Season recap and looking ahead to the 2006 Tour

It’s been a while since we talked cycling. The season ended ages ago. What stands out most to you from 2005? For me, it has to be Lance Armstrong and his 7th Tour, probably his most dominant run ever. The American became a legend, so good luck to him. That said, there are three riders who really impressed me this year:

Tom Boonen—what an absolute beast. He’s what, 25 or 26? Winner of Paris-Roubaix, and he might have even grabbed the green jersey at the Tour if he hadn't dropped out. His power and endurance are just fascinating. 🙏

Paolo Savoldelli—he basically won the tour on his own without much team support (just like in 2002), spent the whole Tour working for Armstrong, and still snagged a stage win. All that after being away from racing for nearly two years. Definitely the comeback of the year! 👍

Danilo di Luca—he took wins at Liege and Flanders (if I remember right) and held onto that form all the way through the end of the tour—nearly three full months! A fourth-place finish at the tour and maybe three stage wins... he might be successfully pivoting toward stage hunting.

Now that Armstrong is out of the picture, the big question is who takes the 2006 Tour? Will Discovery Channel bet on young Roman Popovych? Ivan Basso said he’s doing both the tour and the Giro, but maybe that's asking too much? Then there's Jan Ullrich, trying to prove he’s not washed up yet near the end of his career. I guess we'll see. I can't wait! 🙂

Ivan Basso clinches the Tour ☕

Erebus said:Basso wins the Tour☕

That seems like the safest bet I guess.

Sean Nguyen4 said:That seems like the safest bet.

But maybe not. Sure, Valverde had to pull out, but when Lance first showed his strength in the Tour de France, he was the only one who could actually hold that pace—he even managed to stay ahead of Armstrong.
As for the rest? I honestly think Basso is stronger than all of them.

Gerald James73 said:Maybe not. Valverde had to pull out, but when Lance first showed his strength in the Tour de France, he was the only one who could keep up, maybe even staying ahead of Armstrong.
As for the others, I guess Basso is stronger than everyone else.

Valverde is clearly talented, but I don't see him winning the Tour de France yet, or any other Spaniard for that matter.

Sean Nguyen4 said:Valverde is a massive talent, but I just don't see him winning the Tour yet—honestly, I don't see any Spaniard doing it right now.

I don't know, why wouldn't he?
The guy's shown he's got the grit and the physical engine for it.
And let's be real, Americans aren't exactly tearing it up lately; if anything, I'd say they've been looking pretty rough.

Basso or di Luca... honestly, I feel like CSC is just on another level compared to the rest, so it’s gotta be Ivan Basso!
Since we're all just wishing for things right now, I'd definitely pull for a brand new BMC/Centaur/Scirocco!

Just so those who aren't up to speed know, Roberto Heras has been suspended for two months now. It looks like EPO is the issue again... I just don't trust any cyclist anymore; the doping tests don't lie. And once his ban is over, David Millar is coming back—he signed with some Spanish team, though I can't remember which one right now.

Our guy Vladimir Miholjević is in the same squad for the fourth year running, Liquigas.

Even though Basso is the favorite, I kind of want to see Ullrich take the Tour de France. Who knows if he’ll actually hit 33 this year—time flies, I guess... Despite all his setbacks, he still managed to win the Tour and the Vuelta, plus he was a world and Olympic champion. It's a solid career, regardless. 👍 🙏 🙏

It'll be interesting to see who Discovery picks as their captain this time. Logic tells me Popovič, but maybe they'll go with Savoldelli's experience instead? Or even Hincapie, which would basically mean the end of a career for a domestique. I didn't just make that up; Sean Kelly mentioned it... 🙏

Vinokurov and his Kazakh squad have teamed up with that powerhouse Spanish team, Liberty Seguros. Vino isn't exactly a kid anymore, but I guess he’s definitely got plenty of motivation for the Tour de France now that Lance is out of the picture.

The French haven't had anyone capable of cracking the Top 5 for fifteen years straight. It's kind of embarrassing, honestly... 👎

I noticed nobody is even mentioning Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), and honestly, he might actually have a shot. Maybe Oscar Pereiro Sio (Phonak) does too, but that's just a maybe...

This year's Tour de France is gonna be a wild ride. We've got a few riders who could actually go toe-to-toe for the win. Basso, Ullrich, Vinokurov, maybe even Rasmussen—they're all heavy hitters, but they aren't the only ones in the mix. Just gotta wait and see who Discovery actually puts their money on for the lead...

In my opinion, Ullrich just doesn't have the drive required to actually win the Tour de France, whereas I could easily see Basso or Vinokurov standing on that podium, though of course, those are all just mere speculations.
As for the French, this is the most accurate description you could ever give: 🙂—they complain more than anyone else and exert more pressure than any other nation when it comes to cycling, they hurl false doping accusations, and heaven forbid, they even resort to bribery. Since they can't seem to produce a single world-class cyclist of their own, they just spend their time messing with everyone else.

Maybe Rasmussen, Pereiro, and a whole bunch of others could grab a Top 10—guys like Mancebo, Leipheimer, or Kloden, for instance. But if Basso actually shows up as the real deal, I don't see much competition. My only real worry is Discovery popping up with some new superman; their squad will probably be just as strong as ever.

Sean Nguyen4 said:...
My only real fear is whether Discovery will turn out to be home to yet another superhuman...

🤣
It’s funny, but honestly? It’s the truth.

Harold Wilson4 said:🤣
Funny, but true.

I’m telling you, if Popovič wins this year, he’ll probably win for the next ten. Nothing against him—the guy is fine—but I guess everyone gets bored when it’s always the same person winning.

Sean Nguyen4 said:I'm telling you, if Popovič wins this year, he'll just keep winning for the next ten. Nothing against him—the guy is fine—but doesn't anyone else get bored when the exact same person keeps taking the glory?

That is precisely my point! When some Texan starts dominating the Tour de France, am I really supposed to sit there and cheer indefinitely? It isn't even about whether I like him or not; it’s simply that it becomes incredibly tedious, isn't it? All the excitement of the Tour eventually just boils down to watching sprinters battle it out at the finish line...

Heras lost his win at last year's Vuelta due to doping, so Denis Menchov from Rabobank was moved up to first place.

Vladimir Miholjević is riding both the giro and the tour this year. 👍 He’ll be riding as a support for di Luca during the giro, and for the tour, everything depends on how Garzelli performs—there might be an opportunity for him to ride a bit more "freely." Forza Miha! 🙏 🙏

I’m asking the mods to change the title to "cycling 2006". 🙂 The season is already in full swing. Milan-Sanremo happened ages ago, featuring that brilliant solo move by Pozzat in the final kilometer. Then yesterday we saw a phenomenal win by Fabian Cancellara at Paris-Roubaix. It was honestly intense to watch; those guys are basically gladiators on two wheels. 🙏 🙏 The heavy favorite, Tom Boonen, just wasn't in the shape everyone expected. To make matters worse, the three riders who finished right behind him—Hoste, van Petegem, and Gusev—were all disqualified because they went through a closed section of the road right when a train was passing. I guess you have to hand it to the organizers for their impeccable timing. 😂

Cancellara is a total savage! 👍 I have to hand it to him; that bloody surge right at the finish was executed so smoothly—it was cunning, if not outright brilliant—and the way he shifted gears following that move to dominate the time trial was nothing short of genius; honestly, only a handful of riders on this planet possess that kind of talent... it was a masterclass...

Meanwhile, Discovery seems to be falling apart by the day, especially now that they’ve lost their team leader, Goldman Sachs, to a broken bone...