Tour de France 05 Props and Thoughts

[Scotty H]

Well it's that time of year again. Cyclings greatest race is about to began and I have looked up some of the props and lines for this years tour, there looks to be some reall jucy lines right now. Well here are the props and lines for this years race. All lines from Olympic.

7/2/2005 2:00 AM Rider to make the Top 3 finish
321 Lance Armstrong (USA - DSC) -365
322 Jan Ullrich (GER - TMO) -145
323 Ivan Basso (ITA - CSC) +125
324 Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ- TMO) +205
325 Andreas Kloden (GER - TMO) +605
326 Iban Mayo (ESP - EUS) +345
327 Santiago Botero (COL - PHO) +705
329 Levi Leipheimer (USA - GST) +925
330 Yaroslav Popovych (UKR - DSC) +1350
331 Roberto Heras (ESP - LST) +985
332 Floyd Landis (USA - PHO) +1025
333 Alejandro Valverde (ESP -IBA) +1850
334 Oscar Pereiro (ESP - PHO) +1850
335 Michael Rogers (AUS - QST) +1550
336 Jose Azevedo (POR - DSC) +2850
337 Francisco Mancebo (ESP - IBA) +1850
338 Deis Menchov (RUS - RAB) +1250

Personly I think that this is money in the bank if you choose Armstrong even at -365 he has to .make the podium to win this is very doible. He has by far the strongest team (at least on paper) has not raced much this season (came in 4th at the Dalphane a 1 week race) and looks to be on form to win his 7th Tour de France. If anyone is looking for a nice dog I personly would look at Andreas Kloden (GER - TMO) at +605 He will be ridding for Jan Ullrich but did make the podium last year. I don't know why this line is so high but will try to do some homework first and find out if he has any health probles or has not raced well this year.

7/2/2005 2:00 AM Rider to win the Tour De France
301 Lance Armstrong (USA - DSC) -105
302 Jan Ullrich (GER - TMO) +305
303 Ivan Basso (ITA - CSC) +655
304 Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ- TMO) +1050
305 Andreas Kloden (GER - TMO) +2550
306 Iban Mayo (ESP - EUS) +1650
307 Santiago Botero (COL - PHO) +3050
308 Levi Leipheimer (USA - GST) +4050
309 Yaroslav Popovych (UKR - DSC) +6550
310 Roberto Heras (ESP - LST) +5050
311 Field (All Others) +875

Personally I love these lines Armstrong at -105 is a steal, at almost even money this is hard to pass up. If you are looking for a dog I also like Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ- TMO) at +1050 and my sleeper if nothing is wrong is Andreas Kloden (GER - TMO) at +2550. Even the field looks enticing at +875 ONLY

 

[Blackman]

On board with Armstrong -105 for another year --- just like last year I feel he would not enter the race if he did not know he was going to win.

He's made a bunch of us a lot of coin over his legendary run and I'm going to ride his coattails one last time.

Good luck to you with whatever you do.

 

[Anders]

Scotty - will add my thoughts tomorrow after some more homework - may want to have the thread moved to the outstanding Off The Wall forum ...

Some good props available on head-to-head matchups, King of the Mtns, Green jersey etc...

 

[lay the wood2]

Lance Armstrong is a head above the rest in this race again this year. I am going to echo Blackman hear and say that he wouldn't enter this race if he didnt think he was going to win. With the idea(and believe me i won't believe this until next july) that this will be his last race, he will be gunning for that yellow jersey.

this guy could quite possibly be the best athlete of my generation and watchin him dismantle the field, year after year, in france of all places is awesome. Lance does more than just win the most grueling sporting event year after year, look how much time and money and awareness he has raised in connection with the treatment of cancer.

hey chalk, tell me one baseball player that has done that.

thank you

 

[Scotty H]

Well looks like my Andreas Kloden (GER - TMO) at +605 and Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ- TMO) +205 to make the podium might look like a decent wager. Here is an article on Jan Ullrich who both Kloden and Vinokourov ride for him.

Ullrich ready for one last go at beating old rival Armstrong
By JEROME PUGMIRE, AP Sports Writer
June 30, 2005

CHALLANS, France (AP) -- While Lance Armstrong bids to end his career with a seventh straight Tour de France title, longtime rival Jan Ullrich is close to a less desirable record.

The German has finished as Tour runner-up five times -- just one less than the record held by Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk. But with one last chance to beat Armstrong, he has no intention of equaling Zoetemelk's feat.

``Lance is the man to beat and he will be under pressure because everyone will be attacking him,'' Ullrich said Thursday at a news conference. ``This is the last time I can beat him, so naturally it is an extra motivation for me.''

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Ullrich's career started brightly when he finished second to Bjarne Riis in his debut in 1996 -- the year Armstrong abandoned mid-race and the only time Ullrich has ever beaten him in the Tour. Armstrong missed the 1997 and 1998 Tours because of testicular cancer.

During Armstrong's absence, Ullrich won his only Tour in 1997 and has finished runner-up four times since -- to Italian Marco Pantani in 1998 and to Armstrong in 2000-01 and 2003.

``We have had many great battles over the years,'' Ullrich said. ``Cycling will miss him when he retires as he has been the dominator. If he has a party, I hope he will invite me. There would be some special feelings.''

Last year's fourth-place finish is the only time Ullrich has finished off the podium in seven Tours. Ullrich has never abandoned, but did not take part in 1999 because of a knee injury, and sat out again in 2002.

In 2003 he came back from a 14-month break that included two knee operations and a doping ban imposed after he tested positive for a recreational drug.

Armstrong pulled out in 1993, 1994 and 1996, and finished 36th in 1995. Since 1999, he has won every Tour and has taken 21 stage wins compared with seven for Ullrich.

Ullrich came close to beating Armstrong in 2003, finishing just 61 seconds back. Earlier in that Tour, he had smashed Armstrong by 1 minute, 36 seconds in a 29-mile time trial from Gaillac to Cap' Decouverte under scorching conditions that sapped Armstrong's energy.

``If he has any weaknesses this time, then we will soon see them,'' Ullrich said.

Armstrong's second-smallest margin of victory was also to Ullrich -- 6:02 in 2000.

Armstrong said Ullrich looks in good shape and that teammates are also strong.

``Jan is an excellent rider and he gets better as the Tour goes on,'' Armstrong said. ``With (Andreas) Kloden and (Alexandre) Vinokourov that adds up to a formidable trio.''

 

[Anders]

only prob I have with the wager is 2 guys being in the same team could cause probs on who is No1 and who the domestiques ride for....
Am gonna post some plays later today NZ time in the Off the Wall thread... GL mate ...

 

[Anders]

Here's my plays, have started a thread in Off the Wall, u guys make sure u drop by some time and check us degenerates out...


To win Tour:

Armstrong +100 (2 units)

King of the Mountains:

Rasmussen +400 (2 units)
Moreau +700 (1)

Green Jersey:

Hushovd +400 (1)

Top 3 finish:

Armstrong -182 (2 units)

Top 6 finish:

Menchov +683 (1)

Match Bets:

Moreau -125 over McGee (1.5)
Vinokourov +110 over Basso (1)
Sinkewitz +110 over Jaksche (1)
Evans -103 over Marchante (1)
Leipheimer -118 over Botero (1.5)

Green Jersey Match Bets:

Hushovd +130 over McEwen (1)
Cooke -125 over Grady (1)

Team Match Bets:

Team CSC -125 over Phonak (1.5)