**Tour De France 2009**

kennyb3

Maybe a bit early but anyone care to state who they think is going to win overall, young rider etc

has lance got much of a chance?

lescol

Cadel Evans!?

ednwireland

lescol wrote: »

Cadel Evans!?

`wheelsucker (thought i'd start early)

Running Bing

Lance could be sandbagging.

For seven years he peaked for the tour and did little else so why should it be different now?

I think he is just as much an unknown quantity now as he wouldve been if he didnt ride the Giro.

Astana are very strong so you'd have to imagine Conatador would have a good chance too.

My picks would be Menchov, Sastre, Contador or Armstrong.:D

kennyb3

lescol wrote: »

Cadel Evans!?

will he be found out by his lack of team as usual?

kennyb3

Running Bing wrote: »

My picks would be Menchov, Sastre, Contador or Armstrong.:D

ha ha just the 4? think contador will be very hard to beat myself

Lumen

My mind was wandering on the way to work this morning.

Scenario:

Lance does really badly in the Tour. He then calls a press conference and says "this is the first Tour I've ever done clean, and I got my ass kicked. Almost everyone in cycling has always doped, and always will dope. This is the reality. Drugs saved my life, then helped make me the greatest cyclist on Earth. When they took away my dope, my cycling career died just the same my body would have died without chemotherapy. Biotech represents humankind's only hope to conquer the challenges ahead, and I now announce the true purpose of the LiveStrong foundation, to forge a new age of pharmatech-assisted eugenics, with the initial goal of producing what I've always longed for: a three-breasted woman."

As a side effect, he helps destroy the great French sporting event, thus showing those cheese-eating surrender monkeys what a bit of shock and awe can really do.

lescol

Careful, don't mock the Aussies, look what's happening to Gordon Ramsey!
Couldn't believe I was writing his name, but WTF, I'll have to stick to it now.

Captain Havoc

Paddy Power has Lance Armstrong at 5/1 behind Contador at 11/10 which means Lance would be a good E/W bet. Cadel Evans behind Lance at 7/1. Best of the Irish, Dan Martin is at 100/1 and Nicolas Roche is at 200/1. As per usual when I don't know who to back I go with a couple of quid on green, and hope a team leader or two gets injured.

DirkVoodoo

I'm gonna stick with Menchov after the Giro. But I also like Basso.

I have to say, after seeing him last year and now in the Dauphine, I don't like Evans as a cyclist. He seems happy to sit in the bunch and wait for the TTs even if he really, really needs to make a go of it and chase someone down (is this what Leipheimer basically did in the Giro?). Last year he just sat there and watched the tour ride away from him.

I would just hope for a nice, clean race.

Running Bing

Any word on Deignan making the Cervelo team?

Chips Lovell

I'll wait till the blood passports thing comes out before doing up a full list but Contador obviously would be the overwhelming favourite in my book. His own team might be his biggest problem.

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

But I also like Basso.

He's not racing this year.

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I have to say, after seeing him last year and now in the Dauphine, I don't like Evans as a cyclist. He seems happy to sit in the bunch and wait for the TTs even if he really, really needs to make a go of it and chase someone down (is this what Leipheimer basically did in the Giro?). Last year he just sat there and watched the tour ride away from him.

I like him more and more. The guy has guts. There's few guys who suffer so much in the mountains. He's not a born climber but seems to hang in against the odds. And he attacks way more than Leipheimer. He was between a rock and hard place at last year's Tour. Had he done the work to catch Sastre, the Schlecks would have taken him to pieces. All he good do was try and keep the gap small enough and wait for the TT.

alibabba

a fairly good preview here ....

http://www.ironstring.com/wp/portfolio/tearsheets/TDFPreview_june2009.pdf

Personally I cant wait for the tour to start
Forget the doping, who's fit, who isnt
Will armstrong ride for himself, the team, will he attack Contador?

It all makes up for class entertainment

kennyb3

does anyone know how lances training is going. 5/1 suggests he has a good chance. would you think he does really or will 5/1 be made to look huge.

can he really come out of retirement and win this?

Famous45

Cavendish for the green jersey, as close as it comes to a certainty.

Nibali for the Tour

Chips Lovell

kennyb3 wrote: »

does anyone know how lances training is going. 5/1 suggests he has a good chance. would you think he does really or will 5/1 be made to look huge.

can he really come out of retirement and win this?

Stranger things have happened in Lance's career. He looked like he was coming into quite good form by the end of the Giro. Whether he's good enough to win the Tour (and punk his own team leader) is another question.

Chips Lovell

Famous45 wrote: »

Nibali for the Tour

Wow! Going out on a limb there.

