The Pro Road Cycling Thread

[Shands]

With the Tour just one week away I was looking for a small bet to add further interest to the race for me.

I was thinking of Teejay van Garderen who was impressive last year but I know nothing of his team mates.

Any opinions of whether the 40's on offer with Paddy Power is a good bet?

I'd be fairly surprised if Teejay is able to make top 5 this time. He's having a good season but with less TT'ing and harder climbs in this years tour I think it'll be more of a struggle for him.

 

[Deepest Blue]

With the Tour just one week away I was looking for a small bet to add further interest to the race for me.

I was thinking of Teejay van Garderen who was impressive last year but I know nothing of his team mates.

Any opinions of whether the 40's on offer with Paddy Power is a good bet?

I'd be fairly surprised if Teejay is able to make top 5 this time. He's having a good season but with less TT'ing and harder climbs in this years tour I think it'll be more of a struggle for him.

Thanks Shands.

Any suggestions for a big priced outsider who may go "under the radar"?

 

[Shands]

With the Tour just one week away I was looking for a small bet to add further interest to the race for me.

I was thinking of Teejay van Garderen who was impressive last year but I know nothing of his team mates.

Any opinions of whether the 40's on offer with Paddy Power is a good bet?

I'd be fairly surprised if Teejay is able to make top 5 this time. He's having a good season but with less TT'ing and harder climbs in this years tour I think it'll be more of a struggle for him.

Thanks Shands.

Any suggestions for a big priced outsider who may go "under the radar"?

To be honest mate personally I would never bet on cycling, there are just too many factors that go into a race that are beyond anyone's control. Take 2011, Contador breezes through the Giro and turns up at the tour red hot favourite only to then get caught in four crashes in the first week, and from that point it was game over. Or Johnny Hoogerland, happily riding along in the break one day only to be catapulted into a barbed wire fence by a TV car.

If it's just for your entertainment and a bit of fun though, then maybe the rider special double of Quintana to take yellow and Cav to take green could be worth sticking a few pennies on.

 

[neilsonblue]

I'm not sure whether the dynamic between van Garderen and Cadel Evans will be positive enough to help the American. That said BMC have looked strong this year. I would agree with the point about how unpredictable the first week of the Tour can be - anything can happen as Wiggins found out in 2011. The form riders would appear to be Froome and Nibali, both of whom are well supported by their teams. Froome is a machine and in Richie Porte he has a teammate who is probably not a million miles away from a podium finish himself. I hope Sky don't end up regretting selecting Uran. Whatever happens, it's going to be brilliant.

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

Yep. TdF excitement beginning to build. For me, it's the best sporting event in the world - even better than the World Cup. Always end up having a day or two off work to watch a crucial mountain stage.

Hope we have a separate TdF thread though!

Next year, I reckon we organise a Bluemoon meet-up in Yorkshire. Anyone up for it?

 

[Rascal]

Next year, I reckon we organise a Bluemoon meet-up in Yorkshire. Anyone up for it?

I mentioned earlier in the thread that a good friend of mine who is City daft runs a bar in Harrogate where one of the stages finish. Im sure she would be delighted to have a load of Blues in her pub watching the action and nipping out for the finish :)

I would defo be up for it.

My top 5 prediction

1- Froome
2- Quintana
3 - Contador
4 - Porte
5 - Evans

 

[Shands]

I've been mulling over a top 5 for a few days but it's just so difficult to pick. Even picking a top 20 in no particular order would be tricky.

I'll go for:

Contador
Quintana
Froome
Rodriguez
Porte

and yep once the action starts I think we should have a dedicated TDF thread as always - keep this one for any other goings on.

 

[Rascal]

I've been mulling over a top 5 for a few days but it's just so difficult to pick. Even picking a top 20 in no particular order would be tricky.

I'll go for:

Contador
Quintana
Froome
Rodriguez
Porte

and yep once the action starts I think we should have a dedicated TDF thread as always - keep this one for any other goings on.

Yeah we should have a dedicated thread. This is a great thread to look back on, so should be kept for other news i agree.

Rodriguez will go well im sure, defo top ten. Is Valverde in the Movistar team?

 

[Shands]

I've been mulling over a top 5 for a few days but it's just so difficult to pick. Even picking a top 20 in no particular order would be tricky.

I'll go for:

Contador
Quintana
Froome
Rodriguez
Porte

and yep once the action starts I think we should have a dedicated TDF thread as always - keep this one for any other goings on.

Yeah we should have a dedicated thread. This is a great thread to look back on, so should be kept for other news i agree.

Rodriguez will go well im sure, defo top ten. Is Valverde in the Movistar team?

Yeah he is, as is Rui Costa and Amador too I think, some firepower in that train!

Then also in top ten contention you have Martin, Moreno, Pinot, Van Garderen, Anton, Kwiatowski, Mollema, Talansky, Navarro, Kreuziger, Schleck...the list goes on and on - I can't wait!!

 

[Rascal]

Yeah he is, as is Rui Costa and Amador too I think, some firepower in that train!

Then also in top ten contention you have Martin, Moreno, Pinot, Van Garderen, Anton, Kwiatowski, Mollema, Talansky, Navarro, Kreuziger, Schleck...the list goes on and on - I can't wait!!

I like Talansky and Mollema. Is Hejsdal not leading Garmin though?



In other news it looks like Wiggo will ride the Tour of Poland, Tour of Britain and then the World championship ITT which i suppose means either Henao or Uran will lead the Sky team at the Vuelta.