So who ya got for Le Tour? - VeloNation - Cycling Forums, Bicycle Forums, Community Forums

Login

Home

News

Unanswered Active Topics

Forums Search

Forums > Road > Professional Racing

So who ya got for Le Tour?

Last Post 07/02/2015 06:55 PM by inferno 7. 16 Replies.

Sort:

Prev Next

You are not authorized to post a reply.

Page 1 of 2

Author

Messages

ChinookPass

Posts:809

06/30/2015 10:12 AM
Yellow: 1.Quintana 2.Froome 3.Nibali Green: Kristoff Quintana seems as cool as a cucumber. Anyone read the CN piece on him? Seems like a thoughtful and well-rounded gentleman. He's also done his homework by racing some of the classics and not showing too much in June. It helps that the course tips heavily towards his abilities.

zootracer

Posts:835

06/30/2015 10:16 AM
Quintana would be a safe bet....

Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

06/30/2015 11:20 AM
The winner of the 2015 TdF was decided the day the route was announced. Quintana. (required caveats - he has to make it through the first week unscathed. I would add that Froome impressed me with his climbing in the Dauphine, so he may push Quintana more than I expected, bit don't think he will win)

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

ChinookPass

Posts:809

06/30/2015 11:53 AM
Oddsmakers seem to be giving a slight edge to Froome. 2.1:1 compared to Quintana 2.5:1. My odds on first to hit the deck: Bauke Mollema: http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/bauke-mollema/bauke-mollema-a-call-for-action-in-rider-safety-ahead-of-the-tour-de-france

stronz

Posts:447

06/30/2015 02:18 PM
well I'll be the first fan boy to chime in. Contador! Because I want him to do it. Seriously tho -- only chance for him is to squelch his desire to attack all the time and hold his powder for the end. The stage before Alpe d'Huez is a two climb affair and he could easily attack near the top of the first climb and descend like a madman and fly up the last climb. He's good at attacking far from the finish. Most likely the yellow jersey will be too afraid to follow him from that far. Then settle it all on the Alpe the next day -- would be pretty epic!

Orange Crush

Posts:4499

06/30/2015 06:57 PM
As long as its not Froome I don't care. Too ugly a riding style to have to watch. Chinook - yes read the piece; Quintana has his priorities straight. But hopefully Contador can give it a good whirl as well and Nibali to provide some antics in technical stages. Kicking off in Utrecht, I lived there for 8 yrs as student; one of best towns in NL to visit (way better than Amsterdamned). Too bad I'll miss it; going on 5-day 160k family bike tour starting tomorrow.

longslowdistance

Posts:2886

06/30/2015 07:31 PM
I hope it's not whomever of the favorites wasn't seriously injured during the first week. I don't mind a time shakeout from the cobbles, field sprint finishes and generally nervous first week of racing, but seeing riders injured by the mass crashes or dumb spectators is a damned shame.

Ride On

Posts:537

07/01/2015 05:24 AM
Of the 4 , I give it 50/50 odds that 2 don't make it to Paris , 90% odds 1 of them doesn't make it all the way. The tour has become something of a crash feast. My theory is they used to race much more so they had better bike handling skills. Now a days everyone is off training on volcanos with power meters and coaches and no one is racing. Lost skills. More risk sure but lost skill set.

Gonzo Cyclist

Posts:568

07/01/2015 09:21 AM
I'm with Stronz........Contador Baby!! Yeah, I'm un-ashamed about it, and he is my country man, but when he won his 1st Tour on 07', I was sitting in the Heart Hospital of Albq. after the widowmaker heart attack, things were not looking good for me, and the Tour that year gave me some happiness while I was in there. I remember screaming when him and Rasmussen were hammering it, freaked everybody out, they thought I was having another heart attack!! In reality though, AC may still be tired from the Giro, I say Quintana, but Nibali is a bit of the un-known right now. I'm with O.C. anybody but Froome, that guy looks like Jack Skelington on the bike, too robotic

79pmooney

Posts:3189

07/01/2015 12:05 PM
Contador, Quintana, Valverde or a French rider (I hope the latter). Contador because he has the heart of a lion, rare racing smarts and he wants this like nothing he has ever done before. Quintana will get beaten by ACs race smarts, barely. Froome and the first nine days? Really? Valverde is strong and multi-talented so I think he has a good shot at the podium, though I would much rather see Pinot or another French rider. I see the TTT as quite possibly mattering a lot. And I see Saxo-Tinkoff as doing well there, not like a BMC machine, but as a team where everyone knows there is just one goal. Get AC and the 5th rider over the line as quickly as possible, that nothing else matters. I don't think it will be pretty! I see Sky as coming undone there. I see Quintana as struggling and losing some time. And I want this for AC. I am a huge fan of Quintana but he will get his share. He is young. But AC has had a couple of Grand Tour wins pulled for a drug positive that looked to me like UCI saying "after all we have been through, we have to do this" then "We've stuck our neck out banning this guy for two years; we have to press on with it, we cannot back down." I mean, come on. You allow another rider all the breaks in the world, overlook all kinds of things, but draw the line for a positive that barely registered and give that rider the full sentence? Rant, rant. But for AC to pull this off? That's an "in your face". Where Contador has to be smart? He has to not use too much energy the first week, week and a half. Be smart. Know when a couple of seconds aren't worth the energy. Remember he has a Giro in his legs. If he can do that and stay uninjured, watch out! Ben

Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

07/01/2015 03:28 PM
re: the TTT....man, it is really late this year...Stage 9, well after the the carnage of the first week and the cobbles. The composition of the teams could play a vital role in that stage. However, it is pretty damn short (28K) which should limit the time losses / gains. Personally, I would have preferred to have the ITT and TTT stages reversed. Open with the TTT (all teams at full strength and a great spectacle) and then follow with the ITT in stage 9, prior to the mountains.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

huckleberry

Posts:824

07/01/2015 04:46 PM
I'll go out on a limb a few inches with mine… Contador, Quintana, and… Thibaut Pinot

SideBySide

Posts:444

07/01/2015 05:54 PM
If Contador wants to win, he can't make any silly attacks just to prove a point.

79pmooney

Posts:3189

07/02/2015 12:37 AM
SideBy, I'm betting Contador is going to ride with a level of maturity gained from age and experience and not pull the stunts of his younger days - unless the time is really right, and then his rivals better watch out! With 3 rivals (assuming Nibali gains some time on the cobbles), he cannot focus on anyone in particular the first two weeks. (If Nibali doesn't gain cobble time, I think Contador has little to worry and can concentrate on Froome and Quintana.) If either Froome or Quintana have a bad day early and Nibali doesn't gain time, I think the race will be Contador's to lose. Granted it will be very hard, the deepest he will have ever had to go, two Tour wins does that and the Gira was a lot harder than he hoped, but when it comes to heart, he has a deep pool to draw from. (Did I mix enough metaphors?) So I think the keys for AC are: Obviously no bad days, esp early. He should limit his losses on the cobbles to Nibali to a minute. Stay sensible the first week and early in the mountains. Be on his game for the cobbles and the TTT. Ben

Inferno7

Posts:344

07/02/2015 01:44 PM
Who ever doesn't crash in the first 10 stages. As much as I hate to say it, and I hate to say it b/c I want Nario, or AC to win. Froome and the Sky train pissed because they wouldn't let hime sleep in the bus...lol. btw Bode Miller started doing that years ago, for the World Cup races on Euro soil. Followed by Julia Man cusso another skier. Both had Chef's (friends who cooked drove and cleaned).