nairo wasted much energies in pailheres and to early in ventoux. remember when purito had to tell him "lets go now" when froome had crisis on alpe d huez and nairo didnt seem to notice?

i think quintana has matured and gained useful experience. he surely is taktikally equal to at least froome.

btw: i m not sure but i believ there are 24 different possibilities for the big 4 arriving first 4 yes?

Time gaps as you put them are very misleading. Froome had 5'47" on Quintana after the Mont Ventoux stage and the media intensified its "not normal" rhetoric. As it happened, it appears to be pure PR on Sky's part to let Quintana nibble a little time (with one ITT left) and put forth that Froome was getting tired and human after all.

 

[Brullnux]

i analized a head to head froome vs. quintana for the 2013 tdf.

in the 3 timetrails (nice,mt.st.michel,chorges) froome gained 4:44 min on quintana (correkt me if im wrong).

but in paris froome had a 4:20min gap to nairo. also nairo wasted much energies in pailheres and to early in ventoux. remember when purito had to tell him "lets go now" when froome had crisis on alpe d huez and nairo didnt seem to notice?

i think quintana has matured and gained useful experience. he surely is taktikally equal to at least froome.

btw: i m not sure but i believ there are 24 different possibilities for the big 4 arriving first 4 yes?

Time gaps as you put them are very misleading. Froome had 5'47" on Quintana after the Mont Ventoux stage and the media intensified its "not normal" rhetoric. As it happened, it appears to be pure PR on Sky's part to let Quintana nibble a little time (with one ITT left) and put forth that Froome was getting tired and human after all.

Don't forget the 40 seconds Froome allowed Quintana to gain on the way to Paris.