Lance and Jan a outsider chances of winning this years tdf..........???

I am beginning to believe that a outsider will win this years tdf. So
far Lance and Jan's performance has been subpar at best............
Lance does not seem all that motivated this year and Jan is claims a
18th place is something to crow about. Now mind you we still have a
month left so it will be interesting to see what happens. But time is
growing very short.so The tour de suisse should be good preperation
for Jan. But in any case I think we will see one of most exciting tours
years.

If Kloden, Mayo, Vinokourov, and Karpets, and Valverde are all in
form...then it truly will be an interesting Tour.


Andre

wrote in news:1116962992.489991.232660
@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

I am beginning to believe that a outsider will win this years tdf.

I think Ivan Basso, having been denied the Giro due to his illness, will
enter the TdF a very hungry man.

Must say I am thinking an outsider will win too - a la Riis in 1996.
Lance obviously is the master of deception so I also wouldn't be
surprised if he dominates again. But like you, I get the feeling the
motivation is not quite there. Unsure about Ullrich as he hasn't really
shown any form yet. Hope to see all the possible winners/challengers
competing without injury. eg Basso, Kloden, Vinokourov, Mayo, Heras,
Landis, Karpets, Valverde, Cunego (& even Evans, Rogers & McGee).
Looking forward to a great tour though!

There is always a strong possiblilty that Lance will dominate again
this year. But it's still Lance's performance has been disconcerting
till now. The Dauphine Libre (Lance entering) and Tour de Surisse (Jan
entering) will be the test real for them. I think the Tour de Suisse is
better preperation for the tdf. The advantage is that Jan can race into
form. Another advantage is that he will have more time to benchmark his
form. The Dauphine Libre has it's advantages since Lance will be riding
against many of the same riders on similar terrain.

wrot:
I am beginning to believe that a outsider will win this years tdf.

PanFan wrote:
I think Ivan Basso, having been denied the Giro due to his illness, will
enter the TdF a very hungry man.

Particularly after all that diarrhea and vomiting.

On Wed, 25 May 2005 10:37:58 +0200, Donald Munro wrote:
I haven't heard much of Mayo this year. I wonder if he'll time his peak
better this year.

Volta a Catalunya, May 16-22, final GC:
18 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team +3:38
22 Iban Mayo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi +4:16

However, in the climbing TT:
7 Iban Mayo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi +0:54
30 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team +2:56

(from
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?...unya05/default)


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a écrit dans le message de news:
...
|I am beginning to believe that a outsider will win this years tdf. So
| far Lance and Jan's performance has been subpar at best............
| Lance does not seem all that motivated this year and Jan is claims a
| 18th place is something to crow about. Now mind you we still have a
| month left so it will be interesting to see what happens. But time is
| growing very short.so The tour de suisse should be good preperation
| for Jan. But in any case I think we will see one of most exciting tours
| years.

If Lance were looking for a class way to bow out of the sport (and team),
he'd use himself as a decoy and then bury himself to get a team mate to take
the yellow, Popovich most likely (or Savoldelli, or Azevedo). Adding a 7th
tour victory won't much change the way history and the public views him. But
handing off to a teammate will be talked about even more and is a way to pay
back to the team that's won him the first six.

So I'll be looking for one of those discovery GC guys to try to get in a
break before the first mountains. Of course that's a good strategy even if
Lance doesn't take a job as a superdomestique. Who knows, it could be his
first Tour where he actually touches some of the winner's loot

trg wrote:

If Lance were looking for a class way to bow out of the sport

**** that.

Adding a 7th tour victory won't much change the way history and the public
views him.

Who gives a ****. winning is all that matters.

But
handing off to a teammate will be talked about even more and is a way to pay
back to the team that's won him the first six.

Everyone on the tour teams get paid handsomely. They deserve no more
or less. They could be doing the same thing for a team that doesn't
win.


(the goddamn weather has been getting me down)

wrote:
I am beginning to believe that a outsider will win this years tdf. So
far Lance and Jan's performance has been subpar at best............
Lance does not seem all that motivated this year and Jan is claims a
18th place is something to crow about. Now mind you we still have a
month left so it will be interesting to see what happens. But time is
growing very short.so The tour de suisse should be good preperation
for Jan. But in any case I think we will see one of most exciting tours
years.

It's looking like these two will be lucky not to DNF during the
prologue. Lance isn't really retiring, it's more like a forced
retirement. It was either this or racing with a div 3 team. I'd have
taken the retirement option, too. Jan's form is way, way off, also.
Why do you suppose Gaby left him? He's just a loser now. Terrible,
isn't it?