divekrb

8,9,10 yeeeeeer out!

While a very good TT rider if the course suits him, there's little that would indicate he's any kind of a GC threat at the tour. Barely cracked the top 30 in this year's final TDF TT, finished 45th in the opening TT. In the mountain stages lost gobs of time, never breaking the top ten and often finishing with the gruppetto. 42nd in 2003, 22 on GC in 2004, dropped to 41st this year. As he was the top Quick Step rider we can assume he wasn't riding as a domestique in the mountains.

In the Tour de Swiss he couldn't hang when all the money was on the line and the race went uphill. So, if you can't keep Aitor Gonzalez from making you his beech...

Barring some remarkable breakthrough (things can always happen), there's nothing in that palomares that would make him the Oz-on favorite for a podium, especially considering he's on T Mobile, where non-german talent goes to die.

Bet that VB on Cadel.