TDF 2006 predictions

[TeleAl]

Humor me.
Whose it gonna be next year?
Whose gonna win the TDF 2006?

Predictions. No pressure, just for fun.

[NorCalSJK]

Humor me.
Whose it gonna be next year?
Whose gonna win the TDF 2006?

Predictions. No pressure, just for fun.

Jan Ulrich or Ivan Basso(i hope Jan does it)

[Plakespear]

The winner will be wearing a Discovery, CSC, or Phonak jersey during the prologue (meaning Ullrich's not gonna win unless he leaves T-Mobile and Walter Goodefroot)

[Egon]

Brochard!

[Stu Gotz]

Next year will be really interesting. Armstrong is like Rivera. You give him the ball in the ninth, and more often than not, he is going to close the deal. Discovery is a superior team, but I don't think they can ride at that awesome tempo next year and have their captain ready for the mountains. I bet the average speed for the tour drops quite a bit next year.

I think the question next year will be - Can Ullrich's superiority in the time trials overcome time given up to a climber like Basso?

[Foggy_Goggles]

Next year will be really interesting. Armstrong is like Rivera. You give him the ball in the ninth, and more often than not, he is going to close the deal.

Did you catch the playoffs last year?

[basom]

Armstrong is like Rivera. You give him the ball in the ninth, and more often than not, he is going to close the deal.

[Stu Gotz]

I hedged the wording with "more often than not."

[L7]

I tend towards Basso or Ullrich as well and hope for Ullrich since I think he deserves one more. That's a good point about T-mobile though. It seems the team will always be fractured and destined to eat itself before it ever wins.

[lph]

put vino on a strong team which is well managed and he will win.

barring that, basso.

[Duker]

Vino is a renagade, his stratagey is far different from armstongs but that guy never stopped amazing me. I would love to see him win.

on another note, the OLN guys brought up and intersting point today, If armstong was not around how many TDF's would jan have already won? I think he would have 4 or 5. That being said, he wont win next year. Vino or Basso will take it.

[L7]

put vino on a strong team which is well managed and he will win.

barring that, basso.

I tend to think he's too much of a loose cannon for anyone to invest building a solid team around. I think he needs that team and discipline to make it happen. Catch 22.

Did you see him greeting Armstrong when Lance was headed to the podium. He was pointing at the Discovery logo and then making like he was putting it on his own chest. Lance didn't have much response.

[ulty_guy]

if he figures out how to time trial (as basso did in the last year and a half) i'd say damiano cunego.

[snow_slider]

If Jan can hold it together in the mountains again next year, I'd say the finish will be:

1. Ullrich
2. Basso

After that it totally depends on how the riders train over the "off" season. If Rasmussen can learn to time trial, he'll finish very high next year. If Vino can work on his climbing, he'll do well. Hopefully, we'll get another good battle between Levi and Vino. Too bad about the sprint point confusion on the final stage this year. If all the riders knew it was either ON or OFF. we'd have seen quite a battle between Vino and Levi.

[verbier61]

Next year will be really interesting. Armstrong is like Rivera.

dude, there's only ONE Rivera in europe :

[AfroMullet]

I tend to think he's too much of a loose cannon for anyone to invest building a solid team around. I think he needs that team and discipline to make it happen. Catch 22.

Did you see him greeting Armstrong when Lance was headed to the podium. He was pointing at the Discovery logo and then making like he was putting it on his own chest. Lance didn't have much response.

He's a lot like Merckx. Kinda.

[Plakespear]

I tend to think he's too much of a loose cannon for anyone to invest building a solid team around. I think he needs that team and discipline to make it happen. Catch 22.

Perhaps he was attacking like mad because he wants out of T-Mobile, and wants to get on a team that will support him better.

[fondigley]

It will be someone who trains like Lance. I wouldn't be suprised if Disco recruits a good up and comer to take the torch. Lance may have retired from cycling, but I bet he will be a hell of a coach or at least an influential part of Disco's training regiment. I wouldn't be suprised if Lance's right hand man George steps up or attempts to move into the spot light, just depends if the team would want that. Prolly not, they will probably focus more on the man in the white jersey, Yaroslav.

[glademaster]

I could see Lance becoming the Directeur(or however its spelled) Sportif of Disco in 4 or 5 years. I would love to see him and Riis duke it out as directeurs with Basso, Vino or Popovych fighting it out on the roads, that would be pretty amazing to watch in my mind.

Next year I think it will be Basso, Ullrich, Vino, Valverde, Popovych in that order for likelihood of winning the TdF.

[TeleAl]

I posted this elsewhere, but figured you all might like it.

Here is one way to describe a TDF cyclist climbing the Alp d'Huez.

Lift 110 lbs
3 feet off the ground
once per second
for 1380 seconds.

[slippy]

With all the fuck-ups T-Mobile did, they still got 2 riders in the top 5 and won the Overall Team thing-a-ma-bob. Saying that Ullrich won't win just because of him being on T-Mobile is going a little overboard.

[lph]

But if memory serves me right, Lance was a HUGE loose cannon when he first went to europe in his early 20's. Vino has more heart than the rest of them and I bet that is why Lance likes and fears Vino. Plus, Vino was on a team where it wasn't that big a deal to be a loose cannon.

And, yeah, that little greeting b/t lance and vino at the end was pretty interesting. I would love to see Vino end up on Disco. I like the way that guy rides. Never gives up.

[TeleAl]

With all the fuck-ups T-Mobile did, they still got 2 riders in the top 5 and won the Overall Team thing-a-ma-bob. Saying that Ullrich won't win just because of him being on T-Mobile is going a little overboard.

What you said is the reason that Ullrich might not win with T-Mobile.
He needs a team working around him, for him. (See Disco.)
T-Mobile has been working towards other goals the last few years.
They cannot promote a sprinter, lead the peloton, send a rider on breakaway, win some stages, and defend the Yellow.
Plus the too many chiefs factor (Jan, Kloden, Vino).

Now then, they might change their agenda without Lance around.
And yes, they are certainly a contending team.

[Woodsy]

levi, Levi, LEVI!
'merica!

[slippy]

What you said is the reason that Ullrich might not win with T-Mobile.
He needs a team working around him, for him. (See Disco.)
T-Mobile has been working towards other goals the last few years.
They cannot promote a sprinter, lead the peloton, send a rider on breakaway, win some stages, and defend the Yellow.
Plus the too many chiefs factor (Jan, Kloden, Vino).

Now then, they might change their agenda without Lance around.
And yes, they are certainly a contending team.

Let's agree to agree then. My point was simply that should at least be considered a contending team. Their fuck-ups can be overcome for next year, if they so choose. As for who will actually win, I don't have a clue.