Armstrong drops A.Schlek who is 15 min out the back WTF???

[issoisso]

It is too easy to mistake the race for the PR. However, the PR that I suspect you object to is not exclusive to the US.

Agreed on the first point. It's not fair to judge the race based on the *** PR hype. Not agreed on the second point, though. The reason europeans (and not only) make so much fun of it is precisely because no one else even comes anywhere close to making such ridiculously wild claims that don't have the slightest hope in hell of being true.

It's like the guy advertising the Slap Chop, guaranteeing it's going to change your life. It's obviously never going to do such a thing, or even come anywhere close. And that's why people mention it and make fun of it.

 

[benpounder]

I wasn't dissing the ToC.

Sorry if it wasnt obvious, I know you were not.

Just pointing out that you can't expect the younger Schleck to care about it, due to a combination of personality and his (lack of) motivation for being there.

One of the things I like about Schlecklet is his unpredictibality - Liege-Bastongne-aLiege last year was stunning. But I think he is smart enough to recognize who pays - and what inspires them to pay. He may very well be on line for a podium finish in the TdF. But he needs a podium finish in the TdF if he wants to continue to be a slacker at races that his sponsors sponsor.

As I said, LA schooled him - I hope he learns.

 

[ScottyMuser]

That is not option 3, it is a subset of my option 2. If one is hoping to show well for the biggest stage in cycling, one doesn't opt for "this is a stupid race that my sponsors forced upon me, therefore I'm just going to stamp my feet and pout in the corner."

Why not, if its the truth? Cali IS a stupid race, half the world away from where he grew up, where the team is based, etc. Just look at Cavendish who has been forced to do Cali by the sponsors instead of the Giro - doesn't seem to bothered to get his team motivated to chase breaks down, although knows he can easily take the sprint if it does come down to it, and moaned hugely when it was abnnounced.

One DOESN'T have to show at every (to quote Cav here) "Sh*t Small races (and lets be honest, it is, in terms of prep, parcours and racing itself, about level with Turkey, just with a much better field cycling around on holiday) to get ready for the TDF. He didn't last year and he easily got 2nd (although admittedly behind Contador by a way); neither did Contador who went to the beach instead. Lance NEVER did when he was winning the TDF - heck at least Andy shows uyp to the Ardennes and cares about them.

 

[flicker]

I wasn't dissing the ToC. Just pointing out that you can't expect the younger Schleck to care about it, due to a combination of personality and his (lack of) motivation for being there

Dude get a grip. Specialized is 15 miles away from Santa Cruz. Andy the road racer/stage racer/ TdF 2nd last year.

Against the field he faced and the parcours(I live and have ridden every part of the course) Andys showing was pathetic.

 

[SpartacusRox]

Wow, it sure is interesting that you talk about Armstrong in every post you make yet claim to be a Fabian fanboy...

I talk about the topic. Fabian rarely comes into the forum posts here because his greatness is unquestioned (or more like he is universally popular to all but Cadel fanboys)

I am not an Armstrong fanboy but I just try to be objective around my assessment of the way the racing went down and unlike many on here I am not 'anti' any rider, I just call it like I see it. Looking back over some of my posts I guess I have been a litlle defensive of Armstrong but not from a fanboy perspective, rather from my view that the posters i have been responding to have been ridiculaously biased or blind or both.

For example, witness the Hog's post quoting Saxo spin from the team in defense of Andy's poor riding. He would be one of the first to flame Shack if they put out a similar post regaring Leipheimer or Armstrong...total unobjective bias. I say this despite being a big supporter of Saxobank and liking Andy as a rider.

The "troll" comments that tend to be made by a certain group of posters against anyone who has an opposing viewpoint also do nothing to engender good discussion on the forum. Yes you do get the myopic LA fans but you also have plenty of equally obsessively anti-LA people who show very little or no objectivity when it comes to Armstrong.

The reality is that in yesterday's stage he rode pretty well and was clearly one of the strongest climbers. At this stage in his preparation it looks to me like he is well on track to peak at the Tour. Now guys can post rubbish like "he looks fat" to their hearts content but they don't seem inclined to realise that if that is the case, then the 'fat' guy just rode away from the second best climber in the world, who should have been able to keep up with that lead group no problem at all.

 

[flicker]

I talk about the topic. Fabian rarely comes into the forum posts here because his greatness is unquestioned (or more like he is universally popular to all but Cadel fanboys)

I am not an Armstrong fanboy but I just try to be objective around my assessment of the way the racing went down and unlike many on here I am not 'anti' any rider, I just call it like I see it. Looking back over some of my posts I guess I have been a litlle defensive of Armstrong but not from a fanboy perspective, rather from my view that the posters i have been responding to have been ridiculaously biased or blind or both.

