2011 Tour de France Stage 16 (18/7/2011): Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Gap, 162.5km

[The Hitch]

By claiming that rider A would have won because rider B won, but rider A crashed out agruement. Is dumb and pointless.

Ie If Evans wins Gesink would have but he crashed arguement .

Going into the tour
Contador
Andy were ranked 1 and 2 if they dont win then who ever wins deserves the win no if or buts.

It is cr@p to say otherwise - my point

Im not saying Gesink would have won. Im saying Gesink is likely never going to get this kind of chance to win the Tour. Im not saying he would have but most Dutch fans here believe Gesink is a better Gc all rounder or at least very close, so a Tour where Evans actually wins, is one where Gesink had a far better chance than he is likely to get in the future.

As for Samu, if Evans didnt have a head start, i honestly have no idea where he will have gotten any time from Sanchez?

Also i have no idea why you need profanity.

"This is wrong" is a lot more pleasant to read when you are in discussion with someone than "this is bull****, it is total cr@p" etc.

Just saying.

 

[BM1979]

And yet Vaughters decided that Thor wasn't to go for green. The green jersey race might look different if he hadn't done something that foolish. Oh, Cav would still be in the lead, but Thor would be better placed.

Thor gave up points in his original breakaway too at the intermediate sprint

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No Hitch Gesink would not have won this Tour even in topform. On climbs like these he is as bad as Basso, and on descends like these he is as bad as Basso. So he would have lost a minute right there. Podium would have been possible though seeing how bad the Schlecks are

 

[Kwibus]

I didn't agree with his entire post, because imo attacking on a descent is also attacking. He was right on the ascent part in the big mountains though.

Your reply was ridiculous and apparently moderators haven't read it, because I'm confident we won't be seeing you for a while. Which is great.

Edit: And apparently moderators read it by the time I posted this reply

 

[The Hitch]

Wow Hitch. I think you have never been so wrong before. Maybe you are just being sarcastic and I did not see it.

You dont think this years GC was a lot more open for guys like Gesink and VDB than usual?

 

[trevim]

i'll be honest. i had reached my limit of french and didn't pay much attention. (actually turned off w/Fränk -- who, btw, seemed a bit more respectful and less whiney than his little bro)... but, non. Riis was not mocking.

France 2 then had a very nice piece on Evans.

and, lol, Tommy had to catch the eye of the interviewer to get in a little face time...

was that Hinault predicting Contador for the win???

damn! i need to pay attention!

(and work on my french more since i've given up ever learning dutch )

Well if it was an interview in french it wouldn't matter much wether I was paying attention or not. I wouldn't get it anyway

Points for trying!

 

[Tuarts]

The tour may be over by the time I get home but the first thing I'll do when I get back is download this stage.

 

[El Pistolero]

If Thor was going for green he'd have 0 stage wins now

Ask Gilbert and Rojas how hard it is to get in a breakaway when HTC chases you.

 

[hfer07]

Gah... got in late to this one, but let me get this straight. The Schlecks, especially Andy, can't hang with Contador on a freaking Cat. 2 climb. Speaking of Andy, he can't hang with Voeckler on a Cat. 2 climb. Do I have that right? Voeckler climbs better than Andy Schleck and Ivan Basso? What is going on here?

Honestly- that sh!t bothers me a bit-but that climb wasn't too selective to make gaps-the rode was very wide without many turns & hairpins-so I kind of accept that Voeckler was capable of hanging in there-but still proves strange to see him climbing so well among the GC riders... he'll pop on the Galibier- that's for sure

 

[patrick767]

cyclisme a une vitesse et demi...?

Je ne parle pas français.

There must be an expression I'm missing here though. Translator says:
Cycling has a speed and a half.

huh? Genuinely curious.

 

[Sophistic]

ive lost every respect for Sammy Sanchez over the last couple of days, instead of going for the win himself big time, he is talking bout helping a guy who doesnt even ride on the same team?

 

[Bala Verde]

You dont think this years GC was a lot more open for guys like Gesink and VDB than usual?

