Road Bike, Cycling Forums banner

Contador, Gesink, A. Schleck, Kreuziger

1K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  rogger 
#1 ·
I was just thinking who the main players would be in the TDF for the next 5 years and thought these guys would be the main contenders. Contador would be my choice to win the next few, but I could see A. Schleck, Gesink, or Kreuziger challenging his supremacy if they improve in TT. Gerdemann is intriguing once he gets healthy, but is relatively unproven. Obviously, Ricco would have been in the mix if he wasn't a complete idiot, but he dug his own cycling grave.
 
#2 ·
zphogan said:
I was just thinking who the main players would be in the TDF for the next 5 years and thought these guys would be the main contenders. Contador would be my choice to win the next few, but I could see A. Schleck, Gesink, or Kreuziger challenging his supremacy if they improve in TT. Gerdemann is intriguing once he gets healthy, but is relatively unproven. Obviously, Ricco would have been in the mix if he wasn't a complete idiot, but he dug his own cycling grave.
Contador strikes me as the most likely. Assuming Astana ever gets invited back. Quite like A. Shleck and Kreuziger as well. Nibali isn't half bad, but I don't he quite has it.
 
#5 ·
moabbiker said:
I think Andy Schleck is the most dangerous player who will scoop up many tour wins to come. He's clearly been holding himself back this tour at the sake of team respect to Sastre and his brother.
Yes and no. Why not? Coz he can't TT well enough against Contador if you count him in. But he sure can ride up those slopes indeed.

Should be real fun to watch them duel it out on the high slopes.
 
#11 ·
AJL said:
Andy Schleck - and I think he will get better in the TT. It looks like Valverde will finally finish the Tour - he will at least podium in the coming years. Will Basso be back in the game next year?
I would guess Basso will ride the Giro and not the Tour. he's Italian riding for an Italian team and the Giro is not as hardcore about hunting down dopers as the TdF. besides, I can't see the Tour even inviting his team. with the Protour dead the TdF can do whatever it wants and invite 12 French teams and a few select others. Spanish and Italian teams may have a bias against them considering recent past.
 
#14 ·
As other's have done, you have to consider Valverde still. He is somewhere around 27 I believe, so he has a solid 5 years of prime cycling left.

If he could just stop having a bad day in the mountains, he'd be right up there still. At times he can lay down a pretty good TT too, probably better than any of the guys listed in the title of the thread. (On second thought, probably not as good as Contador)

Of course if Basso is ever allowed back into the tour before he his 33 or 34, he'd have to be the prohibitive favorite, assuming he can ever come within shouting range of his previous (albiet dubious) performances. If so, he'd be the dominate TTer, even over Contador, and he can obviously climb.
 
#16 ·
karatemom said:
It will be fun to watch them all next year--assuming none of them gets busted for doping (I think Contador being the most likely).

Not unless he goes to another team. Brunyeel has a tremendous track record of producing clean doping tests. It's usually only when his riders go somewhere else that they get caught.
 
#18 ·
Einstruzende said:
As other's have done, you have to consider Valverde still. He is somewhere around 27 I believe, so he has a solid 5 years of prime cycling left.

If he could just stop having a bad day in the mountains, he'd be right up there still. At times he can lay down a pretty good TT too, probably better than any of the guys listed in the title of the thread. (On second thought, probably not as good as Contador)

Of course if Basso is ever allowed back into the tour before he his 33 or 34, he'd have to be the prohibitive favorite, assuming he can ever come within shouting range of his previous (albiet dubious) performances. If so, he'd be the dominate TTer, even over Contador, and he can obviously climb.
Valverde rode very well this year save for that one darned day he had actually. That lost him big. I do think he can challenge for the podium in future.

Basso is real good indeed. But I can't recall how his TT abilities are so I won't comment. But again, he'd be a real contender still.

Alberto Contador is probably the best all rounder (in terms of Grand Tours/Stage races) out there right now and if he stays injury free and avoids crashes in races, he'd be prime favorite especially if he prepares well for the race.

Given this year's Giro, sure he wasn't in bad shape but perhaps not 100% either and even then, he still managed to hang close and not lose too much time to the top climbers in that race.

Einstruzende said:
Also, if I recall Menchov and Evans are still no more than 30, so they may still be the top guys for the next two or three years. Along with Contador and Basso.

It would be awesome if all those guys are able to race next year.
Indeed, Menchov can definitely hang with the likes of the Schlecks and all save for the steepest sections where they should try to attack him. Same for Evans.

TT ability - Evans and Contador are about the same standard I reckon as of this year. Valverde- I say he's up there but just a tad slower than them. He'd be able to beat Evans on climbs too.

Kreuziger and Gessink are great riders as well who can also TT decently. Too bad they didn't show too much this year. Let's see how it goes next year.
 
#19 ·
uzziefly said:
..
Basso is real good indeed. But I can't recall how his TT abilities are so I won't comment. But again, he'd be a real contender still....
Well, after losing the podium in the TdF in 2004 due to poor TT, Basso started to become otherworldly in the TT, if you get my meaning.

In 2006 ... up until the day before the Tour, I'd say he might have been top 3 TTers in the world. Ullrich and Zabriskie would have been the other two.
 
#20 ·
Einstruzende said:
Well, after losing the podium in the TdF in 2004 due to poor TT, Basso started to become otherworldly in the TT, if you get my meaning.

In 2006 ... up until the day before the Tour, I'd say he might have been top 3 TTers in the world. Ullrich and Zabriskie would have been the other two.
Oh yeah now I remember, sorta.

It's Cancellera, heck I'd say Leipheimer is up there too usually and Zabriskie perhaps.

Millar is also really good.
 
#21 ·
Einstruzende said:
Of course if Basso is ever allowed back into the tour before he his 33 or 34, he'd have to be the prohibitive favorite, assuming he can ever come within shouting range of his previous (albiet dubious) performances. If so, he'd be the dominate TTer, even over Contador, and he can obviously climb.
Hmm, I still give the edge to Contador at this time. Basso was getting better at TTing, but was far from dominant. Contador is a spectacular talent and his TT ability (which is already superb) is only going to get better the next few years.

I do think its all for moot, in all likelyhood Basso will never ride the Tour again. The Giro will likely be his stage for a comeback.
 
#22 ·
coop said:
No one is mentioning Dekker from Rabobank. I know he's little pissed right now, but he'd make a great tour rider.
Thomas Dekker is no Tour contender and never will be. All hat and no cattle and some dubious connections to boot. My tinfoil hat tells me there's a very good reason he's not going to Beijing and that that reason is called Cecchini.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top