Thoughtforfood said:That team quit supporting him last November...
Yup... and he's killing it in spite of that! Man, he doesn't need a team... he should just solo the Tour going forward.
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Thoughtforfood said:That team quit supporting him last November...
schnebit said:Yup... and he's killing it in spite of that! Man, he doesn't need a team... he should just solo the Tour going forward.
Psalmon said:Can anyone see who is in the car behind Lance and who behind Alberto?
Thoughtforfood said:There isn't a car behind Contador, it is a big rusty truck with a gun rack and a Texas flag in the back window, this doesn't look good for him...
Psalmon said:Oh mis cajones son crecando!
Johan said it all post race. He told AC, "You don't need to attack to win the TdF." - undisputedly true, good direction. Were he not in his corner he would have encouraged an attack.
Any trouble on the descent (flat?) and the head line would read: Condador Isolates Self and Loses Yellow.
Armstrong (once he had it in the bag) always used his team to set pace until someone else attacked. An isolated Hinault had LeMond called back to help him (or it would have been 4). Merckx would have won 6, but crashed and lost to Thevenet by 3 minutes. It can happen.
If you look at it dispassionately, Contador is clearly the leader, Lance said it, has practiced it, the team has been all in front of AC, but Alberto made a blunder, and took a big risk (with his leadership and all their hard work).
With all that's come out on this, I'm surprised also that Kloden didn't know better than to say back to AC, "Oye a Johan!" along with under his breath "Oh mein Gott, meinen Hoden!"
Thoughtforfood said:There isn't a car behind Contador, it is a big rusty truck with a gun rack and a Texas flag in the back window, this doesn't look good for him...
Thoughtforfood said:There isn't a car behind Contador, it is a big rusty truck with a gun rack and a Texas flag in the back window, this doesn't look good for him...
franciep10 said:I am going to be so happy when all of you 3 weekers are gone after the tour. The simple fact is contador is a rider that likes to attack, that's why he is the most exciting rider to watch in the tour, well that was before JB put cuffs on his legs. Contador didn't run out of energy on the climb, he's definitely proving it in the time trial right now. Also he is supposed to be the sole focus of the team, on a regular JB team with armstrong nobody would care about the podium. this morning I hear LEvi who should just shut the **** up and heal his wrist, is on versus calling out his team leader. At first I wanted him to stay with JB, so he won't become another guy who leaves jb and tests positive, but know he definitely needs to leave.
Publicus said:I assume the rider knows himself better than you or I do, so if he felt good enough to go without damaging himself, he would go.
scribe said:It was funny watching the bros stalk up the mountain after Contador. They looked like a couple of cats fixin to bat at a mouse.
schnebit said:According to whom? Alberto doesn't get tired like the rest of us?
elapid said:This is probably going to ignite some flames, but having just watched the stage (and reading post-race statements by Contador and Bruyneel) I am not really sure what Contador did that was so wrong. He talked to Kloden, Kloden was about to bonk and told AC to go for it, Contador then tried to distance the Schleck brothers to maximize his advantages over Wiggins (and yes, probably Lance and Kloden), and when this didn't work he sat on the back of the Schlecks. What's so horrible about the team and race leader trying to gain time on his rivals? Bruyneel may have suggested that he didn't need to attack, but would he have said the same thing to Armstrong in 1999-2005? Why would you tell your best rider and race leader not to increase his time gains over his main competition and gain a mental edge over these cyclists? He tested once and then sat back when it didn't work, so he expended minimal additional energy and conserved for today's TT.
Futuroscope said:contador should never attack. conserving energy is important.
schnebit said:Oh boy...
Man, these forums are brutal! I have to wonder why it's so hard to have a civil discussion, with differing opinions, without it degrading into somone being personally insulting or condescending... I know that I haven't responded that way to anyone...
Can anyone please explain that to me?
schnebit said:Oh boy...
Man, these forums are brutal! I have to wonder why it's so hard to have a civil discussion, with differing opinions, without it degrading into somone being personally insulting or condescending... I know that I haven't responded that way to anyone...
Can anyone please explain that to me?
RdBiker said:My theory is that some people who write on forums are those who would never ever enter a discussion in real life. The reason for that is that they immediately get mad if someone does not agree with them or dares to question their sayings. This is one reason why no one in real life even wants to have a discussion with these kind of people so they have found internet forums appropriate venues of discussion for themselves: they can insult others as much as they like and if someone points out a mistake in their sayings they can just turn off their computer.
Psalmon said:The irony of all this is Kloden doesn't lose that 2 minutes (we'll never know), the effect is that Lance MAKES the podium in third INSTEAD of Kloden in 2nd and Lance in 4th.
Still have the Ventoux, so we'll see what happens for final placings.
It would be nice to see Lance give Wiggins or Kloden the time and bow out of the Podium thing. What does he need the third step for?
fulcrum said:As the good domestique he is, I am sure Lance will burn all his ships setting a hellish tempo up Ventoux as requested by Contador. After 14 km of pulling the group of favorites uphill, all by himself, he will crack and lose 9 minutes at the top, like any other proud domestique would do. Remember, Lance is a good teammate and he encourages tactics that support the team's main goal, winning the yellow jersey. That and rising cancer awareness are the two things he has in mind.