Basso and The Tour

[Flying_Monkey]

I would expect Wiggins to be right up there again this year, reading his latest book he was pretty devastated about last years tour and doesn't accept failure...

If he is, it will be amazing. He may well have the talent and drive, but I strongly believe him to be clean, and I don't believe that anyone who wins the Tour can do it clean. I think getting the placing he did one time was amazing enough.

 

[iLB]

If he is, it will be amazing. He may well have the talent and drive, but I strongly believe him to be clean, and I don't believe that anyone who wins the Tour can do it clean. I think getting the placing he did one time was amazing enough.

Obviously there is a lot of water to pass under plenty of proverbial bridges before July, but his will to succeed is amazing and his meticulous approach towards say the Olympics or the way he thought he correctly approached the tour last year can't be faulted. He certainly won't slide down the rankings back to mediocrity, tail between his legs...




(I hope)

 

[johnr]

At this rate, there'll be no decision on Albuterol before the tour, so no, he's not riding.

Lol. Albuterol has to be neologism of the year!

 

[raindog]

Taking that sentence out of context as you have, it looks as if Albuterol could be an Italian rider or something.

 

[fozzy]

AS is going to walk it, without AC being there no one will get very close [unless he decides to do something silly like change gears going full tilt up a hill, as if a pro cyclist would do that]. it really is shlecks' to lose in my opinion, i think it'll be over as a gc contest with a week to go. so then we can all get behind cav and the australian [evans] can finally get some good luck and win a couple of stages.

 

[montage]

AS is going to walk it, without AC being there no one will get very close [unless he decides to do something silly like change gears going full tilt up a hill, as if a pro cyclist would do that]. it really is shlecks' to lose in my opinion, i think it'll be over as a gc contest with a week to go. so then we can all get behind cav and the australian [evans] can finally get some good luck and win a couple of stages.

Not sure I agree, yes AS will win it, but I can't see anybody walking the tour! There are a lot of very good GC contenders starting to pop up who might shine a bit more this year

 

[fozzy]

ok, not walk it, a grand tour isn't a stroll for anyone but i do think it will be shleck by 8-9 mins and that will be a gradual addition of time over all the mountain stages, so that by the alps it will be shlecks' to lose. i hope i'm wrong and it turns out to be a close and hard fought victory, but with no time bonus for a stage win and limited tts and - basically - the same team behind him, mistakes, injury or a rapid progrssion of other gc contenders is his only obsticle. i hope i'm wrong, but right now, i can't see it.

 

[raindog]

I don't think Evans will be allowed to "win a couple of stages" - he's too dangerous on overall. In fact, if Evans won two stages in the Tour it would probably mean he was winning it. I read a small interview with him last week, and apparently, this will be the first year his training programme will see him peak for the TdF so he may well be capable of giving us a surprise.

 

[fozzy]

didn't say he'd be "allowed" to win a couple of stages, nice try, but kind of an obvious twist of meaning. didn't think any gc contendor would be allowed to win anything but following his career for the last few years, you have to admit that he's gathered a bit of a reputation for bad luck puncture in the vuelta 09, missed that massive break in the giro last year, then broke his arm as he claimed yellow last year. also, the ability of a top gc contendor to win two stages and not claim yellow has happened a number of times, last year being the most recent. that said, i've always liked the australian and would like him to do well, just can't see him beating AS, do you think evans will do it this year?

 

[fozzy]

sorry meant to say; bad luck in the grand tours.

 

[raindog]

didn't say he'd be "allowed" to win a couple of stages, nice try, but kind of an obvious twist of meaning.

I didn't say you said that, and I wasn't twisting your words fozzy. What I mean is, a rider as dangerous as Evens for general classification won't be allowed to ascape and win stages, or if he does win stages, that means he's so strong he's up for winning the whole thing anyway. I've always quite liked the bloke, although he used to get loads of criticism as a wheel sucker in the mountains, which imo was bollox - he was on his limit and hanging on for dear life, that's all.

 

[rich p]

Evans has a decent chance nowadays I think. He's tough, he's not doing the Giro, Bertie aint there and Andy S apart there is no standout contender.

 

[fozzy]

he's certainly tough, and couldn't agree more raindog, don't think he was following in his earleir career just [in the nicest posible way] hanging on as best he could. it's going to be Andy Shleck [by a good few minutes], basso then the australian, closely followed with a fourth for frank shleck. however if we get some bad weather in the mountains evans could nick second. one of the reasons i think AS is going to win by some margin is the lack of time trial miles.

 

[fozzy]

sorry, time trial kilometres. also, it's bloody cold out there today, been in 40 mins and still can't really feel my fingers.

 

[peelywally]

cant see why people veiw bassos only competition as contador when its schleck contador was worried about last year , given schlecks team this year its like luxemboug pro are pulling out all the stops to get their guy in yellow

wouldnt rule out bassos chances hes no walkover just seems like schlecks year , everything is going in his favour from the route to team mates .