jkoman

OK so I am doing my top 10 picks again and challenging all comers. You can only make a change once posted if a rider can't start. Points will be assigned for each pick....1st place 10 pts, 2nd place 9 pts, etc.
Add that score to the total # of correct picks in the top 10 times 2...6 of 10 = 12 points plus points allocated for each correct placing is your total score, good luck. I will tell you this....I'm not nearly as confident this year ....except for 1st place....Der Jan, so here goes.

Ullrich
Landis
Basso
Evans
Leipheimer
Mancebo
Vino
Hincapie
Gil
Azevedo

DocRay...I bet I beat ya!

Devil

1) The Widowmaker
2) Basso
3) Mancebo
4) Valverde
5) Leipheimer
6) Vino
7) Landis
8) Evans
9) Totschnig
10) Rasmussen

El Diablo Rojo

Basso
Ulrich
Levi
Landis
Evans
Valverde
Mancebo
Vino
Rasmussen
Horner

merlinextraligh

Basso
Uhlrich
Valverde
Vino
Landis
Lepheimer
Evans
Popovych
Mancebo
Hincapie.

(not that I think that both Hincapie and Popovch will finish top ten, but somebody from discovery will. With my luck it will be Azevedo).

EDIT, its 4:00 EDT June 30, 2006. Time to revise:

1)Landis
2)Lepheimer
3)Valverde
4)Evans
5)Savoldelli
6) Sastre
7)Mayo
8) Moreau
9)Menchov
10) Azevedo

slisk

1. Basso (out) Eddie Merckx!
2. Landis
3. Jan (out) Eddie Merckx!
4. Valverde
5. Mancebo (out) Eddie Merckx!
6. Kloden
7. Levi
8. Evans
9. Popovych
10. Rasmussen

For real??? if they let Vino ride, here is the new top 5.

1. Vino
2. Landis
3. Kloden
4. Valverde
5. Hincapie

That's for the points. My darkhorse to shock the world is Valverde. IMO the only thing that stops Basso is injury or crash. OR A DRUG PROBE THIS TOTALLY SUCKS

Dead Roman

Ullrich
Basso(its a basso and ullrich battle, thats all there is to it)
Landis
Hincapie
Valverde
Popo
Vino

Thats as far as i care to guess.

domestique

1. Ulrich (out)
2. Basso (out)
3. Vino (out)
4. Landis
5. Levi
6. Valverde
7. Kloden
8. Mancebo (out)
9. Rasmussen
10. Hincapie

Edit 6/30/06: No point making a new list until this whole thing clears...... Right now I'm saying 1.Landis 2. Valverde 3.Levi 4. Hincapie

Crack'n'fail

1. XXXX
2. Landis
3. XXXX
4. Leipheimer
5. Vino
6. Valverde
7. Popovych
8. Evans
9. Hincapie
10. XXXX

I'm not going to name replacements until this whole day shakes down and we see who else is sacked.

waltergodefroot

Menchov won the 2005 Vuelta. Would the winner of the Vuelta be "unexpected" to finish in the top ten of the TDF? Well, I guess the Vuelta is a small race by comparison. Obviously some people have never even heard of it.

I'll take:
1) der soul crusher for the top step of the podium in Paris
2) elisa the wonder woman on the second step
3) chased down by some vino on the third step
followed by:
4) leipheimer
5) mancebo
6) landis
7) menchov
8) sastre
9) azevedo
10) evans

Veloduo

Basso
Landis
Valverde
Ullrich
Mancebo
Leipheimer
Azevedo
Moreau
Sastre
Hincapie

Hey, can anybody recommend a good Spanish doctor?

Eatadonut

1) Lance Armstrong
2-10) Jan Ullrich
looks like it's going to be another humdrum TdF.

El Diablo Rojo

If this Spanish Doping Affair gets any wider we might not have any of the top ten favorites in the Tour. Boonen might end up winning just because he's the last strong man in the race!

