So who's going to win Le Tour?

Contador is my pick.

1 Contador
2 A. Schleck
3 Basso

It's almost time for the big one! Almost all the pre work is completed and the hay is in the barn so to speak. Just a little fine tuning and it will be an all go for 7-3-10 and Tour de France. I can't wait for the horn to sound and let this puppy go. It looks like several riders have a chance to challenge Contador for the GC. I still think he is going to win but he will have some competition this year, Michael Rodgers, Tony Martin, the Schlecks, and of course LA. LA has had a good pre Tour de France season with the exception of the crash in Cali. he has been very effective. I still don't think he has that little extra spark he had when he was in his early 30's when it comes to climbing and TT but he is still pretty darn good. He has a 3rd and 2nd and with a little good fortune could have a 1st in the granddaddy of them all the Tour de France (snowman)WOW! Do you believe in miracles like the 1980 USA hockey team!!!!!! Let's all get behind our true USA contender LA and root for a race for the ages and see the ole boy bring it home one more time for the red white and blue. Try and put all your petty remarks behind you and climb on board the Lance Train one more time, don't flame me or be a hater lets pull together for a change. We need something good to rally our spirits in this time when everything seems so bad all the time (oil spill, Iraq, Middle east mess, and everything else). Seriously, lets pull for this one!!!!!!!!

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Contador is my pick!

However he has the flu!! It's much worse than having a cold, and if we remember the year Lance won with a cold, he almost lost (2003). So, I'm worried.

My top three:

1. Contador
2. A. Schleck
3. Wiggins

However, I really, really want Evans to win a Grand Tour someday, but against these guys it's kind of unrealistic. I also want Menchov to do well too.

I think Michael Rogers is having a very good season so far and could surprise. My guess is that he will crack the top ten, but where in the top ten, who knows? He's never been a GT contender so I'm not putting my money on him yet.

leerobbs said:

Let's all get behind our true USA contender LA and root for a race for the ages and see the ole boy bring it home one more time for the red white and blue. Try and put all your petty remarks behind you and climb on board the Lance Train one more time, don't flame me or be a hater lets pull together for a change. We need something good to rally our spirits in this time when everything seems so bad all the time (oil spill, Iraq, Middle east mess, and everything else). Seriously, lets pull for this one!!!!!!!!

reality check...

It looks like Brajkovic is in...too green in my opinion to go for #1, but I won't be surprised if he ends up in better condition than Lance.

I usually try an determine who has the most talent, best tactics in their pespective teams, but watching Contador last year led me to believe that he doesn't need much of a team around him to win.
He is so stinky strong he just humiliates the peloton on the big climbs without assistance.
It's is hard for me to believe he won't win considering his age and experience should have him reaching his peak performance.
It is really hard to get a feel for what Basso might be able to do. It is always hard to make a comeback and I give credit to him and Arrmstrong for the big comeback but even in great comebacks you generally leave something behind that you never regain.
Three weeks is along time to race and it takes luck as well as good form to just finish let alone win.
That's what makes the TDF a great race.

I can safely prognosticate that Chris Horner won't win the TdF, nor will a French guy (Sorry, France). As for who will win, I'll watch to find out. I think there are only 4 or 5 with real chances.

In my mind the only way Contador won't win is if he crashes, bonks because he forgot to eat (see paris nice a few years ago) or if the cobble stones wreck his **** because he's too small and inexperienced on them. Given that the first two rely on him making a mistake it's up to the other teams to do their best to pull him to pieces on the cobbles. Looking at the other teams Saxo Bank have some good cobblestone firepower in Cancellara and O'Grady, BMC have Ballan, Burghardt and Hincapie. Between those five I can see Contador losing a few minutes. That's going to be a fun stage 🙂.

Lance Armstrong is in good form right now. He is not intimidated by Contador or le Tour. If Lance believes he can win, I'm inclined to believe as well.

No matter who wins, one thing for sure is that it will be an exciting tour and will probably be a close race at the end.

