2012 Tour de France: Stage 9: Arc-et-Senans → Besançon (ITT) (41.5 km)

[UlleGigo]

Further references to doping in this thread will be deleted and the poster will be given a 24 hour ban.

Come on folks, you all know the rules.

Susan

What? Are you on drugs?

 

[dlwssonic]

are you mad?

you should be, sky today show how superior they are to any other team

cya mate cya

I'm not aussie so don't talk to me like that.
Yup sky surely have a superior ___________

 

[El Pistolero]

A bit like Gilbert in 2012, then.


A big plus for BMC is that TJVG just became a threat that has to be marked.

Wouldn't surprise me if Sky's waterboys can become third in FW. As for TJVG, I don't think he can keep up in the climbs anyway.

 

[patrick767]

Some context - Cancellara has only won one long TdF ITT in his whole career. He's never been unbeatable during a tour

Interesting. I didn't realize that and I bet some others didn't either. We're so used to seeing him win ITTs.

 

[Fetisoff]

I think folks are getting overly pessimistic.
All the pre Tour talk was about kicking Wiggins in the mountains.
All it takes is one bad day.
Lelangue is taking about all out attacking from now on.
Surely that's a plus?

Problem is, not just Wiggo. It's Froome now too

 

[Fight.The.Power]

A bit like Gilbert in 2012, then.


A big plus for BMC is that TJVG just became a threat that has to be marked.

Good point

 

[Cervelo77]

At least Cadel will likely ride to win, so will not care about trying to protect a 2nd place position on the podium. We should see some interesting days in the mountains. I think unless the other GC teams hook up and try to work together, Sky is going to steamroll this, baring a bonk or fall. Right now everyone is playing for 3rd.

 

[Arnout]

At least gilbert has a reason for sucking.

Yeah, no blond hair anymore.

TJVG is no force to be reckoned with. We knew he was a good TTer, but he will not be able to follow in the mountains.

 

[patrick767]

Pre-Tour, all I thought about is that there's 100km of time trials (which I love) and not enough mountains. If they wanted to do 100km ITT, they should have balanced it out with more mountain stages. Today, while I loved the todays stage, my fears have come true.

+1
It's like the ACO wanted to make it more balanced so that someone who's not a pure climber had a shot, but they went too far. At least one more big, highly selective MTF would have been great.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I am sorry, but that TT was plain ridiculous.

 

[dlwssonic]

Yeah, no blond hair anymore.

TJVG is no force to be reckoned with. We knew he was a good TTer, but he will not be able to follow in the mountains.

Yup I don't see TJVG doing much.
I hope he can win the white jersey.
But thats gonna be extremely hard with rein taaramae and gallopin.

 

[janraaskalt]

I am sorry, but that TT was plain ridiculous.

In what way? It seems to me that it was a great stage.

 

[Trunnions]

I'm sure I speak for all of us when we give Mr. Bradley Wiggins three rousing cheers for taking his first TdF Stage win.

Hip hip...
Hip hip...
Hip hip...


The race is on and far from over.

Take heart you lot ity's only a bike race.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

I am sorry, but that TT was plain ridiculous.

Cue Violins

 

[El Pistolero]

In what way? It seems to me that it was a great stage.

So was Pais Vasco 2007.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Great battle for top 10 places set up, very tight from 7-15

 

[dlwssonic]

I wanna see how sky fare against contador next year.

if they can last till next year.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cue Violins

Violins? I am not sad or crying. Cadel won last year so if he won this year it was a bonus. It is ridiculous because of Sky's domination.

 

[Cervelo77]

Anyone know what happened to Zabriskie? His time straight up sucked. Battling injuries?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

So was Pais Vasco 2007.

JvdB a bit disappointing btw. I expected him top 15... Now he is too far in GC. Hopefully he will attack like 2009

 

[RHRH19861986]

In my opinion, Wiggins is exactly the rider Lance Armstrong always claimed to be. Wiggins really seems to be this 1% ahead in concerns of professionality.
Just look at his season.

Build-up, 10th in Algarve, wins Paris-Nice, withdraws from Catalunya to stay healty (terrible conditions in stage 3 on this Wednesday where the stage was shortened), wins Romandie, goes to Tenerife for weeks, returns to win Dauphine, recovers well, and now second after the prologue, gets Yellow after an accident-free first week, and builds advantage now.

Really, really impressive. I followed him just like I followed Menchov since December 2011. I had confidence in Menchov, he had his own approach with single focus on the Tour (like Ullrich had), and was only worried after his knee problems increased, which forced him to abandon Romandie - so hats off also to Menchov. Wiggins almost shows the perfect season, big, big respect to him.

Future years will be hard for him though, with Contador returning. And, though no one would´ve imagined that, the biggest Tour times for the Schlecks might be already over - but the same was said about Boonen, and he returned after worse years.

Large disappointments for Rabobank and especially Gesink. Neither in the Ardennes, nor in the Tour, Gesink fulfilled expectations. He will face large salary decreases.

 

[akrogirl]

This is just sad....
I really don't understand why even the Brit fans can't see the truth.
Its Blatant.
Should have known it last year at the vuelta.

I'm a Brit and, although I have no hard evidence, sadly, I have to admit that I am highly suspicious at this point. Much as I would love to see a British victory in the Tour, I want it to be a fairly won one.

 

[Trunnions]

Anyone know what happened to Zabriskie? His time straight up sucked. Battling injuries?

Bad batch of DNutz cream I suspect.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I wanna see how sky fare against contador next year.

Fit Contador on top form would win this year, and he'll probably win next year.

Weak field this year.

 

[Warhawk]

Yup I don't see TJVG doing much.
I hope he can win the white jersey.
But thats gonna be extremely hard with rein taaramae and gallopin.

Wouldn't surprise me if Sky's waterboys can become third in FW. As for TJVG, I don't think he can keep up in the climbs anyway.

Depends on the climb I think. Only 2 mountain finishes remaining, and the first isn't all that steep. If Taaramae is going to take another big chunk out of Tejay, I expect it's most likely to happen on stage 17. And Tejay will pick up some time again on the last TT, so it's not enough for those two guys to just take the jersey - they'll need some breathing space going into the TT as well.