The Tour De France

[RICHARDH]

Ok one week to go hows going to win what stages are you looking forward to? Personally i think the TTT will be a very intresting stage (i know TT can be boring) but this stage is going to be so important for alot of the riders. The dynamic of Astana is going to be very intresting aswell. Caisse will be another team that will be intresting with Valverde out LL Sanchez seems the obvious replacement. Rogers had a bit of a shocking Giro but that may not have been his best effort and might have been holding something back. All in all this is probably one of the most intresting tours (for the right reasons) for awhile.

[philip]

I don't have a pick, I just can't choose between so many good possibilities. I think that's what's going to make this years TdF so exciting. Though I reckon Astana will probably dominate the TTT.

[Strawburger]

A Schleck. Good team, good form and if it comes down to Ventoux and he is not far behind in the GC i'd expect to see him make attack after attack on the way up.

[lukas]

Contador for me. Can’t wait for it to get going.

The mountain stages are my main interest, but I’ll watch them all. Ventoux should be awesome. The day they go over the Aspin and Tourmalet in the Pyrenees I’ll watch with interest, as I climbed those 2 last year.

But yeah, basically I’m looking forward to the whole lot. It’s just so easy to watch.

[Addict]

TTT = team time trial?

I just got into cycling last year during the TdF, so excited to watch this year to see what Lance and Contador are about.

[RICHARDH]

Yep TTT team time trial, ITT individual time trial, this years either going to be great with attacks coming from everyone or Contadors just going to kill it in the TT's and be head and shoulders above everyone else in the high mountains. Cant remmeber a year when there has been so many real contenders?

[grosry]

TTT = team time trial?
I just got into cycling last year during the TdF, so excited to watch this year to see what Lance and Contador are about.

Add Levi and Popovych into that and thats what you call a star team!
And yes TTT = Team Time Trial

[Redbull]

A Schleck. Time trials could be a problem though

[Tale]

I voted Sastre, based on late form in the Giro, and team confidence. I might not like it (poor Gerro), but it's clear they have a plan.

Astana is just too weird after their financial woes. Contador and Armstrong didn't expect to be on the same team after June. Armstrong implied on Twitter this week that an article about ongoing team troubles is correct.

But any of the people on the list could win. Except Rogers. He doesn't want it enough.

[RICHARDH]

Matty Lloyd on the SL team so atleast Cadel should have some help in the mountains with a couple of the other guys on that team aswell. Tale how did you come up with Rogers not wanting it enough? Contador wins Spanish TT Championship i hope now one thinks they are going to take time off him in the TTT's.

[fitz]

Dont know where this guy gets his info but he is never too far off the money. Does not bode well for us lance haters. See post #11
http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/sh ... php?t=8256

[RICHARDH]

I reckon that alot of that is partriotic nonsense, i very much doubt his dropped 11pounds since the Giro and after Contador's effort in the Spanish TT champs i dont thing Armstrong has a chance in getting time in the TT's he certainly wont in the mountains. Hardly surprising that there are reports that LA is testing off the Charts do you remember the Lance years there would be reports all over the place about how great he was doing then he was sick then he had a new bike then he didnt like the new bike, surprisingly quiet in comparision this year. Possibly because he knows Berties going to be almost impossible to beat this year.

[Tale]

Tale how did you come up with Rogers not wanting it enough?

He was too nice about losing time in the Giro. Sastre, Contador, Armstrong, Evans, Menchov, etc, all have a mean streak. Rogers is a brilliant, tough as nails rider with the ability to win the Tour de France, but he's not enough of a bastard to actually win it, i.e. this is just my uninformed impression of the man, based only on gut feeling. Which is what we're all using, really.

[fitz]

I reckon that alot of that is partriotic nonsense, i very much doubt his dropped 11pounds since the Giro and after Contador's effort in the Spanish TT champs i dont thing Armstrong has a chance in getting time in the TT's he certainly wont in the mountains. Hardly surprising that there are reports that LA is testing off the Charts do you remember the Lance years there would be reports all over the place about how great he was doing then he was sick then he had a new bike then he didnt like the new bike, surprisingly quiet in comparision this year. Possibly because he knows Berties going to be almost impossible to beat this year.

