Grater prediction thread
- Thread starter thunder
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stage 8 of paris nice im leaving alone. However tonights time trial in italy. Anyone of kloden, lokvist, grabsh, gerdemann or maybe cancellara to suprise us like contador did last sunday will win this. But which one? Lokvist is the form man. Kloden can time trial. Grabsh can time trial and gerd is a strong time trial rider. Cancellara looks in **** form after his crash but we know what he is capable of. Considering he has next sunday in mind. I rule him out. You would have to go the form man
im not convinced with kloden. And gerd has demons confronting this. In the hope i dont sound bias that leaves grabsh and lokvist. I am going for the upset. My prediction tonight is grabsh wins from lokvist and gerd. Kloden grabs fourth and cancellara finishes just outside the top 8. Process of elimination leads me to this. The form man is lokvist and im going against him. I do believe he will be in the leaders jersey after tonight.
stage 8 of paris nice im leaving alone. However tonights time trial in italy. Anyone of kloden, lokvist, grabsh, gerdemann or maybe cancellara to suprise us like contador did last sunday will win this. But which one? Lokvist is the form man. Kloden can time trial. Grabsh can time trial and gerd is a strong time trial rider. Cancellara looks in **** form after his crash but we know what he is capable of. Considering he has next sunday in mind. I rule him out. You would have to go the form man
Stuff those selections. I forgot about one man. Rodriguez. A similar climb to stage 4. Makes things interesting.
In that stage Rodriguez came first and Lovkvist snuck home in third and inbetween them was Rebellin.
I can't see Rebellin coming in the top 5 tonight.
I still think Lovkvist will win this stage but now he will fight it out with Rodriguez. Nibali will run third and Garzelli and Di Luca will round out the top 5. Rebellin will be 6th. Basso 7th.
In that stage Rodriguez came first and Lovkvist snuck home in third and inbetween them was Rebellin.
I can't see Rebellin coming in the top 5 tonight.
I still think Lovkvist will win this stage but now he will fight it out with Rodriguez. Nibali will run third and Garzelli and Di Luca will round out the top 5. Rebellin will be 6th. Basso 7th.
that was screwed. These shitty little races are breaking my balls. Tonight in italy. 1st bennati, 2nd farrar 3rd pettachi. In this situation i would usually go for cav because he hasnt won a stage yet. But neither has bennati in his home country. He came second in stage 2 then must have had bad luck in stage 3 as he finished like 60th. If he is with them, he wins.
If Kirchen is fit in time to race in July, he won't be a team leader. He will be in the same situation as Rogers was last year. Won't maeke the TDF podium. If any rider does from the team, it's Rogers, but I think 4th - 6th is more realistic to him. At the moment I have the following in the TDF.oely said:
1. Contador
2. Leipheimer
3. A Schleck
4. Rogers
5. Armstrong
Astana will just miss out on the trifecta.
As a 20 yo he managed to hang in the top 12 or so, in Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Then he came 5th or so, in a very selective World Champs parcours in Salzburg.Drongo said:
If you want to add a subtext, he probably gets the same treatment as most of the classics riders.
Do I think he has natural strength? No.
Do I think he can follow wheels and make the finish in the Via Roma. Fo' sure! This year? Yes. Will he make the selection on Sunday? Toss up.
Will he compete in Flanders and Roubaix in the future. Yes.
See Museeuw, and Vanderaeden. Eric V had the natural ability, won RVV young, then Roubaix. Then Museeuw stole his career.
You can develop those Museeuw 260 km legs. Yes, Sunday is 290km. Won't make a difference. The first 100km is tranquillo piano.
Vanderaerden was pretty much burnt out by the time he was 26. Won the Tour prologue as a 21yo in 1983, Flanders and Gent-Wevelgem in 1985 as a 23yo, Green Jersey in 86, Paris-Roubaix in 87 as a 25 yo. After that although he had great results they were nothing like his pre-1988 results.Drongo said:
IMO his Flanders win and Roubaix win were among the most impressive classic wins in the last 25 years. The 1985 Tour of Flanders was held in a torrential downpour on flooded roads and only had about 25 finishers.
