Tour de France 2024

[Zviedrs]

Tour de France starts this Saturday!
What are your predictions? Tadej Pogačar is the big favourite with Vingegaard and Roglič as his main rivals. Vingegaard overcame heavy injuries (including punctured lung) sustained in April while Roglič doesn't have strong team support. So I'm not sure about my prediction.

The tour starts with a hilly Stage 1 (high watchability rating, Florence to Rimini >200km) and I predict that it will have quite an impact already on GC standings.

[Jesper]

I think Tadej should attempt to kick butt in the early stages and test the mettle of the other contenders to immediately weed out the field. The healthy ones will hang on and maybe those top riders that are still recuperating from recent injuries, but in general I think no one who is not 100% will be able to hang with him come the mid stages. He'll have a great psychological advantage with how his season has been going and his team is set up perfect to protect him at all costs.
Pray there are no crashes or injuries to affect the outcome no matter who prevails.

[meamoantonio]

I'm still hoping and rooting for a Mark Cavendish stage win as a fitting farewell to an awesome career 🙏

[Talha]

(06-26-2024, 05:07 PM)Zviedrs Wrote:  Tour de France starts this Saturday!
What are your predictions? Tadej Pogačar is the big favourite with Vingegaard and Roglič as his main rivals. Vingegaard overcame heavy injuries (including punctured lung) sustained in April while Roglič doesn't have strong team support. So I'm not sure about my prediction.

The tour starts with a hilly Stage 1 (high watchability rating, Florence to Rimini >200km) and I predict that it will have quite an impact already on GC standings.

Vingegaard, despite recovering from severe injuries including a punctured lung, remains a serious threat and Roglič is so much more experienced. My bet is on Pogačar

[Jesper]

With Tadej up near a minute and 2 relatively short flat stages to rest the legs with the team keeping pace for him, and then a short TT, I think it will be a done deal if he wins one of the next 3 stages and if no one within 1.5 minutes stays with him or closes the time gap. That is, of course, barring any injuries he might experience. I do not see any cyclist still recovering fron recent juries being able to maintain their effort for even half the Tour, nevermind for a full 21 stages. One just needs to look at the gap between the top 8 riders and number 9 and above who are already nearly 2 minutes behind the slowest time of the lead pack.
I do not think it will be a very close Tour in the end, with the more exciting facet as to who finishes 2nd and 3rd in the GC.