Caroline_ie

LA & Sastre general classement ( I knwo i know ... )
Boonen in green

kennyb3

Famous45 wrote: »

Nibali for the Tour

129/1 on betfair if your interested

ednwireland

roman kreuziger

thebouldwhacker

Lumen wrote: »

. Biotech represents humankind's only hope to conquer the challenges ahead, and I now announce the true purpose of the LiveStrong foundation, to forge a new age of pharmatech-assisted eugenics, with the initial goal of producing what I've always longed for: a three-breasted woman."

(you had to know this was going to happen)

Chips Lovell

ednwireland wrote: »

roman kreuziger

Like Nibali, he's good, but not that good.

Hungrycol

Caroline_ie wrote: »

LA & Sastre general classement ( I knwo i know ... )
Boonen in green

Thought Boonen was out because of his indiscretion.

Chips Lovell

Hungrycol wrote: »

Thought Boonen was out because of his indiscretion.

No. He's back in. ASO wanted him out, but didn't seem to get enough backing from the UCI and Boonen and Quick Step were threatening to sue. I think he's crapping on the reputation of the sport at a time when it least needs it, but given what a lot of his peers are up to, I don't begrudge him his start.

TinyExplosions

Can't see Contador being beaten in the tour

Andy Schleck for the White

Cav for the Green (if he makes it to Paris)

RobFowl

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Can't see Contador being beaten in the tour

Andy Schleck for the White

Cav for the Green (if he makes it to Paris)

+1

Can't see any one beating contador, maybe Evans, remember Lemond used to be called a wkheelsucker as well :rolleyes:

bcmf

Levi?
While Contador is watching LA who is watching Contador who is watching Evans who is watching Satsre who is watching Contador who is watching LA who is watching...........etc etc Leipheimer says fcuk the lot of ya I'm off.

Zipp101

ednwireland wrote: »

roman kreuziger

Like his team mate he'll be there or there abouts.But he'll be hanging off the back of the leaders group everyday along with Lance

Hermy

I'd like to see Menchov in yellow in Paris but I'll be surprised if Astana don't claim top spot and who knows, maybe second and third while they're at it.

Slideshowbob

Zipp101 wrote: »

Like his team mate he'll be there or there abouts.But he'll be hanging off the back of the leaders group everyday along with Lance

hey zippo - did ur da tell sean kelly that - must b true so!

penexpers

I'm not sure if LA is in the right frame of mind to win the tour - judging from his twitter at the end of the Giro I think he was happy just to finish it and don't forget he's had another child in the meantime. I would fully expect him to support Contador.

blorg

Zipp101

Slideshowbob wrote: »

hey zippo - did ur da tell sean kelly that - must b true so!

huhhuhhuhuhuhuhhuh
Good one :rolleyes:

Anyway my Da's never heard of Kreuziger or Nibali.....he reminds me of the Duffer that way.

Zipp101

blorg wrote: »

The truth about "the look"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3vHjnXCe8

sy

Don't think Lance will hand the tour to Contador. Might be a replay of the 1986 Tour when LeMond was constantly squeezed by Hinault (both on the La Vie Claire team). In the previous year '85 LeMond rode for Hinault so '86 was payback time. Champions find it very hard to play second fiddle to the up and coming stars so Hinault pushed LeMond all the way as he dearly wanted that elusive 6th Tour victory. Whats the odds on a replay in July? I really think Lance would stab Contador in the back, given a chance.

Evans hasn't got the team neither has Menchov. It is not possible to win the Tour without a strong team, wheel sucking or no wheel sucking.

Sastre I would dearly love to see winning but TT is suspect and Cervelo no match for Astana.
Leipy peaked too early in the season so will have to be content with stage win
Is Gesink riding? Def a future champion if he can improve on his TT abilities.

Andy Schleck KOM's

Cav for Green Jersey

Diarmuid

Looks like Dan Martin is a defo starter

drogdub

Sastre at 16/1 each way seems good value

Funkyzeit

I think the only question needing an answer - Is Caroline running the Fantasy Tour again this year?!

ROK ON

sy wrote: »

It is not possible to win the Tour without a strong team, wheel sucking or no wheel sucking.

Has it always been this way. History would make it seem as if the historic figues of Merck, Coppi etc won their races on their own.Also when Roche one the triple, I recall that his team did not ride for him in the Giro, and he depended on one domestique (and also on Rober Millar??) - did his team ride for him in the TdF?

Captain Havoc

I think I've just found my patriotic bet, 9/2 Dan Martin to win a stage, could take one of the mountain stages or a fool and his money etc....

Junior

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I'm gonna stick with Menchov after the Giro. But I also like Basso.

