Wiggins to win Le Tour?

[ArtVandelay]

Not a shot in hell. Prediction: 18th. He'll crack in the Alps and suffer through the Pyrenees.

 

[Boeing]

Now that the inevitable has been confirmed, do you think Wiggins will win Le Tour with Sky?

I say NO because although I think Wiggins is one of the greatest talents ever he does not have the mental toughness and discipline needed to beat the likes of Contador or Armstrong. It's a real shame that Wiggins did not really start to concentrate on road races until 2009.

I think he does have the discipline coming from all those hours riding round n round to the left

his freak out at worlds confirms he is a mental pussy

sophomore jinx as well too much pressure to duplicate results at the start of the season here in 2010 and he will freak. why me???? ahhhh

 

[Winterfold]

I cant see it

As a Brit and as much as I find Brad a funny and talented guy I can't see him doing it. Bertie is the best climber by a mile and knocking on Cancellara's door as best TT'er, he is way ahead.

With the right course maybe he could beat A Schleck with some prep and a strong team - but not this year. EDIT I mean next year 2010.

3rd would be an amazing result.

(PS the Man U/Wigan comment - I think it is more subtle than most people give credit for - I think he meant the GB/Sky management was like Man U ie DB is Sir Alex, and Vaughters is Paul Jewell/Wigan. For those that dont know UK footy, Paul Jewell was a good former pro who had some early success in management, but is not Sir Alex - yet. I dont think he was dissing his teammates - its more about the way Team GB cover every detail and leave nothing to chance.)

 

[Anonymous]

Definitely not if all the stuff he writes on twitter is true, cause in that case he will be incredibly fat by next year..

dunno. up till 8 months ago i could cane brad in a drinking constest and i still never went over eleven stone 8..

he does what most other brits do.. out on the beer on a friday and saturday, and bottle of wine or two with dinner each day..

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

No.

These conditions would have to be met to win the Tour (or other GT):

1 - Everything goes perfect for him. Everything. Health, fitness, team support, no joux sans, maybe gets in some breaks.
2 - Contador is out of the race, sick, crashes, or pees hot and is gone.
3 - Several other top contenders drop out or have bad days or not focus on the race. Both Schlecks, Basso, Sastre, Menchov, Evans, probably Leipheimer, Kloden, Kreuziger, Kreuziger and Nibali too if they are going for it.
4 - GT with TT distances going back to the Indurain years, like 200km total would help, but not guarantee a win.
5 - He's either charged more, or others are less.

My guess is that even if he doesn't have a bad day, he'll finish in about 15th next year.

 

[Anonymous]

latest tour de france odds.. (oddschecker)

Contador 5/6
Schleck A 5/1
Armstrong 10/1
Basso 25/1
Wiggins 25/1
Evans 28/1
Gesink 33/1
Schleck F 40/1
Menchov 40/1
Vaverde 40/1
Nibali 40/1
Sastre 50/1
Sammy Sanchez 50/1
Vandevelde 66/1
Leipheimer 66/1
Kreuziger 66/1
LL Sanchez 100/1
Rasmussen 100/1
Vino 100/1
Martin 125/1

think i might have an each way on vino to podium..

 

[ethnik]

can wiggo win?

sure anything is possible - Contador illness, crash, or cycling hooligan accident
Schleck bros' illness, crash or cycling hooligan accident
Nibali/Kreuzinger illness, crash or cycling hooligan accident

perhaps a rock slide will bury the lead peloton on the Tourmalet, while a dropped Wiggo makes his way round the mess and into the lead.

ANYTHING is possible

 

[Anonymous]

can wiggo win?

sure anything is possible - Contador illness, crash, or cycling hooligan accident
Schleck bros' illness, crash or cycling hooligan accident
Nibali/Kreuzinger illness, crash or cycling hooligan accident

perhaps a rock slide will bury the lead peloton on the Tourmalet, while a dropped Wiggo makes his way round the mess and into the lead.

