Picks for ToGa.

helmutRoole2 said:

... you know who I'm going with.

He actually stands a chance of winning in this one aswell. I would pick TD but I think i'll go with David Millar for the win here.

Gotta be Tommy D, who can stay with him on Brasstown Bald?

Levi Leipheimer.

I think Levi is going to better Tommy D in the ITT, which is uphill this year and 30+ km. Then, Levi will be close enough to Tommy D in Brasstown Bald that Levi will win the overall. I don't disagree that TD doesn't have too much competition outside his own team. But I think even Janez B might be an intra-team competitor to TD.

Hamilton. Hey, somebody has to pick him. His team will probably get rolled by Disco, though.

Ivan Stević from Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team will blow them all 😄 😉

Bro Deal said:

Hamilton. Hey, somebody has to pick him. His team will probably get rolled by Disco, though.

Hamilton, might put a lot into this race, never know. He will have to stay on the bike though.

Millar is my dark-horse.

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lwedge said:

Hamilton, might put a lot into this race, never know. He will have to stay on the bike though.

I think he can win it. He's a better time trialist than Tommy D. and he is probably a better climber, even at 36. His should be coming on form for the Giro. Maybe he just uses the TdG for training, but I think he may want to show whatever fans he has left in the U.S. that he still has it.

I think we will probably see something from Hincapie. Mark him down for a stage win.

It looks like Tinkoff did not just come for a vacation. They take the first stage.

I think musette is going to win. She's been taking credit for a lot of victories over the years so surely this is her time to show exactly how well she can ride a bike.

I think the win will go to a Spanish or Italian doctor.

Andrija said:

Ivan Stević from Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team will blow them all 😄 😉

Stage win! Good pick.

JRMDC said:

Stage win! Good pick.

Great victory! He surely blew them all today. Attacked in the final lap and after very long stage he was able to stay away from very strong field... The strongest he's ever ridden against.
Very stylish stage win.

Well, today's break is being allowed to walk away with it so i'm going to go with Brajkovic for the overall now, and TD will have to work as a domestique up Brasstown Bald...........

Eldrack said:

Well, today's break is being allowed to walk away with it so i'm going to go with Brajkovic for the overall now, and TD will have to work as a domestique up Brasstown Bald...........

Well that kinda of killed the race for me.. anyone not in the breakaway is 29mins down now.. Well atleast they are close together on the GC

lol..........dude, could things get any worse for td? haha......so far, the guy has had to work for levi, ac, now brajk and will be having to work for basso.

all this for a guy who was saying at the beginning of the year that he could be riding for gc in some of the grand tours.......no chance in hell.

imo the dc food chaing goes: basso, ac, levi, popo, brajk, and then td, gusev, martinez to battle for the next spot.

Eldrack said:

Well, today's break is being allowed to walk away with it so i'm going to go with Brajkovic for the overall now, and TD will have to work as a domestique up Brasstown Bald...........

Wow... anyone who watched this able to describe how a 29min gap was not closed down with a lot of pretty good riders behind (Levi, Tyler, Pavel, Tommy D, Dave Z, Hincapie etc)?? None of those guys would really be too serious about the win then, surely? Maybe the Disco guys were not interested (Brajkovic being up there) and most of the stronger teams were represented as well.

The stage profile looks pretty brutal - but maybe the website exaggerates it a little, I am not sure.

I will back Christian Van De Velde - proven GT rider and climber of hills. CSC flying at the moment, he might just add to their recent form.

Brajkovic will have some pretty good riders on his side though - imagine being in GC contention with Tommy D, Hincapie, Pavel, Levi etc riding as domestiques!

Andrew76 said:

I will back Christian Van De Velde - proven GT rider and climber of hills. CSC flying at the moment, he might just add to their recent form.

Brajkovic will have some pretty good riders on his side though - imagine being in GC contention with Tommy D, Hincapie, Pavel, Levi etc riding as domestiques!

CSC is the team I always root for but I don't see VdV beating Brajkovic. JB weighs 10 kg - 22 lbs less than VdV! It's going to make a difference on the big climb stage tomorrow. I think that VdV will stay close but I don't see him taking time out of JB on a steep uphill finish. And Disco will never let VdV get into a break away.

Its also the reason why JB beat VdV in the ITT - uphill. For that matter it's the only reason Levi beat DZ. If the TT had been flatter (or perhaps even longer) things would have been quite different.

I think it will be hard to get the yellow jersy of JB now. One of the Saunier Duval riders might have a chance but 1:22 and 2:22, respectively is a lot of time and I think JB won't get dropped.

I may not like, it but I don't think VdV will be on the top podium spot.

padawan said:

CSC is the team I always root for but I don't see VdV beating Brajkovic. JB weighs 10 kg - 22 lbs less than VdV! It's going to make a difference on the big climb stage tomorrow. I think that VdV will stay close but I don't see him taking time out of JB on a steep uphill finish. And Disco will never let VdV get into a break away.

Its also the reason why JB beat VdV in the ITT - uphill. For that matter it's the only reason Levi beat DZ. If the TT had been flatter (or perhaps even longer) things would have been quite different.

I think it will be hard to get the yellow jersy of JB now. One of the Saunier Duval riders might have a chance but 1:22 and 2:22, respectively is a lot of time and I think JB won't get dropped.

I may not like, it but I don't think VdV will be on the top podium spot.

All very valid points!

In my haste I looked at the GC the day before the ITT and saw VdV ahead of JB, and presumed there was a time difference (there wasn't), and then didn't even bother to look and see that the following stage was an ITT! I presumed that VdV had the slight upper hand by a few seconds and would be well placed to sit on JB's tail - the sniff of victory always gets a bit extra from the rider! In light of the 12 sec that JB now has on VdV, you would have to think Disco will be all over VdV - previously mentioned riders for Disco will make sure of that!

Would prefer a CSC victory though - so I'll stick with VdV, but I need to find a bookmaker to give me some good odds!

It seems like Levi got a pair of new wings after news from France. I mean, he is a good climber, but Brasstown doesn't look like his cup of tea and he trashed the field. Some fresh motivation could be the reason.