Also people are xenophobic against alien life forms:

Yellow: Horner hasn't raced all year so that makes him the odds-on favorite. Should he falter, I'm going with Contador. Between him, Nibali, Purito and Valverde, I don't think Sky will be able to ride tempo to another win. Would love to see Talansky get a top 5.

Green: Sagan. This is probably the easiest pick, baring something unfortunate happening.

White: Michael Kwiatkowski. With his classics chops the first week shouldn't be anything for him.

Mountain classification: Probably the toughest to pick, maybe Romaine Bardet

That. Is. Hilarious!

I found myself rooting for Contador, for the first time ever, at the Dauphine. And then he did that awful pistolero gesture and I went back to hating him. At least he animates the races, unlike the stem looker.

That is a funny link there!

I don't think OPQS is missing anyone from their train:Martin > Terpstra > Petacchi > Renshaw > Cav, with Kwiatkowski as another capable hand as he showed on one-days. No other team is even close to as strong or experienced.

Sagan will never "wipe the floor" against Cav and Kittel in a pure field sprint. On an incline maybe, and certainly out of a select group, but not a traditional Tour sprint stage. He's also a freelancer, not really suited to a train like those guys. He'll take green because of consistency and versatility.

OK I'll play along .....

GC: Not Froome. And Brailsford will look like a huge Douche for not including Wiggo
Not Dopador - Unless he eats more tainted Beef.

Now for some likely suspects. It might be a more open Tour this year than last years edition.
Rui Costa
Valverde

Polka Dot Jersey - Same as above

Green Jersey - Anyone but Sagan. Not because I dislike Sagan. But because of the endless Jock Sniffing from all the talking heads

Note: These aren't predictions. But I sure *hope* this is the result :)

Who is your cousin?

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

May I ask who your cousin is? And the KOM is incredibly difficult to predict, otherwise I'd chime in with my own predictions.

Excellent, I'm sure this is not sarcasm and you have dropped that notion of having to get into race fitness =)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Sep Vanmarcke I think...if I recall correctly from the Spring classics thread. Hope I didn't screw that up Cobble!

Mrs BBS and I will be there for Stages 16/17 and the ITT. Will try to get some good pics.

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Founder: BestBikeSplit
Amazonian

No Boonen, no Steegmans. Petacchi and Renshaw are both a little past their sell-by date. Giant has a more flexible and stronger train and a better sprint alternate in Degenkolb. They have more options. Also, given the way Kittel was looking this spring, I think he's going to be tough for anyone to beat.

We agree. I wasn't talking about a particular field sprint, I'm talking about the green jersey. My point is that Sagan already wins green jerseys even though he doesn't have a sprint train of note and is forced to freelance. Like you said, he wins through consistency, his ability to climb (relative to pure sprinters) and his absurdly awesome freelancing skills. If he did have a train like OPQS or Giant, he would most definitely be in the mix against true sprinters more often. This, combined with his ability to take intermediate points would only increase his advantages and allow him to wipe the floor with dedicated sprinters in a green jersey competition.

Renshaw is past his sell-date at 31? FYI, Boonen and Steegmans are both 33. Boonen hasn't been in Cav's train this year and wouldn't be the last man, which is the most critical cog for someone like Cav. Boonen's role is much more easily replaced.

Sagan could have the best train in the peloton and still won't beat Cav or Kittlel. He doesn't have the snap or pure speed those guys do.

Sep Vanmarcke (team Belkin)

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Don't forget to attack!

agree the KOM is always difficult to predict, it often goes to somebody who goes on the attack frequently but is just not good enough for the GC win due to lack of time trialing capabilities. So i am sticking with Ten Dam since he is more of an attacker than Mollema and both have been riding very well this season. There's also a bit of pressure on them now they need a new team sponsor.

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Don't forget to attack!

BLeP wrote:

I am going to go with David Miller for the yellow.

https://twitter.com/millarmind/status/483690684571197440


"For Sale. Been raced, not much. Battery fully charged (I think). Good condition. Reasonable offers please. "

Let's hope his team can find a new sponsor for next year too.

Off topic. Think there will be a spanish armada working against Froome. Especially with Kruzieger off the team will Contrador get help with teaming up with Valverde,Movistar and possibly even Nibali to try to unseat Froome in the forst week? What you thinks?

Best quote from Jens after the Tour of California- "I was attacked by 100 riders. 50 guys were told don't let Jens go, and the other 50 were told, if Jens goes, you go".

Pure Jens gold

My heart is with Horner. My intelligent guest mixed with hope is Tallansky. This could be a really fun year.

Mind blown.

Could be, certainly looked that way at the Vuelta in 2012.

Seems that Dave M and the Garmin DS's (Vaughters & Wegelius) are at odds on this. Millar saying he is shattered, the managers saying he is sick......I've always liked Millars riding would have thought he'd make the ideal road captain for Talansky as a tour sign-off but I"m not close enough to really know what is going on. Lets see what unfolds.

he is such a whiner... pfffff

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev