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

[the student]

The bike sponsors just send them a freshly painted frame for free. Why wouldnt you use them

 

[b.broadhurst]

His form at the start of this tour was shocking, it has very little to do with his TT skill. Remember he lost over a minute (and 41 seconds to AC) in the prologue last year and by the first mountains he was up there. The fact that the first mountains are so late greatly favour Andy. He reminds me a lot of Ullrich in this aspect he also needed the tour to get into his top form. I have very little doubt Andy will be just fine today and I would put good money on the fact that if AC doesn't take any time back on him in the mountains AS will win the tour.

Why does he only have form for 2 weeks of the year?

 

[AussieGoddess]

see I love that they all colour up.

I love seeing them so excited and proud of the jersey they are holding - even if its only for a day

 

[Ramira]

Sanchez Basso Contador = My Top 3

Wow it got even funnier. Not even Frank up there. The odds of neither Schleck ending up on the podium are about as good as the odds of Kloden winning the whole thing.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Wanna put some money on that? I could use some holiday cash

I am confident!!

 

[python]

has kreuziger got any chance today ?

i'm skeptical but who knows..

 

[Publicus]

no need to be sorry (i'm not a fan btw) as you are going to be wrong barring any injury or crash.

Something would have to go VERY wrong. Not just with Andy, but with Cancellara. No way he wouldn't neutralize any stage or the Tour itself if it would benefit Andy.

 

[Ramira]

Why does he only have form for 2 weeks of the year?

How would I know? I'm not his trainer I never even met the guy. Maybe it's his physical make-up maybe it's a mental thing. Maybe he just responds better to the incredible pace of the 1st week of the tour then anyone else, who knows.

Also he isn't on form 2 weeks a year it's 3 don't forget AGR, FW, LBL.

 

[b.broadhurst]

no need to be sorry (i'm not a fan btw) as you are going to be wrong barring any injury or crash.

Lets just wait and see

 

[Anonymous]

Geraint Thomas? Thomas is the surname.

I think what he was meaning to type was

TGGT

 

[Scirea]

has kreuziger got any chance today ?

i'm skeptical but who knows..

No chance, sorry.

 

[Kwibus]

Why does he only have form for 2 weeks of the year?

Your are wrong!!
It's 2 weeks and 1 day.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Wow it got even funnier. Not even Frank up there. The odds of neither Schleck ending up on the podium are about as good as the odds of Kloden winning the whole thing.

Kloden will be lucky to make the end of today.

Frank rides for Andy so if Andy gets dropped then Frank would go back to help and in this case would jeopardize both of there podium chances.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Lets just wait and see

no need I'm always right

 

[b.broadhurst]

Which frenchies are gonna attack on the Hourquette d'Ancizan then?

 

[python]

No chance, sorry.

he hasn't got any support duties any more and from what i heard he's not injured seriously...but the giro must weigh on him, no ?

 

[Ramira]

Kloden will be lucky to make the end of today.

Frank rides for Andy so if Andy gets dropped then Frank would go back to help and in this case would jeopardize both of there podium chances.

They ride for the tour win. If Andy gets dropped they know he can't win the tour and Frank will stay up front. I'm pretty sure neither will happen but there's no way Frank will drop back if he feels better then Andy unless it's in the Alps and Andy is already ahead of him by a reasonable margin.

 

[Ramira]

he hasn't got any support duties any more and from what i heard he's not injured seriously...but the giro must weigh on him, no ?

It seems like it yes. It's not surprising though, Gadret has already dropped out. So far the only Giro contender that hasn't crumbled yet is AC and I guess we'll see how it affected him in a few hours.

 

[auscyclefan94]

no need I'm always right

Maybe I should of named you the oracle and not Dekker_Tifosi?

Which frenchies are gonna attack on the Hourquette d'Ancizan then?

Cofidis is up the front so maybe they will set something up for Moncoutie? They did something similar on the stage to Sierra nevada during 2009.

 

[sultanofhyd]

They ride for the tour win. If Andy gets dropped they know he can't win the tour and Frank will stay up front. I'm pretty sure neither will happen but there's no way Frank will drop back if he feels better then Andy unless it's in the Alps and Andy is already ahead of him by a reasonable margin.

You overestimate Frank way too much. If Andy gets dropped there's no way Frank is staying on.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

He's touted as second best and he has been second. I fail to see how that is poor.

No, he has come second twice in one important race. But he doesn't have the second best palmares. There are many riders who have won Grand Tours still riding and dozens of riders who have won a stage race. Schleck's palmares are little short of disgraceful for a guy who is supposed to be better in stage races than all of these other riders, bar Contador.

He's like a more extreme version of pre-World Championships Evans, except that he has even more talent than Evans and has won even less. Evans has made considerable strides towards finally getting the sort of palmares his talent deserves. Schleck hasn't done so yet. He may, of course, do so in this race. But at the moment he's the rider who has least to show for his talent in the whole peloton.

 

[Maxiton]

The jersey itself is sufficient. Or should be. Painting your entire bike and body just cheapens it. Maybe you earn the right to cheapen it if you want after you've established an arguably race-long position. That is all.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think I am more nervous than Cadel!!!

 

[Ramira]

You overestimate Frank way too much. If Andy gets dropped there's no way Frank is staying on.

Well I'm assuming the only way Andy will get dropped is because he is not on form, in that case Frank will be better then him so there's no reason to believe he won't be able to hang on. Remember the last time we saw Frank in the high mountains he was the third best climber after AS and AC.

 

[b.broadhurst]

The beginning of stages like this really annoy me, why do we need 125km of the peloton cruising along at a snail's pace? Make it shorter!!