2004 Winners of the TDF,GIRO,Vuelta ?

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Is anyone brave enough this early in to the European season to guessestimate who will be the indivisual winners of the TDF,Giro
and Vuelta in 2004 ?

My selection : Jan Ullrich TDF, Simoni Giro and Beloki Vuelta.

(the selections will make interesting reading next September !)

TDF- Armstrong
Giro- Simoni
Vuelta- Valverde

TDF - Armstrong
Giro - Simoni
Vuelta - Heras (So I'm taking a long-shot!) ;)

Originally posted by Beastt
TDF - Armstrong
Giro - Simoni
Vuelta - Heras (So I'm taking a long-shot!) ;)

So far we're all agreed on Simoni !

Originally posted by Beastt
TDF - Armstrong
Giro - Simoni
Vuelta - Heras (So I'm taking a long-shot!) ;)

so basically exactly same as 2003...

interesting...

This may look boring but I also believe the winners will be those:

Giro: Simoni
Tour: Armstrong
Vuelta: Heras

Giro : Simoni

TDF : Ullrich

Vuelta : Heras

Giro: Bradley Wiggins
TDF: David Millar
Vuelta: Charly Wegelius

They'll be waving the Union Jacks in Newport all year!

(sorry, turned into David Duffield for a minute there)

I meant to say...

Giro: Simoni (unimaginative, I know but I can't see anyone else winning it)
TDF: Tough to call... Ullrich maybe.
Vuelta: Valverde or Heras. Depends whether Manolo still wants it.

My guesses?
Giro- Simoni
Tour- Ullrich
Vuelta- Nozal

Interesting that Simoni gets the nod so frequently here, but often gets a lot of flack in other threads. I think he ranks among the top ten stage racers currently. The other nine care only about the tour.

Ullrich is still a little shady. I'm not sure what to expect, but he seems to have turned a corner...

Nozal came so close last year, he might just have a good shot this year.

Anybody notice how the grand tour podiums have united on the same teams this year? (Ullrich-Vinokourov, Heras-Nozal)

Giro - Simoni
TDF- No idea, but if I would pick anyone it would be Armstrong
Vuelta - Valverde... or Beloki if he isn't ready for the TDF

Giro- it has to be SIMONI, he is too dominant in the Giro.

TDF- Armstrong, the guy is just unstoppable, and i say that not at all being a fan of his.

Vuelta- THis is the tough one, i think it'll be the closest, Beloki/Heras/Valverde/Nozal all fighting it out but, if he partakes how about MAYO, he'd be my pick.

Originally posted by Karlo
My guesses?
Giro- Simoni
Tour- Ullrich
Vuelta- Nozal

Interesting that Simoni gets the nod so frequently here, but often gets a lot of flack in other threads. I think he ranks among the top ten stage racers currently. The other nine care only about the tour.

Ullrich is still a little shady. I'm not sure what to expect, but he seems to have turned a corner...

Nozal came so close last year, he might just have a good shot this year.

Anybody notice how the grand tour podiums have united on the same teams this year? (Ullrich-Vinokourov, Heras-Nozal)

Nozal could well be the man for the Vuelta !

Giro - Popovych
TDF - Ullrich
Vuelta - Nozal

Simoni has not picked up the pace so far in the early part of this season, maybe he and the Saeco team are targeting the Tour more than the Giro this year. Yaroslav Popovych to win closely followed by Garzelli.

The Tour will be won by Ullrich convincingly in the Time Trials and he keeps pace with Armstrong and co in the mountains. Lance cracks however and finishes down on GC, a bit like Indurain in '96. Tyler Hamilton to finish second followed by Simoni who will lose out in the time trials.

The Vuelta will be won by Isidro Nozal, he will want to improve on last years second place, will show Manolo Saiz that he can challenge for the Tour in 2005. He will be pushed hard by Roberto Heras and also the impressive Alejandro Valverde.

Giro - Garzelli (or Simoni)
TDF - Armstrong (or Heras or Hamilton)
Vuelta - Valverde (or Heras)

Giro- Simoni
Tour- Armstrong
Vuelta- Nozal

It's funny that no one comes in for the follow through on this one. Here's a rider that is a very new sensation, and I don't even see him mentioned above. That just goes to show you, talent can develop very quickly.

From 5/31/2004 article http://www.tdfblog.com/giro_ditalia/


Italy's newest cycling hero had his coming-out party in Milan on Sunday, as Damiano Cunego finished off his biggest victory, in the 2004 Giro d'Italia. Cunego becomes the races youngest winner since Giuseppe Saronni in 1979.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by gntlmn
[B]It's funny that no one comes in for the follow through on this one. Here's a rider that is a very new sensation, and I don't even see him mentioned above. That just goes to show you, talent can develop very quickly.

Well, most of us were proved wrong. Everyone simply went on last year's results. And none of us even looked at what Cunego did in the runup to the Giro. And we all ignored him.

Will our expectations for the Tour also prove wrong? :confused:

Originally posted by Powerful Pete
[QUOTE]Originally posted by gntlmn
[B]It's funny that no one comes in for the follow through on this one. Here's a rider that is a very new sensation, and I don't even see him mentioned above. That just goes to show you, talent can develop very quickly.

Well, most of us were proved wrong. Everyone simply went on last year's results. And none of us even looked at what Cunego did in the runup to the Giro. And we all ignored him.

Will our expectations for the Tour also prove wrong? :confused:

I know that I went for JU earlier in the year.
I do not think that LA or JU will win this years TDF.
Someone will pop out of the pack this year.

Originally posted by limerickman
I know that I went for JU earlier in the year.
I do not think that LA or JU will win this years TDF.
Someone will pop out of the pack this year.

I wonder if someone has been quietly hiding his great emerging talents by compromising his riding throughout the year in order to peak for the tour and seize yellow before anyone realizes he is a threat.

This ought to be interesting.

Mayo's success on Dauphiné Libéré is not going unpunished. I am afraid he won't be up for a win in the TdF this year because he is not used to this kind of hounding publicity he is now receiving. It will be good experience for him next year, however. So I am predicting that Mayo will not be the dark horse this year.

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/6324.0.html