2015 Trophee Eric Bompard Preview/Predictions

It’s late here in the Eastern Time zone, so (almost) just the facts...

WHAT: Trophee Eric Bompard, or TEB

WHERE: Bordeaux, FRA

WHEN: IceNetwork times are here 

And TV coverage times can be found here 

MEN

CONTENDERS: Patrick Chan, Daisuke Murakami, Shoma Uno, Denis Ten, Maxim Kovtun, Max Aaron

GOLD: Chan (CAN)

SILVER: Aaron (USA)

BRONZE: Uno (JPN)

DARK HORSE: Kovtun (RUS), Murakami (JPN)

Chan’s shown us where he’s at now, so I’ve no problem predicting him to win here.

LADIES

CONTENDERS: Gabrielle Daleman, Mae-Berenice Meite, Yulia Lipnitskaya, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Gracie Gold

GOLD: Tuktamysheva (RUS)

SILVER: Gold (USA)

BRONZE: Meite (FRA)

DARK HORSE: Daleman (CAN), Lipnitskaya (RUS)

I’m willing to bet that Liza T. won’t have as much difficulty here as she did at Skate Canada. The bigger gamble, I suppose, is putting Meite in the bronze slot.  But I’m plain tired of seeing her get 5^th place (which she’s finished at TEB three times in a row... does that make her the Christina Gao of France?).

USA ALERT: Angela Wang, 15^th at U.S. Nationals and 9^th at last year’s Rostelecom Cup, is also among this weekend’s competitors.

PAIRS

CONTENDERS: Julianne Seguin/Charlie Bilodeau, Peng Cheng/Zhang Hao, Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres, Evgenia Torasova/Vladimir Morozov, Tatiana Volosohozhar/Maxim Trankov

GOLD: Volosohozhar/Trankov (RUS)

SILVER: Peng/Zhang (CHN)

BRONZE: Torasova/Morozov (RUS)

DARK HORSE: Seguin/Bilodeau (CAN)

The newlyweds (Volo/Trank) are here! Who wants to buy them a blender?

Also starting their GP season here is Peng/Zhang. Seguin/Bilodeau, the sweethearts of Skate America, are here too—though I think the competition’s a bit stiffer here.

USA Alert: Castelli/Tran are here too, on their second GP assignment of the season. They finished 4^th at Skate Canada.

DANCE

CONTENDERS: Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier, Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin, Penny Coomes/Nicholas Buckland, Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue

GOLD: Gilles/Poirier (CAN)

SILVER: Stepanova/Bukin (RUS)

BRONZE: Hubbell/Donohue (USA)

DARK HORSE: Coomes/Buckland (GBR)

As you’ve probably heard by now, the long-awaited return of World Champs Papadakis/Cizeron has been delayed until French Nationals as a safety precaution (Papadakis suffered a concussion over the summer). Soooooo... wide open field? Maybe, but I think frequent GP silver medalists Gilles/Poirier have the best shot at the title.