Nicholas Roche TDF Finishing Position Prediction thread

Slideshowbob

Well what ya'll think?

Hermy

Top ten.

CianRyan

11th - 15th

I love to see the start of another golden age for Irish cycling but the pessimist in me keeps telling me something will go wrong, still though, no use being negative!

I'm going for 7th or 8th.
Could he pull out a stage victory?

Joeyde

11th - 15th

Im going Top 6 cause thats where where my money is...

TinyExplosions

14th

kennyb3

11th - 15th

9th

Daithi BC

16th - 20th

12th

seven stars

16th - 20th

Top 10 would be a massive achievement. Heart says yes, head says maybe not.

Pherekydes

11th - 15th

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Roche: Well what ya'll think?

I'm going for 9th.

But the real question is, will it be the real Nicolas Roche? :pac:

TheTubes

16th - 20th

11

dastardly00

16th - 20th

I went 11-15th. I'm just not sure if he is good enough to finish in the top 10.
It would be fantastic if he did obviously!

Rovi

16th - 20th

The thing is though, if Nico does well enough, will we get a re-enactment of this???:


Could Enda carry it off?



Back on topic:
I'd LOVE to see him hold on to or even improve his current 10th place, but I have a feeling he'll slip a bit.
I voted '11th - 15th', but I'd be thrilled to be proven wrong.

Lumen

11th - 15th

I know it's the TDF and that anyone who finishes at all is therefore a legend, but I can't help thinking that "top ten" is a pretty weak aspiration for a team leading GC contender.

How many teams are there, 20? So tenth place is a completely average result. And not all the teams are seriously targetting the GC.

I don't mean to belittle his achievements, wish him every success, and look forward to his diary entries (now that I've got over my bobbish objections to the ghostwriting). I just can't see where he's going to go, career-wise, after this year. Gadret really laid it down with his success in the Giro, and after that I can't see Roche managing to hold on to team lead for the TdF next year, what with it being a French team and all.

Aoibheann

Would a strong Vuelta result not change that team lead issue back in favour of Roche if he does manage a top 10/15 in the TDF too (if Gadret only had a good Giro result from the GTs, I mean - consistency etc)? Considering he finished 7th overall after a 15th place in the Tour last year and he was 13th in his only other Vuelta back in '08, it seems to suit him better. He's admitted himself that he prefers that time of year for racing, and it doesn't seem unreasonable that he'd have another good result this year.

I could be talking complete nonsense here!

AstraMonti

16th - 20th

The problem with Roche is that he doesn't have a very strong point. He is not an amazing climber, not a great descender and a mediocre time trialist. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy and his style and I wish him every success, but I am with Lumen on this, can't really get where he is going as a GC contender. I think Rok On said it a few weeks earlier as well, I would prefer him to chase stage wins as Gilbert, I think he has the potential to do that.
Anyway, sofa coaching is always easy to be done.

Undercover Elephant

16th - 20th

Rovi wrote: »

Could Enda carry it off?

He'd be there in lycra.





Good to see how little those stupid cuddly lions have changed, I think.

Unregistered.

6th - 10th

First.

Slideshowbob

21st - 30th

Any re-appraisals after today!?! :rolleyes:

CianRyan

11th - 15th

How many riders are left in the tour? :pac:

Slideshowbob

21st - 30th

So it's looking like NR will finish 26th.

Bravo to:

alexanderomahon, bertiecont, RobFowl, trek climber


The rest of us need to study the form more and/or read up on optimism bias.

Pherekydes

11th - 15th

What form guide would have the following:

Despite three days of antibiotics, my sinus problem hasn't got any better and I think I'm getting a chest infection. When Contador attacked for a second time, the pace increased again and I suddenly took a fit of coughing and spluttering that saw me drift quickly down the peloton and out the back.

Slideshowbob

21st - 30th

Pherekydes wrote: »

What form guide would have the following:

Well it wouldn't obviously as I understand he only picked up the infection during the Tour.

I think there was more to Roche's relatively bad form than that though.