Who's your favourite? My pick is Moreau.
2007-07-06 04:15:21 · 11 answers · asked by Homeboy 5 in Sports ➔ Cycling
I dont think Moreau will win. I believe, like he has done in the past he reachs top form during the Dauphine. This is a very presitgous race in France so he feels compelled to win it. I just dont think he will have enough left in him to win the Tour. However I do expect him to finish in the top 10 easily.
Sastre. As he proved last year, he can climb with the best of them. However I do believe that his Time-Trialing will keep him out of yellow. I think he will ride well in the moutains but i do not believe his Time-Trials will allow him to win it.
Perioro (last years potential winner). Casse d'Parge (sp) has a strong team. If they send Karpets, Emfinkin, Perioro and Valverde they have 3 conteders and another solid rider in Emifkin. I do believe that Perioro will not be able to win based on Valverde being on the team. If Valverde seems unable to win look for him and Karpets to compete for the role of team leader. However I still believe that Valverde will lead that team, ensuring that perioro does not repeat last years preformance.
Evans-He is my bet for 3rd. He finished 5th last year and he has been improving his Time-Triailing ability. I dont think he will win it, because of his team. Prdictor Lotto i think is just to weak of a mountains team and by having Robbie on the team they should be focus early on on getting him stage wins.
Liephimer-Rode great in the Tour of CA and in the Tour of GA. He has a strong team to support him, but he will need to show through the first moutain stages that he is the best on the team. Contador could "overthrow" hom of he seems to be riding better. Look for Levi to get a Top 5, unless he has another disaterous ITT in the first week.
Mike Rodgers-He is my forth place pick. He is one of the best ITT's out there (3 time world champ) and he has been improving his climbing ability, to an elite level. He rode poorly last year but expect great things from this Aussie.
Valverde-My second place. I think he is the 2nd best rider in all of cycling. He was unable to beat Vino in the Vuelta last year, and i dont expect him to beat him in the tour this year. Valverde still needs to improve on his ITT if he wants to win the tour. he is still young and should win a tour in the future. Also look for Valverde to win lots of stages in which there is a sprint after a climb and the spriters have been dropped. Also if he is in a pack of 3 or more riders at the top of a climb expect him to win the sprint to the finish. He will be able to pick of valuable time bonuses with his sprints.
Vino-My winner. He was dominate in the Vuelta last year. He toyed with riders during the Dauphine. He is the best rider in the pelaton right now. In last years Vuelta Kashenkin (sp, other guy from KAZ) came in 3rd. Also Kloden joined the team, winning the Terrieno-Adriattico early in the year. Vino is the best rider this year and he is on the best team. Therefore Vino wins the race in commanding fashion.
2007-07-06 07:15:30 · answer #1 · answered by MyNameAShadi 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I'd like to see Moreau do well (he's a clean rider) and I think he has a shot at the podium... but Team Astana is a very tough squad.... with Kloden as a super domestique, Vino is going to be very hard to beat. They could very well finish 1-2 on the podium. Valverde and Sastre will challenge as well. Rounding out the group is Leipheimer, Contador and Evans. With that said, I'll predict for the malliot journe:
1) Vino
2) Kloden
3) Valverde
KotM: Rassmussen
Points: McEwen
Best Young Rider: Contador
2007-07-06 09:49:46 · answer #2 · answered by Athos 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If Moreau wins he will be an absolute hero in France. It's been over 20 years since the French have been competitive in the Tour. My mind tells me that Vino is good for the win this year though. He looks good and is riding better than ever.
2007-07-06 04:26:27 · answer #3 · answered by Jay P 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Astana team is probably the strongest overall team - right now (before the rubber hits the road) the leader is listed as Vinokourov. If he keeps his head straight and runs a good race, he stands a very good chance of finishing first. However, if he starts to turn a bit squirrelly, you can bet on his first lieutenant getting all those horses behind him and then ... Andreas Kloden sits in the yellow jersey in Paris.
Other contenders ... my money is on Contador (DSC), not Leipheimer. Same issue ... inconsistency. Alberto has the legs, the youth, and the desire - and Levi has dreams of one daying playing in the big leagues.
Third thing - CSC has much the same issues as the two previous teams; a general who has stability problems, and a second lieutenant who can rally the troops. Sastre might be okay to finish on the podium, but keep an eye peeled for Vandevelde to potentially get the red-and-black Cervelos purring for him, instead.
Lastly, there's an outside shot from the Dutch with Denis Menchov. I'm not sure he has the team to support him through the mountains that he's going to need ... but he just might have the legs to do something special on one of the individual trials to make some of the other front-runners sit up and take notice. And if all he does is throw them off their game, he's already got a foot in the right place to be seen in Paris.
2007-07-06 09:17:17 · answer #4 · answered by CanTexan 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
undergo in techniques, there's a distinction between unlawful overall performance improving maneuvers, and taking drugs. some athletes do no longer dope, yet they do un-traceable activities that are unlawful via USCF regulations. It became entirely achieveable up till the early previous due eighty's or early ninety's, looking on who you think and what we can in no way know. Like baseball, this era of cyclists has gotten caught up in doping for aggressive side. Now that the door has been thrown open, human beings see that acceptance is further and extra needed, and so the subsequent era of expert-riders are much less probable to dope. we will not see an exceedingly sparkling rider win the TdF till, i might say, 2015. the subsequent string of winners might try damaging, yet faster or later they have been probable caught up interior the hype. IMHO
2016-10-20 01:23:43 · answer #5 · answered by tamayo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christophe Moreau is who I would like to see win and I think he he could at least podium. If I had to bet money I would say Vino.
2007-07-06 05:54:33 · answer #6 · answered by jamis 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although this year looks to be wide open, the top contenders have to be Leipheimer, Vinokourov, Sastre, Valverde and Pereiro. Personally, I like Vino to take it. His team is much stronger this year, and he is by far the most exciting and unpredictable rider in the top tier. But, it's his crazy unpredictability that may also lose it for him.
2007-07-06 06:58:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Vinokourov has the skills and the team.
Valverde looks strong.
I think Leipheimer, Evans and Sastre are right behind those two.
I like a dark horse and will be pulling for Michael Rodgers.
2007-07-06 05:04:21 · answer #8 · answered by Icicle Works 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Levi Leipheimer....hopefully
2007-07-06 04:20:14 · answer #9 · answered by natedawg77 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I put my money on Vinokurov... He's such an aggressive rider, and is so fun to watch.
He's also on a much stronger team than 05, with two really strong support riders... and he's fit right now...
I think he's got what it takes.
2007-07-06 04:21:54 · answer #10 · answered by ct 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