You are correct, it is natioanalistic (?word) drum-beating. Also he likes to mess with peoples heads. This stuff gets "leaked" out to sources ...and off it goes.

[Redbull]

Interesting thing is that Horner has been omitted by Astana.

The last spot going to a Kazakh rider to keep the sponsors happy - yeah right
Article Here

Horner's LA's man and Paulinho is Bertie's.

[AUbicycles]

I put in the patriotic vote - I am hoping that he is so annoyed from is 2nd place at dauphine for the third year in a running and will avoid a second in Le Tour by taking advantage early in Le Tour and maintaining his lead while getting his team mates to pay their dues wear down on the nearest competitors.

Did Horner really recover 100% after his Giro crash - I know he revisited the hospital in the US after the initial injury was more serious than thought - not too sure if the effects of this injury would have made him a serious contender with such a long tour.

[Strawburger]

A Schleck. Time trials could be a problem though

i've read somewhere in an interview that he has been working on his time trials. Also, this year the TT has smaller distances so it could work in his favour.

[Addict]

How about Menchov's team? Will there be enough support for this bloke? Could he be the dark horse in all of this.

[RICHARDH]

Mechov was pretty strong in the Giro but the question is do you rate Contador, Evans and A. Schleck as stiffer competition than DiLuca, Rogers and Levi personally i think its another level. As far as Rogers being to nice I dont think that is not something that factor in. I dont think Contador is a are particularly mean or Evans for that matter (dispite the "ill rip your head off" remark last year). I think his more likely to lose the Tour on bad form (or not being quite there yet) and the team having a split focus on the Green and Yellow Jersey.

Contador won the Horner Battle but he definetly didnt win the war i think Armstrong has more riders in his camp (and stronger) if Bertie wants to win this Tour he will have to do a really good Prolouge and have time before hitting the Pyrenées and make it really hard for Armstrong to attack. Still he looks the strongest, its only the inter team stuff that could undo him.

[Addict]

at least evans wont have to deal with the pressure this year like he did last year. I felt pretty sorry for him having to deal with so much in last years race, no doubt that would have had an effect on him over the weeks.

[seddo]

My "dark horse"/ cyclist would be LL Sanchez - for no particular reason - Andy Schleck 2nd

[Addict]

stupid question..
but no one thinks Lance has a shot at winning this (again) ?

[lemmiwinks]

stupid question..
but no one thinks Lance has a shot at winning this (again) ?

My opinion (which is uninformed and furthermore worth absolutely zero, by the way) is that he doesn't, at least not this year. Watching him at the Giro it looked like he was in the hurt box a few times, and he even went out the back on some of the climbs. So while he is certainly pro tour fit, maybe not quite as strong as you need to be to win the TDF. Also, I think he's stated that his aim is to raise awareness for his charity rather than win the tour, though I'm sure if he got a sniff he'd go for it.

[RICHARDH]

Im sorry to say but i think his got next to no chance, he could probably help lose Contador the tour by trying to get the leadership though. His form was getting back at the Giro but riders like mechov were riding him off there wheels still so i think if you throw Contador A.Schleck and Evans in there his just going to lose to much time in the Mountains should do well in the TT's though. As far as raising awareness ( which im sure he does for Livestrong by just racing ) i havent seen much since the TDU and wasnt there suppose to be this massive meeting of world leaders before or after the Tour havent heard anything about that either. Basically i look at the Las Vegas press conference and try to pick the things that have actually happened. Sorry went off on a bit of a tangent there, answer to your question No he doesnt.

[Tale]

stupid question..
but no one thinks Lance has a shot at winning this (again) ?

I think he does have a shot. A lot of this is psychology, and he's in a good place there. But others have a better shot.