J-McKech

Excluding Lance, who was your favorite rider? I have to say mine was George Hincapie. The man can do anything; climb, sprint, TT. I think over-all he is one of the best domestiques out there.

dragracer

Thomas Voeckler

caloso

Up until he had to withdraw, Jakob Piil of CSC. It seemed like he was in every break.

2Rodies

He was the real hero of the Tour. I've never seen a guy ride with so much heart and courage.

bac

For me too!

Gojohnnygo.

I agree but i'm going with Floyd Landis. He showed some great climbing skills this year. (did a great job for lance) Who no's he might win TDF next year. I'm pulling for him.

As for Thomas Voeckler give him a few years he has the heart of a lion and is still just a cub. He could bring the golden jersey back to France in a few years.

SteveE

Excluding Lance --- Thomas Voeckler
Including Lance --- Thomas Voeckler

jfmckenna

Ekimov

at my age a true inspiration.

Laggard

Excluding Lance - Thor Hushovd
Including Lance - Thor Hushovd

MacMan

I enjoyed watching O'Grady ... it's a love/hate thing. Overall though, I'd follow the others who said Voeckler. This was based on relatively limited access to "moving pictures" (i.e. limited to Nam's vids).

loriy29680

I have to agree. Hincapie is awesome. Of course, I'm from Greenville, SC too, so I'm sure I'm a "bit" biased.

Guest

Jose Azevedo. Everyone keeps talking about Floyd, but really... he wasn't to be seen leading Lance until stage 17. I thought Jose did a great job of taking Lance through the mountains, and besides that, he finished 5th despite being a domestique. He's awesome (Jose)!

Koffee

Hitchy

G'day,

can't limit it to one....forget lance, who was 'simply lance'

with no bias, you can't go by Thomas Voeckler

with bias....stuey O'grady., cos he's an aussie & i've met him a few times....after the year he's had with cofidis,thru no fault of his own, a stage win was fantastic!

with bias.....Thor husshovd...cos he's got the same bike as me!....(but mines a better colour!)

with bias....big maggie backstedt.....cos he's the only one out there heavier than me!,


cheers,

Hitchy

Guest

I would have voted for Magnus- but he dropped out, and that's a bad scene. I have a fetish for the big guys, and he was doing so well before that! I think I have a serious crush on him...

Koffee

Hitchy

You're sharing your favours around a bit. koffee!, you cheating on Jan? :0

cheers,

hitchy

DieselDan

Another vote for Thomas Voeckler.

Guest

No cheating on Jan. He's still da man, but I think he could have given a bit more for this tour.

Koffee

johnamus

Excluding Lance - Ivan Basso
(Including Lance - Lance, come on now. In my opinion the days of Merckx are over, riders can only focus on the big race. Just cause he's mainstream doesn't mean we can't like him. Same thing happened with Tony Hawk; he successfully markets himself, sells some video games and then when he pulls the first ever 900°, skaters say he sold out.)
Italy needs a new tour winner after what happened to their last one.

gcasillo

Jakob Piil and Michael Rasmussen must of smelled something the peloton they didn't like, because they didn't spend much time in it, did they? Loved their action this year.

Of course, it was great to see O'Grady get that stage win.

Voeckler made the tour worth watching while Lance waited for the mountains.

Watching Virenque climb is something to see. He's the one guy that if your life depended on him keeping a secret, despite wicked torture, he may be able to take it to his grave. Absolutely no pain on the man's face when he climbs. Like Phil said of Pantani, "He climbs like an angel."

Gotta love the Bianchi boys. Magnus rode well, but you can forgive him for abandoning since he won Paris-Roubaix. Watch out for Pietro Caucchioli next year!

Oh, you asked for only one?

giorgios

My original podium prediction was:
1. Lance
2. Ullrich
3. Hamilton
I got one of three right. After LA I would say my favorite rider was Thomas Voeckler. The way he fought to keep that precious yellow jersey on his back was incredible. The pain and torture he was dealing with was out of his normal reach but that yellow jersey transforms a rider into a super rider. He was a brave, courageous, and valiant a HUGE inspiration to France and we shall watch for him in the 2005 cycling season

ShinyBaldy

He had heart that's for sure - he could have whined and whined or cry and hide or quit.

He didn't quit - and he didn't whine. He didn't ask Kloden to wait and told him to be free and ride.

Balikó

As my compatriot I must vote for Lászlo Bodrogi.

But just the second is the Wunderkind (prodigy)- Jan Ullrich. Being second for so long is not so much less than winning. He reminds me of my former favourite: Joop Zoetemelk who was always second also, even behind Merckx and Hinault, and taking a few classics besides. And always passionful and kind aswell. Jan's win at Tour de Suissse was incredible an precisely counted. I really envy his time trial cycling style called "Paradedisziplin" by german press.

I think nowdays biggest is Gilberto Simoni for challenging the Giro every year beside showing something of him even at Tours.

The sprinter of the future is Petacchi, he just had a bed luck on Tour.

The coming generation: Voeckler, Sinkiewitz, Cunego, Karpets... I hope the best and a cleaner, more scandal-free cycling world for them.

Armstrong? I much appericeite his mental and physical powers, and the passion he was riding eg. for Casartelli before and against sceptics after, but I feel something missing about him... look at Armstrong vs Indurain topic.

rule

1. Hincapie
2. Voeckler
2. Basso

Balikó

I also like Hincapie for his performance, and as I have heard he is a kind of joke-man in the peloton, as Andrea Tafi was.

BUT: doesn't he look like a bit Riddler from the Batman (either the Val Klimer movie or the Adam West series)? That facial appear and those Oakley (Water Jackets I guess) reminds me always to that villain and can't stand laughing.

gcasillo

I hope Petacchi gets over the mountains one of these tours, because I'd like to see him challenge Hushovd, McEwen, and Boonen for a green jersey. Nine, NINE stage wins in this year's Giro!