Predictions for the Tour de France!!

[Max]

Hey Everyone,

I dont know about many of you but I find watching the tour and I figured since most of us are watching bits and pieces of the tour it could be a bit of fun to see what everyones predictions are for the yellow jersey!! Theres still heaps of racing to go and I dont really know who all the big names are out there but these are a few Ive heard being talked about!! You dont have to use the guys i put in the poll cause Im sure theres heaps more favourites out there that I couldnt think of!

Max

[StephenBayliss]

Kloden seemed to be going great in the Prologue, for a climber, if he can still climb, my money is on Kloden.

Or

Reg Harris, is he racing, he's a good cyclist

[drags]

Kloeden is too much of a fair weather rider.. goes good when the going is good.  If it comes down to toughness I got me money on Vino.. that bastard is tough as!!  And I certainly hope Bogey gets a stage win cuz nobody works harder out there than that Mule.

[Mina]

Now what about the cutie who won today's first mountain stage- of course I know looks don't count but.... - oh to be young again!!
I think my money is on Vino as well- tough as leather. Am a little concerned about his crash but seems to have pulled up OK. Oh- and he rides for Astana- my fav team

[BellaComerFord]

Vino is tough!  Cycling along with stitches in both knees.  eeeeek 

I agree Belinda!  I liked that Gerdmann.  He rode great!  And it was sweet to see him SO happy and humble!

Wow, Cancellara went out the back door yesterday. 

Will be another good day today!...

[Beck]

I have no clue, so I'm not voting!
I'm really only interested in watching the time trials 
Beck

[Juzzie]

Well yesterday we (Aussies) lost 50% of our TDF riders in one stage - so a good day out in the mountains for the Aussie assult, NOT!

I will give my number 1 choice to Cadel Evans, but my second choice of Christophe Moreau as he looks fairly strong to me and he is French.

Juzzie

[BellaComerFord]

What do you think about Rasmussen?  He went pretty well yesterday.  Could he win?

Did you see his interview at the end!?  ..he did'nt have much to say!  it was quite funny to watch 

[Beck]

How does Rasmussen time trial?  I remember a couple of years ago, he had a chance to do really well in the final standings, and in the final time trial, he crashed about 3 or 4 times?  He's a great hill climber, but is he an all-round rider?
Beck

[Max]

its been a crazy tour this year...its so hard to tell whos goig to do what!! sad day for the aussies yesterday...i had picked Michael Rogers to do well but unfortunately he crashed and pulled out yesterday

but im going to go with Cadel evans or Valverde? ? I just dont know who yet...hehe!

i dont think Rasmussen is that great a TT rider....but theres all the rest of the Alps stages and then all the Pyrenees stages to go so the mountain goat of the pack could build up an impressive lead and it could be enough to hold on to the end!!

[BellaComerFord]

hmmmm, I wonder what will happen...!

Did Cadel Evans fall off in the past few days, and crack something in his tail bone, or am I confusing that with someone else?

[Max]

nah cadel is ok so far....fingers crossed he can have better luck than the rest of the Aussies

but it was Kloeden who fell off and fractured is tailbone....he did the same thing in tour in 03 (Im pretty sure it was 03) and didnt end up finishing. hes vinos work horse for now i think!!

i was reading on the net today theres about another 7 mountain stages and 110k of TT-ing to go...including a team tt in there somewhere!!

tomorrow will be very ineresting cause its a the hardest stage of the tour apparently with 4 massive climbs and its after a rest day yay i love exciting stages!!

[johnnyha]

The TTT(T?) is no longer in the Tour. Pretty luck for T-Mobile given that they lost 3 riders in one day.

The only thing that is for certain about this Tour, is how open it is. There are a good couple of i/v's here http://pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5108&status=True

As for Astana, I think they're a prime example of the danger of having too many Captains. Kashekin, Kloden and Vino are all potential GC contenders, and they really need to focus on pulling one rider who is sufficiently strong. After Sunday, I find it difficult to believe that Vino retains sufficient strength to win, but never say never. Evans, on the other hand, lacks aggression - I think him winning is unlikely. That said, compared to Mayo and Rasmussen his TTing is strong...

I think it will depend on the willingness of Rasmussen to go on the attack, whether others can/will go with him, what happens in the two TTs. Rasmussen doesn't have a great history with TTs, but he is said to have been working on it, so you never know. I also wouldn't rule out Frank Schleck or Denis Menchov, but Sastre didn't seem strong on Sunday.

Basically its completely open, and makes for fantastic racing. Vive le Tour.

PS - Good analysis at http://www.dailypeloton.com and http://www.cyclingnews.com

[Max]

wow what a tour this is turning out to be its so exciting and way to hard to tell whos going to be the yellow jersey winner! although today i didnt like watching then decending on that nasty decent i think i spent the whole time cringing...haha!

rasmussen had a good tt today compared to his effort last year! so he could be able to hold on...theres one more individual tt on the 2nd last stage and its 50k flat and fast apparently!! vino looked on fire in the tt but i dont think hes got the hill riding legs this year...he looks bigger than all the guys climbing too so i guess that makes it harder for him to keep up with the mountain goats!!

so im going to have to back the aussie of the group and go with cadel for now he had a good tt today and if he can stay within range of rasmussen he could be able to close the gap on the final tt...hopefully maybe!!!

bring on the exciting pyrenees stages!!!

[drags]

Hey.. get Rasmussen up there... he's gonna hold it.. they wont catch him.. he's beefie!!