This Year's Big Surprise Podium Contender

Thomas Dekker

Where the hell did they come from? Rumsas came from the same place Gutierrez did at this year's Giro. The doctor's office.

Kivilev got lucky in a big break and lost it in the mountains. Pretty good rider, though.

i'd like to see someone like sandy casar do a really good ride or get in a big break and get the jersey for a few days.

I have two quibbles with your list. First, even though I am a Hincapie fan, I would definitely put him in the second list, not the first. Top 10 candidate, but definitely surprised (but greatly pleased!) if he makes the podium.

Second, given that Kloden has already made the podium (2nd 2004), he is at least as deserving of being in the first list as just about everyone there, falling short of only Ullrich and Basso. One can hardly put him below Valverde, for example, who has yet to even finish the TdF and has never made the podium at a GT (4th was his best at the Vuelta, I vaguely recall). And I'm a Valverde fan also...

EvilJediJ said:

To make it easier..
the long list of podium contenders everybody has

Hincapie

Riders who you would be surprised if they made the podium but wouldn't say "Where the [censored] did they come from?"

Kloden

Kloden is an anomoly because he hasn't done anything this year to warrant him as a podium contender, the only evidence that he is one is that he finished 2nd two years ago when he was allowed to ride for himself after Ullrich faltered.

EvilJediJ said:

Every single TDF held in the new mellenium has contained an unsuspected rider, a rider not even the most avid of cycling fans would have guessed could make a run at the podium.

Before the Tour De France crazed cycling fans whip out there list of contenders, they know every cyclist in the peloton and they have caught every single race leading up to the Tour. Watching like a hawk all the contenders, analyzing their form and training habits in the Tour warm ups. Yet this one rider slips by undetected and makes a run at the podium. Nobody picked him..WHERE THE HELL DID HE COME FROM?

2005-Michael Rasmussen
2004-Andreas Kloden
2003-Vinokourov/Zubeldia
2002-Raimondas Rumsas
2001-Andrei Kivilev
2000-Joseba Beloki

Why should this year be any different?

So strut your stuff guys, ...show how much you really know about cycling and see if you can pick this year's surprise...

To make it easier..
the long list of podium contenders everybody has
Basso
Ullrich
Landis
Valverde
Mancebo
Leipheimer
Menchov
Vino
Hincapie
Popovich
Ace
Salvodelli
Evans

Riders who you would be surprised if they made the podium but wouldn't say "Where the [censored] did they come from?"
Cunego
Rasmussen
Simoni
Moreau
Menchov
Kloden

My "suprise podium contender picks"
Kasheckin
Jose Angel Gomez
Karpets

I would be VERY surprised if the Podium wasn't filled up from the selection of riders I just listed. Although there are a few other riders who could make a run at the top ten. Rujano, Garate,Mercado, Contador,Sastre, Pereiro. .not podium worthy....

Leipheimer.

I think LL is going very well this year (see Dauphine Libere).
The man debuted in the TDF in 2002 finishing 8th on GC.

I think LL will podium - although this won't be much of a suprise given his consistency in the TDF.

evans and leipheimer, although were top 10 last year.

outside the top 10/20, would throw in kashekin, menchov, karpets.

bauerfan said:

Thomas Dekker

I wrote in another thread that he is 23, but i was wrong... he is 21 years old.... Anyway at the German version (the english translation comes mostly one or two days later) of the TM website it's said that it will be a fight between Basso and Ullrich but it could be T.Dekker will have a say in this as well ( t-mobile-team.comid=77008.htmlOpen ↗ ).

Personally i think T. Dekker will show something but i can't believe he will come on the podium, he could go for the white jersey and i think he will pick his days to show something of his class. Don't forget that TM could do some T. Dekker marketing with publishing this story, TM is after T. dekker (i know that there where several conversations between Ludwig and Dekker).

Voeckler

Jono L said:

Voeckler

is that a joke? 😄

I was thinking that Karpets might outperform Valverde.

Dead Star said:

is that a joke? 😄

I was thinking that Karpets might outperform Valverde.

First name that came into my head!

EvilJediJ said:

2005-Michael Rasmussen
2004-Andreas Kloden
2003-Vinokourov/Zubeldia
2002-Raimondas Rumsas
2001-Andrei Kivilev
2000-Joseba Beloki

Interesting that many on your list have had some "bad luck" since their TdF success. Beloki - terrible hip fracture, Kivilev unfortunately died, Rumsas and wife busted, Vino with the Liberty problems this year. So what's in store for Kloden and Rasmussen? Could be like the curse of the rainbow jersey.

Dead Star said:

is that a joke? 😄

I was thinking that Karpets might outperform Valverde.

I don't think it's a joke, Thomas had a great Route Du Sud last week. He won the overall and didn't loose to much time in the mountains.

cyclingheroes said:

I don't think it's a joke, Thomas had a great Route Du Sud last week. He won the overall and didn't loose to much time in the mountains.

It sounds reasonable, but Voeckler has a weakness in the time trial unless he has done some training in that department also.

Well i said Karpets in my Top 10 prediction already, because he is solid in both TT and mountains, and now 26, but another person who has an outside shot would be Stefano Garzelli. Eventhough he is now 34(33 maybe?), he has won a GT and he is solid in both assets, and he is the team leader of his team. His program this year seemed to be aimed at a peak in the TDF.

Capt.Injury said:

It sounds reasonable, but Voeckler has a weakness in the time trial unless he has done some training in that department also.

Well i said Karpets in my Top 10 prediction already, because he is solid in both TT and mountains, and now 26, but another person who has an outside shot would be Stefano Garzelli. Eventhough he is now 34(33 maybe?), he has won a GT and he is solid in both assets, and he is the team leader of his team. His program this year seemed to be aimed at a peak in the TDF.

Garzelli is an interesting choice.

Chris Horner
Floyd Landis

cyclingheroes said:

I don't think it's a joke, Thomas had a great Route Du Sud last week. He won the overall and didn't loose to much time in the mountains.

yes...but that's the route du sud......

Not on the podium but a breakthrough, Frank Schleck...

Stefano Garzelli, he's experienced (especially at the giro) and still has the talent to be up there. This is also the first time he's concentrated solely at the tour and not the giro so maybe garzelli. He can climb pretty well, he's not to shabby a timetrialler just a consistent all rounder.