2008 Tour de France : Stage 4 Cholet 29 km Individual time trial Tuesday, July 8

adamastor

why not? Do u know something we don't?

Capt.Injury

I think on the shorter Time Trial I think Valverde will be within 50 seconds, especially early in the race before the heavy fatigue sets in. Sastre I think will be around 120 seconds though. Until I see him prove that he has improved his TT ability, I am taking a I believe it till i see it approach

Anticyclone

Assuming Cancellara wins then there may be a yellow jersey up for grabs on stage 6. Cancellara can climb but will he able to stay with the main group all the way up to Super Besse? Also, CSC may not want to chase all day given their GC hopes so a break may stay away. The yellow jersey wearer may then be the person who does best in the TT and makes it into the break. TTers who can climb a bit would be trying hard anyway but the time gap between riders such as Millar, Van De Velde and Chavanel may be significant come stage 6 IMO.

The weather for the stage looks a bit less windy then the last few days but still with a 10-15 mph west-south-westerly. As far as i can see any variations in the wind should be small. Looks like it may be dry through the race although it does look like there will be showers not far to the south so i wouldnt bank on it.

EvilJediJ

Anyone care to guess a top ten?


1. Cancellara
2. Cadel Evans
3. Sebastian Lang
4. Alejandro Valverde
5. Denis Menchov
6. Popovych
7. J.I Guiterrez
8. Sylvain Chavanel
9. David Millar
10. Christian Vandevelde

Other possible top tens... or rounding out the top 25...

Leif Hoste, Kreuzinger, Adam Hansen, Lovkvist, Kirchen, Devolder, Pate, Stu O'grady, Jens Voight, Bruseghin, Shumacher, Posthuma, Rosseler, Astarloza, Zubeldia, Pereiro

Crankyfeet

1. Cancellara
2. Valverde
3. Evans
4. Millar
5. Devolder
6. Schumacher
7. Kirchen
8. Menchov
9. Krueziger
10. Clement

Due to our alternating picking (in which I had 1st, he had 2nd and 3rd, I had 4th and 5th, he had 6th pick)... I've got Cancellara, Valverde, and Devolder in the sweep with thumper.

He has Evans, Millar, Vandevelde

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kennf

I've gotta include Vandevelde in the top ten, just because.

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"Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things"

-- Some dude

Klodifan

Jens will win

Grater

Dont throw out Kirchen for a top 5 tonight. He won't win, but he will perform well.

Him along with Valverde and Evans are the form riders in the peloton. They are the 3 riders who in my mind without a doubt are the 3 that can wear yellow heading into paris and who will podium in 3 weeks time. The order, you decide. A flat 29km stage suits Kirchen too!

My prediction is Cancellara will win and Kirchen will be in yellow at the end of stage 4. He would be in yellow already if there were time bonuses.

Yes, Kirchen will finish ahead of Evans and Valverde tonight! Those 3 will light stage 4 up as they are all on solid form!

Bruseghin is a chance to win!

Grater

Top 10

1. Cancellara
2. Lang
3. Kirchen
4. Evans
5. Valverde
6. Bruseghin
7. Voigt
8. Millar
9. Guiterrez
10. Vandevelde

Grater

Change that too.

1. Cancellara
2. Hincapie
3. Hoste
4. Bruseghin
5. Kirchen
6. Evans
7. Valverde
8. Voigt
9. Vandevelde
10. Guitterezz

Trev_S

Kirchen needs to be within 6 secs of Cancellara then.

I'll take a punt for the top 10
1. Cancellara
2. Evans
3. Popovych
4. Menchov
5. Astarloza
6. Chavanel
7. Lang
8. Kirchen
9. Valverde
10. Millar

I'll take a real punt and say Feillu will bust his guts and just retain the Yellow.
He has to stay within 1:52 of Cancellara (if he wins of course)
Big call after yesterdays ride, he'd be pretty knackered so not likely, would be good to see though

Crankyfeet

What happened to Lang? You dropped him from second, to out of the top 10? Did you just find out he's sick or something?

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phillop

you are all forgeting samuel sanchez, he will be right up there in a time trial of this length

Anticyclone

1. Cancellara

2. Bruseghin

3. Evans

4 Menchov

5 Hincapie

6 Voigt

7 Millar

8 Valverde

9 Hoste

10 Popovych

Places 11-15 being filled by Kirchen, Lang, Astarloza, Chavanel, van de Velde