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Tour de France: Koos Picks Armstrong
Team Today will be posting a few Tour de France "Fantasy Team" predictions of the upcoming racing spectacle. Torin Koos will start us off...look for more the rest of the week.
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\r\nLance Will Win Six...
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\r\nBy Torin Koos
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\r\nIn 2003 Lance had to fight to win his fifth Tour but he rose to the occasion and joined the greats -- Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain. This year’s he’s back to try for a historic sixth title, but will find it equally as hard. With four time bridesmaid Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) threatening, Iban Mayo (Euskltel) showing the best form of his young career and Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) now a climbing and time trialing force, 2004 will be one for the ages. Even with this competition, the Vegas bookies and I know a winner when we see one. Lance will be wearing yellow in Paris! Look for Ullrich and Mayo to complete the podium.
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\r\nGC
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\r\n1. Lance Armstrong
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\r\n2. Jan Ullrich
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\r\n3. Iban Mayo
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\r\nSprinters...
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\r\nBaden Cooke (Fdjeux.com) might be younger and the reigning sprinter supreme of the Tour, Erik Zabel’s won it six times, but I have a feeling that Stuart O’Grady will be putting on green at the tour’s conclusion.
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\r\nGreen Jersey
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\r\n1. Stuart O’Grady (Credit Agricole)
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\r\nMountain Goats...
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\r\nVirenque will ride the home support to a seventh mountain jersey. I really like the Basque riders Iban Mayo and Haimar Zubeldia but with Mayo talking GC win I’d imagine Zubeldia would have to forfeit personal glory and a possible overall podium spot for the future Tour star Mayo.
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\r\nPolka Dot Jersey
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\r\nRichard Virenque (Quickstep)
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\r\nYoungsters...
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\r\nWinning the Giro d’Italia with an attacking style in the mountains at the tender age of twenty-two has Damian Cunego (Saeco) billed s Italy’s new "campionissimo." Unfortunately Cunego will shy away from the big Tour in hopes of success in Athens in August, leaving the competition for the top young rider at the tour wide open. Frenchman Sylvain is the top returner. German Matthias Kessler the second best returner with several positive results in 2004. Its time for the Sylvain to live up to his previous mighty French ambitions.
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\r\nWhite Jersey
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\r\n1. Sylvain Chavanel
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Koos Picks Armstrong as his favorite to win this year's Tour. The great Bernard Hinault (himself a five-time winner) says Lance has a "1 in 2 chance" of winning his sixth title this year in a recently posted interview on eurosport.com
Written By: TKoosDate Posted: 6/29/2004Number of Views: 321
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