TopCat
06-11-2005, 01:22 AM
I've been following the lead up to the Tour de France very closely this year. Here's a break down of the major players and where they are at the moment.
The King
Lance Armstrong - Somebody will have to take the Yellow Jersey away from The Boss. Lance is coming into Tour form, and is putting up a solid showing at the Dauphiné Libéré. He's highly motivated to end his career with his 7th Tour victory. He will again have the best team in the field, and he has the best Team Director in the sport. Trek has just given him their latest TT bike, the fastest bike going. Lance is definitely the man to beat.
The Favorites
Jan Ullrich - Always a threat. Jan is strategically targeting the Tour de France this year, and is attempting to moderate his training to peak in France. I think Jan will be a beast in the Time Trials, but his form is always suspect in the Pyrenees. Solid team support, if they choose to support him and not Vinokourov.
Alexandre Vinokourov - Another of the T-Mobile generals. I think Vinokourov could be Lance's main threat. The Kazak rider is showing great form in the Dauphiné Libéré, and has been impressive all season. The question is, can his conditioning peak at the right time? Vinokourov is an agressive rider who lives to attack in the mountain stages. Can he string a few mountain stages together to dethrone Lance? Could be the question of the race.
Ivan Basso - This guy is poised to dominate cycling. He's on the verge of becoming a great GC rider, and seemed to have the Giro in his pocket before a stomach bug ended his hopes. The guy is tough as nails and has been steadily improving every year. CSC surrounds him with a strong team. His big question mark is whether he expended his conditioning at the Giro, and if he has the legs left to compete in France. With Basso it's just a matter of time. Is it this year?
The Contenders
Levi Leipheimer - The American rider has been having a great season, but has yet to produce a breakout win. He's looked solid at the Dauphiné Libéré, producing two incredible TT rides and a solid peformance in the Alps. Only problem is that his team sucks and Levi seems to lack the killer edge you have to have to win.
Floyd Landis - Another American rider who's doing well at the Dauphiné Libéré. One of Lance's former team riders, Floyd is a very talented bike rider who's coming into his form a bit too late in his career. He has very solid team support with Phonak, but Landis needs to prove he's a team leader capable of challenging for the GC. That's a tall order for a first time team leader.
Iban Mayo - The most agressive of the Spanish climbers. Mayo has said he's targeting the Tour as his goal this season. The guy is a daring attacker, who specializes in the toughest stages of the Tour. The question is, can he maintain a consistent form over three weeks, and can he represent in the TTs? Most likely not...
Andreas Kloden - After a great 2nd place finish in Paris last year, Kloden looks terrible this year. Supposed to be the third part of the three headed T-Mobile monster, Kloden looks like a liability this season. Unless he's hiding his form, Kloden will ride himself out of the Tour in the first 10 days.
The King
Lance Armstrong - Somebody will have to take the Yellow Jersey away from The Boss. Lance is coming into Tour form, and is putting up a solid showing at the Dauphiné Libéré. He's highly motivated to end his career with his 7th Tour victory. He will again have the best team in the field, and he has the best Team Director in the sport. Trek has just given him their latest TT bike, the fastest bike going. Lance is definitely the man to beat.
The Favorites
Jan Ullrich - Always a threat. Jan is strategically targeting the Tour de France this year, and is attempting to moderate his training to peak in France. I think Jan will be a beast in the Time Trials, but his form is always suspect in the Pyrenees. Solid team support, if they choose to support him and not Vinokourov.
Alexandre Vinokourov - Another of the T-Mobile generals. I think Vinokourov could be Lance's main threat. The Kazak rider is showing great form in the Dauphiné Libéré, and has been impressive all season. The question is, can his conditioning peak at the right time? Vinokourov is an agressive rider who lives to attack in the mountain stages. Can he string a few mountain stages together to dethrone Lance? Could be the question of the race.
Ivan Basso - This guy is poised to dominate cycling. He's on the verge of becoming a great GC rider, and seemed to have the Giro in his pocket before a stomach bug ended his hopes. The guy is tough as nails and has been steadily improving every year. CSC surrounds him with a strong team. His big question mark is whether he expended his conditioning at the Giro, and if he has the legs left to compete in France. With Basso it's just a matter of time. Is it this year?
The Contenders
Levi Leipheimer - The American rider has been having a great season, but has yet to produce a breakout win. He's looked solid at the Dauphiné Libéré, producing two incredible TT rides and a solid peformance in the Alps. Only problem is that his team sucks and Levi seems to lack the killer edge you have to have to win.
Floyd Landis - Another American rider who's doing well at the Dauphiné Libéré. One of Lance's former team riders, Floyd is a very talented bike rider who's coming into his form a bit too late in his career. He has very solid team support with Phonak, but Landis needs to prove he's a team leader capable of challenging for the GC. That's a tall order for a first time team leader.
Iban Mayo - The most agressive of the Spanish climbers. Mayo has said he's targeting the Tour as his goal this season. The guy is a daring attacker, who specializes in the toughest stages of the Tour. The question is, can he maintain a consistent form over three weeks, and can he represent in the TTs? Most likely not...
Andreas Kloden - After a great 2nd place finish in Paris last year, Kloden looks terrible this year. Supposed to be the third part of the three headed T-Mobile monster, Kloden looks like a liability this season. Unless he's hiding his form, Kloden will ride himself out of the Tour in the first 10 days.