I think Contador will be the strongest rider, however that is not guarantee of victory. Lance Armstrong is a very dangerous opponent, if he is in better shape than last year, even is Contador is still the stronger man, Lance may try a long crazy breakaway (Hinault Style) he has the team to control the race. Last year he didnt do it becuase Contador was a teamate but this year is all different. My opinion.

How would Contador respond to an attack like Zülle did to Indurain in La Plagne 1995????? I would like to see that.

sopas said:

Lance Armstrong is a very dangerous opponent, if he is in better shape than last year, even is Contador is still the stronger man, Lance may try a long crazy breakaway (Hinault Style) he has the team to control the race. t.

Lance owns every inch of the Tour De France, everyone else is a guest.

roadhouse said:

Lance owns every inch of the Tour De France, everyone else is a guest.

And it looks like you own every inch of Big Lance's.
Be my guest.

Andrija said:

And it looks like you own every inch of Big Lance's.
Be my guest.

you es muy el stupido es et all [censored] erectus de la fudge packinininininingest muy mucho numero uno dumbass.

i dunno why i even bother with you tiny third worlders...🙁

roadhouse said:

you es muy el stupido es et all [censored] erectus de la fudge packinininininingest muy mucho numero uno dumbass.

i dunno why i even bother with you tiny third worlders...🙁

Tiny third worlders?
That puts you in systematization here:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Superfamily: Hominoidea

Family: Hominidae

Subfamily: Homininae

Tribe: Hominini

Subtribe: roadhouse

You see... I'm using, more universal, evolutional criteria, not some economic or incorrect geopolitical belief.

For some reason I don't have too much faith in Contador as of late. I voted for other, because I think it will be someone.... 'other'.

Any news if Sagan will be in ? I think if he gets to go, he will be good. (eventhough he got burnt out)

genedan said:

It looks like Brajkovic is in...too green in my opinion to go for #1, but I won't be surprised if he ends up in better condition than Lance.

I was thinking that too after watching the Dauphine, but after LA's high placing in Switzerland I still think he is the overall #1 rider on Radioshack. However, I think Brajkovic can place in the top ten and will be a future GT winner; He's very impressive and only 26-years-old.

doesn't anybody else believe that the hog will allow the road to determine who will be the shack's protected g.c. rider? i mean, c'mon, it sure did seem to work well last year when they were all at astana.

pennstater said:

I was thinking that too after watching the Dauphine, but after LA's high placing in Switzerland I still think he is the overall #1 rider on Radioshack. However, I think Brajkovic can place in the top ten and will be a future GT winner; He's very impressive and only 26-years-old.

Brajkovic has obvious potential, but several things are telling that he won't have such a good Tour.
It's his first Tour. Although he has ridden GTs in the past, the Tour is something else.
He wasn't planed for the Tour, which implies two things: first - he peaked earlier; and second - for some reason Bruyneel doesn't have confidence in him, although he has shown his potential numerous times.
There are riders (Leiphemer, Kloden, maybe even Horner and Popovych) for who he'll have to work before he gets some freedom.

Top 10 finish might be out of his reach, but he should place inside 20, and that's still pretty good for a Tour debutant.

I'd probably go with this podium as well:

pennstater said:

1 Contador
2 A. Schleck
3 Basso

Tough to bet against Contador until someone beats him in a GT. Astana isn't the "best" team out there, but it looks to be good enough. Saxo just MIGHT be the "best" team out there, but Schleck just doesn't quite seem to be there...still, he's one of the very best and will get the support (though if Andy has a run of bad luck, there's no reason Saxo wouldn't shift over to Frank and HE could podium). Basso and Liquigas looked strong in the Giro.

Wiggo/Sky and Rogers/HTC also look terrific. Evans has been riding superbly but I don't see CTS getting it done for him. Radio Shack has experience but Brajkovic's Dauphin aside, they've just looked...off for most of the year.