Cadel Evans a darkhorse?

[swoop]

Do you think (if he can stay upright) that Cadel Evans might be a surprise GC candidate this year? He looked so good at Romandie....

Who are your darkhorses for the GC in France?

[The Spider]

Dark horse?

Down under he's our main hope!

[cs124]

I rate him a better chance at the podium than George (ugh!) and Levi.

[Ray]

I rate him a better chance at the podium than George (ugh!) and Levi.
Totally agree regarding George but I rate Levi and Cadel as pretty similar talents. What did they finish last year, one place apart? I'd say they're both real dark horses, but maybe this could be the year for either to make the jump to the podium. Winner though? I'd be pretty shocked.

-Ray

[Climb01742]

my dark horse is valverde.

[The Spider]

Valverde?

for a stage win? sure, for top 10....there are so many, Vino doesn't even get mentioned these days.

Anyone know when the last time there was a tour started with only a single participant being a previous victor?

[Ray]

Valverde?

for a stage win? sure, for top 10....there are so many, Vino doesn't even get mentioned these days.

Anyone know when the last time there was a tour started with only a single participant being a previous victor?
Were there ANY previous winners in the race in '99? No Riis, no Ullrich, no Marco, no Mig. Seemed pretty wide open going in.

-Ray

[goonster]

Were there ANY previous winners in the race in '99? No Riis, no Ullrich, no Marco, no Mig. Seemed pretty wide open going in.


'99 was kind of Zuelle's Tour to lose, and Olano was a big contender too.

Cadel is definitely good for top 10. He's never attacked, until the last mountain stage last year, but he'll be the Big Guns, and his time trialling has improved too.

[Grant McLean]

Do you think (if he can stay upright) that Cadel Evans might be a surprise GC candidate this year? He looked so good at Romandie....

Who are your darkhorses for the GC in France?


Cadel rode that great time trial at Romandie. He surprised some people that
day, i think. It will be interesting to see if any of the these "outside chance"
guys lose any major time in the stages across the north of France.
It's tough for some riders when it's over even before the first TT.

Darkhorse? How about Millar for the prologue? (hey, i'm Scottish!)

g

[GoJavs]

I expect a Lance-like transformation this year and I expect him to be in the podium or near it.

Cadel would be a great story. Landis would too - especially since Disco is trying to lure him back with a million dollar contract. Whatever Cadel does, he'll have to do by himself. Horner is the only climbing-type that will likely be around in the high mountains for him.

[Fixed]

my dark horse is valverde.
bro mine too he's got soul ..i.m.h.o.
cheers

[swoop]

i like valverde but i don't think he'll physically make it through all three weeks sans illness.

hell, i rarely go three weeks without feeling like crap and all i do is sit in a soft chair a few hours a day and nod at people. i don't know .. i see him as a stage winner...

[swoop]

I expect a Lance-like transformation this year and I expect him to be in the podium or near it.

Cadel would be a great story. Landis would too - especially since Disco is trying to lure him back with a million dollar contract. Whatever Cadel does, he'll have to do by himself. Horner is the only climbing-type that will likely be around in the high mountains for him.

the george phenom seems to me to be so rooted in his stage win last year... and if that's the case he is screwed. being given a long leash by the peloton is a lot different than making the gc podium. you need luck to win the tour and george rarely finds himself lucky. i imagine the pressure to contend will jack him up a little too. i do think the climbs suit him... we'll see.

jan is very familiar with pressure... and i think is acclimated to it. george has a mr. magoo quality (easy for me to say from the comforts of my living room). riding for someone is different than having people ride for you. i wish him well for sure and would be thrilled to have an american winner just to mess with the french critics. the dream would be floyd, george, levi.... but that won't happen. not even close. if it does i'll get the dancing banana icon tattooe'd on my backside with the phrase..'team america f*** yeah' underneath it.

[PaulE]

I think someone is going to come from out of nowhere, somebody that no one ever thought of will win this year's tour. The favorites will all be up there, but for one reason or another none of them will win. Someone else is going to emerge and the tour is going to be very exciting without Lance.

[swoop]

I think someone is going to come from out of nowhere, somebody that no one ever thought of will win this year's tour. The favorites will all be up there, but for one reason or another none of them will win. Someone else is going to emerge and the tour is going to be very exciting without Lance.


willing to stand behind that with a tattoo?

[manet]

hell, i rarely go three weeks without feeling like crap and all i do is sit in a soft chair a few hours a day and nod at people.

?

[swoop]

pretty close. those guys probably have more insight than i do.

[Climb01742]

i like valverde but i don't think he'll physically make it through all three weeks sans illness. i don't know .. i see him as a stage winner...

logically, you're right, but i think back to the year julich made the podium...strange things can happen...but yes valverde is a pick by the heart not the brain.

[goonster]

Whatever Cadel does, he'll have to do by himself.

He's actually proven that he can do this. The one knock against him (other than not being a top-tier time trialer, until now) was that he's not aggressive, doesn't go mano a mano with the other contendahs. He's pretty consistent in the mountains though.

The lack of exactly that kind of consistency is George's biggest weakness, imho. He may be able to hang most days, but he'll lose big time on at least one mountain stage. If he doesn't, I'll take it all back, but that's the way I'm calling it.

Like swoop said, that stage win last year means (almost) nothing. Just ask Oscar Pereiro.

[PaulE]

willing to stand behind that with a tattoo?

No! :) :banana:

[stevep]

no george. no way. cant climb... only sat in on the stage he won...sat in the entire day when those guys were allowed to leave the fold.
never would happen if he was in contention.
valverde..good dark horse. could be top 10 or a little better
ullrich to win... but he will still face the cries of " you only won because that other guy was not there.." too bad.
evans 6th
leipheimer 9th
floyd 3rd
some guy 2nd
some other guy 4th

[fstrthnu]

Popovych.

Fstrthnu

[cydewaze]

I know he'll be working for Basso but I hope Jens Voight does well this year. Always been a fan of his.

[shaq-d]

what stevep said. georgie is a joke for the TDF. no TT skills, no climbing skills. equals no podium skillz.

also no darkhorses. basso will win, ullrich 2. the rest will, as always, be 3mins + behind...

sd

[BumbleBeeDave]

<<if it does i'll get the dancing banana icon tattooe'd on my backside with the phrase..'team america f*** yeah' underneath it.>>

I think I better bookmark this thread. Perhaps Mr. Swoop would also throw "posting a photos of the completed tattoo" into the pledge? ;) :rolleyes: :p :beer:

BBD