2011 Tour de France Stage 18 - Pinerolo - Galibier Serre-Chevalier 200.5km

[VeloCity]

When have I ever said good words about Movistar? I can't stand that team. Will be about time for them that Valverde returns, so they can work for them self again.

Ps: Movistar is helping because they want to sign Contador in the future. No way will the Schlecks ever go to QS. It was just really pathetic. If QS signs the Schlecks I'll stand corrected

Didn't hear any complaints when Sanchez said that he'd work for Contador, and I don't expect Contador to be signing with EE any time soon.

 

[sulgpallur]

yea Rolland pulled at the end for few moments, but then TV shouted him something and he stopped

 

[kurtinsc]

Err, I know Frank has a lousy ITT reputation, but seriously, do you think Cadel would want to start a 42km lumpy ITT, at 1'-35" down, on a rider who clearly has good form?
Factor in what happened when everyone said he would overtake Sastre in the 2008 ITT and you have an extremely precarious scenario.

I'm afraid Cadel will have the deja vu sweats, tonight.

He has to chase them both and he knows nobody is either prepared, or able to help neutralize either bro.

Plus, It's now almost certain things will boil over towards the summit of the Galibier, if not before.

They want first and second and Cadel is their only obstacle.
As a result, he's stuck between a rock and a turd place, as Sean Kelly might say.

I'm saying that if he started down 1:30 to Frank and 1:00 to Andy... he wouldn't worry about Frank at all in the ITT, just Andy.

If he's good enugh to take a minute out of Andy, then he's good enough to take 1:45 or so out of Frank. In 2009 Frank rode the best Tour ITT I've ever seen him put up. Also a year where Frank had exceptional form. Cadel's form was very average that year... and he still put in 1:20 on Frank.

In 2008... 3:30 (over 52km).

Frank would have to be a minute ahead of Andy for Frank to be Cadel's primary concern in the ITT among the schlecks.


I'm not saying he can take a minute on Andy... I'm just saying that if he can, then 1:30 to Frank won't be an issue.

 

[El Pistolero]

Didn't hear any complaints when Sanchez said that he'd work for Contador, and I don't expect Contador to be signing with EE any time soon.

They have mutual interests.

Besides, Samu has never helped Contador. Give me one example this Tour

 

[spalco]

Cool quote by Eddy Merckx, what a compliment from someone like him:

Eddy Merckx, who watched the stage unfold from race director Christian Prudhomme's car, was very impressed with his performance. "To break away like that on the Izoard is not simple, moreover with the headwind on the Lautaret and all these big names behind him,” Merckx said. “Today, Andy wrote an historic page in cycling. Really impressive.

"It makes the history of cycling to see a rider like Andy Schleck take off from far away like that. It was risky, especially with the headwind, and what he did was the performance of a champion. He honours the grandeur of the Tour de France."

 

[MartinGT]

Just watched the highlights, I tell you what, little Frankie Schleck was holding on the bottles rather long at one point wasnt he?

 

[Grayguard]

Cool quote by Eddy Merckx, what a compliment from someone like him:

I agree tho. Now Andy just has to stop talking, and do more of *this*, and he will have only supporters

 

[luckyboy]

Would've been nice if Cadel had a bit more to give. If he put in a little dig everyone would've blown.

 

[LaFleur]

Sorry for doubleposting this, but surely, there must be atleast 1 picture of Taaramäe in white, surely??? Sad to see this getting ignored.

 

[SarahDane]

Andy: "I'm just super happy I can go out and enjoy the victory."

No clubbing tonight, baaaaad idea.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Cadel and Basso may have their big day tomorrow.
Voeckler right at the end looked like his legs totally seized...for a few seconds they looked like wood ! but he rode through to the end.

Yea, Rolland is really going to be a future star.

Andy listened to so much grief it may have stirred the fire in him...I'm really happy for his ride today. A true champion and we saw him gain a few years maturity in this stage alone I feel.

EPIC!

 

[spanky wanderlust]

After you with the bong!! Even if Contador had the legs tomorrow you think anyone is going to let him get away?

"let him"? ha.

that's how he won the giro. riders were unaware of the threat and just "let him" go. on every stage.

 

[The Hitch]

Rolland did go to the front towards the end of the climb, but Tommy V called him off or it looked like he called him off, I think at that time Thomas was cooked.

If Rolland had been the one in the breakway, France would have had its Tour winner by now.

 

[2wheels]

Andy can't time trial yet takes 2 minutes of a peloton in a valley with headwind

Mods-- can we either direct innuendo posts like this to the proper forum, or at least send these folks some rotten cheese to go along with the sour grapes they're drinking?

