Glad you brought that up. Vino was much closer to Andy than Contador was when "the incident" happened. When he (Vino) saw what had happened he immediately sat up. Chapeau to him for showing respect while AC went flying on by. What makes it twice as bad is denying he knew Andy had a problem.peacefultribe said:
- Mar 19, 2009
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I don't think saying sorry means much unless he's willing to give back the time tomorrow. Plus, he rationalizes it with the talk about the other stages.
Really comes down to respecting the yellow jersey at a time when him and Schleck are obviously in a two up battle for the GC. I think that's different than the cobbled stage or the rainy one before it Fabian neutralized.
The overall issue may be debatable but I think the Youtube video is clearly pointless.
Really comes down to respecting the yellow jersey at a time when him and Schleck are obviously in a two up battle for the GC. I think that's different than the cobbled stage or the rainy one before it Fabian neutralized.
The overall issue may be debatable but I think the Youtube video is clearly pointless.
Andy was still attacking and ahead of Vino when the chain came off. I honestly believe Vino was respecting the jersey. Plus, there was no risk of towing a rider who clearly wasn't going anywhere.
- Jul 23, 2009
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I didn't like AC taking advantage of AS, I didn't like him pretending he hadn't seen what was happening, but I do like that he has apologized.
And... my Jesus am I ever tired of this topic. Can't wait for the next stage.
And... my Jesus am I ever tired of this topic. Can't wait for the next stage.
Publicus said:
The fanboys are getting pretty desperate. Now they're claiming, as fact, that they knew this was Schleck's fault because he apparently changed his gear.
Yeah so the chain usually comes off when you change gear going up a mountain, right? We see that every day in the tour, right? And that happens even more for $10 grand TdF bikes?
Seriously, guys, this is getting ridiculous. Even Alberto admits he made a mistake. Just claim you think AC was going to win anyway or something, but stop this absurd talk of Schleck causing the crash.
Not to begin with, no, he was trying to hang on to the better climber who was about to put it in the big ring and really pressure him, but he then went straight to the front and went ballistic after it was clear AS had suddenly come to a stand still. He has now apologised for this.
Can't you at least say you'd rather have AC win the tour in a way where it can't be disputed and it was not due to good luck? Isn't that usually a better way to win the tour? Will you not say this rather than freeze framing AS's gear touches and pretending you now know it was all his fault? I mean, c'mon.
- Mar 17, 2009
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Beasty Boy said:
Are you telling me that no one ever has a mechanical or makes a self-inflicted error in a 3 week race? Really? Tell me again why there bike mechanics in every team car, a neutral service car and multiple team mechanics on each team? Would seem overkill if these very expensive bikes never have mechanicals or riders never make mistakes....
- Jul 19, 2010
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I'm sure standing on that podium and being met with jeers and boos gave AC a chance to reflect. I like the "I'm sorry" part but the rest sounds like lame excuses to me. Bringing up Stages 2 & 3 as rational is total BS. Completely different circumstances.
Oh well, we'll see what he does to redeem himself.
Oh well, we'll see what he does to redeem himself.
Publicus said:
Lucky for you you won't have to answer now, huh?
Totally irrational fanboys like yourself have gone under the radar for a long time due to that other guy, but I suspect you're going to have to get used to people calling you out some more.
And lots of homosexual jokes.
smoking roach said:
The thing is, the fanboys will get their wish because this massively shifts the game in favour of AC. He's MORE likely to win by a bigger margin now, not less likely. Schleck will be really nervous trying to look for a moment of his needed megga attack, and AC will be really comfy knowing he just needs one little attack to really put this to bed. The burden on Schleck will be enormous.
It's going to be a boring last week. Great news, huh?
Publicus said:
Sorry if it seems like I'm picking on you but the hypocrisy of this forum does boggle one's mind sometimes. At least you're fairly positive and support AC most of the time rather than just flat out troll and engage in hate - a lot of guys here don't have any riders they like at all. No teams, riders, no races. It's just purely about hating on whoever is down today.
Contador should jam his foot into his chain and derail himself near the top of a climb just to make everyone happy.
