views on whos going to win the tour?

dannyofcourse

just had a look on ladbrokes and theyve got contrador as the fav with 11/10 armstrong second at 9/2, this probably doest mean much l

L.A's probably going to be very strong at the tour but i would have thought thered be a few more people in front of him

whats peoples oppinions on whos going to win?

Andy shleck i reckon

cycleNoodle

I have bet my mate Lance will win it since he anounced his comeback but I actually think that Pellizotti, Basso and Sastre are my top 3. But it could be any of about 10 riders really.

markos1963

1st Di Luca
2nd Menchov
3rd Sastre

ACMadone

I'm going for Contador. As much as I like Andy Schlek, he won't be able to keep with him in the mountains. LA will put in a good performance, maybe top 5. Sastre won't make the podium this year, neither wil Cadel

Gonna be a good one though!!

Pokerface

markos1963 wrote:

1st Di Luca
2nd Menchov
3rd Sastre

Could be tough as LPR don't have a Tour invite!



Contador with the easy win.

Possibility of Andy Schlek up there. Maybe Sastre on the podium. Don't count Armstrong out either.

redddraggon

markos1963 wrote:

1st Di Luca
2nd Menchov
3rd Sastre

GemmaAtkinson1

i reckon sastre, menchov or poss schleck.

markos1963

Pokerface wrote:

markos1963 wrote:

1st Di Luca
2nd Menchov
3rd Sastre

Could be tough as LPR don't have a Tour invite!



Contador with the easy win.

Possibility of Andy Schlek up there. Maybe Sastre on the podium. Don't count Armstrong out either.

:oops:
Still I can wish!
Shame really would be a better race with them in it.

frenchfighter

Contador. Looking forward to seeing him battle with A Schleck and to see his brother's tactics. Sastre 2nd.

I would short LA.

nick hanson

Contador
Sastre
Evans

iainf72

cycleNoodle wrote:

I have bet my mate Lance will win it since he anounced his comeback but I actually think that Pellizotti, Basso and Sastre are my top 3. But it could be any of about 10 riders really.

I know Basso ain't going and don't think Franco is either. Could be wrong on the latter.

I'd say it's between Contador, Evans, A. Schleck, Sastre and Menchov. I'm sure Armstrong will be in the mix too.

Unless it rains. Or the road have any curves in them

skavanagh.bikeradar

Ha! Very good Iain. I'll go for:

Contador
Menchov
Sastre
Evans
A Schlek
Armstrong (but in a Hinault 1986 style grump)

I also predict Wiggins to ride the Tour of his life but still end up getting caught in a long break on a hilly long stage, finishing between 2nd and 5th in the long ITT and having one awful day in the mountains to knacker up a top 50 finish.

pb21

I would say its Contadors to lose.

skavanagh.bikeradar

Me too. So, probably, would LA (see my parenthesis above).

Harry182

pb21 wrote:

I would say its Contadors to lose.

+1

Much as I like A Schlek, Contador will crush him in the time trials.

drenkrom

11/10 for Contador?!? I'm still smiling from him winning the Tour while I had 100$ at 25/1 on him.

So Contador for sure. Schleck the younger should be Saxo's only man, which could be interesting. Evans has been so under the radar with all the LA shirt-ripping that I suspect he could throw it out there real good this year. If he get a team around him this year, of course.

While I love him as a rider, I don't believe in Sastre this year. Last year's victory was too dependent on his team's work. Menchov gets one good GT per year and that's gone.

Really not an interesting year for betting. Anyone see interesting odds anywhere?

SpaceJunk

Well, if you believe JB, Lance won't be leading Astana at the TdF. That honor goes to Bertie. In fact, LA isn't even Astana's backup plan. Levi got the nod. This from cyclingnews:

Bruyneel told French sports daily L'Equipe that Contador is the best Grand Tour rider, "which leaves no doubt about his leadership during the next Tour de France. The goal is to win. There is talk of a duel between [Lance] Armstrong and Contador, but what there is is a duel between ourselves and others," said Bruyneel, who also confirmed, "Armstrong is not the team's second rider. With what we saw in the Giro, that [role] is for Levi [Leipheimer]."

