[fatkid2000]

And veulta runner up Ezequiel Mosquera and his teammate David Garcia Da Pena have been caught as well.

[JonI]

Good article with more info about clenbuterol and the ins and outs of anti-doping legislation here...

http://bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/2010/09/30/contador-case-means-hard-choices-for-anti-doping/

[mr__j5]

Well I guess it's time to nail my colours to the mast and see how stupid I can look in 3 weeks time.

This year I am going for:

1. Contador
2. A Schleck
3. Evans
4. Van Den Broeck
5. Leipheimer
6. Wiggins
7. Gesink
8. S Sanchez
9. Horner
10 Menchov

[Danger]

1) Contador
2) Schleck
3) Evans
4) Horner
5) Wiggins
6) Van den Broeck
7) Gesink
8  Sammy Sanchez
9) Vinokourov
10) Cunego

This year I am going for:
10 Menchov

He isn't riding. Geox didn't get an invite.

[mr__j5]

This year I am going for:
10 Menchov

He isn't riding. Geox didn't get an invite.

Ah yes, of course. Probably a good thing.

In that case in 10th I'm undecided between Vande Velde, Hysedal or some random Spaniard, but I'm going to go for Vande Velde just because I'd like to see him have some good luck again and get back to his best.

[Snoops]

1) Contador
2) Schleck
3) Evans
4) Horner
5) Wiggins
6) Van den Broeck
7) Gesink
8  Sammy Sanchez
9) Vinokourov
10) Cunego

This year I am going for:
10 Menchov

He isn't riding. Geox didn't get an invite.

I find it quite depressing how in this recent effort to 'clean up cycling', Contador dopes and yet is still riding TdF 1 year later. I know the political reasons ya ya, but it's a preety shit message to send out.
Anyways I think Andy Schleck will get it this year, Contador should be knackered. Evans is getting to old for the podium.

[Palomides]

From l'Equipe, who the various managers/DSs think will win:

AG2R-La Mondiale - Vicent Lavenu:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Evans

Astana - Giuseppe Martinelli:
1. Contador

BMC - John Lelangue:
1. Evans;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Gesink

Cofidis - Eric Boyer:
1. Contador;
2. Frank Schleck;
3. Basso

Europcar - Jean René Bernaudeau:
1. Contador;
2. Evans;
3. Kern

Euskaltel-Euskadi - Igor González de Galdeano
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Samuel Sánchez

FDJ - Thierry Bricaut:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Evans

Garmin-Cervélo - Lionel Marie:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Evans

HTC-Highroad - Valerio Piva:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Van den Broeck

Katusha - Andrei Tchmil:
1 Andy Schleck;
2. Contador;
3. Vinokourov

Lampre-ISD - Orlando Maini:
1. Contador;
 2. Andy Schleck;
3. Evans

Leopard-Trek - Kim Andersen:
1 Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Frank Schleck

Liquigas-Cannondale - Stefano Zanatta:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Basso

Movistar - Yvon Ledanois:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck:
3. Samuel Sánchez o Kloden

Omega Pharma-Lotto - Marc Sergeant:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Van den Broeck

Quick Step - Patrick Lefevere:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck:
3. Gesink

Rabobank - Erik Breukink:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Gesink

RadioShack - Alain Gallopin:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck;
3. Gesink

Saur-Sojasun - Stephane Heulot:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Shcleck;
3. Gesink

Saxo Bank-SunGard - Bradley McGee:
1. Contador

Sky - Dave Brailsford:
1. Contador;
2. Andy Schleck

Vacansoleil - Michel Cornelisse:
1. Andy Schleck;
2. Contador;
3. Gesink

Nice to see that Brailsford is being diplomatic, Tchmil has more confidence in Andy Schleck than Kim Anderson does and that John Lelangue is apparently smoking crack (not even a podium for Contador!)

My predictions:
Contador will win (even if he's tired from the Giro, he is with Riis - if Andy Schleck had listened to Riis last year, he might have won)
Andy Schleck will lose big chunks of time from bad luck/mechanical ineptitude/waiting for Fränk
Wiggins will hold it together in the Pyrenees but crack in the Alps (but still finish top ten)
Evans will do really well, but blow his chances with a huge, magnificent and totally mis-timed attack
Christophe Kern for top 5

Green jersey for Cav or Hushovd, depending on how many intermediate sprints Hushovd gets.

KOM could be interesting. Gadret? Cunego if he slips down the GC? Don't think Chartreau will be able to get it again.

[Plattsy]

Have I missed something and Evans has improved a lot recently? Wiggins beat him in the Dauphine.

Contador will win a race he shouldn't start. Schleck will push him but it will be all in vain. Wiggins is in good form and should make top 5 and take a TT stage.

Cav for green. I hope.

