Tour de France 2011

So another year and another Contador vs Schleck battle. Is Andy ready for the throne and is Contador too tired after the Giro? Or will it be business as usual for the Spanish cycling machine?

At least there are a few things different this year. Both Andy and Contador changed teams. Andy now rides for the new Leopold Trek team and will fight against his old boss, Bjarne Riis, who, in reponse to Andy's abandonment, chose to get Contador as his new team captain. Will Andy's knowledge of Riis' strategy give an extra edge?

And who will win the green, mountain and youth jerseys this year?

Originally posted by Lundos
So another year and another Contador vs Schleck battle. Is Andy ready for the throne and is Contador too tired after the Giro? Or will it be business as usual for the Spanish cycling machine?

At least there are a few things different this year. Both Andy and Contador changed teams. Andy now rides for the new Leopold Trek team and will fight against his old ...[text shortened]... tegy give an extra edge?

And who will win the green, mountain and youth jerseys this year?

Who cares? Lance Armstrong is not there.

Originally posted by Lundos
So another year and another Contador vs Schleck battle. Is Andy ready for the throne and is Contador too tired after the Giro? Or will it be business as usual for the Spanish cycling machine?

At least there are a few things different this year. Both Andy and Contador changed teams. Andy now rides for the new Leopold Trek team and will fight against his old ...[text shortened]... tegy give an extra edge?

And who will win the green, mountain and youth jerseys this year?

Wrong name...it should be called the Dope de France!😀

Originally posted by Lundos
So another year and another Contador vs Schleck battle. Is Andy ready for the throne and is Contador too tired after the Giro? Or will it be business as usual for the Spanish cycling machine?

At least there are a few things different this year. Both Andy and Contador changed teams. Andy now rides for the new Leopold Trek team and will fight against his old ...[text shortened]... tegy give an extra edge?

And who will win the green, mountain and youth jerseys this year?

Sclheck will beat Contador and then Contador will be found guilty for his doping last year which will mean Schleck wins back to back.

Next year he will then support his older brother to get him across the line first in 2012.

Originally posted by bill718
Wrong name...it should be called the Dope de France!😀

Oh, are you riding in it this year?? 😛

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Who cares? Lance Armstrong is not there.

So? Why is a USAnian drug addict more interesting than a Spanish or Luxemburgish one? Geez, I'm Dutch - if I want to see a bunch of dopeheads cycling in a row I don't have to turn to the Tour, I can just hop on the train to Amsterdam...

Richard

Originally posted by Shallow Blue
So? Why is a USAnian drug addict more interesting than a Spanish or Luxemburgish one? Geez, I'm Dutch - if I want to see a bunch of dopeheads cycling in a row I don't have to turn to the Tour, I can just hop on the train to Amsterdam...

Richard

Well, now you have a choice at least!!

what about Bradley Wiggens , is he worth a bet at 40/1?

Shortcircuit, don't you have other places that you could troll?

Great to see Farrar get a stage win today. Weird that Cavendish sort of disintegrated like that. Very weird.

I'm happy to see Garmin win a couple of stages. They've been a good team over the past few years.

I'm even happier to see Schleck up a minute and a half on Contador!!! I'm really hoping Andy can win it this year. He's a class act.

Originally posted by MrHand
Shortcircuit, don't you have other places that you could troll?

Great to see Farrar get a stage win today. Weird that Cavendish sort of disintegrated like that. Very weird.

I'm happy to see Garmin win a couple of stages. They've been a good team over the past few years.

I'm even happier to see Schleck up a minute and a half on Contador!!! I'm really hoping Andy can win it this year. He's a class act.

I have a question: If someone is banned for drugs and he won last year, does he have to return his winnings? Can't he just say, sue me?

Originally posted by Lundos
So another year and another Contador vs Schleck battle. Is Andy ready for the throne and is Contador too tired after the Giro? Or will it be business as usual for the Spanish cycling machine?

