Predicting the winner of bike races is a tricky business; like herding cats, and actually using a Border Collie for the job.
So far in 2017, from memory, I have correctly predicted that Caleb Ewan would win one of the early season Aussie sprints (…shooting fish in a barrel), and that Philippe Gilbert would win the Tour of Flanders (because I like him, and I wanted him to, and I got lucky).
Apart from that, my predictions have been woeful, and included the published suggestion that you should stick your mortgage on Nairo Quintana to win the Giro d’Italia.
To any recently homeless pro-cycling fans, I can only apologise.
In my defence I would like to add that I adhere to a local rule here in these parts which states that to predict Sagan is not allowed. Because he wins one out of every three races he starts, and so where’s the fun in that?
To show my contrition, for this year’s Tour de France I will be sub-contracting out my predictions.
To you.
Here’s the deal.
For the 2017 Tour de France give me your predictions either in the comments below, via Facebook, or Twitter, for the podium placings and the winners of both polka dot and green jersey (and yes, you can pick Sagan for that).
At the end of the race, should anyone get all five correct, I will shout this from the rooftops on your behalf. You will have a blog post dedicated to your achievement, where you will be lauded as the world’s foremost cycling tipster, and fame and fortune will almost certainly follow.
At the very least, it will give you top-notch bragging rights over your mates.
You’ve got until midday on Saturday 1st July 2017 to make your selections.
Away you go…
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ROAD THEORY 
1st Valverde
2nd Porte
3rd Bardet
KOM Majka
Points Sagan
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That is BOLD! And I applaud you for it…
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Valverde can blame me
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You’d better send him a card and a bunch of grapes!
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Orica to get something, maybe Chavez KOM.
Can’t see Froome losing stranglehold on top step.
Kwiatkowski the all rounder …Hmmm? 2nd?
Contador the canny old fox 3rd
And, yep: Sagan in green. Love him.
As of June 27..
Work in progress!
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Yes, I’ll go along with that, except the Kwiatkowski bit…
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Pingback: EXCLUSIVE! Why Peter Sagan WON’T win the Green Jersey at the 2017 Tour de France – ragtime cyclist
Podium:
1. Froome
2. Porte
3. Aru
Green……. Demare?
Spots…….. Pinot?
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Hmmm Demare and Aru are interesting shouts… we’ll see!
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I’ve got big faith in Aru and a teeny tiny bit of faith that Demare does something.
Should have gone Matthews for green… wish I’d gone Matthews…
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Decisions…decisions…
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I would love to say Froome is not going to win, but look at the team around him. Porte is probably in the best shape of all the riders but no climbers on team BMC. Contador is getting up in the years but probably the toughest rider.
1. Froome
2. Porte
3. Contador
4. Aru
Did someone actually say Sagan really. Yes maybe the best rider but has zero chance at a top 8 finish.
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You’re right, Froome has by far the strongest team. Personally I think Contador just has too many miles on the clock now and could fade.
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It’ll be hard to stop the #skylie I think froome has been somewhat sandbagging up until now. The ‘program’ had to lay LOW for a while. But you will see a ‘miracle’ return to ‘form’ by the team with largest budget via the Murdoch Empire. (A global-national socialist enterprise btw…)
Without question, Dave ” I don’t know what was in the bag” Braislford and the sky lie have the most sophisticated doctors and scientists on the payroll…. therefore, the logical conclusion is….froome and sky on the super secret as-of-yet undetectable juice will once again stand atop the podium. Which will only be the worst possible result for Le Tour. (Can you say ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ) As SNOOZE fest.
The only possible wrench in the proverbial cogs is that froome gets taken out or caught up in a (not too serious) crash that has him abandon the race or someone else has a better super secret juicing program and dethrones the second biggest sociopath in cycling of all time!
Let’s hope for a semi-exciting race. Where the winner doesn’t WIN it by stage 7 or stage 8. Because that fucking BLOWS sir, it blows elephant dick. The last 2 years have been pathetic from an overall battle stand point. Of course there is always some other kind of excitement for the other jerseys or stage wins..but the Tour, as grandiose and poplar as it is, has been displaced in excitement in recent years by the Giro hands down. I love the tour, I eat, sleep and breath the TdF for 3 weeks in July. But man, it’s got to be a bit more exciting this year….it just has to be!
I would love to see Valverde win it as well. The statesman that he is… works hard, has enormous skill and talent to go along with his solid work ethic.
Vive Le Tour!!!
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If Aru has a good day today you can start locating a rooftop to shout from.
Demare’s really benefited from the Sagan expulsion…
#FamousLastWords
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Indeed. Your pick of Demare looking strong!
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Admittedly we’re two thirds in now…but I did think, from the very start, that Bardet is the man this year !
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Let’s see, I’ll go with:
Froome
Rigo Uran
Bardet
Green: Matthews
Dots: Barguil
Ignore the date on this comment–my computer’s internal clock is off by about a month.
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Haha, nice try!
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