Daniele Bennati
A local rider, Bennati has had mixed results this year. Hasn't ridden particularly well, but has been consistent nonetheless. He was first in Trofeo Inco and first overall in Giro di Sardegna. In that he had a first and a second and then two stages where he finished top 10. He was consistent in Torrino-Adriatico posting a 3rd, 2nd and 4th. The 4th was last night and he went with 200m to go only to be overpowered by Cavendish. For all we know he is concentrating on this race. His form has been reasonable but the lack of wins is concerning. A local, he is not without a hope.
Alessandro Petacchi
Another local hope riding in good form. Has only raced 2 races this year. He posted a win in stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico and Stage 5 of the Giro di Sardegna. Petacchi is experienced and knows what it is to race in classics. His lack of racing does concern me but being a local, you have to give him a shot. On his best day, he is capable of beating anyone.
Tom Boonen
A quality rider with solid support. This year he was first overall in the tour of qatar. 4th, 1st, 3rd and 10th he posted. He won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne aswell. He is looking to the spring classics and he is a chance. We all know what this guy is capable of at his best. But is he at his best?
Filippo Pozzato
Pozzato is a quality sprinter. But he has not posted any decent results this year. In fact, looking at his record this year, he has posted nothing. Who the hell knows. Can't write the local guy off however.
Mark Cavendish
Yes, I know it's the kid's first MSR and I know not much is expected of him. But come on, show some respect to the kid. He is the fastest man in the world and if he gets the right lead out, he is unstoppable. He is going to dominate the green jersey at the TDF in the next 10 years and dominate spring classics. His form to date reads. 1st in stage 4 and stage 6 of the tour of Qatar. 1st in stage 4 and stage 5 of the tour of California. Won the points classification aswell. 2nd in stage 3 of Tirreno Adriatico but won Stage 7. He has 5 wins next to his name yet he's at these odds? You know who I'm leaning to win this. I don't care if it's his first race. He is on form and the best sprinter in the world.
Heinrich Hassuler
Haussler has taken the cycling world by storm this season. He has developed into a quality sprinter. Results this year show that he was 2nd overall in the tour of qatar and also had 2 thirds and a second and won the points jersey. Now this was over quality opposition that he was consistent. Cavendish, Boonen and Hushovd were all there. He got too wins in the Volta ao Algarve and won stage 1 of Paris-Nice. From there he said he was concentrating on building his form up and making sure that he is right for Sunday so he didn't contest any other sprint. Wanting to hone everything up. He is a huge chance to win. One of the form sprinters at the moment. I think he may sneak a place or sneak into the top 5.
Mirco Lorenzetto
He is another Italian cyclist with some good form to date. Has 3 wins this year. Stage 1 and 2 of the Giro di Sardegna he won and he was first in the Giro del Friuli Has. I don't know much about this rider. His odds are justified but don't be surprised if he puts in a good performance on home soil.
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd is a quality sprinter. He hasn't posted many good results this year but has posted 2 wins. One was in the tour of California and the other was in Omlopp Het Nieuwsblad. Not a chance.
Alan Davis
Too bad he is riding for Boonen. Has already posted 3 wins this year in the Tour down Under. He still has the sprint quality but working for Boonen justifies these odds. Don't be surprised though if he can pull a top 10.
Gerald Ciolek
Not a chance. Hasn't posted a result this year and was Cavendish's lead out man last year. New team and he hasn't done anything substantial.
Robbie McEwen
The old man is a chance. A chance of sneaking top 3 that is. He won the down under classic and also stage 2 of Vuelta a Mallorca. He has the experience on the board and a good team. I don't think he wins, but he may put in a good performance. You can never write him off.
If it isn't a sprint finish, then look for Gilbert, Rebellin and maybe Sanchez put in good performances. Nocentini and Napolitano are good outside chances.
With the quality of sprinters in this field, it's hard to believe it won't be a sprint finish so one of Bennati, Haussler, Cavendish, Petacchi and Boonen will win. Lorenzetto is a chance.
A local rider, Bennati has had mixed results this year. Hasn't ridden particularly well, but has been consistent nonetheless. He was first in Trofeo Inco and first overall in Giro di Sardegna. In that he had a first and a second and then two stages where he finished top 10. He was consistent in Torrino-Adriatico posting a 3rd, 2nd and 4th. The 4th was last night and he went with 200m to go only to be overpowered by Cavendish. For all we know he is concentrating on this race. His form has been reasonable but the lack of wins is concerning. A local, he is not without a hope.
