2011 Tour de France, Stage 12: Cugnaux - Luz-Ardiden, 209 km

[Anonymous]

Frank will get that minute if things continue like today.

Maybe.

My opinion, I think Cadel did exactly what he should have done today and now knows he can win the tour if he does not hit the deck or have some horrendous luck. Surely today worked out pretty well for him.

 

[Arnout]

It might not even be Bertie that he'll regret not attacking.

That's partly what I meant

 

[warmfuzzies]

I'm actually surprised Andy only took 13 seconds on Contador today.

Yes, it should be remarkably easy for AC to gain 2 minutes on Andy in the ITT. When he does, it might even be good enough to get himself on the podium, depending on how Basso, F Schleck, and Evans go.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Do you know he's injured?

injured? he crashed over a week ago if he's still not healed up from some bruises he's even more vulnerable than I already thought

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I cant get Dutch TV which is a shame because that could be good!

dijkstra totally panicked and even called frans maassen, rabo ds, asking him at the end of the tourmalet, "if gesink gets in a good rhythm do you think he could get back to the group?"

pathetic and hilarious

 

[Arnout]

dijkstra totally panicked and even called frans maassen, rabo ds, asking him, "if gesink gets in a good rhythm do you think he coulod get back to the group?"

pathetic and hilarious

He was losing ground when O'Grady set the pace and Herbert was saying Gesink could return because he had to get used to the mountains. I was rolling on the floor laughing.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I'm actually surprised Andy only took 13 seconds on Contador today.

I haven't see the stage yet, but this gives me a lot of hope. If Bertie is really that bad and they still can't capitalise it bodes very well IF he can sort himself out.

Equally, I choose to believe he will get better - he had basically no racing coming in and spent the first fortnight smashed up.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm actually surprised Andy only took 13 seconds on Contador today.

But don't you get the feeling AC was really digging to stay in contact?

It looked to me like there was a shift in the last 2 or 3 kilometers where Cadel, Basso and Andy started looking at each other and not AC.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He was losing ground when O'Grady set the pace and Herbert was saying Gesink could return because he had to get used to the mountains. I was rolling on the floor laughing.

:lolcry: the guy totally loses his head when dutch guys are seen on screen, also his ridiculous cheering fro ruygh who ffinished 38 at the end... lol

 

[Kwibus]

dijkstra totally panicked and even called frans maassen, rabo ds, asking him at the end of the tourmalet, "if gesink gets in a good rhythm do you think he could get back to the group?"

pathetic and hilarious

Dutch tv-commentators are so depressing. I always watch cycling on belgian tv. Despite the obvious belgian bias it's still waaaaay better.

 

[aahmadhu]

Would we remember Anton if he finishes 5th in the GC of the Giro without winning Zoncolan? He put his name on maybe the most mythical climb of Italy, who cares about GC.

I really don't get all that obsession with GC's for climbers. Noone really cares about it.

We will see Samuel and Laiseka winning on Luz Ardiden countless times, it will be remembered as the Basque mountain. Who even knows who finished 4th in the 2001 Tour de France?

+1. that crossed my mind too. it was more of a "what if" questions playing in my mind rather than a doubt on samu's chance.

but not taking into account of the price of samu's effort today, he can actually vie for the podium realistically now.

 

[El Pistolero]

Samu rides away from Gilbert.

Revenge from GDL 2009. Take that El Pistrollero

Rather Lombardia than a Tour stage

Plus now we know who's the better descender

 

[VeloCity]

Both of the Schlecks will need significant time on Cadel going to the TT, otherwise Cadel wins.

Very long ways to go yet, of course, but how ironic would it be if it were Evans who wins the most mountainous Tour in years?

 

[SiAp1984]

The other GC candidates might regret not leaving Basso behind on that bridge last week.

That's exactly what I thought today But I doubt that Basso is able to drop (all of) the big three (Evans, Schlecks) on any mountain in that tour. Plus, post-Fuentes, Basso's ITT sucks (or am I wrong?)...

 

[El Pistolero]

Stage 16 and 17 for Gilbert and Samu Samu to win the Tour!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Dutch tv-commentators are so depressing. I always watch cycling on belgian tv. Despite the obvious belgian bias it's still waaaaay better.

the dutch eurosport announcing is really good when danny nelissen isn't there

 

[Florian]

Nice to see Sanchez with the polka-dot jersey. I will be happy if he manages to reach Paris with it.

Awesome ride from Voeckler and and his teammate the young Pierre Rolland who might be a major contender for a Top 5 in the years to come.

I'm a bit disappointed by the fact that Franck Schleck attacked only with a few kilometers left. If he had attacked with 8-10 kilometers to go, Contador could have lost at least 1 min on him and would have been definitively dropped.

 

[Jeanne]

Very long ways to go yet, of course, but how ironic would it be if it were Evans who wins the most mountainous Tour in years?

that would indeedy be magnifique - not because I'm a huge cuddles-fan, but I'd love to see a not-super-hyper-mega-favorite win!

 

[kurtinsc]

understandable.. i jumped with joy when he crossed the line.. but then as i sat down and analyzed the situation, i'm afraid that he might have spent 3/4 of his tank for this Tour.

kinda remind me of igor anton in the Giro. won on the mighty zoncolan, and disappeared the following days.

but i won't take anything away from samu's win. it was a mighty win nonetheless.

Look, Samu lost what he lost early on and nothing is going to chage that. If he IS concerned with the GC, then simply climbing with the favorites isn't going to get him a podium. He's got to do things like he did today.

Will he be able to make up enough? I doubt it. But he wouldn't do any better by sitting with the main bunch and maintaining a 2:35 deficit to Cadel and 2:24 deficit to Andy.

He's now 30+ seconds up on where he was to begin the stage on everyone except Frank. He got a stage win in the process. I fail to see how staying with the main group and losing 30 seconds would have been a better strategy for the GC... not even including the fact he won the stage in the process. I can't see the effort causing him to lose anything tomorrow with the finish 42km away from the summit and a nice long downhill for him to catch back on if he were dropped for some reason. I think he'll be plenty recovered from today's effort by Saturday.

I see no negative from what he did today.

 

[El Pistolero]

Where the hell was Moncoutié by the way? Favorite for the polkadots, but now not anymore...

 

[Parrulo]

I'm actually surprised Andy only took 13 seconds on Contador today.

i honestly thought he would bonk completely and lose over a minute or 2. he was clearly struggling all the way but got to give the man credit he even closed the gap to frank schleck 2 times which i honestly think was a mistake. contador should give gesink a couple lessons about mental strength

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

bad weather = no moncoutie

 

[El Pistolero]

bad weather = no moncoutie

Weather wasn't that bad though?

 

[luckyboy]

Stages 14 + 18 look better to get a load of mountain points out of.

 

[maxmartin]

Basso will be even better in the third week, that is just him. Evans always have a big bad day, you just don't when hope it will not be in big mountains LOL

I don't see how on today's performace Andy Shleck can be considered the favorite for yellow in Paris.

He held on by the skin of his teeth to Evans and Basso at the finish.

He can't time trial so, Evans is the favorite now in my book.