Personally I thought Lance looked the better rider between him and Levi by the end of the third week. Bit surprised that Levi is still rated above Lance. Then again, this makes me think maybe JB's comments should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Kléber

All this assumes Contador gets a ride. It seems unlikely but there's still a chance that the team folds. I'd be concerned the team is funded with enough cash to get them a spot in the Tour de France but that it collapses in August, the UCI can't let something cynical like this happen, it has to get guarantees for the team to the end of the year.

volvine

a 3 horse race for me Contador Schleck Sastre in no particular order
Schleck comming on in leaps and bounds and can keep with anyone in the mountains.
Sastre comming into form nicely and starting to climb like we all know he can
Contador hard to see him outside the top three after the first mountain's plus he can tt as well.
and the biggest thing all the above have very strong teams to support them this is why imo Evans has no chance.

the only thing everyone is wondering is if Armstrong can do it personally i hope so but will enjoy watching him try.
i think it will be one of the best tours for many a year so many top climbers in there it should be awesome carn't wait to see them fly past on the Col de Romme (just hope my sky plus dosn't balls up with eurosport schedules lol).

Gazzaputt

1. Armstrong
2. Schlek
3.Evans

redddraggon

Gazzaputt wrote:

1. Armstrong
2. Schlek
3.Evans

You really reckon Contador will be miles off the pace :?

zammmmo

Contador
Sastre
Shleck

...controversial eh? NOT.

Pokerface

redddraggon wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

1. Armstrong
2. Schlek
3.Evans

You really reckon Contador will be miles off the pace :?

Hell - I predict Bertie'll win it for at least the next 3 years. Regardless of what team he's riding for.

teagar

The hardest (post Rasmussen) jersey to predict is the polka dot...

Gazzaputt

redddraggon wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

1. Armstrong
2. Schlek
3.Evans

You really reckon Contador will be miles off the pace :?

I think Contador if with astana will not get the help needed. He blew big style at Paris Nice when attacked he'll be a marked man.

hommelbier

1. Kloden
2. Valverde
3. Boonen

Assuming they all get to actually ride that is!javascript:emoticon(':D')

Pokerface

Gazzaputt wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

1. Armstrong
2. Schlek
3.Evans

You really reckon Contador will be miles off the pace :?

I think Contador if with astana will not get the help needed. He blew big style at Paris Nice when attacked he'll be a marked man.

It's a lot harder to recover from one bad day in a week-long race than it is to recover during a 3 week grand tour.


Bertie may have a bad day at the Tour - but it won't be enough to stop him from winning it. And Astana didn't have all their big guns at Paris-Nice to support him. Short of a crash, no way he's not going to win it.

FJS

Contador didn't have a 'bad day' in Paris-Nice, just a simple fringale. Forgetting to eat is easier to avoid than a tendency to have off-days.


I would vote for giving more points for predicting who'll finish second in the GC than first for the TdF PTP...

Mettan

1 - Contador
2 - A Schleck
3 - Menchov
4 - Sastre

others.....

Armstrong might get 6 - 10 th

Would like Andy to win though - if Andy has support, he could do very well - if he's working for others, then not so well.

Will be interesting to see Andy and Contador battling in the hills. Hope Andy's allowed to do his own thing this year and just go for it in the Mountains.

Tom Butcher

I don't think it's anything like as clear cut as one or two on here but I'd have to put Contador down as most likely winner. Sastre has shown he is coming into form, I don't really know what kind of form Schleck is in - but I reckon those two and Menchov are the main challengers. I'd love to see DiLuca in there - don't think he'd win but he might spice the first half of the race up a bit.

phreak

Andy Schleck has been my tip for the title for a few months. His battle with Contador should be great to watch.