Contador's "surprise" attack

[Zen Master]

It's time to show the world who is the leader in astana,the plan for lance was finish the stage watching popovych ***?you have to move in climbing and alberto did it very well,little bit late for me.unlucky not get the yellow jersey it seems is the only way to shut up many voices...

+1

Ha ha ha where art thou now uncle Lance ?!!

 

[Cloxxki]

If, on a climb, such a big group of favorites are apparently doing they all to get Contador back...why didn't they at least succeed to drop Wiggins?
I believed wind may well have been a factor. If AC got to deal with all the same wind, he's exremely strong.
LA certainly didn't seem to dig deep to follow those trying to close the gap to AC. He probably hoped they'd try a bit better.
I'll say though, LA looks less agile on the bike than in earlier years. But, riding like that when all he has to do it counter attacks from non-Astana, he did well.

Don't forget that Leipheimer also stuck in there. Can't have been very serious attacks to not drop him in only a few km of intensity.

 

[maglia rosa]

Too bad Andy Schleck didn't go with him. He almost got him, but he said on Luxembourg Television that there were too many cars and motorcycles in the way. He said it's not Alberto's fault, but a little unprofessional of the Tour Organization.

Not a big deal I suppose, but Andy Schleck was implying that Contador had less wind in his face as a result of the cars in front of AC, not because the vehicles were blocking Andy.

 

[lostintime]

All that Contador's cheeky little attack on his own team showed was his fear.

He's got great talent, but he keeps displaying he's not the smartest tool in the shed.

Makes for good viewing

 

[maglia rosa]

What is a nimrod?

nim·rod (nmrd)
n.
1. also Nimrod A hunter.
2. Informal A person regarded as silly, foolish, or stupid.

I would agree with the description used in your case - particularly "foolish" - given how poorly you analyzed the situation.

 

[Cliveds]

Its a new Giro Helmet called Prolight more info here:

http://glorycycles.blogspot.com/

Just got some more info on the helmet. The team is wearing a 175gram version that passes Euro saftey standards but the helmet that will be available in the US will be a 200 gram version that passes US standards. the helmet will have a different fastening system. Have a good look at the Blog post the helmet Levi wears has a different system to the Black/Red helmet pictured.

 

[fatterboy]

All that Contador's cheeky little attack on his own team showed was his fear.

He's got great talent, but he keeps displaying he's not the smartest tool in the shed.

Makes for good viewing

you got right there

 

[Publicus]

All that Contador's cheeky little attack on his own team showed was his fear.

He's got great talent, but he keeps displaying he's not the smartest tool in the shed.

Makes for good viewing

I always thought that if you have the opportunity you put time into your rivals. Worked for Lance on Stage 3, even though he put time into his other 6 teammates. Wasn't part of the plan, but it was a race situation and you roll with it. Seems to me the same thing happened yesterday. Gained an additional 21 seconds on all of the GC favorites. How that's a sign of fear (and not of a desire to win) is beyond me.

 

[DalyPeleton]

Like many threads in this forum, this one has degenerated into LA bashing. When Lance won his 7th tour the clear heir apparent on Discovery/Astana was AC. Bruyneel was already commenting about AC's incredible ability to accelerate while going vertical an ability demonstrated with great success in AC's first Tour victory two years ago, and his Giro victory one year ago. When AC accelerates during a major climb their are very few if any in the pro peleton who can keep his wheel. Yesterday demonstrated that even the young Andy Schleck will have his hands full trying to chase down AC. For those of you who want to unreasonably bash Lance why not complain about how he has changed the way the professionals climb mountains. After all, don't real men mash big gears in the mountains and repeatedly get out of their saddles the way Ullrich did. What is this spinning crap?

 

[BroDeal]

I always thought that if you have the opportunity you put time into your rivals. Worked for Lance on Stage 3, even though he put time into his other 6 teammates. Wasn't part of the plan, but it was a race situation and you roll with it. Seems to me the same thing happened yesterday. Gained an additional 21 seconds on all of the GC favorites. How that's sign of fear (and not of a desire to win) is beyond me.

You have to look at the situation through special Lance goggles.

 

[Publicus]

You have to look at the situaton through special Lance goggles.

My Livestrongtm goggles are on backorder!

 

[Ziptie]

What's funny about this is that if you watched the race, Contador spent most of the climb on Lance's wheel. So, who was dragging who? But, that doesn't fit the "Lance is a horrible teammate" theory that seems so popular around here.

And yes, AC is clearly the strongest.

You beat me to it. Right on both accounts.

 

[Izoard]

It should be pretty interesting how this all plays out. Some say attack when you can gain time on your rivals, others say meter your effort, and attack when you can get minutes instead of seconds.

 

[Futuroscope]

I always thought that if you have the opportunity you put time into your rivals. Worked for Lance on Stage 3, even though he put time into his other 6 teammates. Wasn't part of the plan, but it was a race situation and you roll with it. Seems to me the same thing happened yesterday. Gained an additional 21 seconds on all of the GC favorites. How that's a sign of fear (and not of a desire to win) is beyond me.

yeah im trying to figure it out too.