Alessandro Petacchi
Another local hope riding in good form. Has only raced 2 races this year. He posted a win in stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico and Stage 5 of the Giro di Sardegna. Petacchi is experienced and knows what it is to race in classics. His lack of racing does concern me but being a local, you have to give him a shot. On his best day, he is capable of beating anyone.
Tom Boonen
A quality rider with solid support. This year he was first overall in the tour of qatar. 4th, 1st, 3rd and 10th he posted. He won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne aswell. He is looking to the spring classics and he is a chance. We all know what this guy is capable of at his best. But is he at his best?
Filippo Pozzato
Pozzato is a quality sprinter. But he has not posted any decent results this year. In fact, looking at his record this year, he has posted nothing. Who the hell knows. Can't write the local guy off however.
Mark Cavendish
Yes, I know it's the kid's first MSR and I know not much is expected of him. But come on, show some respect to the kid. He is the fastest man in the world and if he gets the right lead out, he is unstoppable. He is going to dominate the green jersey at the TDF in the next 10 years and dominate spring classics. His form to date reads. 1st in stage 4 and stage 6 of the tour of Qatar. 1st in stage 4 and stage 5 of the tour of California. Won the points classification aswell. 2nd in stage 3 of Tirreno Adriatico but won Stage 7. He has 5 wins next to his name yet he's at these odds? You know who I'm leaning to win this. I don't care if it's his first race. He is on form and the best sprinter in the world.
Heinrich Hassuler
Haussler has taken the cycling world by storm this season. He has developed into a quality sprinter. Results this year show that he was 2nd overall in the tour of qatar and also had 2 thirds and a second and won the points jersey. Now this was over quality opposition that he was consistent. Cavendish, Boonen and Hushovd were all there. He got too wins in the Volta ao Algarve and won stage 1 of Paris-Nice. From there he said he was concentrating on building his form up and making sure that he is right for Sunday so he didn't contest any other sprint. Wanting to hone everything up. He is a huge chance to win. One of the form sprinters at the moment. I think he may sneak a place or sneak into the top 5.
Mirco Lorenzetto
He is another Italian cyclist with some good form to date. Has 3 wins this year. Stage 1 and 2 of the Giro di Sardegna he won and he was first in the Giro del Friuli Has. I don't know much about this rider. His odds are justified but don't be surprised if he puts in a good performance on home soil.
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd is a quality sprinter. He hasn't posted many good results this year but has posted 2 wins. One was in the tour of California and the other was in Omlopp Het Nieuwsblad. Not a chance.
Alan Davis
Too bad he is riding for Boonen. Has already posted 3 wins this year in the Tour down Under. He still has the sprint quality but working for Boonen justifies these odds. Don't be surprised though if he can pull a top 10.
Gerald Ciolek
Not a chance. Hasn't posted a result this year and was Cavendish's lead out man last year. New team and he hasn't done anything substantial.
Robbie McEwen
The old man is a chance. A chance of sneaking top 3 that is. He won the down under classic and also stage 2 of Vuelta a Mallorca. He has the experience on the board and a good team. I don't think he wins, but he may put in a good performance. You can never write him off.
If it isn't a sprint finish, then look for Gilbert, Rebellin and maybe Sanchez put in good performances. Nocentini and Napolitano are good outside chances.
With the quality of sprinters in this field, it's hard to believe it won't be a sprint finish so one of Bennati, Haussler, Cavendish, Petacchi and Boonen will win. Lorenzetto is a chance.
My final confirmed selections.
Will Cavendish last the distance? Yes Cavendish will last the distance. Will he win? Maybe. Will he make it over the Poggio? Yes.
1. Cavendish
2. Haussler
3. Bennati
4. Rojas
5. Pozzato
That top 3 is set. Can go anyway IMO, but I give the edge to the fastest man in the world over the man who is in excellent form taking the cycling world by storm this year and the local rider who is priming for this race and has had some good results.
Will Cavendish last the distance? Yes Cavendish will last the distance. Will he win? Maybe. Will he make it over the Poggio? Yes.
1. Cavendish
2. Haussler
3. Bennati
4. Rojas
5. Pozzato
That top 3 is set. Can go anyway IMO, but I give the edge to the fastest man in the world over the man who is in excellent form taking the cycling world by storm this year and the local rider who is priming for this race and has had some good results.
