2014 predictions

[thom]

Either pick some random names from a hat or delve into your mind bank for inspiration.
I'm not claiming my picks offer anything perceptive btw...

Classics:

Milan-San Remo : Sagan
Paris-Roubaix : Cancellara
Amstel Gold : Gilbert

Grand Tours:

Giro : Quintana
Tour : Froome in yellow - Sagan in green
Vuelta : Nico Roche

AOB :
Wiggins to have a great year TTing but Tony Martin to be World Champ.
Cancellara will get the hour record at some point

 

[montage]

Milan-San Remo - Goss
Flanders - Chavanel
Roubaix - Stannard!!!
Amstel Gold and all the others - a Colombian

Giro - Rodriguez...... Quintana to place 4th after losing the lead due to a tactical cock up
Tour - Ten Dam......Kittel doesn't win a stage
Vuelta - Purito again

Cancellara to complete the hour in the same time as the current record holder.

 

[jifdave]

Classics:

Milan-San Remo : cancellara
Paris-Roubaix : wiggins, I may have listened to the eurosport podcast too often.
Amstel Gold : sagan

Grand Tours:

Giro : rodriguez
Tour: froome
Vuelta : quintana

 

[thom]

@jifdave what is the eurosport rumour about Wiggins and Paris-Roubaix ?
I kind of think we saw at the Giro last year that when it gets a bit dirty, Wiggins holds back a bit - I know he thinks of the cobbled classics as the stuff of legends though.

 

[jowwy]

milan san remo - cancellara
paris roubaix - sagan
amstel - stannard

giro - richie porte
tdf - froome
vuelta - contador

 

[jifdave]

@jifdave what is the eurosport rumour about Wiggins and Paris-Roubaix ?
I kind of think we saw at the Giro last year that when it gets a bit dirty, Wiggins holds back a bit - I know he thinks of the cobbled classics as the stuff of legends though.

Not sure if it's rumour or just wishful thinking from the velocast guys but they suggest wiggo is aiming for the classics as it's really the only cycling thing he's missing and to be considered a great in all forms of cycling he needs one to complete his set.

 

[VamP]

Stybar will win one of the classics. Roubaix?

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Stybar will win one of the classics. Roubaix?

He's going to win P-R sooner or later. I think Stannard should get one this year is Sky get their Classics tactics together - but that's a big 'if'.

I have a feeling Cav will be closer to Sagan than people think in the Tour, and with his revamped train, he will certainly win more stages. And Froome will be in yellow again in Paris. Quintana for the Giro is easy, the only question is how the other, younger and apparently even more talented Quintana does this year...

 

[User169]

Lots predictions for Amstel, but only one for Flanders and none for LBL! And Boonen not on the radar.

Flanders: Boonen
P-R: Fab
LBL: Valverde

 

[rich p]

Yebbut will Cobo win the Presidential Tour of Turkey?

 

[rich p]

LBL Pip Gilbert
Amstel Gold Gerrans
M-S-R Sagan
Paris Roubaix Cancellara
Giro Quintana
TdF Nibali
Vuelta Contador

 

[beastie]

MSR: Sagan
RVV: Sagan
PR: Spartacus/Stybar

Fleche Wallone: Costa
AGR: Purito
LBL : Nibali

Giro: Quintana
Tour: Froome
Vuelta:Purito

Lombardi: Purito
World's : Sagan
WTT: Martin

 

[VamP]

Lots predictions for Amstel, but only one for Flanders and none for LBL! And Boonen not on the radar.

Flanders: Boonen
P-R: Fab
LBL: Valverde

What's Boonen's health like? I've not seen any recent updates, but he did have the season from hell last year.

 

[User169]

What's Boonen's health like? I've not seen any recent updates, but he did have the season from hell last year.

He's fairly notorious for being in form every other year! There were some piccies recently of a OPQS camp and he's already looking lean and mean. I think he'll be well up for the season, although the pressure on him must be immense.

 

[The Couch]

He's fairly notorious for being in form every other year!

That's bit unfair to him ...although he indeed had a bad 2013, a great 2012 and a bad 2011, his palmares from the years before that contradict that slightly
And according to the same logic, I wouldn't be putting too much money on Cancellara this year, since he has shown similar on-and-off years (come to think of it, I'll go for that strategy for my predictions )