2001 TdF: Stage 10

[Neworld]

2001 TdF

On stage 10, the second last climb (Glandon) before L'Alpe d'Heuz there were 4 Telekom's (Kloden, Ullrich, and Livingston and Vino off the back. Also, there we 3 Postal riders (Rubiera, Heras and LA). The urban myth is that tactically LA feigned an injury, weakness, or something and just hung out at the back. The other theory, either superimposed on the first or separately, is that Telekom thought they had cracked Postal/LA and we either overconfident or going hard to further distance themselves from LA.

As I re-watched that stage several questions entered my head:

1. Telekom couldn't have been that confident as both Livingstone and Vino were off the back on the ascent of the Glandon - 2 Telekom : 3 Postal
2. Why did Telekom slow on that descent and the 15 Km flat before the L'Alpe if they really thought that LA was suffering? Maybe to let Liv and Vino back on but then they'd be easing up for LA too, why not just put LA on the rivets?
3. Why did Rubiera get drinks on the ascent of the Glandon, give them to LA at the back of the pack and then race away from him up to Heras near the front? Clearly a tactic that any DS could see through.
4. Do people really think Telekom was duped, or is it that Postal only had 2 support riders for LA, instead of the usual 4 or 5 drones making Postal work from a disadvantage and making another team do the work. That would be the most powerful tactic, and it worked out.

Anyway, Postal won that stage and was successful. Just wondering what people thought of those moments and tactics.

NW

 

[flicker]

2001 TdF

On stage 10, the second last climb (Glandon) before L'Alpe d'Heuz there were 4 Telekom's (Kloden, Ullrich, and Livingston and Vino off the back. Also, there we 3 Postal riders (Rubiera, Heras and LA). The urban myth is that tactically LA feigned an injury, weakness, or something and just hung out at the back. The other theory, either superimposed on the first or separately, is that Telekom thought they had cracked Postal/LA and we either overconfident or going hard to further distance themselves from LA.

As I re-watched that stage several questions entered my head:

1. Telekom couldn't have been that confident as both Livingstone and Vino were off the back on the ascent of the Glandon - 2 Telekom : 3 Postal
2. Why did Telekom slow on that descent and the 15 Km flat before the L'Alpe if they really thought that LA was suffering? Maybe to let Liv and Vino back on but then they'd be easing up for LA too, why not just put LA on the rivets?
3. Why did Rubiera get drinks on the ascent of the Glandon, give them to LA at the back of the pack and then race away from him up to Heras near the front? Clearly a tactic that any DS could see through.
4. Do people really think Telekom was duped, or is it that Postal only had 2 support riders for LA, instead of the usual 4 or 5 drones making Postal work from a disadvantage and making another team do the work. That would be the most powerful tactic, and it worked out.

Anyway, Postal won that stage and was successful. Just wondering what people thought of those moments and tactics.

NW

I guess Jan was either napping or on the ropes, only way I could see Armstrong dropping him so bad. Than again it was Armstrong, stunning!

 

[boardhanger]

The thing about the bluff is the mind game. Is he? or isn't he tired? Maybe Jan's self-confidence wasn't all there?

 

[Fowsto Cope-E]

in the end, i don't think it made a difference. Lance was just a much stronger rider that day. on l'Alpe d'Huez, Lance didn't really use his teammates in order to break free from Ulrich. his attack from the front showed that in the end, it was just Lance and Ule, and lance was much stronger

 

[boardhanger]

in the end, i don't think it made a difference. Lance was just a much stronger rider that day. on l'Alpe d'Huez, Lance didn't really use his teammates in order to break free from Ulrich. his attack from the front showed that in the end, it was just Lance and Ule, and lance was much stronger

He was and it was a classy move. One of the truely great accents of L'alpe..

 

[gregrowlerson]

Always thought that Ullrich's ride that day (as well as his entire '01 Tour) was vastly underated. He finished ahead of everyone up the Alp except for Lance (who let's face it was superman that year), including Beloki who was a mountain goat and on great form. The other GC riders even forced Jan to do all of the work after Armstrong attacked, yet he still managed to pull away from them all towards the end of the MTF.

 

[Frosty]

Havent got the video but from what i remember armstrong didnt look that bad when you saw him from a distance but when the camera went up to him he started grimacing. Wondered at the time why you would do that. Also, didn't he come towards the front right at the end of the penultimate climb? Looking at the KoM points seems to back that up. I remember at the time thinking that was the point where Armstrong was definitely bluffing, unless i am misremembering things.

 

[craig1985]

5/ Armstrong had better dope then Ullrich.

 

[Neworld]

5/ Armstrong had better dope then Ullrich.

Agreed! I won't talk too much about it as its not the clinic but some people think all doping regiments are equal.

For this stage I think Jan and team did as well as they could, but they could have either made some allies to help with the work (if Postal was feigning weakness) or forced Postal to work more. That could have been their mistake.

NW