I have to say, after seeing him last year and now in the Dauphine, I don't like Evans as a cyclist. He seems happy to sit in the bunch and wait for the TTs even if he really, really needs to make a go of it and chase someone down (is this what Leipheimer basically did in the Giro?). Last year he just sat there and watched the tour ride away from him.

I would just hope for a nice, clean race.

I don't know where you get that idea from, he's lost two Tour of Flanders from badly timed attacks, well that and f*ck all team mates when he needs them. If Gilbert shut his mouth and did more donkey work Silence Lotto might have more rewards.

As for Cav in Green, it will be interesting to see, I don't rate his chances at it, I think he wants to try finish this year first and foremost.

sy

ROK ON wrote: »

Has it always been this way. History would make it seem as if the historic figues of Merck, Coppi etc won their races on their own.Also when Roche one the triple, I recall that his team did not ride for him in the Giro, and he depended on one domestique (and also on Rober Millar??) - did his team ride for him in the TdF?

Yes you are corrrect ROK ON but these are exceptions to the rule and I was referring to the Tour in the last ten years or so. The level of fitness (or EPO :rolleyes:) has improved dramatically over the past 10 years with the number of possible winners in any given peleton increasing accordingly. The teams are stronger and a lot more organised than in the old days. The winning margins have decreased (making it a bit more exciting) but personally I feel the radio mike has changed the sport dramatically. I think they should be banned. It takes from the spontenity and individual tactics of the riders. Any opinions on this?

sy

Junior wrote: »

....As for Cav in Green, it will be interesting to see, I don't rate his chances at it, I think he wants to try finish this year first and foremost.

Not sure if I agree Junior. I didn't think Cav would last the distance in the San Remo but he's a lot tougher than his age might suggest. I know there is a big difference in a one day classic and a 3 week tour but I think he might just make it through the mountains and win that prestigious last stage on the Champs-Élysées, with the Green jersey on his back. Would't bet my house on it though.;)

petethedrummer

drogdub wrote: »

Sastre at 16/1 each way seems good value

Not this year, Nor Cadel Evans, Nor Christian Vande Velde. A rumoured doper will win.

Perhaps Contador, who Bradley Wiggins finished second to in the Paris-Nice opening time trial. As Phil Harmon noted - [Paraphrase]'Sean is beside me shaking his head in disbelief'.[/paraphrase]

Bikerbhoy

Deignan not selected and personally I dont think Dan Martin or Roche are coming up with the goods in Dauphine either..

What a shame it would be not to see an Irish rep in Le Tour 09

Running Bing

Bikerbhoy wrote: »

Deignan not selected and personally I dont think Dan Martin or Roche are coming up with the goods in Dauphine either..

What a shame it would be not to see an Irish rep in Le Tour 09

Thats disappointing:( Deignan looked strong in the Giro so thought he might be in with a shout.

It would seem from Diarmuids link that Dan Martin has a good chance of getting in though.

Bikerbhoy

Yeah well I hope so I would so love to see Dan riding the Tour while he has potential as we all know I still think he is a tad too young....FECK IT throw him in at the deep end

Zipp101

petethedrummer wrote: »

Not this year, Nor Cadel Evans, Nor Christian Vande Velde. A rumoured doper will win.

Perhaps Contador, who Bradley Wiggins finished second to in the Paris-Nice opening time trial. As Phil Harmon noted - [Paraphrase]'Sean is beside me shaking his head in disbelief'.[/paraphrase]

I don't see what the surprise is with Contador and TTs.

If you look at his results from earlier on in his career it will show that he was something of a (prologue anyway) specialist:

2003: 1st,stage 8 (ITT) Tour de Pologne
2005:1st stage 6 (ITT) Vuelta al Pais Vasco
2008:1st stage 1 (ITT) Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
2008:1st stage 6 (ITT) Vuelta al Pais Vasco

Diarmuid

Bikerbhoy wrote: »

What a shame it would be not to see an Irish rep in Le Tour 09

Well considering the Garmin DS (Jonathan Vaughters) is tipping Dan Martin to win a mountain stage, I'm guessing he'll be riding.

Diarmuid

Zipp101 wrote: »

I don't see what the surprise is with Contador and TTs.

He's a 62kg climber beating the next 5 who were TT specialists. That was the problem.

Zipp101

Diarmuid wrote: »

He's a 62kg climber beating the next 5 who were TT specialists. That was the problem.

So he's unbelievable because he won at what he's always been best at since he started cycling?
Weight had nothing to do with it-there was no tailwind and it wasn't downhill..
He's a prologue specialist....who at one point suddenly started climbing well. There's no problem.

I was surprised he won too........but then again he had been targeting it.