Maillot Merde:Who Will be the Biggest Tour Failure?

blazing_saddles

Might as well start a thread on this.
I wonder who will fail miserably, to live up to their expectation?
Will someone who has been tipped for the top, end up this year's big flop?

I have a feeling that Mr Armstrong's numero uno, Stijn Devolder may crack in the Alps, big time. He's not got the strongest team support for the mountains and is tactically one dimensional. (I'm being polite, here :oops: )

Now, I'll wait for Ricco's name to appear..............

redddraggon

Evans I'd imagine, he'll bottle it.

iainf72

Ricco.

I can't see him coping with it to be honest.

I also expect a lot of carnage is Team Garmin.

As long as Hincapie wins another mountain stage I'll be happy and my faith restored.

alanmcn1

Evans

ricadus

I'd say Ricco rather than Evans. Evans has been there before, been highly placed and so knows exactly what to expect for the 3 weeks; for Ricco it's going to be a new experience for him.

andyp

ricadus wrote:

I'd say Ricco rather than Evans. Evans has been there before, been highly placed and so knows exactly what to expect for the 3 weeks; for Ricco it's going to be a new experience for him.

He's ridden the Tour before, as a neo-pro back in 2006. He finished 98th overall, some 3 hours back.

Anyway, he's said very clearly that he is not going for the GC. Whilst that may be a ploy to take the pressure off him, it also means he has a ready made excuse should he not do well on GC.

RichN95.

I'll say Cunego - 8th place at best

campagchris

Carlos Sastre,I dont think he will be in front of either Schleck brother.Saying that I dont think he's lived up to expectations in any tour,which is a shame as I like him.

Garry H

Cunego

Salsiccia

Menchov

robmanic1

Zabel for me. I think the curtains will come down on his career before the end of this years tour. He should have quit at the top IMO.

dave_1

cunego-04 was unreal

JC.152

I reckon Evans,
if he rides like last year than he'll just burn himself out on the climbs while the climbers just accelarate for fun.
He lost loads more time than levi last year on the mountain stages by trying to keep up instead of just riding at his own pace like leipheimer.

afx237vi

Andy Schleck. Too much pressure and the last time we actually saw him at the front of a race was 14 months ago. [Edit: ooh, I forgot about LBL, but I still think he'll fail to impress.]

Ricco will do the usual Italian thing and be waaaaay off the yellow jersey, but still win a big mountain stage.

calvjones

Surely this honour has already been snaffled by Tommy D?

stueyc

evans....i hope!

Jez mon

I think Cunego and A Schleck will do OK, Sastre will disappoint those who expect a lot IMO (he'll probably win now!!)

It's Evans' tour to lose in many people's eyes, but i think he may struggle to assert any sort of authority on the race, there also doesn't seem to be enough TTing for him to overcome time losses in the Mountains.

dave_1

I disliked Evans or at least the persona he projected in the recent interview with him in the montly mag-Pro Cycling or Cycle sport...whichever...made out he was the loner on a mission...trains alone always blah blah blah...Basso interview trash from 2 years ago-and Evans also seems uncooperative with the journos from what they wrote of the intiialy frosty response. I would like a win by a French rider

donrhummy

Won't be Ricco. He's already said he's not going for GC, but one stage win. I think he's got it in him to do one.

My bet would be on Valverde, because isn't that what he always does in the TDF?

drenkrom

easy. Danielson. He won't be in good enough shape to even start, so he'll be doing the super-exciting program of the Cascade Classic and Tour of Utah instead.

If that doesn't qualify as soul-crushing, I don't know what does.

Doobz

surely its who has our highest expectation will decide who will be the biggest failure?

iainf72

If Cav doesn't win a stage would he be classified as a failure?

blazing_saddles

I think there will be a certain amount of disappointment in the UK, if Cav doesn't take a Tour stage, especially after his Giro successes.

Maybe there's a call for a new jersey, for this catagory?
I'm inclined to suggest the Maillot.........erm...........Brown. :oops:

ACMadone

donrhummy wrote:

Won't be Ricco. He's already said he's not going for GC, but one stage win. I think he's got it in him to do one.

My bet would be on Valverde, because isn't that what he always does in the TDF?

Well hasn't Valverde bottled it in the last 2 tours? 2006 DNF and last year was supposed to be up with the favourites and was 11.37 down.

afx237vi

Broken collarbone = bottling it?!

ACMadone

Had forgotten about that... Ooops.

Moomaloid

I'm with CampagChris on this one. Sastre, never actually has lived up to his billing has he.... dunno what all the fuss is about...

nick hanson

Valverde, I recon he may well have peaked too early

Jez mon

Have to agree, Valv's performance in DL was very good. BUT that was a while ago now. I think he has peaked.

Garry H

Jez mon wrote:

Have to agree, Valv's performance in DL was very good. BUT that was a while ago now. I think he's peaked.

looks like he peaked again yesterday

nick hanson

Yep,peaked for DL,still on a roll,may well see form disappearing by the middle of the TDF