Friday, July 4, 2008

Tour de France Predictions


I've been putting this off for a while now, I'll try and  be as brief as possible.

Green - Mark Cavendish will win a few stages, but I don't think he has what it takes to get over the mountains as strong as Thor or Zabel, Robbie Hunter will also put in a strong showing. I think he will start off in the lead and fade back in the standings. McEwen will win a stage in the opening weeks but then complain the rest of the way thru that his team isn't helping him out. But if I chose one, I'm going with Thor Hushovd. 

Polka Dot Jersey - I'm going with Soler again. If not him then I don't who. I don't think anyone can rival him if he decides to go for the climbers jersey.

Young rider. One of the Schleck brothers from CSC will take the win for that one, followed by the other, this will be at the cost of Sastre's GC standings.

For the Overall, I am going to go with Cadel Evans 1st, Valverde 2nd, and Sastre 3rd. Menchov in the top 5. There may be one fluke who falls into the middle there.

Finally, for individual stages, I expect David Millar to finally win on a long escape.

Too bad Astana wasn't there this year, I really think that Levi and Contador would have made things exciting. I don't think Contador would have been able to win again, but would have been someone to watch.

Evans riding with Popovytch will be a strong force. I don't think anyone can beat. My opinion on last years tour is that Evans deserved to win and got shafted by Rasmussen, had Rasmussen not been in the race, Contador wouldn't have made up the 23 seconds he did in the mountain stages when the two of them took off the front dropping Evans behind. Two pronged reasoning, first, without Rasmussen, Contador wouldn't have had someone to work with and built time, and second Evans killed himself a few days trying to limit losses, a risk which probably cost him more time than if he had just gone steady.

Without Rasmussen my money was on Levi or Evans, and Contador would have just been an afterthought. Sure Contador just won the Giro, but the Giro and the Tour are two very different beast. 

6 comments:

Daniele Hohol said...

you've got way too much time on your hands bro lol I'll come out with my predictions in the next day or so

Vincent said...

the race is already 3 days into it, you can't make predictions anymore

Daniele Hohol said...
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Daniele Hohol said...
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Daniele Hohol said...
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Daniele Hohol said...

I already discussed my predictions with my roadie buddies after Boonen got shafted...

Im just way to busy to write it down on the blog. But yes, Soler was my pick for the KOM.

Fuck it...

Yellow...Cadel Evans. And yes I totally agree and this was my thinking when after watching my TdF 2007 a BILLION times on my rollers/trainer during winter i noticed how Evans would've had a great freaking shot if it wasn't for Contador working with Rasmussen.

1. Cadel
2. Valverde
3. Menchov

Polka Dot(KOM)*Already lost*...Soler, although I dont like the other climbers...I was worried he wouldn't survive because of his wrist injury but he had a similar thing last year. The spider is the best climber in my books. Nuff said. Just watching him climb and escape...fucking amazing

Green...My pic out of loyality is Robbie McEwen or Robbie Hunter Unfortunatly, doesn't look like anything will happen...I still hope.


----Possibly influenced by last 3 stages-----
I hate the most...icco.
Who annoys me the most...David Miller of Duval-Saunier. He'll fade away.
Who'll get sacked by end of race..Schumi :D(and i admit it was cause of the latest TT result too. He's screaming doper)


I lose :P There is that fantasy Tour De France thing on Eurosport that is on...although i don't think it's a very Euro thing to do..now is it?