Best DS's tactic actions

[Michele]

As "best of the best" threads are like mushrooms these days here there's mine; which one DS decision before/during a race do you remember as smartest ones?
No clinic related things, thanks.

Im talking of stuff like Vuelta a Espana 2001, stage 9; Manolo Saiz gets his team bikes set up with 55 chainrings.
You all know how it ended.

 

[Kvinto]

Jonathan Vaughters at Ronde this year

 

[greenedge]

"The Look" Bruyneel.
JL for backing Cadel to win the TDF something BN did not do with the Shlecks.

 

[karlboss]

Who was directing pereiro in 2006? Unzue? When you don't have the best rider got to use tactics and get lucky.

 

[jens_attacks]

manolo saiz in vuelta 2005,stage to pajares.
until this stage heras couldn't drop menchov in the mountains at all,the russian was on his wheel every time,just like in 2009 with di luca.the gc was like this before the stage:
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 56.53.00
2 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 0.47
3 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 1.50
4 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 2.45
5 Carlos Garcia Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 5.37


but in that night,manolo saiz planned one of his brilliant evil tactics.send all the liberty riders in the break and somehow pray that robertito will drop menchov.not an easy task.

km 60:send Angel Vicioso, Joseba Beloki in the break
km 70:send Giampaolo Caruso in the pursuit group
km 80:send Marcos Serrano in another move
km 120:all the attackers of the day form a big group of 40 riders.at this point of the race menchov has one of the weakest team for a gc leader in history: Bram de groot, Pedro Horrillo, Alexandr Kolobnev and Thorwald Veneberg.that's all he has,they are pretty dead.
km 136:heras attacks on colladiella the penultimate climb of the day.heras gives his best but at the top has just 15 seconds on menchov.he puts his career in danger descending like a freaking savoldelli but finally he has gapped denis.40 seconds,then the liberty riders up the front wait and start riding full-gas

the results of the stage:
1 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 4.53.53
2 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0.32
3 Javier Pascual Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.46
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 2.28
5 Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Davitamon - Lotto 3.11
6 Carlos Garcia Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 3.12
7 Mario Aerts (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto 3.19
8 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 3.47
9 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC
------------------------------
17 Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) Quick Step - Innergetic 5.17
18 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank

menchov had to chase himself for 50 kms the lead group.on pajares he was spent and had the crack of his life,losing time to everybody.heras was strong but not brilliant like in other years,sammy sanchez didn't lost much time on the pajares climb.
manolo saiz tactics and the whole squad delivered to heras this amazing victory

 

[Angliru]

So as to deflect blame from the Schlecks: whoever was in the car planning strategy for Leopard-Trek at the end of the 2011 LBL. Sheer genius!

 

[will10]

The Heras-Liberty move is the one that sticks in my mind, will have to have a think for some others. I seem to remember some of Heras' teammates stood on the side of the road waiting!?

 

[Midnightfright]

So as to deflect blame from the Schlecks: whoever was in the car planning stategy for Leopard-Trek at the end of the 2011 LBL. Sheer genius!

I presumed mark sergant had hacked into LTs radio frequency.

 

[will10]

Another favourite: LPR team tactics nearly land Di Luca the rosa ahead of Contador, remember that slippery descent Savo pulled them down, amazing.
http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//giro08/?id=results/giro0819

 

[Caruut]

Giving Juanjo Cobo a triple ring for the Angliru.

 

[Tank Engine]

Stage 16 of the 2004 Giro. Saeco had Eddie Mazzoleni and Tonti in the break. Popovych was in the pink jersey. On the Furcia, the penultimate climb, with about 60km left Simoni attacked, but could not drop Poppo. Cunego finished off the 1-2 punch and broke away. His Saeco team-mates waited for him and buried themselves to drag the Little Prince up to the front. He went on to win the stage and put 2-3 minutes on his main rivals.
Sounds a bit similar to a stage on this year's tour, except Cunego went on to seal his victory.

As for tactics, it sure helps having a great squad. Remember ONCE's assault on Indurain's crown on the stage to Mende. Three guys in a break of six. Neil Stephens (hard as nails), Melcior Mauri (a winner of the Vuelta) and of course JaJa.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Another favourite: LPR team tactics nearly land Di Luca the rosa ahead of Contador, remember that slippery descent Savo pulled them down, amazing.
http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//giro08/?id=results/giro0819

Unfortunately they lost all that goodwill a year later, when after Menchov took the lead with a depleted Rabobank team, with only a half-fit Ardila and Ten Dam as help in the mountains, the LPR team then toasted themselves on the front all day for several of the remaining days, especially as di Luca searched for a victory in the Abruzzo region.