Road Bike Racing - Predictions...what's yours?

1) Lance

2) Tyler@ 1:30 down

3) Jan @ 1:45 down

One of the best tours in the last 20 years!!!!

Well as I expected Beloki to be on the podium and Leipheimer to be in the top 10 I think I'd better keep quiet ...

Originally posted by Richard D
Well as I expected Beloki to be on the podium and Leipheimer to be in the top 10 I think I'd better keep quiet ...

UCI rules state that overzealous fans cannot be faulted for "unforeseen occurrence" causing their predictions to look silly.(UCI bmud:elur/86)
However, the UCI Doh! rule states that fans who make predictions under the influence of a prediction enhancing stimulant,(Bud Light or any other weak american beer), can be penalized by being forced to watch either Marco Pantani explain why he was in a mental institution for a week or Cipollini explain why his director sportif had the windows rolled up and the doors locked when Cipo was trying to climb into the car at the bottom of the first hill in the Giro.

So...I think I'm in full compliance with the rules when I predict that David Millar will win the TDF by riding through the Pyrenees with no front derailleur and no small chainring, Rene Hasselbacher will win the final stage into Paris by crashing over the handelbars and sliding across the finishline on his arse, and everyone who congratulates Tyler Hamilton on his magnificent performance will be speechless as they feebly shake his hand while staring at him slackjawed.

Lance will take it.

Everyone says he's weak, etc. Since he won previous tours, they're expecting him to beat the crap out of everyone. Let us remind, he is in the lead. He's moving steadily up, every day. His strategy is not to blow away any one stage like Virenque because he knows this will hurt him the next day. These one-day wonders might win stages, but they won't win the tour. If he keeps it up, he'll win the tour. I think he has a lot of reserves left if he needs to dig.

Hamilton gets my vote for the best performance. Imagine if the guy places in the top 10 at the end with a broken collarbone. Can you imagine the pain? As if the tour itself weren't already painful...

There is a lot of racing left.

Two mountaintop finishes, and two TT's.

How will Lance TT? I wonder if he will have the same form as he did a month ago.

Originally posted by don d.
can be penalized by being forced to watch either Marco Pantani explain why he was in a mental institution for a week or Cipollini explain why his director sportif had the windows rolled up and the doors locked when Cipo was trying to climb into the car at the bottom of the first hill in the Giro.

:roflmao:

1. Lance
2. Hamilton
3. Vinokourov

Let's face it - it's anyone's guess this year. That's why this is such an exciting year to watch le Tour!!!! :D

Originally posted by brent_dube
There is a lot of racing left.

Two mountaintop finishes, and two TT's.

How will Lance TT? I wonder if he will have the same form as he did a month ago.

You hit the nail on the head. One of those 4 (perhaps all four!!) stages will determine the ultimate GC winner. Lance and Tyler will do well on the TTs. Perhaps the TTT has already determined the winner?

Time will tell. I can't wait!!!!

Originally posted by don d.
"Cipollini explain why his director sportif had the windows rolled up and the doors locked when Cipo was trying to climb into the car at the bottom of the first hill in the Giro.

That was too funny!!!
:beer:

Now my predictions:

1st Koffee Brown
2nd Joe Gardner
3rd Tyler Hamilton
4th Mitzi

Kevin

LMAO @ don d ....too funny dude. :D

Originally posted by KevinG
That was too funny!!!
:beer:

Now my predictions:

1st Koffee Brown
2nd Joe Gardner
3rd Tyler Hamilton
4th Mitzi

Kevin

Mitzi might do even better if she'd stop "smiling" so much. :D

lol don d

I believe if Lance has strong time trials, he will win. I don't see him getting dropped in the mountains and loosing chunks of time. He may not attack and totally drill the competition into the ground with them, but I don't think anyone will do it to him, either.

Kudos to Tyler, though. With the broken collarbone, he won't win. Imagine how he would be going without it, though?

On an ending note, I don't think Vino will finish in the top 3. He may have had a good day in the mountains, but I believe he'll be marked now. We'll see what he can do in the time trials soon, though.

1st Koffee Brown
2nd Joe Gardner
3rd Tyler Hamilton

Whoa! :eek:

Me in first? What do I win for that?

:lol:

Seriously, I think Hamilton is great, but I don't think he'll be standing on the podium at the end of the day. I just think his injuries will get the best of him, and even if he can manage to hang in there until the end, he won't do well enough to podium. But I do think he'll be up there in the times.

My gut reaction says that Lance will win this one too, but it's early yet- we'll have to see what happens after the next two TTs before we see if we can accurately predict the podium results. The TTT and the ITT will tell the story.

Koffee (2003 Tour de France predicted winner by Kevin G) :lol:

i predict that David Millar is a Tw*t and that Lance will win with jan and Vinokourov close behind.

Originally posted by TimB
i predict that David Millar is a Tw*t

That is not a prediction.

A prediction is something that happens in the future.

David Millar is a Tw*t now!:D

By the way, what vowel did you have in there?:D

Lance

Vinokourov

Ulrich

Originally posted by Koffee Brown


Koffee (2003 Tour de France predicted winner by Kevin G) :lol:

Oh wait I was supose to predict the tour de france placings?
Whoops!
:D

Originally posted by Koffee Brown

Seriously, I think Hamilton is great, but I don't think he'll be standing on the podium at the end of the day. I just think his injuries will get the best of him, and even if he can manage to hang in there until the end, he won't do well enough to podium. But I do think he'll be up there in the times.


Will his injury hurt him more or less in the TT's than on the climbs?
I'm wondering if that injury will hold Hamilton back in the TTs (aero bar position).

1. L. Armstrong
2. J. Ullrich
3. A. Vinokourov
4. I. Mayo
I hope I'm wrong but I don't think Hamilton will finish sadly. He has been the most inspiring story so far in the greatest race I've ever seen.