The new Tour podium:

Boonen
Zabel
McEwen

marqueemoon

Basso
Ullrich
Valverde
Evans
Hincapie
Landis
Rasmussen
Vino
Leipheimer
Sastre

TYB069

1. Der Crusher of Souls
2. Basso
3. Valverde
4. Mancebo
5. Vino
6. Landis
7. Levi
8. Christophe Moreau
9. The Klodi
10. Oscar Pereiro

Hipcycler

1. Basso
2. Ullrich
3. Hincapie
4. Evans
5. Landis
6. Valverde
7. Leipheimer
8. Vino
9. Zabriskie
10. Moreau

Pale Ryder

Basso
Rasmussen (without hiccups on stage 19)
Ullrich
Landis
Vino
Leipheimer
Kloden
Evans
Mancebo
Popovych

CyLowe97

Ullrich [edit: out]
Basso[edit: out]
1. Landis
2. Leipheimer
Vinokurov [edit: out. damn it!]
3. Evans
4. Valverde
5. Hincapie
6. Julich [edit - replacement for disgraced rider above]
7. Menchov
8. Mayo
9. DiLuca [edit - replacement pick for disgraced rider above]
10. Cunego [edit - replacement pick for Vino, who just got plain screwed]

merlinextraligh

Looks like this is going to be an important caveot.

CyLowe97

Menchov is a teammate of Rasmussen, so many see Rasmussen's performance last year as an indication he'll be protected by Rabobank.

I put Menchov in the top ten, as I don't think the peloton will be letting The Chicken away in any breaks where climbs are involved. And who knows how much time Rasmussen could lose in the long TT's... here's hoping he stays on the bike!

waltergodefroot

With regards to Rasmussen, he is of course someone that can't be counted out, but this is a time trialer's TDF, and if recent results say anything, Michael is in for a long Tour.

The Chicken and Der Soul Crusher went into the Giro purely as preparation for the TDF, and Michael stayed in until stage 12, primarily so he could test himself on the 50k Stage 11 ITT. He has spent a significant portion of his preparation for this years TDF attempting to rectify any insufficiencies that came to light in last years TT debacle. Wind tunnel testing, velodrome training, and special time trial work have all been a significant part of his work regimen.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006.../rabobank_giro

The Giro TT was to be a preliminary test to see if his homework has paid off. Mind you, he and Ullrich have had a similar amount of racing this year, but Rasmussen has not been injured, so theoretically, he should have been ready for this day. He finished close to 7 minutes back of Ullrich, who of course crushed der souls of all comers, including the surgically enhanced Elisa.

The TDF has two, count 'em, 2, too, to, of these long time trials. Unless Rasmussen does some major turn around, I can't see him in the top ten this year. He may win the polka dots, and he may win a stage, but this will be a tough TDF for him.

When I picked the top ten, I left out anyone who didn't have fairly well developed TT skills. Valverde is still developing in this area, which is why I left him out of the top ten. Cadel's skills may carry him higher than tenth. Menchov has recently won the Ventoux stage in the Dauphine, as pointed out earlier, he is a winner in the Vuelta, Rabobank hired him specifically to be their GC guy in the Grand Tours, and he can time trial adequately, if not spectacularly. He should hold his own quite nicely. But then, that is expected.

Spinster

Ulrich
Landis
Basso
Valverde
Leipheimer
Vinokurov
Hincapie
Evans
Menchov
Popovych

HJR

Basso
Ulrich
Landis
Hincapie
Levi
Kloden
Valverde
Sastre
Mancebo
Menchov

jkoman

I agree with the comments re: Der Chicken. This is also why I left Valverde off my list despite my belief in his abilities overall. Unfortunately I am also getting ready to have to "scratch" Vino. Man what a shame with him only being on the team one year. Since I believe anyone is most likely doping...especially the good riders it seems horrible that the winner could be he who doesn't get caught. I can see the Dr's shredding records and eliminating evidence at various locations. I know a younger rider trying to break through in the U S riding for a 2nd level team. Has had good results at many races finishing with Schleck, Julich, etc...I wonder the pressure and exposure...how to be competitive when fighting to achieve your dream and you always have to wonder, maybe assume the guys riding with you are on PEDs.

We will know something may change when we see a few riders come clean without being caught...doing it on their own. When we see riders confessing and getting slammed by other riders en mass the drug culture still exists.

feltdude

Basso
Vinokourov
Ullrich
Hincapie
Landis
Evans
Leipheimer
Menchov
Valverde
Mancebo

DXchulo

Jan
Basso
Savoldelli
Valverde
Landis
Vino
Leipheimer
Rasmussen
Mancebo
Evans