 

[El Pistolero]

Mods-- can we either direct innuendo posts like this to the proper forum, or at least send these folks some rotten cheese to go along with the sour grapes they're drinking?

It's in the proper forum.

I'm insulting the chasers here, not Andy. You're quick to think of the clinic though

 

[Sem Travões]

Man nice day to have a meeting after lunch, not everyday you got the chance to see Contador (Conti is Italian by the way) to stay behind.
I don't know who BMC is going to hire next year (Gilbert, Thor), but what they really need is good gregarios, the man to win they already got and will Thor work for Cadle ?, even Cancellara is getting nowhere these days.

 

[Grayguard]

This attack was a perfect copy of Riis' tactics in earlier tours. Kudos

 

[Escarabajo]

Sorry for doubleposting this, but surely, there must be atleast 1 picture of Taaramäe in white, surely??? Sad to see this getting ignored.

This is a one sided forum. They ignored Uran for a long time and now is your turn.

Great ride by Taaramae by the way.

 

[Finn84]

Sorry for doubleposting this, but surely, there must be atleast 1 picture of Taaramäe in white, surely??? Sad to see this getting ignored.

I tried to search it (looked on Cofidis official page as well as some Estonian newspapers) but to no avail.

 

[Dedelou]

If Rolland had been the one in the breakway, France would have had its Tour winner by now.

he is paying his dues to his team and his captain, but Rolland will be a person to watch. He looks good on the slopes

 

[Mellow Velo]

Man nice day to have a meeting after lunch, not everyday you got the chance to see Contador (Conti is Italian by the way) to stay behind.
I don't know who BMC is going to hire next year (Gilbert, Thor), but what they really need is good gregarios, the man to win they already got and will Thor work for Cadle ?, even Cancellara is getting nowhere these days.

This is a real issue and a bit of a sticking point around here.
A whole lot of bluster about how strong Cadel's BMC team support was.
Sure, they turned in a truly amazing TTT, but when it came to a crucial mountain stage, even though they got 2 men in the right place, they were still found wanting.
A great solo effort by Cadel, but he deserved better.

 

[Donkey]

Bjarne Riis is the biggest loser of the day.
Forget AC's condition: could this happen to Lance Armstrong during his golden years? The answer is: absolutely not.
First of all especially after the hard Giro Alberto needed at least one super-domestic: Heras, Rubiera, Landis, Klöden, Leipheimer....
then a few other riders in a great shape.

So in case of Shleck's attack, the team would have started to work - a super-domestic keeping Alberto in wind-safe position and the others chasing.

Maybe of the same importance is not to allow Leopard's Monfort and Gerdeman break away off the peloton.


It's the shame that AC - Johann Bruyneel cooperation is gone, not that Alberto didn't make any mistakes during TdF2009 but the american approach - Armstrong and 4 example Horner in an interview that can be found on youtube acted like idiots.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

How often did Lance Armstrong ride a full program in the early season AND the Giro before turning up to the Tour?

It isn't a shame that the AC-Johan Bruyneel cooperation is gone, because Bruyneel's tactic is to make everybody ride defensively and boringly after setting up leads, and strangle the life out of the race like a mountain-bound HTC train. Having the best climber in the world on the end of that only makes for processional races. Isn't it better when you don't know who's going to win before the race starts?

 

[The Hitch]

OMG. ITV (channel here) news usually has a sport part of the show.

But there is not much sport atm. So instead of using the opportunity to show from the TOur. They could talk about anything. The legend of the stage. The impact of Voeckler. Australias potential first winner.

But no, they instead show no sport.

And this is the company that covers the Tour.

What a disgrace.

 

[Duartista]

Bjarne Riis is the biggest loser of the day.
Forget AC's condition: could this happen to Lance Armstrong during his golden years? The answer is: absolutely not.
First of all especially after the hard Giro Alberto needed at least one super-domestic: Heras, Rubiera, Landis, Klöden, Leipheimer....
then a few other riders in a great shape.

So in case of Shleck's attack, the team would have started to work - a super-domestic keeping Alberto in wind-safe position and the others chasing.

Maybe of the same importance is not to allow Leopard's Monfort and Gerdeman break away off the peloton.


It's the shame that AC - Johann Bruyneel cooperation is gone, not that Alberto didn't make any mistakes during TdF2009 but the american approach - Armstrong and 4 example Horner in an interview that can be found on youtube acted like idiots.

One common theme of the Giro and Tour this year is that domestiques able to set a consistently high pace day after day in the mountains are an endangered species. This can only be a good thing, IMO.