For example, witness the Hog's post quoting Saxo spin from the team in defense of Andy's poor riding. He would be one of the first to flame Shack if they put out a similar post regaring Leipheimer or Armstrong...total unobjective bias. I say this despite being a big supporter of Saxobank and liking Andy as a rider.

The "troll" comments that tend to be made by a certain group of posters against anyone who has an opposing viewpoint also do nothing to engender good discussion on the forum. Yes you do get the myopic LA fans but you also have plenty of equally obsessively anti-LA people who show very little or no objectivity when it comes to Armstrong.

The reality is that in yesterday's stage he rode pretty well and was clearly one of the strongest climbers. At this stage in his preparation it looks to me like he is well on track to peak at the Tour. Now guys can post rubbish like "he looks fat" to their hearts content but they don't seem inclined to realise that if that is the case, then the 'fat' guy just rode away from the second best climber in the world, who should have been able to keep up with that lead group no problem at all.

Sorry Andy was hungover and looking for another job next year!

 

[Eyjafjallajokull]

I talk about the topic. Fabian rarely comes into the forum posts here because his greatness is unquestioned (or more like he is universally popular to all but Cadel fanboys)

I am not an Armstrong fanboy but I just try to be objective around my assessment of the way the racing went down and unlike many on here I am not 'anti' any rider, I just call it like I see it. Looking back over some of my posts I guess I have been a litlle defensive of Armstrong but not from a fanboy perspective, rather from my view that the posters i have been responding to have been ridiculaously biased or blind or both.

For example, witness the Hog's post quoting Saxo spin from the team in defense of Andy's poor riding. He would be one of the first to flame Shack if they put out a similar post regaring Leipheimer or Armstrong...total unobjective bias. I say this despite being a big supporter of Saxobank and liking Andy as a rider.

The "troll" comments that tend to be made by a certain group of posters against anyone who has an opposing viewpoint also do nothing to engender good discussion on the forum. Yes you do get the myopic LA fans but you also have plenty of equally obsessively anti-LA people who show very little or no objectivity when it comes to Armstrong.

The reality is that in yesterday's stage he rode pretty well and was clearly one of the strongest climbers. At this stage in his preparation it looks to me like he is well on track to peak at the Tour. Now guys can post rubbish like "he looks fat" to their hearts content but they don't seem inclined to realise that if that is the case, then the 'fat' guy just rode away from the second best climber in the world, who should have been able to keep up with that lead group no problem at all.

The disappointment was pretty funny. Some of them just logged off. Others like BikeCentric went nuts and started calling people retards and imbeccels - as if showing your pi$$ed actually helps your case.

I think Schleck was trying to get right up at the front near the end today.

 

[SpartacusRox]

I think the point is that all slightly-less-great stage races are most important to the locals, which is true. And that would be perfectly fine for Cali too, if only they weren't the second biggest race in the world...

All true but the reality is that even the Giro is just a build up race for the TdF for many of the top riders. Only one of the top five finishers at last years tdf is there. If you take out the Italian teams, 3 out of the top 5 teams in the world have their best riders at the ToC not at the Giro albeit for training purposes for some. Most tdf contenders bypass the Giro, it may be the second ranked GT but it is a distant second for most of the top non-Italian riders. Astana are there to keep Vino happy so that he will support AC in the Tour. (and before the flaming starts..no I am not slagging off the Giro as a race, it is a great race that is raced with passion but no way is it close to the Tour in terms of prestige.)

Someone mentioned in another thread that the GC contendership at the ToC was "paper thin". Perhaps, but the Giro is no different if you consider that Cadel may end up winning with a second string team from a team that even at maximum strength is not that strong. With the exception of Astana and Liquigas the teams that are/will be the real strengths at the tdf: Saxo, HTC, Radioshack are all at the ToC in strength. Actually after watching todays stage of the Giro, Astana's weakness has been totally exposed. But for AC (and thats a big but, I admit!) they wouldn't even rate as a chance in the Tour. Expect a lot of heat to come on them in July.

 

[pedaling squares]

... started calling people retards and imbeccels...

Nice spelling imbecile.

 

[richwagmn]

Sorry Andy was hungover and looking for another job next year!

Maybe he was up too late with some of those podium girls.

 

[Ferminal]

If you don't count his 2nd in that little stage race they run every year in Italy. I forget the name of it...something Giro-ish

And where did he finish in the TdF that year?

DNS

 

[tgsgirl]

It is too easy to mistake the race for the PR. However, the PR that I suspect you object to is not exclusive to the US.

The PR is part of the race. The higher the pedestal you put yourself on, the lower you can fall.