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

[just some guy]

Yeah, Marianne Vos saw Contador close a gap after the peloton split when Phil was hitting the front yesterday. And she said he did it with a lot of panache and didn't believe his knee problems.

I think Contador has been fooling the Schlecks and it's working. Cause Andy thinks Frank is his biggest opponent for the victory in Paris. Trap laid, and waiting to crush

The only thing Contador needs to do is break Frank and Andy will not know what to do. Not the time trial, but Frank is Andy's greatest weakness.

And I do see a touch of Riis already in Contador.

I would agree but the rumor is that Andys form is off and way off that Fränk is the leader unless Andy comes good.

and no I did not make it up - read it in the Australian media - which means it´s wrong but ......... you never know

 

[Cimber]

Don't know if this has been mentioned anywhere here, but there was an interesting morsel in El Pais yesterday about the knee:



Basically, Contador has been telling friends in the peloton that he's in great form and all the knee talk is just a defensive tactic to relieve pressure.

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Jugar/despiste/despista/elpepudep/20110712elpepudep_11/Tes

If that was indeed the case I am sure he would tell ppl in the peloton. anyways, tomorrow we will see. I hope he will be 100% 2morrow.

 

[dlwssonic]

Yeah, Marianne Vos saw Contador close a gap after the peloton split when Phil was hitting the front yesterday. And she said he did it with a lot of panache and didn't believe his knee problems.

I think Contador has been fooling the Schlecks and it's working. Cause Andy thinks Frank is his biggest opponent for the victory in Paris. Trap laid, and waiting to crush

The only thing Contador needs to do is break Frank and Andy will not know what to do. Not the time trial, but Frank is Andy's greatest weakness.

And I do see a touch of Riis already in Contador. Contador will want to win on Plateau de Beille as well.

The only thing it showed was that he wasnt being alert. On a more serious note. Im sure contador will give a hard fight to the schlecks. However we have to wait for tomorrow to see how good he is.

 

[theyoungest]

I personally think it is fair to say that Cadel was not on good form at all in Catalunya. long climbs V short climbs requires a different effort. He even said so before the start of Catalunya that he didn't expect to be very good.

FFS, Leipheimer and Scarponi were right up there.

nice work El Clenbuterlero!

Evans hardly looked better on the long climbs in the Dauphiné than Andy Schleck did in Suisse. But tv pundits only see what is happening right now, and they forget that Evans hasn't impressed on the long climbs for a few years now. So Evans is still considered a podium favourite.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I would agree but the rumor is that Andys form is off and way off that Fränk is the leader unless Andy comes good.

and no I did not make it up - read it in the Australian media - which means it´s wrong but ......... you never know

that rumor was only in the first few days, but we are more than a week away now and andy's shape is definetely good by now.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Evans hardly looked better on the long climbs in the Dauphiné than Andy Schleck did in Suisse. But tv pundits only see what is happening right now, and they forget that Evans hasn't impressed on the long climbs for a few years now. So Evans is still considered a podium favourite.

yeah it's ridiculous. fortunately also the bookmakers are this stupid. as I have good money bet on basos and samu over evans in gc, all money x6/7

 

[El Pistolero]

The only thing it showed was that he wasnt being alert. On a more serious note. Im sure contador will give a hard fight to the schlecks. However we have to wait for tomorrow to see how good he is.

The Schlecks got caught out as well and they were panicking like little schoolboys. Cuddles can sit up front in the flat stages all he wants, he's going to get crushed in the mountains.

 

[Duartista]

If that was indeed the case I am sure he would tell ppl in the peloton. anyways, tomorrow we will see. I hope he will be 100% 2morrow.

According to the article he was only telling close friends, i.e. not anyone who was likely to blurt out to the media that he's bluffing. Obviously, I have no idea if what the article says is true or not, but the journalist in question is pretty experienced/credible. Anyway, not long to wait to find out.

 

[Jeanne]

Yay! Just another year or so and we might reach double digits

Guys, what about at least a number 6??? Here I am

 

[dlwssonic]

The Schlecks got caught out as well and they were panicking like little schoolboys. Cuddles can sit up front in the flat stages all he wants, he's going to crush everyone in the mountains.

fixed that for you

 

[cineteq]

The Schlecks got caught out as well and they were panicking like little schoolboys. Cuddles can sit up front in the flat stages all he wants, he's going to get crushed in the mountains.