ANYTHING is possible

hang on.. you think nibali or kreuzinger have any chance of winning the tour?

 

[maltiv]

hang on.. you think nibali or kreuzinger have any chance of winning the tour?

I'd say it's more likely that Nibali wins the tour next year than Wiggins. At Nibali's age, improving massively is likely. Improving massively from 29-30...uhm, not so much.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

As would I for the same reasons. The route suits both Nibali and Kreuzinger more than Brad as well.

 

[Anonymous]

As would I for the same reasons. The route suits both Nibali and Kreuzinger more than Brad as well.

40/1 get your money on..

 

[Jancouver]

hang on.. you think nibali or kreuzinger have any chance of winning the tour?

Kreuziger will be in TOP 5 (unless they make him to work for Basso). He was TOP 10 this year and most of you dont even know that he was sick during the TDF with some stomach flu crap.

Hopefully next year he will sign with some team where he can be THE leader because this co-captain BS with 3 others (Nibali, Basso, Pellizotti) just doesnt make any sense to me. He already won TD Swiss & TD Romandie.

Nibali on the other hand didnt win (almost) anything that would be worth of posting here.

J.

 

[gatete]

Every one is refering to wigging chances to be more on TT? AC,LL and whole bunch of other guys has beaten Brad in the last two years, granted the fact that he improved his climbing abilities by a 800% margin I'd say still he has nothing on the rest of the contenders

 

[auscyclefan94]

Kreuziger will be in TOP 5 (unless they make him to work for Basso). He was TOP 10 this year and most of you dont even know that he was sick during the TDF with some stomach flu crap.

Hopefully next year he will sign with some team where he can be THE leader because this co-captain BS with 3 others (Nibali, Basso, Pellizotti) just doesnt make any sense to me. He already won TD Swiss & TD Romandie.

Nibali on the other hand didnt win (almost) anything that would be worth of posting here.

J.

They are. On Velonation the other day it said that liquigas had announced that pellizotti and basso would be the leaders for the giro, basso for the tour and nibali + kreuziger for vuelta.

 

[ethnik]

I'd say it's more likely that Nibali wins the tour next year than Wiggins. At Nibali's age, improving massively is likely. Improving massively from 29-30...uhm, not so much.

what he said. though I will admit that last year was Wiggo's first proper full road season, and with 2 grand tours in his legs the cumulative training adaptation to this year (provided he doesn't get sidetracked by too much lager and wine this winter....) might surprise us all.

I still think there is too much sustained climbing next year for Wiggo to even make top 5 unless a rash of people pull out part way. Top 10 might even be a tough one. Talented rider, but the parcours just does not suit his abilities.

I'm not an LA fan in any way, shape or form, but his calling out Lance this past week was not the smartest idea in the world - LA is like Michael Jordan used to be, he fuels himself on any and all perceived slights to dominate his opponents. Here's to betting that in next years TOUR that Lance drops Wiggo on a climb at some point and we hear the trash talk live or post-race!

Leipheimer's window has passed, I can't see how Horner can supplant either LA or LL, Basso is old and doesn't have his juiced up acceleration anymore, Sastre will go for stage wins in the mountains I think ala Pellizotti (would make for a tremendous Polka Dot Jersey battle between those 2!), so next year's Tour will be all about the young guns.

If Kreuzinger stays healthy I think he is Top 5 with an outside shot at the podium. Nibali is Top 10 for sure if he rides the Tour, and if everything lines up properly and events on the road and in the team work out for him and he puts together a perfect 3 weeks he could also be potential Top 5. I don't care about past results in his case, just the engine he has.

If Liquigas got their **** together they have the most dominant team for this parcours. Don't think it will happen with Basso's ego though.

 

[peloton]

Kreuziger will be in TOP 5 (unless they make him to work for Basso). He was TOP 10 this year and most of you dont even know that he was sick during the TDF with some stomach flu crap.

Hopefully next year he will sign with some team where he can be THE leader because this co-captain BS with 3 others (Nibali, Basso, Pellizotti) just doesnt make any sense to me. He already won TD Swiss & TD Romandie.

