26th & 27th March - Criterium International

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Jul 16, 2010
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Perhaps a year too many for Vino?

He should already be in form right now if he wants to do something at the classics. Unless he's hiding.
 
Feb 20, 2010
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Idunno; Tiago Machado's a pretty good ITTer too...

Ride of the day for me: Maxime Meverel. The almost forgotten ex-Crédit Agricole man took his Big Mat-Auber 93 team into the top 20, outclimbing the likes of Samuel Sánchez, Vino, Klöden, Arroyo and Coppel.
 
Mar 11, 2009
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Mar 19, 2009
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16 secs. That's not that hard over almost 8k. I think VK could definitely take it.

Anyway, nice win for Frank. Seems the leopard boys didn't want to be outdone by their old squad and had their own double. Maybe there should be a Saxo v. leopard victory count. 6-4 Saxo so far.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
roundabout said:
Downing and Swift H.D. along with the TdF KoM.

Peraud should finish 4th with a good TT

http://s288581967.onlinehome.fr/resultat/resultat.php5?code_course=CRI&menu=1


bit harsh really. something like 15 riders outside the cutoff. With a two day race like this with big hills one day and sprint the next theyve kinda messed it up a bit. Thats two sprinters at least out of it for tommorow including one of last years stage winners. I thought for as many as 15 they waived the cuttoff rules.
 
Mar 11, 2009
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Tactics with race radios:
On the climb, Schleckette attacks early, stops, turns around and looks for Frank.
Tactics without race radios:
On the climb, Schleckette attacks early, stops, turns around and looks for Frank.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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Mellow Velo said:
Tactics with race radios:
On the climb, Schleckette attacks early, stops, turns around and looks for Frank.
Tactics without race radios:
On the climb, Schleckette attacks early, stops, turns around and looks for Frank.

If you have to spearheads that everyone has to follow ... why not use them?
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Christian said:
If you have to spearheads that everyone has to follow ... why not use them?

I think Andy is better of without Frank in the Tour.

If Frank wants to be a great domestique he'll have to sacrifice him self fully and not care for his own results, but we all know Andy will wait for Frank at times where he shouldn't.

Frank crashing out in stage 3 and causing Contador to lose more than a minute was the best thing that could've happened to Andrew though.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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El Pistolero said:
I think Andy is better of without Frank in the Tour.

If Frank wants to be a great domestique he'll have to sacrifice him self fully and not care for his own results, but we all know Andy will wait for Frank at times where he shouldn't.

Frank crashing out in stage 3 and causing Contador to lose more than a minute was the best thing that could've happened to Andrew though.

Andy explained the Ventoux situation on Radio DNR in Luxembourg a while ago: Being unable to drop Contador, he asked Contador to cooperate and for the two of them to fight for the stage victory. Contador refused because he had Armstrong sitting in the back. This meant Andy would have had to do all the work out in the wind and would have delivered a fresh Contador right at the finish line ... a prestigious victory which he certainly wouldn't have passed up if presented on a silver platter like that.

Therefore he did not wait for anyone, but decided not to do domestique work for Contador.

Fränk's crash was one of the worst things that could happen to him. Just imagine on the Port de Balès they could have just swapped bikes and the 39 seconds would have never existed. Fuglsang did a nice job setting the pace in the climbs, but Fränk, argueably in the form of his life, would have ceratinly been able to set a higher pace for a longer time.

The only positive aspect was maybe that, being on his own, he was the sole leader in a GT for the first time (not counting the Giro), certainly a learning experience that may help him in the future. Of course Laurent Fignon (may he rest in peace) got aggravated when he went to get bottles for his team mates, but I actually think he did a good job as a leader. I assume as a 24-year old it's not easy telling guys like Nicki Sorensen, Jens Voigt and Stuart O'Grady what to do!
 
Sep 8, 2009
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El Pistolero said:
Perhaps a year too many for Vino?

He should already be in form right now if he wants to do something at the classics. Unless he's hiding.

nah he's ok.just remember last season,pretty same results until liege and trentino.let's just wait for the ardennes and see.

it was a good race this one,frank can't lose it.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Christian said:
Andy explained the Ventoux situation on Radio DNR in Luxembourg a while ago: Being unable to drop Contador, he asked Contador to cooperate and for the two of them to fight for the stage victory. Contador refused because he had Armstrong sitting in the back. This meant Andy would have had to do all the work out in the wind and would have delivered a fresh Contador right at the finish line ... a prestigious victory which he certainly wouldn't have passed up if presented on a silver platter like that.

