I agree with some on this forum that say the Discovery team are good, they seem to have the most experienced riders.
I am not so sure Lance will win this year, he does seem a bit off, not sure why but I think other things are on his mind.

I do quite like T-Mobile`s team and also CSC and Credit Agricole.

I will be watching out for Valverde, Boonen and Julich to see what they can achieve.

Lance isnt turning up to finish 2nd, he is still the man to beat. Discovery have a very strong team and 8 Grand Tour wins between them, Lance 6 and Savoldelli 2. Wouldnt say he's a bit off it, the only thing on his mind right now is winning his 7th TDF.

The differance between Discovery Channel and in their previous guise as United States Postal Service compared to other teams is that they have 1 goal at the TDF and thats is to get L.A in yellow come Paris, there not intrested in say Hincapie trying to grab stage wins in the first week or say the climbers like Chechu, Beltran, Azevedo going for the King of the Mountain jersey. Thats why in the last 6 TDF L.A is the only Discovery / USPS rider to have a stage win in the race apart from the team time trail. Discovery have 1 team leader and 8 super domestiques.

Thats why T-Mobile have said their aim this year in to get Ullrich in yellow, maybe thats why Zabel has been dropped from the TDF team this year, there not intrested in Green jersey they want yellow but some how i dont see it happening, and i see Vinokourov as a bit of a loose cannon within the team.

As for Valverde , Boonen and Julich non of them stand any chance at the overall GC. Boonen will be after the green point jersey and should grab some sprint finish wins, Julich may be let loose to grab a stage win by CSC but that all depends on how his team mate Basso is doing, should Basso be high up in the overall GC, people like Julich, Sastre and Voigt may have to sacrafice stage wins to help keep Basso out of trouble, and Valverde this his is first TDF he may grab the under 25's young riders white jersey and may sneek into the top 15 or 20 on GC at best, his team mate Mancebo may get a top 10 GC placing like last year

Couldn't agree more Rob,just to add that i will be in Paris to watch Lance collect his 7th tour win.!!

jt

Well you know I might not know much about this subject yet, but I dont think he will win his 7th and I will apologise if I am wrong.

I didnt say those I mentioned would win I just want to see how well they do.
You need to read what I post as I never said they would win it outright.

I did read what you posted and i know you didnt say they would win, i am just giving my own personal opinion on how i think the 3 riders your keeping an eye out for will do.

Lance might have something else on his mind but it's something to crow about! He is getting more notice over here than Michael Jackson from a country that still thinks the Huffy is the best bicycle ever made. It has to be, the TV commerxcials say it is. Go Lance, get it ready for Hincappe to win next year.

Lance just rode by Ulrich in the prologue. That's to teach you krauts not to spit in his face. More to come. By the way, he was randomly selected for a drug test and insisted the press were present for it. So Frenchies look for another excuse.

I know its only the first stage but Tom won, how good is that.

America abandoned the bicycle as a legitimate means of transport as soon as the automobile was invented, making it little more than a toy. Interest in the TDF was non existent. Then along came Greg Lamond and proceded to win three maillot jaunes. This led the way to the incredible story of Lance Armstrong. Now an obscure young American wins the prolog for a short ownership of the jersey. On independence day today the country is delighted and interest couldn't be higher. It reminds me of the situation in Ireland when Stephen Roche won. The country turned their TVs over to the race instead of football for 21 days. That interest has never gone away.

He'll just hold yellow all the way through to Paris now. Lance is no fool. He has turned up to win and wouldn't have turned up if he didn't know he could/should.

The tour is fantastic the best sport we have at the moment, but for those of us who don't have sky its frustrating as those idiots at itv have put it on itv2 and show highlights each week, this is the only chance i get to watch it. If a major tv company were to put the tour on regularly at a normal time i'm sure they'd get plenty of viewers its much better to watch than cars zooming around in F1.
O and Lance will win

There is nothing better than watching a team getting organised to chase a group down or bring a sprinter to the front for the finish of a stage.
Lance for me. :thumbsup:

Don't rule out Jan Ullrich just yet, the old geezer knows what hes jolly well up to:clap: :gag: :suspect: :gag: :suspect: :gag:

I am glad I was wrong, and pleased that Lance has won his 7th title. After watching todays time trial he is without doubt `THE MAN`

We have to start wondering who takes his place next year.

kblade asked me tonight why Lance is so much better than everyone else. I tried to explain but i think you need to read his book/s and then start looking in to how he changed his entire training program.
How he manages to keep up a cadence as high as that, i still don't know :?

There is a lot about Lance we will never understand, that is what makes him the best cyclist around. His unique talent.

I have read his books and they are well worth a read for anyone, even if they dont like cycling.

I agree that Lance Armstrong was fantastic to watch, and did a lot for the profile of cycling.

BUT, hopefully it will be nice to actually watch a race for first place next year.

I watched the tour live as it where,as i was on the Champs to watch the finish of the tour. He did a lap of honour for the fans and was cheered by every one,it was a fantastic day and the sun even came out!!
I will be here again next year to see the new generation of cycling stars.
The only thing is who ever wins next year the people will say he wouldnt have won if Lance had ridden it..
But for a while the tour will miss Lance,and as a cycling fan...SO WILL I...nice one Lance!!

jt

I still find myself thinking about Marco Pantani, even after all this time. God knows how long i will think about Lance?
Then again, will any Cyclist ever stop thinking about Lance and what he has accomplished.............I doubt it :wink:

You dont have to be a cyclist to think about what Lance has accomplished. I havent even begun yet to learn, although I am desparate to learn

He is to Cycling like Senna was to formula 1, Botham was to cricket and Underwood to Rugby.

Just got back from Paris and for all us Lance fans out there here is a pic out of the many 100's i took for you

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/5236/2005tourdefrance2882eo.jpg

I think thats the wrong link robS35 :)

How does it feel to be able to say "I saw the greatest cyclist in the world win his 7th tour" ?

Opps yes it was the wrong link, anyway try it now ive put it right

Originally posted by robS35
Opps yes it was the wrong link, anyway try it now ive put it right
Much better robS35 :thumbsup:
Maybe you should have an online album with some of your best pics from the last stage? I know i would like to see them and 'feel' the atmosphere of the occasion.

Here is an interesting story about the science of how Lance Armstrong does so well.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/07/0722_050722_armstrong.html