Can Voeckler win this? Serious?

[El Pistolero]

I was surprised that after the peleton got itself together after the big crash where VDB abandoned, it was OPL that started leading the charge. No sentiments for their own rider?

The TDF is a huge machine that just keeps rolling.

The rider in the yellow jersey has an incredible amount of obligations, and hardly has time to pee (except for doping control) much less visit injured riders. Sure, Voeckler could have made a gesture towards Flecha and probably should have, but he didn't.

In interviews Voeckler has made it clear that he doesn't spend time worrying about the others, he does what he has to do. May sound cold hearted, but to stay in yellow, that is the only approach that can work.

In any case I find all these debates about "should they have waited" so very tiresome. On a group ride a few Sundays ago we hit a bad section of road at full speed and 3 guys flatted. Nobody else even slowed down. If the TDF peloton waited every time there was an incident, it would last all year not 3 weeks. There are doctors that stop for the injured, mechanics that stop for equipment problems. The riders job is to ride.

That's hardly surprising. They wanted the stage and you can't wait for someone who's not there anymore.

 

[spalco]

mentally,voeckler is like armstrong anyway,he will do anything do reach his goal.that's another reason why i think the other contenders will have headaches in the alps where tommy will fight to his least breath.

Voeckler will never get this chance again, this is his one shot at immortality, and I think he would literally kill himself to keep the yellow jersey; nobody in the entire peloton wants this more than him.

 

[nomendil]

That's just ridiculous though.

You expect a ride from another team who is after the yellow jersey to stop and tend to you mid race?

No. You carry on. It's terrible what happened to Flecha, but he should stop crying.

tbh the only reason Tommy V got the jersey in the first place was because the peloton stopped for their own crash.

But I don't really care. He's done so much awesome work later to defend it that it's certainly earned.

 

[frenchfry]

That's hardly surprising. They wanted the stage and you can't wait for someone who's not there anymore.

That was exactly my point.

You could say exactly the same about Voeckler not slowing down after the crash in the break. He could see they were out, what was the point of waiting.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I didn't understand the waiting game from the beginning. I've noticed from the beginning of the year that Voeckler is really strong this season. In the Dauphine already around the top 10 level on good days.

By waiting and watching eachother in the first 2 pyrenees they have missed opportunities and that was stupid. Now they only have 2 mtf's left to gain time (schlecks+contador mainly). Evans is in position to wait for the TT although I do think he needs to be 45 seconds closer.

We'll see in the alps, but they gave Voeckler hope as well. If they don't do it on Galibier/Alpe d'Huez... well, Voeckler might get a shock win.
Rather him than the Schlecks anyway

I remember me being laughed at when I said after Voeckler was in yellow good luck riding him out of it and that he would do top ten for sure. look who;s laughing now. he's doing even better than I expected

 

[armchairclimber]

You can add David Millar to the list now.

A good piece in the Guardian

"A lot of his early career was based on the fact that he couldn't compete with the big guys because they were 'prepared' [doped]," Millar said. "So he had to create a market for himself: cinematic, emotional, over the top, a lot of working the cameras, tongue out, trying too hard to make people love him. But now he is older and wiser, he has got a stronger body, and it is a more level playing field."
"There is no doubt that it's cleaner," Millar said. "The highest guys are at a similar level because there are no big secrets out there. Once you have the 20 best in the world all eating the same thing, drinking the same thing and doing the same recovery, they are going to perform at a similar level and it is going to become very tactical. And tactically, Voeckler is very clever.

"A lot can happen in the Alps, but I would put him on the podium at the moment, for sure. He is an incredible bike rider and I hope this Tour de France will give him the respect that he does deserve."

He also makes the point that people have underestimated him because he lost the MJ in the mountains in 2004, presuming that his past performance would predict this year's outcome. Mind you, Voeckler himself seems to be adopting the same mindset....publicly at least.

 

[Winterfold]

Very interesting comments by Millar - thanks for sharing

He is bluffing/managing expectations with the I cant win stuff.

Mentally he will definitely be strong enough.

 

[B_Ugli]

So long as dumb and dumber keep doing their 2 second attacks and then slowing to a club run pace then all Voeckler has to do (assuming he gets dropped) is to keep riding steadily back up to the muppets.

In other tech news today the Leopard Trek have announced that both Frank and Andy Schleck are using super light Glass Cranks for the mountain stages of this years Tour de France with other team members opting for the standard Carbon Fibre versions. Feedback on the glass cranks is generally good but continued out of the saddle, high torque exertions by the riders exceeding 10-20 seconds can result in the glass cracking according to the manufacturer.

 

[Descender]

I don't believe Voeckler for a second, and I fail to see how anyone can.