Are you talking about this year? You must be listening to the Tour on radio LOL!!!

 

[Bavarianrider]

Top 5 tomorrow
(no particular order)
A.Schleck
Contador
Tony
Evans
Sanchez

 

[dlwssonic]

Top 5 tomorrow
(no particular order)
A.Schleck
Contador
Tony
Evans
Sanchez

seriously are you on drugs!?!?! tony to beat basso, gesink and frank

 

[Bavarianrider]

seriously are you on drugs!?!?! tony to beat basso, gesink and frank

Gesink= injured
Basso = not i n top shape
Frank= not impressive this year
Tony= condition of his life

 

[dlwssonic]

Gesink= injured
Basso = not i n top shape
Frank= not impressive this year
Tony= condition of his life

Tony is looking strong but i dont see him getting a top 5 on a hard mountainous stage.

 

[El Pistolero]

Tony's not riding for GC. We saw that yesterday. He's working for a hobbit.

 

[Sylvester]

Basso will beat Tony Martin tomorrow with more than a minute (if the stage is ridden hard). Tourmalet + Luz-Ardiden ≠ Andorra Arcalis, believe me.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Evans hardly looked better on the long climbs in the Dauphiné than Andy Schleck did in Suisse. But tv pundits only see what is happening right now, and they forget that Evans hasn't impressed on the long climbs for a few years now. So Evans is still considered a podium favourite.

Last man standing. He wouldn't be a podium favourite if we hadn't lost so many GC candidates.

 

[dlwssonic]

Last man standing. He wouldn't be a podium favourite if we hadn't lost so many GC candidates.

keeping out of trouble is part of racing isnt it.

 

[sultanofhyd]

keeping out of trouble is part of racing isnt it.

Yeah, whatever glorifies Cadel's abilities.

Don't think Flecha ran out of talent when he got hit by a car.

Let's face it, lots of crashes this year, especially over the last few months have been freak accidents that have nothing to do with riders' ability.

 

[dlwssonic]

Yeah, whatever glorifies Cadel's abilities.

Don't think Flecha ran out of talent when he got hit by a car.

Let's face it, lots of crashes this year, especially over the last few months have been freak accidents that have nothing to do with riders' ability.

do you have to make fun of me because im a cadel fanboy. you are a pretty big contador fanboy yourself.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I personally think it is fair to say that Cadel was not on good form at all in Catalunya. long climbs V short climbs requires a different effort. He even said so before the start of Catalunya that he didn't expect to be very good.

FFS, Leipheimer and Scarponi were right up there.

seriously?
he won TA less then a week ago, please don't suggest he wasn't in good form at all.

And yes I agree with different climbs, but evans has had similar form in the first 10 days at this tour to what he showed at TA. This suggest to me he will again fail in the mountains.

anyway LL and scarponi have beaten cadel in big races before, why the surprise?

--

also what youngest said.

 

[dlwssonic]

seriously?
he won TA less then a week ago, please don't suggest he wasn't in good form at all.

And yes I agree with different climbs, but evans has had similar form in the first 10 days at this tour to what he showed at TA. This suggest to me he will again fail in the mountains.

anyway LL and scarponi have beaten cadel in big races before, why the surprise?

--

also what youngest said.

I dont think his form was great in TA. It was his first race of the year. He won a hilly sprint which doesnt say much about his form and he did an average TT.

 

[Woody22]

Don't worry about Evans. He will be fine this year. Different rider with a dedicated team. You guys who bag him about losing the tour in 2008 go back and watch the highlights. His single handed efforts against CSC were amazing. If he had been in that team he would have won that race by minutes.
He will do alright tomorrow.

 

[El Pistolero]

Don't worry about Evans. He will be fine this year. Different rider with a dedicated team. You guys who bag him about losing the tour in 2008 go back and watch the highlights. His single handed efforts against CSC were amazing. If he had been in that team he would have won that race by minutes.
He will do alright tomorrow.

And if Contador was there he'd have won by an hour. If if if. It always comes to this

The fact that he lost to Carlos Sastre says it all to me.