Therefore he did not wait for anyone, but decided not to do domestique work for Contador.

Fränk's crash was one of the worst things that could happen to him. Just imagine on the Port de Balès they could have just swapped bikes and the 39 seconds would have never existed. Fuglsang did a nice job setting the pace in the climbs, but Fränk, argueably in the form of his life, would have ceratinly been able to set a higher pace for a longer time.

The only positive aspect was maybe that, being on his own, he was the sole leader in a GT for the first time (not counting the Giro), certainly a learning experience that may help him in the future. Of course Laurent Fignon (may he rest in peace) got aggravated when he went to get bottles for his team mates, but I actually think he did a good job as a leader. I assume as a 24-year old it's not easy telling guys like Nicki Sorensen, Jens Voigt and Stuart O'Grady what to do!

Without Frank's crash Contador didn't need those 39 seconds by the way, he'd have a cushion of 42 seconds.
With your story you just further proved my point. Contador shouldn't have waited for Armstrong either and should've just dropped them all. Contador has already given way too many gifts to the Schleck brothers.
 
Jul 15, 2009
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El Pistolero said:
Frank crashing out in stage 3 and causing Contador to lose more than a minute was the best thing that could've happened to Andrew though.

Just pointing out, Bertie would probably have been caught in that hold-up irregardless of Franks chute since it was not actually Frank that went down first. It was german prodigy Tony Martin, taking the elder Schleck down with him, holding up everyone further back then sixth or seventh spot in the group. Since Alberto was not way up front (as that was Saxo country), he would have been held up either way.

And I don't think Andrew will wait for his older brother. He didn't hold on Verbier, when it counted - after that, everyone pretty much played with open hands.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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El Pistolero said:
Contador shouldn't have waited for Armstrong either and should've just dropped them all. Contador has already given way too many gifts to the Schleck brothers.

Lol that's easier said than done though. Andy looked very strong, I think he could have followed him.

What kind of gifts are you talking about?

Back on topic: Samuel really faded in the last km's
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Christian said:
Lol that's easier said than done though. Andy looked very strong, I think he could have followed him.

What kind of gifts are you talking about?

Back on topic: Samuel really faded in the last km's

Frankie's stage win 2 years ago and Andy's stage win on Tourmalet were clearly gifts.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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El Pistolero said:
Frankie's stage win 2 years ago and Andy's stage win on Tourmalet were clearly gifts.

Both times he could not drop them even though he tried, which suggests he did not necessarily want to give them these "gifts" as you call them. No one knows who would win if they really competed a sprint ... it would be interesting to see though. He could have probably won the Tourmalet sprint (since Andy did all the work) but Grand Bornand I'm pretty positive he would have lost either way
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Christian said:
Both times he could not drop them even though he tried, which suggests he did not necessarily want to give them these "gifts" as you call them. No one knows who would win if they really competed a sprint ... it would be interesting to see though. He could have probably won the Tourmalet sprint (since Andy did all the work) but Grand Bornand I'm pretty positive he would have lost either way

I both cases he already won the Tour and didn't need to drop them. They were gifts. Seeing as Contador is the most explosive climber on demanding mountain stages he would've out sprinted them both. Frank is really a horrible sprinter, it's the only thing holding him back of having become world champion for example or winning LBL.

You really overrate Frank if you think he can hold on with Contador if he starts climbing seriously in top form. He came fifth in an extremely weak Vuelta field. Says enough, even if he wasn't in top form, he should've won.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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El Pistolero said:
I both cases he already won the Tour and didn't need to drop them. They were gifts. Seeing as Contador is the most explosive climber on demanding mountain stages he would've out sprinted them both. Frank is really a horrible sprinter, it's the only thing holding him back of having become world champion for example or winning LBL.

You really overrate Frank if you think he can hold on with Contador if he starts climbing seriously in top form. He came fifth in an extremely weak Vuelta field. Says enough, even if he wasn't in top form, he should've won.

I completely agree. Fränk Schleck is one of the most overrated riders as climber ever.

He's an ok ardennes specialist and can hold his own in mountains but he doesn't come in my top 10 of pure climbers at the moment
 
Jan 11, 2010
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Dekker_Tifosi said:
I completely agree. Fränk Schleck is one of the most overrated riders as climber ever.

He's an ok ardennes specialist and can hold his own in mountains but he doesn't come in my top 10 of pure climbers at the moment
He was quite strong in the Tour 2009, you can't deny that. Surely he can do more than hold his own on the climbs.

(I'm just preparing you for when he drops Robert Gesink like a stone in July)
 

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