- Jul 9, 2009
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I am a litle unclear on this whole "unwritten rule" thing and I really wish they would write them down so it would be easier to keep up. As I understand it one is not suppose to attack the yellow jersey wearer if he has any sort of problem, unless he is deemed by some sort of oversight panel to "not be a serious contender" or there are some cobbles on the course. Looking a little deeper we see that the yellow jersey wearer can decide to neutralize the entire stage if a couple of contenders on his team crash on a rainslicked downhill. Although I seem to remember a time in the past when the 7 time tour winner who is often proffered as the greatest practitioner of this "unwritten rule" put his entire team on the front to ride to distance the 40 some riders (including a number of contenders) who fell on a slippery tidal landbridge crossing and effectively eliminate them from contention. So maybe grade is important? Grade and cobbles, if the road is level and 40 + guys go down at once in slick conditions then it's game on, if it's a downhill then everyone waits? If the YJW punctures then all wait, unless it is on cobbles then game on? If the YJW and the previous years winner (who would therefore be a contender ,no?) were to be held up behind a crash do we wait or if there are cobbles in the mix are we allowed to push on and maximise our time gains?
What if the YJW attackes on a downhill and then crashes, does everyone else have to stop and wait for him to get up? What if a contender attacks over the top of a climb and then the YJW crashes while chasing him down the other side, does the contender have to go back and wait for him to get up, are noncontenders exempt from this? Who decides who is a contender and who is not? What if the contender crashes on the downhill after attacking the YJW over the top? I would assume that the YJW has to wait while the noncontenders can proceed, but could that not transform at least some of them back into contenders?
This really brings up more questions than it answers. Can somebody help me?
What if the YJW attackes on a downhill and then crashes, does everyone else have to stop and wait for him to get up? What if a contender attacks over the top of a climb and then the YJW crashes while chasing him down the other side, does the contender have to go back and wait for him to get up, are noncontenders exempt from this? Who decides who is a contender and who is not? What if the contender crashes on the downhill after attacking the YJW over the top? I would assume that the YJW has to wait while the noncontenders can proceed, but could that not transform at least some of them back into contenders?
This really brings up more questions than it answers. Can somebody help me?
- Jul 26, 2009
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Beasty Boy said:
ok AC was going to win anyway, feel better........uh i own said $10 grand bikes, raced for years, in sev countries, and yep chains still come off,shifting uphill when not done right, i know its shocking but its true it happens, and it happened to andy ......................by the way it wasnt a crash.........oh and for that matter it was not a mechanical either so please stop the absurd talk about it being a'' MECHANICAL''
- Jul 26, 2009
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Beasty Boy said:
nah wrong.......he was countering a bridge move by a team mate, after an attack was made when he was boxed in on the right side of the road....he rode past andy when he was still up and never looked at him as a matter of fact he never turned his head for 13 sec, yeah i timed it, he then seemed to slow and deni and sammy bridged, at that point sammy went to the front and rode hard for a bit while contador looked around to asses the situation, it was at that time that the pace of all 4,including gadret who was with them at that moment, went up , the real gap was made on the descent.....
good luck, are you referring to franks crash, you know the one that held everybody up and helped and get the 113 back, you know the stage andy and fabian high fived when they crossed the line because fabian recovered the jersey and andy recovered time after his miserable prolouge, is that the good luck you are referring to.................just saying
Hugh Januss said:
Where is this "effing up" nonsense coming from?! The guy had a mechanical end of story. Had he had an accident and not a mechanical are the other riders all meant to decide on the spot whether it was the yellow jersey's fault or not before deciding whether or to put the hammer down? From what we have seen today the likes of Contador, Menchov and Sanchez would be flat out seeing an accident that happened under their noses let alone forming a judgment as to what caused it. And none of them said "well ... yes we saw his chain come off but it was his own fault .... ".
As Contador's belated apology seems to be indicating - the heat of the battle and the smell of blood got the better of them. All very understandable but the intial excuses were lame in the extreme.
over here in Merika, after that French dude passed me in that Nasscar race me Rickey Bobby kinda understand them Eurps little better.
Big step by pistol pete there apologizing. It takes a man to walk in that dudes shoes. Ole Ferret!
Big step by pistol pete there apologizing. It takes a man to walk in that dudes shoes. Ole Ferret!
- Nov 7, 2009
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flicker said:
It's 'Murrica. And it's Urp. And it's Ricky Bobby.
My prediction: Contador will stop right before the finish line and let 39 seconds pass before crossing it. Mark it down.
Hugh Januss said:
I'm just a newbie here, but this must be some of the best stuff I've read *ever*, *anywhere*. ROFL.
On topic, it would have been a great gesture if everybody waited the YJW, and the Tour would have been more interesting and felt more fair, but for various reasons (discussed to death) it didn't happen/wasn't practical.
Let's enjoy the fireworks that are sure to ensue
PS Still ROFL after trying to wrap my head around everything the "Unwritten rule" entails (discussed above)
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