Who would you put your money on, Valverde or Baby Schleck?

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nobilis said:
that's very simplistic. Using the same logic, Evans won the tour because most of the main contenders crashed out of the race and the rest did a very tough Giro and others waited for the final meters of each climb to launch their attack.

Simply Evans 2011 was a much better rider than Evans 2009. Waiting to see if he can do as well in 2012. I would be surprised if Valverde made the podium this year in the TDF even though he is a talented all round rider.
 
Jun 7, 2011
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In the Tour obviously Schleck. He will be better. But over the course of the season valverde is much more consistent and exciting.
 
Andy will probably win at least 2 mountain stages. Valverde if he did what Vanendert last year could ( admittedly a bigger threat ) and maybe into Seraing he could. However Andy will place higher than him.
 
nobilis said:
that's very simplistic. Using the same logic, Evans won the tour because most of the main contenders crashed out of the race and the rest did a very tough Giro and others waited for the final meters of each climb to launch their attack.

1 contender did ( Contador ). Also what about Andys' 60km attack???
 
Mar 17, 2012
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All depends on how A. Schleck improves in TT.

Don´t see Valverde as GC contender, at least not for the podium, maybe Top5.

Evans, Wiggins, and DON´T forget Menchov. Nobody speaks of Menchov, maybe because Menchov lacks of charisma and is shy of media, but Menchov is my absolute top favourite for this year´s Tour - even more now that Evans has shown that it´s still possible in this age (Menchov will be 34 this year).
For the first time in his career, he´s even been on the track to improve TT position, working with Sebastian Weber who came from HTC. Currently riding Sarthe, he will be back for Romandie and Dauphiné before heading to the Tour.
His motivation is higher than ever, after maybe "losing" one year while being with Geox.
Menchov, Wiggings, Evans, my top contenders for the podium. Kloeden maybe, being in his Tour shape of 2011.

Addings VDB and Basso, and the usual Garmin surprise, Andy and Valverde will be happy to be somewhere in the Top10.
 

airstream

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Mar 29, 2011
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Probably, it will be the Tour when for the first time in many years, the difference between the best climber and the second one will be sohuge. We can recall the 2002 TdF but then Armstrong's advantage was so overpowering that considering TT he could afford not to attack at all. Andy will really bound to attack everywhere. So we will see epic raids and a great show or Sky will conserve the race in the interests of a pure TT showdown, if Andy is not ok.