Frank and Andy Schleck

depends on how important the stake is, if u fancy him lay back your stake and let it ride ( no joke intended )

Franck to win the tour is highly unlikely imo. He isn't nearly as good on the difficult, decisive climbs as Contador, A. Schleck and to a lesser degree Evans and Gesink if fit. He will probably lose at least 5 minutes in the mountains to the overall leader, and add to that 3-4 minutes on the tt. I'd lay him.

Also I think your wrong, that the tour is between the Luxembourgers. They haven't really shown anything yet except not falling down. Their time advantage is too short come the mountains and tt.

The way GC contenders are dropping you might as well let it ride

At some point it may well be a tactic for Frank to attack and see who (if anyone) reacts. Kind of what happened in 2008 except with Andy in the Carlos Sastre role. Think Frank went a very short price at certain points in that race before fading in the final week

Evans at 5.9 seems good value. I've actually laid him to finish in the top 3 thinking that his usual bad day in the mountains would scupper his chances but with many of his rivals falling away I'll have a saver at 5.9 to win.

Talking my book here...but Cadel has impressed me in week one.

Ok, so the Ardennes Classic style parcours has suited him...but his days as a passive wheel-sucker are becoming ever distant.

It's maybe a brace of clichés..but Mendrisio & then BMC does apear to have been something of a turning point for Evans.

Thought his chance had gone for ever after the debacle on Alpe D'Huez in 2008.

Hope he goes well uphill.

Interesting that someone says the Schleck time advantage isn't big enough for the mountains. Contador won last year by the margin he gained when taking advantage of Andy's chain mishap. At the time Andy was serving it up to Contador. This year Contador presumably doesn't have the benefit of drugs and he also doesn't look in as good form. Evans to be respected but you'd need to see how he performs on Thursday. Always thought of Frank as Andy's helper so would be surprised if he can turn the tables.

Frank's job is to try to keep Andy as fresh as possible for as long as possible on the big climbs so that Andy can win. There's no way he going on an atack by himself.

contador didnt have the benefit of 'drugs' last year. he had a tranfusion of his own blood taken after he'd been training at altitude so had a high red blood cell count

I've got Andy to win and Frank ew @ 45/1 and without big 2 ew @ 9/1.

Can't see FS winning though.

sir denis - clenbuterol is a drug, used in asthma patients years ago now banned... very effect in improving aerobic performance... contaminated food!! lol

The Schleck brothers 1 and 2. Ugh what a thought. Still turns my stomach thinking back to Andy Schleck nursing his brother up whichever mountain it was to ensure he finished in the top 6 instead of attacking Contador and trying to win - made me want to vomit. If it was a horse race he'd have been banned for months.

Clenbuterol in dodgy beef - load of bull! Contador in line for the black and white stripey jersey.

Wow, he's going to Notts County? Who knew?

Layed off on Frank for around 60% of what I'd have won, with stake covered. Unlikely he wins, of course, but the idea that him and Andy make it to the time-trial in first and second appeals to me. And then both fight it the clock for yellow.

In response to Johnnie Allen, the Mont Ventoux stage you refer to - Contador had the Tour won. He was four minutes clear of Andy. Frank, on the other hand, only needed 20 or 25 seconds on Wiggins, Armstrong and Kloden for a podium. Naturally, Saxobank's strategy for that stage was to get Frank into third. There was no nursing from Andy either, Frank would've finished with those around him in GC anyway. Andy did launch attacks though in the hope that he dropped a few of those names.

Frank looking awesome on this stage!