Good On Ya, Again, Cuddles!

A good win for sure, especially with his lack of racing this year. The attack he launched on the 2nd stage up towards the finish was impressive. A shame that he tried to sneak up the side of the barriers and had to back off making life easier for Cunego to get that stage win.

I don't see him doing much in the Tour. If he doesn't implode on the stage to Plateau de Beille then I expect him to get canned on Stage 18 that finishes on top of the Galibier. The first climb of that stage, the Col Agnel looks to be a monster. Maybe he'll be kicking his handbag pooch before either of those stages and burst into tears at the top of Luz Ardiden.

just the same, a tdf win by evans will probably go on the boards as a medium shot with a schleck getting the short odds. but, as long as the latest doping scandal doesn't haul down too many of his teammates, i think he knows this is the last decent kick he'll have at the victory. i'm thinking this will be his go for broke tour, where he rides to win or destroys himself gloriously in the effort.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by slovakguy [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

just the same, a tdf win by evans will probably go on the boards as a medium shot with a schleck getting the short odds. but, as long as the latest doping scandal doesn't haul down too many of his teammates, i think he knows this is the last decent kick he'll have at the victory. i'm thinking this will be his go for broke tour, where he rides to win or destroys himself gloriously in the effort.

I'm sure there'll be a big hoo-har during June over the Mantova affair and The Court for Aeonian Scandals (CAS) may have something to say about Contadors beef eating exploits.

It wouldn't surprise me if something else popped up 3 days before the Tour de France - conveniently timed just to give maximum media time for the person heading up said claims... Novitzky is running a little quiet in the media, that'd be a perfect time for him to announce that he's uncovered a ring of Beta Blocker smuggling within the World Tiddlywinks circuit or something similar.

The two BMC guys look pretty well farked but they were down for the Giro anyway and looking at this years route through Italy that pretty much means no Tour, so I don't think that'll hinder Cadel. There may be some fallout from the Tour organizers with the BMC team though... The old guard at Lampre - most of them will be under the microscope and the guillotine. The deciding factor will be when will Mantova investigators decide that it's time to name names...

Yes, I think this years TDF will be Evans "all or nothing" gambit.
But as Swampy suggests there are some pretty tough climbing stages in this years race and this is where any weaknesses will be exposed.

CE will need his team to be working 110% for him. He's up against a stronger team in Leopard but with some luck he might just get to the top tier of that podium.

I remember CE's climbing in 2007 TDF on stage 15 where he was dying but yet he held in there, as he did on each tough mountain stage.