 

[Irish2009]

Anybody that was "surprised" at a GC contender attacking with 2k to go on a mountain top finish to gain time on his rivals really should take their head out of their **** and "follow" another sport. What really amuses me is the Lover/Hater thing going on, Contador attacks and its "he's the man/trator" if Armstrong attacked it would be " he crushed them/he's not a team player", it's very sad but intresting that one person can polorise "cycling fans" so much. I just want to see agressive/intelligent/crazy racing

 

[Futuroscope]

Anybody that was "surprised" at a GC contender attacking with 2k to go on a mountain top finish to gain time on his rivals really should take their head out of their **** and "follow" another sport. What really amuses me is the Lover/Hater thing going on, Contador attacks and its "he's the man/trator" if Armstrong attacked it would be " he crushed them/he's not a team player", it's very sad but intresting that one person can polorise "cycling fans" so much. I just want to see agressive/intelligent/crazy racing

me too.... i just get ****ed of when you have people trying to fault contador for attacking, when they should just be honest and say : 'i want lance to win and i want contador to hold back and not ride his best'.

 

[Cloxxki]

If Andy has these great legs up that hill. And all that time to make up. Makes him look scared to not have attacked himself. He would have put time on his lesser climbing GC opponents (likely better time trialists), and found out who to look out for in the mountains.
AC actually out-smarted him, although that's possibly more from anger, angst and dare together than just smarts. AC made the jump, got the vehicles in from of him pile up just at the right speed to get the unexpected advantage, riding along against the wind..

I can tell from experience that riding in the back of a group at 35kph with super-strong headwinds is about as easy as the same speed without wind. The suction is great. AC got it as reward for going alone, while magically all the others in the group were exactly equal climbers when chasing him.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but I did NOT feel "strongly" at all.

I nothinged him.

It's the f-ucking yanks on here.

The non-cycling, know nothing, beer guzzling "sports fans" who f-uck me off.

Not Armstrong. I have no problems being entertained by team politics and cycling polemiche.

It's three week moron fans that f-uck me off. That's all.

So p-iss and whine, and moan about your poor old self all you like.

This three week fan thinks you need some valium and medications for your blood pressure which will undoubtedly lead you to a stroke.

 

[rhubroma]

...no gods have fallen my friend...today was just the opening skirmish in a wider war that's sure to come...probably in the Alps...

...well the jury is out on his physiology but i'm sure it's quite excellent and maybe superior to Armstrong's but we don't have the data yet...

...all his massive accelerations could'nt alleviate Leipheimer's threat in the 07 Tour and more recently the 08 Vuelta...Leipheimer's time trialing nullified his escapade on the Angliru if not for time bonuses...

i'll say this...the man has a burst unseen since Pantani but his margins of victory don't leave a lot of margin for error...if it goes down the same way as the Vuelta and it's Armstrong and not Leipheimer then what?...

...if he does'nt distance Armstrong before Annecy he's going to have a major problem...he's going to need a lot more than two seconds...

I take good note of your points.

What I meant by the god bit, of course, wasn't that Lance isn't good anymore, just not the cycling diety that he was, even if allot of it was created in the labs.

While Contador is doing at 25 years of age what Lance took years to develope, which means AC is the greater pure blood stallion than Armstrong.

One thing about AC, though, is that I have always had the impression that while he is increadibly explosive, he tends to fizzle out in the end, unlike Pantini who was both explosive and sustaining in his power outut, who thus went on, after his initial burst, with a devastating progression of sustained speed.

Contador may have a bad day, however, as he's young still and the explosive riders tend to risk a bonk now and then. We'll see.

 

[Anonymous]

which means AC is the greater pure blood stallion than Armstrong.

.

I love this phrase, blood stallion.

 

[Publicus]

I take good note of your points.

What I meant by the god bit, of course, wasn't that Lance isn't good anymore, just not the cycling diety that he was, even if allot of it was created in the labs.

While Contador is doing at 25 years of age what Lance took years to develope, which means AC is the greater pure blood stallion than Armstrong.

One thing about AC, though, is that I have always had the impression that while he is increadibly explosive, he tends to fizzle out in the end, unlike Pantini who was both explosive and sustaining in his power outut, who thus went on, after his initial burst, with a devastating progression of sustained speed.

Contador may have a bad day, however, as he's young still and the explosive riders tend to risk a bonk now and then. We'll see.

Contador has been working on that weakness. Don't know how far he has progressed but yesterday was a pretty good example of a burst followed by high sustained speed.

 

[Zen Master]

Anybody that was "surprised" at a GC contender attacking with 2k to go on a mountain top finish to gain time on his rivals really should take their head out of their **** and "follow" another sport. What really amuses me is the Lover/Hater thing going on, Contador attacks and its "he's the man/trator" if Armstrong attacked it would be " he crushed them/he's not a team player", it's very sad but intresting that one person can polorise "cycling fans" so much. I just want to see agressive/intelligent/crazy racing

me too.... i just get ****ed of when you have people trying to fault contador for attacking, when they should just be honest and say : 'i want lance to win and i want contador to hold back and not ride his best'.

+1

Amen !

 

[jaylew]

...if he does'nt distance Armstrong before Annecy he's going to have a major problem...he's going to need a lot more than two seconds...

I don't think so. AC should increase his lead on LA in Annecy. AC is a better TTer than the 09 version of LA.

 

[mr. tibbs]

I don't think so. AC should increase his lead on LA in Annecy. AC is a better TTer than the 09 version of LA.

Seconded.

They are close in GC right now, but Contador's time gains came in a time trial and a climb, whereas Armstrong's came in a freak split in the peloton on a flat stage.

Which strategy does the forum think has a better chance of winning the Tour?

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

Seconded.

They are close in GC right now, but Contador's time gains came in a time trial and a climb, whereas Armstrong's came in a freak split in the peloton on a flat stage.

Which strategy does the forum think has a better chance of winning the Tour?

AGREED. The thing is that if AC does not gain time on LA and LA grabs the Yellow, what are the team "tactics" then? My guess is defend LA's Yellow to the exclusion of anyone else. AC did what he had to do. LA would have done the same thing back in his heyday.