Tour de France 2013 *spoilers*

[Hont]

My podium prediction. Two dopers and one clean rider.

Needless to say I hope the clean rider wins.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

Surely we are not discounting Evans from a possible podium spot?? Being the most boring rider in the TDF doth not necessarily make him weak. In fact, bearing in mind that anything can happen in the Tour - crashes included, Evans would seem like a decent outside bet for the overall. No more than a tenner mind @ 25/1.

Maybe i've just had too much coffee for the day.

Anyway, if all pans out then i think the podium will be:

Froome
Contador
Evans

The rest in no order:

Vangarderen
Porte
Purito
Valverde
Rolland
Talansky
Quintana

 

[smutchin]

I believe that Porte will have to start pulling the bunch much earlier than Froome needed to do last year, so I expect Porte to drop a bit earlier (than if he would be leader in another team)

Don't forget that Sky lost Siutsou very early on last year, and were also carrying baggage in the form of Cav (and Eisel as his minder). Barring mishaps, I reckon they're actually stronger this year, simply because they're fully focused on the sole objective.

Purito...
Pinot, Rolland, Costa, Quintana, Porte, Martin, Van Garderen, Moreno

Can't believe I forgot about Purito! He'll be top ten for sure. And Pinot! I've even got him in my fantasy team too. Some other good names in there I'd forgotten about too.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Without Froome as the odds on favourite it would be really wide open.

 

[VamP]

I suppose that Froome might win. I am far from convinced that he's nailed on though.

What about green? Cav or Sagan? Anyone else with a look in?

 

[Buddfox]

I think Dan Lloyd tweeted that he got an each way bet on Mollema at 400/1... doesn't seem to bad

 

[VamP]

I think Dan Lloyd tweeted that he got an each way bet on Mollema at 400/1... doesn't seem to bad

Seriously? Gotta be worth a tenner.

 

[Buddfox]

Yeah, it was during the Tour de Suisse. I can't check odds at the moment, maybe they've shortened since then.

 

[The Couch]

My podium prediction. Two dopers and one clean rider.

It's probably going to be either 3 clean riders or 3 dopers (can't see a clean rider beating dopers... we all know the Big Tex example)

Surely we are not discounting Evans from a possible podium spot??
Evans would seem like a decent outside bet for the overall

True, but -personally - I don't see him doing well in 2 GTs (the Giro was anyway quite gruelling)

Maybe i've just had too much coffee for the day.

Probably yes

Don't forget that Sky lost Siutsou very early on last year

Very good point.. but I believe he couldn't have done much more than what Hagen, Rogers and Porte already did

and were also carrying baggage in the form of Cav (and Eisel as his minder). Barring mishaps, I reckon they're actually stronger this year, simply because they're fully focused on the sole objective.

I agree that this is a very strong team, I am just not sure that in the mountains they have the same strength (or are stronger) as last year...
And if Porte has to start pulling on the last climb from too far away from the finish line, he's not going to have the same shot at a good GC position

 

[Crackle]

Does anybody believe that some of these guys could be reach a (bit of a) suprise top 10?
Taaramae
Navarro
Nieve
Gadret

All are pretty much "under-the-radar" (or if you prefer "underachieving to the expectations" in the last year ) riders but who (should) have targeted the Tour as focus point

Has Gadret done anything since finishing 3rd in the 2011 Giro?

 

[jowwy]

I suppose that Froome might win. I am far from convinced that he's nailed on though.

What about green? Cav or Sagan? Anyone else with a look in?

i've gone for sagan on this one, think he got more in the tank during the mountain stages than cav

 

[smutchin]

I think Dan Lloyd tweeted that he got an each way bet on Mollema at 400/1... doesn't seem to bad

Crikey. I'm tempted to have a punt on that if I can get those odds.

 

[smutchin]

What about green? Cav or Sagan? Anyone else with a look in?

Cav, purely because I think there are five stages with his name on them, plus he'll go after the intermediate sprints. I reckon Sagan will win two or maybe three stages.

 

[Hont]

can't see a clean rider beating dopers

Final GC from 2011...

​

1

Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC Racing Team

86h 12′ 22″​

2

Andy Schleck (LUX) Leopard Trek

+ 1′ 34″​

3

Fränk Schleck (LUX) Leopard Trek

+ 2′ 30″​

 

[thom]

Brailsford talks about young French tour riders in the Guardian.