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Tour de France

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
A little less than two weeks away, who is your pick for the win? Contador is the favorite, but I'm hoping Basso can challenge him in the Pyrenees. It should be a good race, RadioShack and Liquigas have strong teams. Maybe we'll see the teams work together to isolate Contador.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Contador has the flu or something right now doesn't he? I'd like to see Basso contend as well. I was looking through the Velonews TdF guide at some of the lesser known teams and there are some that make me laugh! Can't remember which, but one of the teams had only 1 dude that had been to the Tour before.
 

GravityFreakTJ

leg shavin roadie
Jul 14, 2003
2,947
0
at a road race near you
Contador just needs to ride Andy's wheel and attack on the climbs when the time is right. He can put huge time into him in the tt's. Of course he may have to deal with attacks from his own team mate Vino ;)
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Contador just needs to ride Andy's wheel and attack on the climbs when the time is right. He can put huge time into him in the tt's. Of course he may have to deal with attacks from his own team mate Vino ;)
That would be the best Tour ever if the team was split again with Vino and Contador throwing down!
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
I say Contador is going to take it. No one that can hang with him in the mtns can also hang with him in the Time Trials. I hope he falls and breaks his finger though... that stupid pistol shot crap makes me want to kill puppies.

I'm not counting out uncle lance though... last year he was way off form and managed 3rd. This year he's on form, so it could be interesting. Also the tour is going to be in Belgium for quite a while... Lance has a Belgian manager, as does Schleck. I'd love to see them gang up on Astana in the cobbles.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Looks like Vino is in. I'm a little surprised after the embarrassment of his positive test. Odd that Periero signed up to help at the Tour and now isn't going.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,877
4,221
Copenhagen, Denmark
when was he ever implicated or proven guilty?
Every winner after him was doped. I find it very hard to believe he was clean riding in a decade of wide spread drug use. For me that does not take anything away from his riding as they were all doping and it was a leveled playing field.
 

jacksonpt

Turbo Monkey
Jul 22, 2002
6,791
59
Vestal, NY
My pick? I don't follow this stuff closely enough to be able to make an educated pick, but I hope Andy Schlek has a good ride.
 

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
Levi...


Oh, and Schlek for the win since I know LA can't pull off another. Though I would like him to just to give the french a big F.U.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,653
1,128
NORCAL is the hizzle
I hope Vino t-bones Contador and they both crash out, leaving the window wide open for Schleck.

Beyond that I am having a hard time caring about the Tour at all this year.
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
Levi...


Oh, and Schlek for the win since I know LA can't pull off another. Though I would like him to just to give the french a big F.U.
Levi might actually be clean. Would explain the lack of anything that looks vaguely like an attack in the mountains that is his signature style.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Might be easier to choose a country of origin for the first cheater.

I pick Lithuania.
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
TdF coming back to Morzine this year after a couple years off. Not only that, but they are going past my home! Sweet! And I don't have to cook for the Specialized/Gerolsteiner (sp?) team this year, so I can actually spectate!
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,877
4,221
Copenhagen, Denmark
I have been to the finish in Paris but would love to see a mountain stage. Especially since I could then go down hill the next day in Morzine and east Damo's food. If I ever move back to Euro land it will happen.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
TdF coming back to Morzine this year after a couple years off. Not only that, but they are going past my home! Sweet! And I don't have to cook for the Specialized/Gerolsteiner (sp?) team this year, so I can actually spectate!
Killer! Take a lot of photos!
 

splat

Nam I am
For the first time in his career ;)
:stupid:
when was he ever implicated or proven guilty?
crap I don't remember which year ( and of course can't find any references on the Net, not that I looked that hard ) it was, but he tested positive for a Steroid Masking agent, but the got off because it technically was not illegal till August 1st of that year.
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,817
106
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
:stupid:


crap I don't remember which year ( and of course can't find any references on the Net, not that I looked that hard ) it was, but he tested positive for a Steroid Masking agent, but the got off because it technically was not illegal till August 1st of that year.
well if that's true, i don't remember reading about it, then i stand corrected. :thumb:

i can't seem to get excited for it anymore so i don't really care who wins. the whole doping thing has really drawn me away from it, plus the bs that goes with it too. now it's the reports of Cancellara using a motor to help him win. i haven't done any real follow up with it, pretty much once i read it i threw my arms up and said f it i've had it with roadies.
 

James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
My pick for dark horse for this race: Chris Horner. Look for some good stuff from him (I hope). I'm sure Heidi agrees...
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Great stage! Versus live online sucks...they claimed a 7:15 start and then delayed until 9:00....lame. Lance looks good, maybe he has some of his old mojo