Matt Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Ok, folks, the Tour de France starts Saturday. Arguably the most spectacular endurance event in the world. And it's in the midst of a huge drug scandal again. http://www.cyclingnews.com has good coverage. Anyone going to follow it? If so, who is your favorite? I'm picking Basso or Ullrich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finbarrio Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I'm going with Ulrich. Finally his time now that the MAN is outta the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 26, 2006 Author Share Posted June 26, 2006 Yeah, I kinda want him to win, too. Classy guy. Seems like he's on track. But this should be one of the most interesting Tours in years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydneyvegan Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I'll be watching...I think I agree with Matt, that it will be between Ullrich and Basso... That said I think Basso might be hard to beat...I'm hoping of course that Robbie McEwan wins the green and that the other Aussies do well...Hopefully Cadel Evans (Ex Mountain bike world Champ, so being a Mountain biker I have to go for him) can finish in the top 10... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 I'm expecting Basso or maybe even Floyd Landis...I think in terms of potential Ulrich has the best shot but is he willing to climb with Basso every day...I don't know. My long shot(really long shot) and favorite is Zebriskie. He's a great personality and I'd love to see him win but I don't think he's up to it just yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 27, 2006 Author Share Posted June 27, 2006 I've been holding my tongue on this one, but I gotta say that Valverde I think has an outside chance. He's done well earlier this year in the classics and I just read that he's increased his endurance a bunch copying Lance Armstrong's riding style. I've used that style since the late 80's (high cadence, lower output per stroke), and I live by it. Plus he stayed with Armstrong on the climbs last year until his knee went. I think after Basso, he could be the next dominant force in the Tour de France in a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hopefully he didn't put it all out there for those good results...he's a good guy too and I'd love to see him do well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 30, 2006 Author Share Posted June 30, 2006 (edited) Basso and Ullrich out of the Tour! And more riders! http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/jun06/jun30news3 This is completely out of control it seems. Very shocking. Worse than the 1998 affair which really brought out all the doping stuff in the first place. Unbelievable. Edited June 30, 2006 by Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 (edited) Now the tours gonna be slow and boring now that all the cyclists that are left are clean I seriously doubt more than half of the pelaton riders are clean...let alone the leaders. As an elite track athlete I just had to accept it...even in HS about 1/3 of my elite competitors were dirty by the time they were 18 and it surely increased in college. Edited June 30, 2006 by Anonymous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 30, 2006 Author Share Posted June 30, 2006 Very true. I'm not in denial about it. Just amazing that just about *all* the top favorites seem to be implicated. I always saw Basso as a classy, respectable rider. Also thought that about Tyler Hamilton. I actually still do. Well, images are made to be shattered... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 30, 2006 Author Share Posted June 30, 2006 So now we gotta change our picks. Here's my top 5: 1. George Hincapie2. Floyd Landis3. Levi Leipheimer4. Cadel Evans5. Iban Mayo6. Paulo Salvodelli Who the hell knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Classy is different for them...they know everyone else it taking and if nobody was the results would likely be about the same in these races so I still look at Basso as classy amongst the feild. Its too bad it has to be that way but its too late to change it without manditory spinal taps...which is the only real way to tell if people are doping in the off season along with hair tests but then you can cut your hair short. Out of the real shot people Hincapie is my fav too...but I'd still love to see if Zebriske can hold up for the hole tour up and near the top and maybe be a cinderalla story rider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 30, 2006 Author Share Posted June 30, 2006 Agreed. Zabriskie would be a great Cinderella story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finbarrio Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 I gotta go with Hincapie too - until he gets caught anyway. I'm bummed about the scandal. Really decreased my interest. Jerks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 1. Floyd Landis 2. George Hincapie3. Dave Zebriske4. Alahandro Valverde 5. Mickael Rasmussen if they can get him new bikes fast enough for the TTs6. Levi Leipheimer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 It's looking like George and Floyd at the top is a safe bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I'd be pretty pleased with either of them taking it...I think I'd like George to win a little more though since he's done so much work to get Lance to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 Agreed! I also want him to win because I had a bet with my buddy in 2001 that I thought he could do well in the Tour if he focused on it. I never thought it would happen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Hopefully he'll hold up to that...we've got a bunch of guys on our team still complaining about their bets...some with $200 and more on Ulrich and Basso as winners. Its a pretty heated issue but I see it as part of sports...its like signing any athlete that could get hurt...they can get hurt at any time...and since most of them are dirty you've gotta assume they can get caught at any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Hopefully he'll hold up to that...we've got a bunch of guys on our team still complaining about their bets...some with $200 and more on Ulrich and Basso as winners. Its a pretty heated issue but I see it as part of sports...its like signing any athlete that could get hurt...they can get hurt at any time...and since most of them are dirty you've gotta assume they can get caught at any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 HINCAPIE IN YELLOW! He won an intermediate sprint with a 2 second bonus so he's the leader! Woohoo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I just hope Popovich is willing to put himself out there for Hincapie the way he and Hincapie did for Lance. I think thats the key to him taking it all...anyway I'm just being really sad right now becaus I don't have cable so I can't even see that yellow jersey...its purely concept to me right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 4, 2006 Author Share Posted July 4, 2006 Valverde's out. Crashed and broke his collarbone. It's down to George and Floyd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydneyvegan Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 I'm hoping Cadal Evans and Michael Rodgers can give it a shake... Since Rodgers doesn't have to go all out for Ulrich, he will do a lot better...Sorry, I've got to go for the Aussies, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 5, 2006 Author Share Posted July 5, 2006 I'd also like to see what Michael Rogers can do. He's got a lot of potential and a lot of years ahead! Cadel will be up there, I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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