Tour De France 2009 - My Favourite Riders to Watch

These are the three favourite riders that I think will have a good chance in winning the Tour De France 2009. What do you think?

1. Name: Alberto Contador Team:Astana, Age: 26
Having won every Grand Tour he's entered since the '07 Tour, this fiery Spaniard is the best stage racer of his generation* because he's capable of winning TTs and mountaintop stages. But he also has the most complex backstory coming into July.The Hurdles: Even as Contador was previewing this year's key stages (instead of competing in the Giro), no one seemed certain which team he'd be racing those roads with in July--an Astana squad also featuring Levi Leipheimer and Armstrong (who could turn out to be either great support or great rivals), the same team with a new sponsor, or a new team entirely if Astana disbands due to financial difficulties. *The new math: In an interview with Spanish newspaper El País, Contador declared, "My 100 percent this year will be superior to my 100 percent in 2008."



2. Name: Carlos Sastre Team Cervelo Test Team, Age: 34
Won the last tournament clean and steady, the climber-friendly course this year works in his favor. Sastre is experienced, tactically smart and cool under pressure.The Hurdles: He was seen as a fluky winner—good, but lucky in timing his attack on Alpe d'Huez last year. In signing with the Cervelo squad, Sastre extricated himself from any funky team dynamics with the Brothers Schleck, but now he doesn't have the same firepower backing him. Can Cervelo defend a lead in les montagnes?

3. Name: Cadel Evans Team: Silence-Lotto, Age: 32
The Hype: A modern-day Raymond Poulidor, Evans has twice finished second, both times by less than a minute overall. If there's ever a year when he's going to close the deal, it's this one, right?The Hurdles: Cadel Evans. The prohibitive favorite last year against a field lacking all but one of the podium finishers from the previous five Tours, Evans lost to that one guy. He has a suspect team, and his constant grousing doesn't exactly make him an inspiring leader. And as several infamous YouTube meltdowns ("Don't stand on my dog, or I cut your head off!") showed last year, he doesn't always, uh, handle pressure well.



Source:www.bicycling.com