Will Lance Armstrong take his 7th consecutive Tour de France win?

[Zoid]

And if not who will?

[Zoid]

Damn I forgot that Valverde withdrew from the race with a knee injury... Not that he had much chance anyway.

[alva]

We just did this a few weeks ago.

Moreau???
Valverde is out, just got of his bike.

[Zopperoni]

Valverde's battling illness right now, so I'm not counting on him. I'm thinking Rasmussen might attempt to snatch the yellow jersey from Lance, if only for one day. Bruyneel won't be bothered about chasing Rasmussen with the time trial still to come. Losing Beltran doesn't make things easier either.

Ullrich has no chance because he's totally incapable of attacking. Moreau can't follow well enough. Both, however, will consolidate due to their "contre la montre"-competences.

Vinokourov needs to have good legs throughout the Pyrennees. If he wants to be contention for a podium spot, he cannot collapse like in the stage to Courchevel.

At the end of the day, Basso has the best position. He's been OK in the climbs, and decent in the time trials.

Botero and Mancebo could be guys going into the top five as well. Finally, Cadell Evans has made a positive impression on me.

[Zoid]

alva, things change And yes, I know

[Winston]

Re: Will Lance Armstrong take his 7th consecutive Tour de France win?

Depends on the pharmacists really. Has he got the same guys mixing the substances as before?

[alva]

Innocent until...and all that.

Rasmussen: don't see him win it but he could make Armstrong loose his 7th one. Armstrong is too intelligent too fall far it thoughn he's not going to do anything as stupid.

[Flubber]

Re: Re: Will Lance Armstrong take his 7th consecutive Tour de France win?

Originally posted by Winston
Depends on the pharmacists really. Has he got the same guys mixing the substances as before?

Doesn't this accusation/implication get really really old about someone that is tested constantly and has never even had a sniff of a positive test ??

[OzzyKP]

No banana option for those of us who could give a rats a.ss about bike racing?

[Datajack Franit]

Pharmacy will help top 20 athletes

[Az]

Better life through chemistry

[Flubber]

On who will win, it looks like it should be Armstrong again. While his team hasn't always looked dominant, they have done a good job pushing the pace in the mountain stages and Armstrong himself has never looked weak.

Today was another bunch finish but the next 3 stages are mountains again. Tomorrow is a long flat ( well some cat 4 hills) leading to a HC peak about 30 kms from the finish and a finish up a cat one climb. Probably see a long escape from non-contenders getting reeled in up the mountains with over 8% gradients. The thing that might restrain the attacks is the fact they have an even harder stage the next day.

I think Sundays stage #15 is the big one. With a rest day following, everyone can put the hammer down over 4 category 1 mountains and a HC finish. Like the day before, the last two mountains have gradient in excess of 8%. If someone that matters does not take the yellow away from Armstrong by this stage, IMHO its over. So far I have seen no sign that anyone is in a position to do this.

Stage 16 has enough mountains to matter but after a rest day, and with a long downhill and flat to finish, its unlikely that anyone that mattered could hold off the discovery team and gain major advantages. The remaining stages are all flat enough that I don't think the Discovery team will let anyone that matters get away.


Bottom line . . . Armstrong looks like he will win since there is no one that looks able to beat him. But maybe someone is stronger than they have shown so far. If so , they better show that over the next two stages !! personally I only think a mishap or injury can prevent another Armstrong yellow in Paris

[Flubber]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
No banana option for those of us who could give a rats a.ss about bike racing?

There are 300 other threads here for those people

[Winston]

Re: Re: Re: Will Lance Armstrong take his 7th consecutive Tour de France win?

Originally posted by Flubber
Doesn't this accusation/implication get really really old about someone that is tested constantly and has never even had a sniff of a positive test ??

No, not if one apllies some common sense and takes a non-emotional look at what professional cycling has become.

What a charade.

[Flubber]

Zoidberg

I was curious as to your selection of riders for the poll. I'm not saying your selections were wrong but I am curious as to your logic to include say Vino and exclude say Botero, Leipheimer, Mancebo, landis and Kloden, all of whom lead Vino (albeit by less than a minute) in the GC. I know Kloden tends to get overlooked and there was some early rumblings that he was off-form .