 

[The Hitch]

I don't believe Voeckler for a second, and I fail to see how anyone can.

You dont believe what?

 

[Descender]

You dont believe what?

That he is clean.

But let's shut up, we know this doesn't belong here. Because as we know, cycling and doping are not related to each other, so discussion has to be separated.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

That he is clean.

But let's shut up, we know this doesn't belong here. Because as we know, cycling and doping are not related to each other, so discussion has to be separated.

if there is one rider that is clean it's voeckler and you are a fan of frank "fuentes" schleck right? what a hypocrite

 

[Descender]

if there is one rider that is clean it's voeckler and you are a fan of frank "fuentes" schleck right? what a hypocrite

Me a fan of a Schleck?? You must be confusing me with someone else. But thanks for the compliment.

 

[armchairclimber]

Well TV is still there, keeping the home nation in front of their TVs. He only lost 4 seconds of his lead today, despite hitting his "ceiling". He'll more than likely lose the MJ in the next three days, but I for one am enjoying his contribution to the spectacle.

 

[kurtinsc]

Well TV is still there, keeping the home nation in front of their TVs. He only lost 4 seconds of his lead today, despite hitting his "ceiling". He'll more than likely lose the MJ in the next three days, but I for one am enjoying his contribution to the spectacle.

Lost 21 seconds to Evans and 18 to Contador/Sanchez actually.

 

[killswitch]

After Contador's and Cuddles' exploits today, IMO he can't.

Feedback on the glass cranks is generally good but continued out of the saddle, high torque exertions by the riders exceeding 10-20 seconds can result in the glass cracking according to the manufacturer.[/I]

LOL

 

[jens_attacks]

he was over-confident,he did a "etna michele scarponi",he was that crazy he was at one point the only man who responded to alberto!of course he put himself in the red zone and he paid for it.definitely he was again one of the strongest guys,even stronger than the schlecks.he's not finished,he just did a mistake.

 

[armchairclimber]

Lost 21 seconds to Evans and 18 to Contador/Sanchez actually.

Yes, indeed, but he lost only 4 seconds of his lead over the 2nd placed rider.

 

[SteveT]

Yes, indeed, but he lost only 4 seconds of his lead over the 2nd placed rider.

Except that Frank is no longer second is he, its cadel now, do try and keep up

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

Voeckler's still got 1:45 on his two nearest rivals and 3:00+ on everyone else. So he's still in a pretty strong position heading into the mountains.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Except that Frank is no longer second is he, its cadel now, do try and keep up

He didn't lose 4 seconds to Frank though. To no one, actually.

 

[armchairclimber]

He didn't lose 4 seconds to Frank though. To no one, actually.

I thought his lead was 1.49 this morning, but 1.45 this evening. My mistake?

 

[Poursuivant]

If the time trial was tomorrow, I think Voeckler would win the tour, no matter how poor he has been in the past at TT's. But it isn't and he has three days where all the big boys are going to do their best to take time out of him. I can imagine his TT time being quite similar to the Schleck's but he will lose a decent chunk to Evans and Contador in the TT. I don't care what he is saying, if you go into the last week of the tour with the yellow jersey and 2, 2:30, 3 minute advantages over the favourites, you feel you have a chance. The problem for the 'favourites' is, that the current incumbent of the Maillot Jaune is Thomas Voeckler, someone very different from the rest of the peloton, someone who is French, someone who respects every day they are in the Maillot Jaune, and someone who will fight to the bitter end. He is a warrior. Voeckler is different because he is such a battler, that's why I like him. Hopefully, Rolland stays strong because he has been a revelation so far and could be crucial to his chances. It's going to be a great few days... I hope Tommy holds on, it would be a fantastic story.

 

[Winterfold]

he was over-confident,he did a "etna michele scarponi",he was that crazy he was at one point the only man who responded to alberto!of course he put himself in the red zone and he paid for it.definitely he was again one of the strongest guys,even stronger than the schlecks.he's not finished,he just did a mistake.

yah

I think Tommy V forgot there had been a rest day. He wont make this mistake again. He should just follow Evans.

He looked more vulnerable today, but did not lose a lot of time.

Whoever wins will have had to prise the jersey 'from his cold dead hands' but it may be that Contador can do enough, or Evans can do a good enough TT. Having the yellow jersey in the TT and getting those magic extra yellow jersey seconds is going to extra important this year.

Hyperbolic fanboy hypothesis alert:Wiggins was so on the podium on this, and in with a clear chance of the overall.

 

[Alberto Attack]

I thought his lead was 1.49 this morning, but 1.45 this evening. My mistake?

I understand you mean that evans the new 2nd place rider is just four seconds closer then Frank who was yesterdays 2nd place rider.