[Argentius]

Who thinks ol' Christophe will really bury himself working for Mancebo?

Watching his aggressiveness in the Dauphine definitely got me thinking. It's a French rider, nearing retirement, on a French team, in a French race that hasn't had a decent French result in gawdknowshowlong.

 

[Dwayne Barry]

Who thinks ol' Christophe will really bury himself working for Mancebo?

Watching his aggressiveness in the Dauphine definitely got me thinking. It's a French rider, nearing retirement, on a French team, in a French race that hasn't had a decent French result in gawdknowshowlong.

If they both show up at the Tour with their Dauphine form, Mancebo should be the one doing the domestique work.

 

[Einstruzende]

Moreau will be a non factor for the TdF. 10th at best.

 

[mquetel]

Moreau will be a non factor for the TdF. 10th at best.

The majority of the peloton below him on GC probably would not rate that type of a result as a "non factor".

 

[Dwayne Barry]

Moreau will be a non factor for the TdF. 10th at best.

I think this year's Tour will be very hard to predict for two reasons. One there are a high number of guys who are targeting the Tour who have shown they can finish relatively high in the GC of a grand tour and two I think we may be coming to a point in cycling where not "everyone" is doping. Consequently guys who haven't doped in the recent past may be seeing their stock rise relative to the dopers who have been forced to change their preparation or least moderate it, and inversely guys could potentially come out of no where or really up their stock if they are still willing to take their chances or have access to means that aren't open to most riders (eg. in all probability Guiterrez and old fashioned blood doping at the Giro).

 

[dagger]

Yup, maybe so, maybe not

Because the doping is probably going to highly curtailed at this years TDF, there are a couple of hypotheses.

1. That because of no doping we aren't gonna see a couple of the usual suspects out front in the GC and will see some new "real" talent pop up here and there..

or,

2. Because of the lack of doping the leaders will be easier to pick from those who have consistently been performing well over a long period of time and there won't be any new suprises because of boosting from dope, such as "buffalo's" flying up the mountains. We all know that buffalo's really don't have wings right?

 

[Jesse D Smith]

Moreau will be a non factor for the TdF. 10th at best.

Moreau will be an above average domestique, but a team with high GC expectations would never count on him to be their main man.
But I'm willing to bet he'll garner more camera time than anyone who finishes below him in GC. Most of Moreau's camera time will come in the form of him dropping off the back on the final selection of a mountain climb, stealing third place points for a mountain prime, and of course his reptillian toungue taking most of the wind in a time trial.