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

[Ramira]

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.

It's a PR thing. Making it all about the jersey increases the publicity which makes the sponsors happy, giving more money for next year. I doubt Voeckler or Hoogerland had any influence on it whatsoever.

 

[Maxiton]

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.

He is at the point where the glow of promise has to become the light of accomplishment.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

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!!

Nah, it's worth it to take a little more out of their legs.

 

[sultanofhyd]

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.

And Kloden was the fourth best climber (before AC's meaningless attack)?

 

[b.broadhurst]

Nah, it's worth it to take a little more out of their legs.

Compared to recent years there legs are worse off after such a lumpy first week!!

 

[python]

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.

agree with your analysis.

ac is a giro latent mystery we'll uncover today...kelly on eurosport thinks ac may crumble in the 3d week b/c of the giro.

i'm really curious if his recovery powers are so unique.

 

[metya77]

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!!

This game commands

 

[sultanofhyd]

Compared to recent years there legs are worse off after such a lumpy first week!!

The parcours is decided way before the first week, no one expected such a **** storm.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Over 8 minutes lead for the break. Europcar not really being very effective on the front. It'll be extremely difficult for someone like Moncoutie to bridge a gap of that size.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

agree with your analysis.

ac is a giro latent mystery we'll uncover today...kelly on eurosport thinks ac may crumble in the 3d week b/c of the giro.

i'm really curious if his recovery powers are so unique.

he might be ok today, but I agree with kelly, 3rd week ac is gonna find out how hard the giro-tour double is. not that he will crumble but he will certainly struggle imo.

 

[b.broadhurst]

The lead is still around 8 minutes and 20km until the intermediate sprint.

 

[El Pistolero]

French teams stuff up like usual. Why are they even invited. Less people in the peloton, less crashes.

 

[sultanofhyd]

Nah, it's worth it to take a little more out of their legs.

Riding at less than 40kmh on such flat roads isn't going to take much out of the legs.

 

[El Pistolero]

he might be ok today, but I agree with kelly, 3rd week ac is gonna find out how hard the giro-tour double is. not that he will crumble but he will certainly struggle imo.

If he had trouble with the Giro he would have been way behind already like everyone else in this Tour that already did the Giro. I'm actually convinced he recovered really well. Unless of course he bonks now.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Two questions.....

If Contador wins overall, is this the best win of his career?

If he wins, will Riis try and make him do the Vuelta? (Barring suspension ofc)

 

[El Pistolero]

Two questions.....

If Contador wins overall, is this the best win of his career?

If he wins, will Riis try and make him do the Vuelta? (Barring suspension ofc)

His best win is that stage win at the Tour Down Under.

 

[yell4cadel]

Riding at less than 40kmh on such flat roads isn't going to take much out of the legs.

Thats all AC's knee can handle....

 

[sultanofhyd]

Two questions.....

If Contador wins overall, is this the best win of his career?

If he wins, will Riis try and make him do the Vuelta? (Barring suspension ofc)

It will be one of the best ever, forget his own career, given the circumstances and **** he's had to face over the last year.

I hope he does.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

If he had trouble with the Giro he would have been way behind already like everyone else in this Tour that already did the Giro. I'm actually convinced he recovered really well. Unless of course he bonks now.

I said before the tour the 3rd week is where he would feel it, and I stand by it. Especially considering how heaving the end is. I suspect his ITT will suffer a little from fatigue also, but he should still beat andy there.

But I do think he could do ok today.
Like last year I don't reckon he will win a stage this year. Just my opinion of course.

 

[sultanofhyd]

Thats all AC's knee can handle....

Yeah I know, if only Europcar were Spanish it would all fall in place.

 

[AussieGoddess]

Two questions.....

If Contador wins overall, is this the best win of his career?

If he wins, will Riis try and make him do the Vuelta? (Barring suspension ofc)

If he wins he will WANT to do the Vuelta. He has stated pretty clearly that he wants to win all 3 in a year ....

and yeah - if he wins I think this will be his best

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Riding at less than 40kmh on such flat roads isn't going to take much out of the legs.

Nope, but every little helps.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

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!!

the longer the better, this will still zap the energy.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Europcar have got to be one of the worst teams at being on the front of the peloton!! Yesterday and today they have been poor!!

 

[sultanofhyd]

I said before the tour the 3rd week is where he would feel it, and I stand by it. Especially considering how heaving the end is. I suspect his ITT will suffer a little from fatigue also, but he should still beat andy there.

But I do think he could do ok today.
Like last year I don't reckon he will win a stage this year. Just my opinion of course.

He doesn't need to.