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SunSwingsLow

So.

Whos your winner?

reef58

My pick is Kloden, but todays stage probably didn't help his butt any.

Rasmussen surprises by not losing a ton of time. It will be close for him staying in yellow after the stage.

Richard

Randomus

I want to see Cancellara win the TT, though I have a feeling Kloden will do something magical.

I hope to see the Chicken TT well, but I have my doubts.

SunSwingsLow

I think the chicken will do better but still lose the yellow jersey. Im picking Kloden FTW.

tekhna

Menchov?

Second Mouse

Before the Tour started, I had high hopes for Dave Z. Thought he might at least make it interesting. So much for that.

SaintAndrew

kloeden

godspiral

Cancellara is in great shape and should win both TTs... Kloden is favorite among GC guys (but he has an excuse lined up).

reef58

You know I think Levi may have a problem. Kloden goes right after him. I assume it is a 2 minute gap. If Kloden is feeling well he may catch Levi. That would be a blow to his morale.

Richard

Randomus

I was glad to see Cancellara save some energy in today's stage...
Just getting behind him, stalking him may be enough of a morale killer for Levi.

daytonian

not gonna happen

GGDub

Or motivation for Levi to start pinning it, which could be both a good or bad thing.

Bullseye

Concur on Cancellara. My bet's with Kloeden. I'm thinking Levi should be showing better form now, but I don't think he's going to do anything too surprising.

-bullseye

reef58

Levi will definitely tell his story tomorrow. He will see if he can handle the pressure. I hope he does. He sure does get dogged alot.

Richard

reef58

Saturday, Sunday and Monday are likely to be as exciting a three days as we are likely to ever see in a tour.

Richard

alanbikehouston

Well, there are drugs, and there are "wonder drugs", but no drug has been invented that would enable Rasmussen to win the time trial tomorrow...if I look up at the TV and it sounds as if the announcer is saying "Rasmussen wins the time trial...", I'm gonna drug test ME...

Blaireau

I hope Kloeden wins it, with Vino doing well -- lets just hope those BMC bikes don't derail again!!

Also look for the Chicken to do a better than expected TT -- notwhistanding what the self-anointed race experts have been saying....

VanceMac

At the end of the day tomorrow, how many minutes behind the new leader (Kloden?) does Rasmussen need to be in order to feel like he still has a reasonable shot at yellow?

I'm going to say 3 minutes. Which he can easily make up in the Pyrenees, but then there's that other pesky TT. So any more than 3-4 minutes behind overall leader tomorrow, and he's probably back to racing for KOM?

Blaireau

Well, remember that there are more mountain stages than time trials ahead, so that should be a factor in Rasmussen's favour to some extent.

godspiral

Is Cancellara not good at the longer TTs? He seemed not only fast and fit in prologue, but was one of the only ones pedalling through some of the corners.

To feel like he has a good chance, Ras needs to be within a minute or so in GC after TT. I think he'll need to be 6 minutes up after stage 16 (Most of it gained sunday).

skinnyone

Klodi is being droping the hamer..

Stickney

An interview on versus, or eurosport, or somewhere had Cancellera stating that he was going to softpedal the Sat time trial to be ready to help in the mountains -- payback for all the help he received while in yellow early in the tour. Could all be a smokescreen.

Anybody have a forecast? That will impact the TT considerably.

I do not have faith in RAS not cracking. I am curious to see how Valverde does actually.

godspiral

Doesn't CSC like stage wins? Sunday is 10% grades for the last 70k, with the only other climb is at the start. another rest day monday. (?) I'm not sure much help is needed (or able to be given) from Cancellera on Sunday, and surely the team has other riders who can softpedal the TT and fill that role.

Ras's 2005 TT disaster was mostly due to riding a poorly handling bike, which he had no experience with, faster than ever. 2006 was slow hopefully just due to not being in contention.

TYB069

Kloden. Cancellara seems possessed and would be my pick but there is that hill in the middle. Kloden should handle that easily.