Darkhorses for the Tour Day France

[bobke]

Cunego out with a virus.
That old a##clown Simoni out with muscular fatigue.
(One could raise eyebrows but I wont go there)

Who is gonna do something bold and unexpected?
Not to win but make people sit up and take notice?
Karpets?
Valverde?
Heras?
Mayo?
Popovych?

Who is going to be a new sensation? Please anything but the same old drivel about Lance Ullrich and Basso.

 

[patch70]

Bradley McGee!!!

 

[bobke]

Bradley McGee!!!

good call, I forget him.

 

[oely]

I dont see McGee being such a threat even as a dark horse. Rogers would be my pick to mak some waves. But i dont think he will be doing much attacking of his own, just following wheels in the mountains.

 

[wicklow200]

I dont see McGee being such a threat even as a dark horse. Rogers would be my pick to mak some waves. But i dont think he will be doing much attacking of his own, just following wheels in the mountains.

Do Boonen or Dekker have any chances of high placings? Juulich?

 

[oely]

Do Boonen or Dekker have any chances of high placings? Juulich?

high placings as in the overall? or in their respective aims?

Boonen? will just be worrying about the Green, with a stage win or 2.

Dekker wont finish anywhere really, he will just be stage hunting i guess. I cant tell with those Rabo´s who or what will be happening.

Julich will be around top 20 by the end i think. He is just going to be looking after Basso.

 

[davidbod]

Axel Merckx
Chris Horner

 

[MJtje]

Well if you look in my thread rabo and le tour and you will know what they are doing! Rasmussen for polka dot...........and erik dekker even put Menchov (his personal goal top 5) on the podium for 3th place!

Boogerd will be finally again 100% in the tour and try to help menchov as much as possible and the last 1.5 week will go for stage wins.

Dekker, Kroon and the rest will also attack. Wauters is I think the only one who has a specific role to keep Menchov clear from the wind and in front during the flat stages.

And hopefully this won't be the third consecutive tour without stage win.......that would suck!

Oh to come back to the question: MENCHOV!

high placings as in the overall? or in their respective aims?

Boonen? will just be worrying about the Green, with a stage win or 2.

Dekker wont finish anywhere really, he will just be stage hunting i guess. I cant tell with those Rabo´s who or what will be happening.

Julich will be around top 20 by the end i think. He is just going to be looking after Basso.

 

[limerickman]

Outside of the main favourites : some notable darkhorses who could be prominent are :

Mancebo - Julich - Rasmussen - Garcia Acosta - Sastre - McGee - Chavenal -
Heras ! -

 

[sonicman]

I think Menchov could be there too, Rabobank made him its leader, so he'll have the support he needs.

 

[cheapie]

nobody giving landis a shot?

 

[tomdavis80]

Do Boonen or Dekker have any chances of high placings? Juulich?

Are you insane, Tom Boonen doesn't have a CHANCE of a high placing because he's a sprinter, not a GC rider. Erik Dekker, no way, he's never rode GC before and probably won't start this year. Bobby Julich will ride in support of Ivan Basso, he's not going to go hunting for the yellow jersey, not by a long shot.

Thomas Davis

 

[Jabo]

Dark horses:
Basso
Landis
Leipheimer
Vino

Interesting to watch if form is goood:
Evans (if he doesn't break a collar bone)
Heras
Karpets
Mayo
Valverde

 

[sonicman]

And maybe Georg Totschnig, and maybe Santiago Botero.

 

[bobke]

Axel Merckx
Chris Horner

Merckx previewed the Alps with Lance so Disco will let him get away on that tricky hard stage Lance says no one is ready for in the last Alpine stage.

Horner.
Yes Maybe not a stage in the Pyrenees but maybe one of the rolling craggy stages in a few days before Apls or in the Massif Central later.

Good call. It would be great for another American to win a stage, besides Lance at COurchevel and George in the prologue.

 

[ed073]

Bradley McGee!!!

Cadel and The Dodger (who WILL win the opening 19km ITT, BTW) !!

 

[BergMann]

I think Menchov could be there too, Rabobank made him its leader, so he'll have the support he needs.

Are you kidding me? Rabobank support their GC guy? What, like they supported Levi by letting Rasmussen blow his wad every day on some hail-mary breakaway, leaving Levi to struggle up the final climb(s) alone?

If Menchov is going to play a role in this race, it is going to be on his own.

My top pick:
Botero!

I agree with Sonicman that Botero could make things exciting.
He's always had problems with consistency, so I doubt he'll podium, but he could really enliven the race, particularly if he goes out on the attack with other aggressive riders like Vino.

I'd also be willing to wager that we'll see Horner on the attack in this race, and if he's managed to hold or improve on his TdS form, I think we just might see him win a stage.

As for some of the other dark and not-so-dark horses mentioned: riders like
Mancebo, Rogers, McGee, Landis, Leipheimer, and Totschnig
will all be too busy following wheels and trying to defend their GC positions to go on the attack.

It's going to be a lot more fun to watch guys like:
Sastre, Evans, Valverde, Rasmussen, Voigt, Garzelli, and Horner
go out on the attack for stage wins than watching the usual suspects wheelsucking and praying that they'll still be around when Azevedo has finished his pull!

 

[ed073]

If Menchov is going to play a role in this race, it is going to be on his own.

Correct. Dutchies won't work overly hard for Menchov.

Boogerd will be the leader of that team until he says it isn't so.

 

[ChangMan]

Cadel and The Dodger (who WILL win the opening 19km ITT, BTW) !!

I believe Mick Rogers will do just that too. As for my darkhorse there are a couple that wouldn't really suprise me if they gave Lance a run for his money. Valverde will be a strong presence in the mountains. I've heard almost nothing about Mayo (this season), but I wouldn't be suprised if he won a mountain stage. If Ulrich and Armstrong aren't duking it out for the overall, I would say Valverde would/could win it, even though he hasn't rode the Tour. I wouldn't mind also seeing Sylvain Chavanel going for a podium spot. He is very capable of doing that.

 

[Blackstock]

Look out for Landis - I think he's definitely in with a shot for a podium finish. I'll also be keeping my eye on Leipheimer. The Americans are definitely going to be pushing hard to establish themselves as possible successors to Armstrong next year. No matter what, it's gonna be good.