The Tour of France

[BigEastBasketball]

TwoDecks, spg, other bike fans: what do you think this year? I think it's shaping up to be the most boring Tour ever. No chance for anyone who is not a climber to win. I am not a fan of the route. The winner will have to come from one of Froome/Quintana/Contador.

 

[SnottieDrippen]

*walks into chipotle* i'll have a quesaDILLa please. Man i love me some chipolte.

 

[tomjackleman]

Are they allowed to use motors this year like prior years? Whats the doping angle this tour?

 

[BigEastBasketball]

I think that everyone will be on the lookout for mechanical doping this year. I'm sure EPO micro-dosing is still happening. Also, teams have been going to these secret high altitude training camps over the last couple of months and probably doping like hell. This way it'll be out of their systems come tour-time.

 

[tomjackleman]

I think that everyone will be on the lookout for mechanical doping this year. I'm sure EPO micro-dosing is still happening. Also, teams have been going to these secret high altitude training camps over the last couple of months and probably doping like hell. This way it'll be out of their systems come tour-time.

How secret can they be if you know about them?

 

[YourBuddyRayhad]

It wasn't an engine, someone just put baseball cards in their spokes

[IMG Bob Hope]

 

[BigEastBasketball]

How secret can they be if you know about them?

They go to these camps but don't tell anyone where they are. Just kind of holed up in the mountains somewhere, presumably far away from the World Anti-Doping Agency.

 

[tkuder007]

its always going to be a climber that wins. this is nothing new

in any case, i just hope for no injuries to the main GC guys. i only follow during le tour, so i dont know who's looking good, but imagine froome, quintana, and maybe nibali will fight for the top spot. contador seems done, or seemed done last year anyway. doesnt have that same top gear anymore. would like to see tejay get on the podium, he was looking great last year til he had to bow out.

sagan will run away with the green jersey again, the way he races nobody can get enough points purely on sprint finishes to overtake him. would like to see cavendish win a couple stages though. also liked that big german that won a bunch of stages 2 years ago and i think missed last year.

either way, the tour is a great little 3 week experience every summer, if you watch correctly via dvr

 

[BigEastBasketball]

i only follow during le tour, so i dont know who's looking good, but imagine froome, quintana, and maybe nibali will fight for the top spot. contador seems done, or seemed done last year anyway. doesnt have that same top gear anymore. would like to see tejay get on the podium, he was looking great last year til he had to bow out.

Odds to win it all:

Chris Froome 6/5
Nairo Quintana 2/1
Alberto Contador 9/2
Richie Porte 16/1
Fabio Aru (who?) 18/1
Thibaut Pinot 20/1
Vincenzo Nibali 25/1
Geraine Thomas 40/1
Tejay Van Garderen 40/1
Raomain Bardet 40/1
Alejandro Valverde 50/1

Oddsmakers giving a lot more love to Contador than you are. I think not having a broken leg is going to help him a lot this year.

 

[NickleDimer]

Kris Jenkins is a guaranteed lottery pick.

 

[BigEastBasketball]

It was filmed in Pittsburgh.

 

[tkuder007]

Odds to win it all:

Chris Froome 6/5
Nairo Quintana 2/1
Alberto Contador 9/2
Richie Porte 16/1
Fabio Aru (who?) 18/1
Thibaut Pinot 20/1
Vincenzo Nibali 25/1
Geraine Thomas 40/1
Tejay Van Garderen 40/1
Raomain Bardet 40/1
Alejandro Valverde 50/1

Oddsmakers giving a lot more love to Contador than you are. I think not having a broken leg is going to help him a lot this year.

i hope they're right. contador is my guy, just seemed like he didnt have the legs last year. could be that (i think) he took the giro leading up to the tour, which is apparently a pretty big feat. hopefully he's fresh.

 

[spg109876ers]

Odds to win it all:

Chris Froome 6/5
Nairo Quintana 2/1
Alberto Contador 9/2
Richie Porte 16/1
Fabio Aru (who?) 18/1
Thibaut Pinot 20/1
Vincenzo Nibali 25/1
Geraine Thomas 40/1
Tejay Van Garderen 40/1
Raomain Bardet 40/1
Alejandro Valverde 50/1

Oddsmakers giving a lot more love to Contador than you are. I think not having a broken leg is going to help him a lot this year.

I guess I wouldn't care if most of that list went over the rail. I'd throw all the name sprinters in there, too.

Just would like to see some new faces work their way up the various disciplines.

Maybe pull for Qintana and (who?).

 

[tjc3844]

I guess I wouldn't care if most of that list went over the rail. I'd throw all the name sprinters in there, too.

Just would like to see some new faces work their way up the various disciplines.

Maybe pull for Qintana and (who?).

For those multi-lingual posters a/k/a Tour de France.

 

[Mainliner II]

whoever is riding this..............has a chance.

 

[BigEastBasketball]

I'm a big Tejay fan. Too bad he'll never win because he is clean.

 

[LizReed]

I give you credit for trying with this thread, Merc. Cap tip.

 

[tkuder007]

This thread stays alive every year

 

[The_Z_Man]

I think it's going to be Quintana, but I'd like to see this be a nostalgia tour where Pinot gives the French another 31 years.

 

[BigEastBasketball]

How is there ignored content in this thread? What could TJC possibly have to say about professional cycling? He doesn't even watch baseball.

Also, Liz, this thread has happened for three weeks in July on this board going back as far as I can remember. TwoDecks used to start it but now I do since he's too big time for us. I'm not sure what other sports there are to talk about. The Phillies, Mets, and Yankees are all miserable. The only coverage of the Rio olympics is about how bad of a place Rio is. There's not even much golf talk on the board except for Arak's new clubs. Sorry for trying.

 

[tomjackleman]

I think that everyone will be on the lookout for mechanical doping this year. I'm sure EPO micro-dosing is still happening. Also, teams have been going to these secret high altitude training camps over the last couple of months and probably doping like hell. This way it'll be out of their systems come tour-time.

Microdosing is pretty interesting. The top US track and field trainer is under investigation for pushing it. Had the gold and silver medalists in the 10k last olympics.

 

[nardibynature1234]

I like the tour de france because it is another sport I don't watch and can separate myself from dudes that watch every sport.

 

[TwoDecks]

I actually haven't had much chance to check out the route, only read it was "climber" friendly. The Giro was actually exciting this year with Nibali needing a huge comeback to take the pink jersey. If the TdF can create that type of drama, with a competition in the last few days - it should be good. Challenge is the only way the TdF has been able to do that in the past is keep the mountains until July 18.

We'll see. I think its Froome or Quintana all the way here, with a slight edge to the Colombian

 

[BigEastBasketball]

I actually haven't had much chance to check out the route, only read it was "climber" friendly. The Giro was actually exciting this year with Nibali needing a huge comeback to take the pink jersey. If the TdF can create that type of drama, with a competition in the last few days - it should be good. Challenge is the only way the TdF has been able to do that in the past is keep the mountains until July 18.

We'll see. I think its Froome or Quintana all the way here, with a slight edge to the Colombian

Very climber friendly. Mountain stages start early, at stage 7, and continue all the way to the end. There is a lot more time trialing than last year, but even the time trial stages have climbing. None of the big guys will have a prayer. Here are the ITT stage profiles:

Also, they are going up Mont Ventoux on Bastille day.