| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 728.1 | Kelly | DUB01::OSULLIVAN | | Fri Jun 17 1988 14:02 | 1 |
| My (Irish) vote goes to Kelly
|
| 728.2 | Hampsten | IAMOK::WESTER | | Fri Jun 17 1988 14:47 | 19 |
| well let's see, Lemond (86 winner) is out and he probably wouldn't
have won anyway, Roche is out (87 winner) and who knows if he'll
ever come back, Kelly? Jean Francois Bernard? Fignon? Hampsten???
It'll probably be one of the lesser "big" names. Maybe Paulo Rossola
(sp?) from Bianchi. How about Pedro Delgado, last years runner
up?
In the U.S. we only read the results of the big races. We rarely
get to see the top pros in action (except for the Coors Classic,
and even then there's only a sprinkling of the top Europeans).
I'd love to see Boulder's best (Hampsten) win it, or Raul Alcala.
Greg Lemond did a great deal to increase interest in bicycling in
the U.S. A win by Andy or any one from the 7-11 team will help
keep the momentum going.
Go Andy Hampsten!
|
| 728.3 | My heart says Kelly | PSG::BUCHANAN | Bat | Fri Jun 17 1988 20:29 | 49 |
| It's hard for us here in America to predict since it's almost impossible
to really follow the scene in Europe. I have some thoughts but also a bunch
of questions including:
o What happened to the Colombians in Spain? Louis Herrara was the
defending champ but not a serious factor. Was he hurt? I had
thought that Fabio Parra was a very tough racer, not quite as strong in
the hills as Herrara but stronger in the flat lands. He moved to a
Spanish team but again was not a real force.
o Why did Pedro Delgado skip Spain and ride Italy when his team is
Spanish. He was not a big factor in Italy.
o Is Laurent Fignon OK. He looked good in the early classics but took a
spill in L-B-L. He has the experience and has a strong team. His
team is also all French which helps. Will the team split and try
to support both Fignon and Mottet. Mottet is a good rider (4th
last year?) but somehow just doesn't quite have that little bit
extra, that super-human strength to be a true champion. I didn't
see either of their names in Italy did System U enter?
o How well did the 7-Eleven team work in Italy. From reading the
results we can't tell. It looked like Andy did it on his own, taking
the lead on the foul-weather stage and holding it in a time trial.
o Is Jeff Bernard OK? I heard that he was hurt earlier in the season
and his results have been disappointing. I think that he has the
perfect body for the tour but is his head ready? Also his team
is all new, does it have the cohesion needed? He seemed off-and-on
in Italy winning a couple stages but down on the G.C.. Did he finish?
o Can Kelly stay close enough in the mountains? Although there is only
four days of serious mountains they are tough enough to lose 5-10
minutes on any day and it's all over.
To win the Tour you have to to be able to climb and time trial. In the
flats you have to be strong enough (have a strong enough team) to stay near
enough to the front so you don't miss an important break. Last years green
jersey winner, Van Popple finished something like 2 hrs 45 minutes down!
With all those questions my predictions are:
1) Bernard
2) Kelly
3) Fignon
4) Hampsted
5) Zimmerman
Other top 10 possibilities:
R. Alcala, Mottet, Herrara, A. Fuertes, R. Millar, Parra
|
| 728.4 | Some Info | DUB01::OSULLIVAN | | Mon Jun 20 1988 08:29 | 35 |
| RE 728.3
Some answers.
Herrera had a torrid time in Spain. Even in the mountains he looked
a pale shadow of last years man. There was quite a bit of coverage
on Irish TV and he always seemed to be struggling.
Roche will not be back before the World Championship, if even then.
He is home here in Ireland at the moment, and is only doing light
training. Some of the guys out of our club have met him training.
Last week he stopped to watch a club race that I was riding. Makes
a change to have him watching us.
Kelly was really flying in the mountains. He said at the end of
the Vuelta that if the mountains had gone on for another week it
was the others and not he who would have cracked. From a man of
few words you have got to take note . Kelly himself talket of Mottet
as having a good chance.
Bernard has had a knee injury all season. Don't know what happened
in yhe Giro.
Delgado had quite a fight with his sponsors to let him avoid the
Vuelta. He considered the Giro to be better preparation than the
Vuelta. Don't know how he did in the Giro.
Another guy to watch for is Ronan Pensec of Z Peugot, second in
Paris Nice and a very good stage racer.
One last word on Kelly. He built his team this year around stage
racing, rather than the classics. I get the feeling that this is
his year. Immediately after winning Spain, his comments related
almost exclusively to the Tour. He sees his chance this year.
|
| 728.5 | Boulder who? | SUSHI::KMACDONALD | AntiFenestration Specialist | Fri Jun 24 1988 13:21 | 11 |
| > I'd love to see Boulder's best (Hampsten) win it, or Raul Alcala.
> Go Andy Hampsten!
Boulder? Well, no, Andrew is at least originally from scenic and sunny
North Dakota, where I suspect he may have acquired some of his cold
weather riding ability; that's also where I was briefly acquainted with
him (and if memory serves, I sold him his first 10-speed bike about
15 or so years back...). Certainly the highlight of my racing career :-)
ken
|
| 728.6 | | IAMOK::WESTER | | Fri Jun 24 1988 14:02 | 8 |
| You're no doubt correct about his origins, I was referring to where
he's lived and trained the past several years. When I lived in
Boulder and tried to hang on in the "bus stop" rides, he was there.
Along with Phinney, Knickman and many other outstanding riders.
What a tragedy that DEC built in Colorado Springs, instead of Boulder.
Of course that's just my opinion.
|