As I See It

Tom Kunich said:

I see that the Tours have some pretty wide talent now.

On the top rung I see:

1) Jan Ullrich
2) Alejandro Valverde
3) Damiano Cunego
4) Ivan Basso

Just below and probably overlapping:

5) Paolo Salvodelli
6) Levi Leipheimer
7) Christofe Moreau
8) Francisco Mancebo
9) Mickael Rassmussen

Unknowns that might surprise everyone

10) Yaroslav Popovych
11) Floyd Landis
12) Danielo DeLuca
13) Tom Danielson
14) David Zabriske
15) Chris Horner

Possible real surprises:

16) Jose Azevedo
17) Bobby Jullich

There are some other riders but as I see it Phil and Paul will mostly be
talking about these guys in the Giro and the Tour.

How about Dennis Menchoff? And for the young ones Thomas Decker and Jose
Rojano?

"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:UhCzf.516$> On
the top rung I see:

Quoted message said:

1) Jan Ullrich
2) Alejandro Valverde
3) Damiano Cunego
4) Ivan Basso

Is this the order of your top four? I think Ullrich is toast. He'll win
some races, but more if he doesn't give 100% to the Tour. Basso is the man
to beat right now. He can limit his losses in the TTs, get some back in the
ITTs, and beat Ullrich in the mountains. Valverde and Cunego seem to me in
the same mold, namely punchy climbers than can't time trial. Both have nice
sprinting capabilities for their type of rider, but there's a difference
between the Giro and Vuelta on one hand, and the Tour on another.

No Vinokourov? No Evans? Even Karpets... (And Menchov & Rujano as
mentioned already).
Okay, they are unlikely to win but they certainly deserve to be above
many of those you mentioned.

Quoted message said:

17) Bobby Jullich

There are some other riders but as I see it Phil and Paul will mostly be
talking about these guys in the Giro and the Tour.

of course it's Bobby's turn, now that Lance is gone.

Floyd is the one. Cunego is too fragile.
"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I see that the Tours have some pretty wide talent now.

On the top rung I see:

1) Jan Ullrich
2) Alejandro Valverde
3) Damiano Cunego
4) Ivan Basso

Just below and probably overlapping:

5) Paolo Salvodelli
6) Levi Leipheimer
7) Christofe Moreau
8) Francisco Mancebo
9) Mickael Rassmussen

Unknowns that might surprise everyone

10) Yaroslav Popovych
11) Floyd Landis
12) Danielo DeLuca
13) Tom Danielson
14) David Zabriske
15) Chris Horner

Possible real surprises:

16) Jose Azevedo
17) Bobby Jullich

There are some other riders but as I see it Phil and Paul will mostly be
talking about these guys in the Giro and the Tour.

Geraard Spergen said:

Tom Kunich wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

5) Paolo Salvodelli
7) Christofe Moreau
9) Mickael Rassmussen
12) Danielo DeLuca
14) David Zabriske
15) Chris Horner
17) Bobby Jullich

Quoted message said:

How about Dennis Menchoff? And for the young ones Thomas Decker and Jose
Rojano?

Please tell me you did misspell all those names deliberately.
Don't be too mean to old Kunich - at least he spelled
"Floyd Landis" right.

Between Menchov and Heras, there was a Vuelta winner
missing from his list somewhere.

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:52:52 GMT, "Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Unknowns that might surprise everyone

10) Yaroslav Popovych
11) Floyd Landis
12) Danielo DeLuca

Huh? Who are these guys unknown to that has a relevancy to the
question? OK, Danilo Diluca seems to be the preferred spelling, but
since I have to think twice about Merkcx, Merkx, whoever, I won't be
picky. However you spell these three, they aren't unknowns.

Hell, I could get five of their six names without looking it up, so
they can't be unknowns. And after the penultimate stage of the Giro of
last year, Danilo is probably as well known (and tactics castigated)
as anyone on the Pro Tour, to whatever degree that thing makes it into
2006.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...