Nibali on the other hand didnt win (almost) anything that would be worth of posting here.

J.

+1
I think Kreuziger is even more talented than Andy, he can TT with the best and can climb well.

 

[595RED]

Doubt it, it will be one of those deals where he dedicates his carear to Le Tour only to never repeat what he did last year, then finally in his final year he gets his reality check and dedicates himself to a smaller less lofty goal and pulls off a win.

 

[blackcat]

what he said. though I will admit that last year was Wiggo's first proper full road season, and with 2 grand tours in his legs the cumulative training adaptation to this year (provided he doesn't get sidetracked by too much lager and wine this winter....) might surprise us all.

So much misinformation and ignorance on this board.

Wiggans (sic) rode 2006 full time on the road. No compromise.

Then you can argue he was basically full time on the road every other year, and part time on the track. 2006 was the only year he took off the track completely.

But how many years was he racing GB nationals to win the GB IP title? Few. He may have 2 or 3 GB IP titles. IF he was full time on the track, prior to things like the Revolution series which is basically an appearance fee series, he only rode one or two World Cups, and the World Champs. To say he was full time at the track to the detriment of his road career, is bunkum.

Get the facts right folks.

Does anyone want to make the argument Vasily Kiryienka was a full time trackie up til 2009? And he was successful on the track, close to Wiggins, and he was MORE successful on the road.

 

[ethnik]

before you get all ****y and defensive take a deep breath, step away from your keyboard and allow me to re-phrase;

last year was his first, DEDICATED season on the road. i would not consider any prior road racing season of his to be anywhere near dedicated and thoughful in his training approach in general, and certainly not specific for GT's. he coasted on natural ability, and was a rather directionless ship for years on the road until 2009.

clearly there is a rather large population of Wiggo fan boys on this board who take exception to any comments or questioning. i like to call that ironic given the level of vitriol hurled by some at the fan boys of other riders around here.

 

[blackcat]

before you get all ****y and defensive take a deep breath, step away from your keyboard and allow me to re-phrase;

last year was his first, DEDICATED season on the road. i would not consider any prior road racing season of his to be anywhere near dedicated and thoughful in his training approach in general, and certainly not specific for GT's. he coasted on natural ability, and was a rather directionless ship for years on the road until 2009.

clearly there is a rather large population of Wiggo fan boys on this board who take exception to any comments or questioning. i like to call that ironic given the level of vitriol hurled by some at the fan boys of other riders around here.

no, read Wiggans aims and goals in 2006. Simon Jones who left GB Cycling was also on record about 2006.

This is just misinformation. You are wrong. I can handle correcting the record, but I will not let obfuscations and misinformation go by.

 

[Hugh Januss]

what he said. though I will admit that last year was Wiggo's first proper full road season, and with 2 grand tours in his legs the cumulative training adaptation to this year (provided he doesn't get sidetracked by too much lager and wine this winter....) might surprise us all.

OK, I'm gonna have to jump in here and correct some more missinformation. The highlighted section above is plain wrong. As far as I know there are only about 3 lagers sold in England and no self respecting Englishman would drink one if there was an ale available.
Alright carry on then.

 

[Anonymous]

BW won't win

'Cause he's not on the Shack

SHACK ATTACK

 

[Anonymous]

'Cause he's not on the Shack

SHACK ATTACK

im not totally sure i see the point in you, little man. But i do hope you hang around until July so that we can all snigger at your silliness..


edit: its coming to something when you have to cheat to avoid the censors..

 

[lucybears]

But i do hope you hang around until July so that we can all snigger at your silliness..

he doesn't have to wait until July for that

 

[Anonymous]

im not totally sure i see the point in you, little man. But i do hope you hang around until July so that we can all snigger at your silliness..


edit: its coming to something when you have to cheat to avoid the censors..

Well the thread asks the question if BW will win the tour day france, and I don't think he will. I think he is going to get SHACKED