I am starting to think Gesink wasn't even in form this TdF, regardless of his fall.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Of course, a major fail and embarrassment for the brothers. Maybe they don't like cold and wet?

... and cobbles, and descents, and TT´s, and mountains that are not long enough or steep enough. LMAO.

 

[No_Balls]

ive lost every respect for Sammy Sanchez over the last couple of days, instead of going for the win himself big time, he is talking bout helping a guy who doesnt even ride on the same team?

Don´t think that would be the case if he wasn´t caught up in all sorts of trouble, though.

But generally, helping Contador is not a bad tactical thing to do IMO, it pays off.

 

[The Hitch]

Maybe i was being a bit too harsh on Cuddles and his attacking. It definately took balls from him to do the descent the way he did and well done for that.

Also i will admit he has attacked more than 3 times in his career.

Worlds, FW, Giro stage 7 and now a half attack on the descent so thats 3 and a half.

Joking aside, what prompted my responce was someone writing that Cadel and Contador are the ones who deserve praise for attacking riding, and i stand by my assertion that it is wrong to compare Contador who possibly has the most famous signature attack in cycling history, vs Evans who does it very rarely.

And obviously i believe a number of other riders deserve more praise for attacking in this Tour than Cadel.

 

[Kwibus]

ive lost every respect for Sammy Sanchez over the last couple of days, instead of going for the win himself big time, he is talking bout helping a guy who doesnt even ride on the same team?

Was he still taking like that after todays stage?
p.s. I don't really think he helped AC so far, besides today, but that was in his own interest as well.

 

[musorowegudo]

Thank you Alberto . . .. Obrigado . . . . Merci . . . . .Dankie

 

[Spine Concept]

I am starting to think Gesink wasn't even in form this TdF, regardless of his fall.

I´m inclined to think the same. The crash just gave him an excuse.

 

[patrick767]

Thor gave up points in his original breakaway too at the intermediate sprint

As he's done on every intermediate sprint. He hasn't really contested them. Obviously if his goal, a goal he'd been permitted to contest, was to win the green, he would have gained more points on the intermediates.

Thor has had a spectacular TdF anyway.

 

[Big Doopie]

Je ne parle pas français.

There must be an expression I'm missing here though. Translator says:
Cycling has a speed and a half.

huh? Genuinely curious.

sorry. don't know how to add accents. there's an accent on the "a".

stupid joke on "cyclisme a deux vitesses" and not going all the way to "cyclisme a une vitesse".

don't want to go any further anyway or translate it as further discussion would require the clinic.

just a silly joke.

 

[Kwibus]

I am starting to think Gesink wasn't even in form this TdF, regardless of his fall.

It could be just me, but just like last year I have serious doubt about Rabo's personal trainer Delahaye.

 

[just some guy]

You dont think this years GC was a lot more open for guys like Gesink and VDB than usual?

Yes I do
And the race would have been different for sure.

Sorry Ive been building up since the GC guys starting going down re if this person had not crashed arguements

Would have been different but the winner whoever should get praise for being the fastest over 3 weeks and having good position and luck

 

[khardung la]

ive lost every respect for Sammy Sanchez over the last couple of days, instead of going for the win himself big time, he is talking bout helping a guy who doesnt even ride on the same team?

It is called having common interests....and just happened today. In the Pyrinees SS was in the front, first or second, and did not help Contador. Today with so many people in breakaways in front of him for the stage victory his chance was to recover time with the Schlecks et al, together with Contador. According to as.com SS told AC today that he was not strong enough to try a victory.

 

[Arnout]

ive lost every respect for Sammy Sanchez over the last couple of days, instead of going for the win himself big time, he is talking bout helping a guy who doesnt even ride on the same team?

Well that is a good tactic for himself too, issent it

Today was all about cooperation. This will be remembered by Contador as well.

On another note: welcome to cycling.

 

[Descender]

that was a hard descent, anyone notice the TVmotorbike back wheel stepping out twice on 2 corners while Evans was following.....

If you thought that was a hard descent, wait for tomorrow...