At least there are a few things different this year. Both Andy and Contador changed teams. Andy now rides for the new Leopold Trek team and will fight against his old ...[text shortened]... tegy give an extra edge?

And who will win the green, mountain and youth jerseys this year?

So far Contador looks out of sorts - lots of small mental errors. Getting caught out in the crashes, not looking overly strong on his attack two days ago, etc. We will see in the mountains.

The Giro made a mistake with so many summit finishes after very steep (15%+) climbs. That made for only one winner, Alberto. Clearly his doped, er, I mean beefed, up body was the strongest on those types of finishes, and by repeating them over and over, he won riding away. The TdF will be a different story.

btw, this has been one of the most interesting 1st weeks of the tour. No prologue and uphill finishes mixed in with sprint stages. Much more interesting than the usual first week of nothing but sprints. Good to see the classics riders having an impact.

Originally posted by MrHand
Shortcircuit, don't you have other places that you could troll?

Great to see Farrar get a stage win today. Weird that Cavendish sort of disintegrated like that. Very weird.

I'm happy to see Garmin win a couple of stages. They've been a good team over the past few years.

I'm even happier to see Schleck up a minute and a half on Contador!!! I'm really hoping Andy can win it this year. He's a class act.

Cavendish has changed his natural game, chasing all the sprint stages really isn't his forte but if that's what it takes to win the green jersey then me must persist...it's a shame as it could take away from his blistering finishes longer term...no, it's not a case of 'could' it appears to fundamentally interfered with him but maybe that's an unfair comment that we can hold over only until he's truly set up on more favourable stages ..the team want green success and that success has been decided not so definitively as stage wins only.. there are millions of us just waiting anxiously to witness that first blistering final 1k pace.
Oh yes, to Sky pro cycling, a big 'Chapeau!' 🙂

Originally posted by RevRSleeker
Cavendish has changed his natural game, chasing all the sprint stages really isn't his forte but if that's what it takes to win the green jersey then me must persist...it's a shame as it could take away from his blistering finishes longer term...no, it's not a case of 'could' it appears to fundamentally interfered with him but maybe that's an unfair comm ...[text shortened]... that first blistering final 1k pace.
Oh yes, to Sky pro cycling, a big 'Chapeau!' 🙂

I wanted to ask, does the best sprinter win green each year ?? Looking back over the years, not always...
The expert of the intermediate sprints wins the green jersey, it's a shame as everybody knows the best sprinter in the world is having to change his natural game..it's the teams fault for not accepting stage wins over the jersey but the sponsors no doubt will push for anything to put their name up in the lights at the end of the tour...something they can throw on their merchandise, one of the big jerseys.
Cavendish will excel at some point soon, on stages that are more suitable but I can't help but think he's ( the team ) targeting too much this year..??

Originally posted by RevRSleeker
I wanted to ask, does the best sprinter win green each year ?? Looking back over the years, not always...
The expert of the intermediate sprints wins the green jersey, it's a shame as everybody knows the best sprinter in the world is having to change his natural game..it's the teams fault for not accepting stage wins over the jersey but the sponsors no ...[text shortened]... more suitable but I can't help but think he's ( the team ) targeting too much this year..??

In theory no, normally you could be the best sprinter (chippo) but have no chance at winning the green. If your a good sprinter but can climb the big mountains (Zabel, O'grady) then you have a good chance at winning green. This year though the intermediate sprints play a more important role for the overall green as a new points structure has been put in place.
Personaly if Contador can put the pending appeals behind him then he should be favourite to win. If Wiggins can stay very close in the mountains then he has a great chance in taking yellow at the time trail.
Never rule out the Schleck brothers but they would need a good time gap going into TT, same goes with Gesink, he would probably need 2-3mins lead in the mountains to stand a chance. Keep an eye out for young Geraint Thomas,one for the future.
1st Contador
2nd Wiggins
3rd A,Schleck

Forget Wiggo, he's just crashed, potential broken collar bone. Race over for him