[tunaficiency]

andy lost about 18 minutes in tour of switzerland. top 5 maybe but his confidence must be rock bottom. Wiggins is the man on form, team sky might be able to beat astana
in the ttt looking strong recently. ill stick my neck out and say 1 contador 2 wiggins
3 frank scleck 4 andy schleck 5 evans

[Palomides]

Evans and Schleck both looked a bit shakey in the Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse respectively (as did Basso)

However, this is said to be because they're aiming to peak for the Tour (and more precisely the 2nd and 3rd weeks). Evans has actually had quite a good season so far, not many racing days but a couple of good wins.

There are some comments that Wiggo has peaked too early.

Cynics may also refer to the "Dauphiné effect" where riders are performing below their best because they have been filling up blood bags to be used in the later stages of the TdF. I seriously doubt that this is the case with Evans.

There's also a rumour that DefLeppardTrek will announce a new sponsor just before the Tour - Starbucks Coffee.

This will make them StarTrek. And put green on their shirts to continue the Sky/Leopard lookalikes game.

[mr__j5]

andy lost about 18 minutes in tour of switzerland. top 5 maybe but his confidence must be rock bottom.

Andy wasn't riding for GC at Tour of Switzerland. He was supporting Frank and Fuglsang, assumably because they will be supporting him at the Tour.



I'm also thinking Gadret for K.o.M

[tomtom]

The whole contador thing makes it a bit of a farce in many ways. I'm no cycling follower, but like catching up on the tour highlights every night.. but this just makes it daft.. Will everyone ride just ignoring Contador, treating him as a busted flush?

Sadly the most interesting predictions may be on what day the first +ve drugs test emerges... :/

Anyway, hoping Cav lights things up a bit and is outspoken as usual

[chappers]

TTT - sky.
ITT - cancellara.
cav will win, all of, some of or none of the following stages: 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 15, 21.
yellow - contador. 

wiggins top 10.

there will be amazing support riding by dani navvaro which will be the highlight of the tour for me, just a shame who it will be in support of.
philipe gilbert will win either stage 4 or 9.

[chappers]

TTT - sky.
ITT - cancellara.
cav will win, all of, some of or none of the following stages: 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 15, 21.
yellow - contador.    now im like this:  lets hope it lasts!

wiggins top 10.

there will be amazing support riding by dani navvaro which will be the highlight of the tour for me, just a shame who it will be in support of.
philipe gilbert will win either stage 4 or 9. errr or stage 1, didnt look at the profile of that one!!!!!!

[rich d]

Wiggins out, had looks like it might be a collar bone. Lot's of riders in the crash.
Nightmare, a day before they start to hit some hills.

[mark s]

Good article with more info about clenbuterol and the ins and outs of anti-doping legislation here...

http://bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/2010/09/30/contador-case-means-hard-choices-for-anti-doping/

i though clen was used for loosing a few pounds,suppose drugs have more than 1 effect on the body
http://www.steroid-supermarket.co.uk/product-clenbuterol.html

personally, i have no prob with ped's in the tour.if i was expected to do what is possibly the hardest sport on the body.i would want everything i could get my hands on

[Percy B]

Thats what a trip through a barbed wire fence will do to your shorts/arse. Johnny Hoogerland (who's arse it is) finished the stage, collected his king of the mountains jersey, then was taken off to hospital for 30-odd stiches. And all cos he got knocked off by a TV car.... French driving..!

[peewee]

The rider from SKY took a fair tumble on the road too, wasn't just a slight knock either. must of had a grudge against one of the riders.

[gingerninja]

it was carnage. did you see vinocourov fall and brake his femur. there have been loads of bad falls and its only a week in.

[fatkid2000]

Le tour has been mad this year - with all the main contendors hitting the deck.

I'll got mad at the camera car - get wipped out due to no fault of your own and end up way down the pack.

[fatdoc]

more injuries than a week DH in les Gets 

sad to see the big bad boy Vino crash out of his last grand tour.

[chappers]

im gutted about Vino, he is often such a decisive rider, look at the stage before, he blew that up nicely just to fade on the finish line!

i dont think there are more crashes, just more serious ones, and to the main GC contenders.

i feel for the two hit by the car, that break won the day and either of them could have been stage winner.

[Palomides]

Well, so far my predictions have been almost entirely wrong (Gadret not recovered from the Giro, Kern and Wiggins out, Evans holding it together really well)

Contador looks shakey, but Andy Schleck clearly hasn't noticed as he's been too busy staying exactly 2.75mm from his rear wheel.

The GC battle will really light up this Friday. Contador has been saying that he's not planning on taking big chunks of time in the Pyrenees (maybe because he's already knackered?) so who's going to go for it? Will the Schlecks finally realise that you're allowed to attack? Will Evans try to take yellow? Will Basso and Cunego show what they've got?

I strongly suspect that the Gilbertron will take green all the way to Paris (sorry Cav).

[fatdoc]

hear what you say for the GC.

Cav however....

do it mate!!

[Dolly]

Think today might be the start of the real fight for the GC. Hoping that either of the Schleck bros takes loads of time out of Bertie C