Cycling
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In recent years this mis always the hardest to predict, as it is the least specific targeted of the big tours. Probably Contador wants it most and has the least racing days over the summer, maybe Chavez his strongest competitor. Kruijswijk might either confirm what he has done on the Giro or prove it was a fluke.
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yeah Chavez is interesting alright,maybe each way,regarding Contador,I could be wrong but ya get the impression his days of winning are over,I wonder will Sky make Landa their gc man once it becomes clear Froome's goose is cooked,being Spanish too he might get the support of the home crowd...
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Can't look anywhere but Contador as long as he stays on his bike. He's a completely different rider outside of France.
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yeah good point,there's been money for contador in the last week,il probablystill go chavez and landa both each way at the prices although il have a saver on alberto
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Froome needs to win a gt outside of the tdf otherwise he is Armstrong 2.0
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Stage 2. Looks like a sprint to me. Small chance for a break or a late break as the sprinters teams aren't that strong here. Also Team Sky wouldn't mind if they let the leaders red jersey go to a non-contender at this point of the race. Market looks about right to me.
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It's really hard to pick choices for today. It looks like a sprint but with no real sprinters here its difficult. Trek have Bonifazio, Felline and Reijnen who will all fancy this, so which one will they work for? I've had a small punt on Reijnen e/w as he's 150/1 even though he's likely to be in service of others.
As for the rest I've had a go at Tosh vd Sande at 20's. Hasn't hit his potential yet as far as I'm concerned but can go from a bunch sprint or a small break. G/L all. |
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Trek will ride for Bonifazio. He is no joke but this is his first grand tour so 4.5 favourite seems a bit rich to me. He did finish 5th at Milan-San Remo as a 21 year old last year in his first crack at the race. If Arndt has his 2nd half giro form he will be hard to beat.
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Stage 3
Finishes on a short steep climb. 1.8km @ 13.8% Froome and Contador should be the best of the gc contenders and finish in the top 5 here at least. OBE have a good chance here with Chavez and S.Yates. Yates should be less marked than Chavez but he is well found in the market. Contador and Astana's Miguel Angel Lopez need to start think about taking time back that they lost in the TTT. Valverde (favourite for the stage) is a big chance to take the leaders red jersey with a win but I think the steepness all the way to the line might suit others better here. |
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They're ridiculous performers but Froome's miraculous turn around at a reasonably late stage in his career is completely normal. lol
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So his competitors need to cheat to beat him but of course the valiant Froome is clean. Sounding more like Lance every day.
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That's the same non-cycling argument that the libel forum on cycling news regularly use when somebody beats one of their favourites. I don't think we need to replicate that here.
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not playing favourites, same treatment for everyone ay
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I like Froome to win this vuelta. Hopefully he doesn't get cheated out of it again by some cheat. lol
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**mystery illness**
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Froome is the illest
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strawman
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You are just being silly now.
Anyway back to the stage. I'm not taking anything serious before the run up to the Murito but I've had a small look at Pierre Roger Latour and Yates. |
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CJ70 • August 22, 2016 1:59 PM BST
I'm always happy to do that. I don't come from the opinion that anyone who wins must be doping because.. err.. Lance. Of course but when Froome loses its to "ridiculous performers" like Contador, Horner and Cobo? fwiw I agree with you about the latter three. |
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should be good action in final 30km and the finish should be exciting.
the penultimate climb might catch some out too. 5km @ 8.5% and steeper towards the top which comes with 20km to go. could be a launch pad for a late attack. |
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I'm making things up?
you did say this CJ70 • August 22, 2016 12:55 PM BST Doubt it. If anything valiant runners up spots to ridiculous performers like Contador, Horner & Cobo will do more. Valiant Froome has multiple Vuelta's stolen by riders who were doping? Dont even bother Froomey save your legs for France. |
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sorry mate I dont what you're saying, back to todays stage
Froome needs to strike early here. Having the TdF in the legs may cost him later in the 3rd week. I still think he is underrated on the short steep climbs. Contador needs to make up time he lost in the TTT. The finish really suits him. His win in the Dauphine prologue is indication of his ability over this terrain. Hopefully they're both on form and we get a good battle. |
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My whole point is that if Froome wins people like yourself will just say 'he won he's doping', where as if he has a good race and loses out to someone like Contador(who is these days no more than a top-10 GC rider in jurisdictions that are tough on doping) it'll endear him more.
Barring Nibali and Aru, La Vuelta winners are generally a who's who of doping violations. |
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So when Froome loses what he is really doing is appeasing the fans?
 My point is that Froome has the ability to win a Vuelta. Why not give it a good crack because he's not getting any younger. imo it would enhance his palmeres greatly if he could win a Vuelta or Giro or even all three TdF,Giro,Vuelta. It would certainly endear him to more cycling fans and it would move him up the list of greats. Surely a champion like him sees these things or maybe it's just all business and it's TdF or bust. |
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No, that's not what I'm saying at all.
I doubt many people in cycling agree with you. It's nice to have all three GT's, but Giro and Vuelta are generally won on a case of who's not there rather than who is there. |
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CJ70 • August 22, 2016 3:03 PM BST
It's nice to have all three GT's, but Giro and Vuelta are generally won on a case of who's not there rather than who is there. yeah. I'm sure the once-a-year July cycling fans agree. but seriously most people know the TdF is a bigger deal than the Vuelta or Giro. |
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also the TdF can sometimes suffer from lack of depth at times due to all the non-World Tour French invitational teams
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CJ70 • August 22, 2016 3:14 PM BST
Which GC riders do you think have missed out from pro-conti ranks this year? Your the one discrediting Vuelta and Giro wins because its more about "who's not there rather than who is there". I'm just pointing out the TdF field isn't as strong as it could be with all the invitational teams. Maybe no GC riders missed out but stronger teams can change the dynamic of the race. So you are saying if Froome wins the Vuelta and/or Giro it's no big deal because other riders weren't competing and it will make no difference on how we view Froome as a rider when his career is over? |
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CJ70 • August 22, 2016 3:35 PM BST
Now you are running around in circles trying to find an argument. Please read what I say and respond to that instead of responding to something you want me to have said to secure your argument. secure my argument? I'm postulating on Froomes motivation. You can give your opinion but there is no way to really know what Froome's motivations are unless you know him personally no matter how tight you think your argument is. |
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