Re: Re:
FLandis' performance on that day-- as recorded by his PowerTap -- was not particularly exceptional. He averaged 281 Watts for the day, for five hours and 23 minutes. The whole of the 2006 peloton averaged 269W over all of the mountain stages, so he won a stage riding with <5% more power than the combined average of the peloton. Which, I might add, included sprinters who struggled to make the cut-off time. Earlier that same season, FLandis had recorded 300-310W for >6 hours, both during the Tour de Georgia and on training rides. Nothing in the least bit suspicious about 281W for 5.5 hours.
Further, the peloton frequently took time out of FLandis. In fact they did so on three of the day's five mountains, including the final two summits. So if they were able to take time out of him on the climbs, is it not also 'logical' that they, too, were motorised?
In the end, FLandis won the stage for two chief reasons, neither involving an electric motor, Russian collusion or the shooter on the grassy knoll.
The first was the temperature. It was ~38° on the road on that day. FLandis had seen the weather forecast and planned to use the heat to his advantage. He had forewarned his team and they brought an uncommonly large number of bottles filled with ice water specifically to support his lunatic attack. Going off the front on the first ascent of the day was critical to his plan because he needed to be clear of the peloton so he could have frequent and regular access to the cache of water bottles in the team car.
He went through an estimated 70 bottles that day, drinking ~15 filled with sport drink and pouring more than 50 bottles of ice water over his head to keep cool. To contrast, riders in the peloton had to rely on a domestique (or two) falling off the back and drifting back to the team car, then bringing bottles up for the entire team. The riders in the peloton proper had to make do with -- at most -- 20 bottles on the day, less than half the number FLandis used to pour over his head. After the stage, Dave Zabriskie and Christian VandeVelde remarked that their last-minute counterattack fizzled because they were too knackered by the heat. FLandis, OTOH, was in danger of contracting frostbite. </hyperbole>
The second key to his win was that 2006 was the first post-Pharmstrong TdF and the peloton had not yet coronated its new patrón. No central authority who could dictate strategy to the pack. When FLandis launched an absurdly early attack, the peloton responded with polemics and indecision (and perhaps incredulity) and waited until it was too late before initiating the chase in earnest. They could have caught him any time they wanted, provided they didn't wait until he was too near the finish. Which is exactly what happened.
EDIT:
And IF FLandis had some magical bicycle that would propel him to victory at the mere flick of a switch, why didn't he use it the day before, when he lost 10 minutes to the Chicken, rather than letting himself get so far in the hole that his only hope of a GC victory lay in an heroic effort on Stage 17?
I'd call it cynical. Logic would imply it had some basis in fact.topt said:
FLandis' performance on that day-- as recorded by his PowerTap -- was not particularly exceptional. He averaged 281 Watts for the day, for five hours and 23 minutes. The whole of the 2006 peloton averaged 269W over all of the mountain stages, so he won a stage riding with <5% more power than the combined average of the peloton. Which, I might add, included sprinters who struggled to make the cut-off time. Earlier that same season, FLandis had recorded 300-310W for >6 hours, both during the Tour de Georgia and on training rides. Nothing in the least bit suspicious about 281W for 5.5 hours.
Further, the peloton frequently took time out of FLandis. In fact they did so on three of the day's five mountains, including the final two summits. So if they were able to take time out of him on the climbs, is it not also 'logical' that they, too, were motorised?
In the end, FLandis won the stage for two chief reasons, neither involving an electric motor, Russian collusion or the shooter on the grassy knoll.
The first was the temperature. It was ~38° on the road on that day. FLandis had seen the weather forecast and planned to use the heat to his advantage. He had forewarned his team and they brought an uncommonly large number of bottles filled with ice water specifically to support his lunatic attack. Going off the front on the first ascent of the day was critical to his plan because he needed to be clear of the peloton so he could have frequent and regular access to the cache of water bottles in the team car.
He went through an estimated 70 bottles that day, drinking ~15 filled with sport drink and pouring more than 50 bottles of ice water over his head to keep cool. To contrast, riders in the peloton had to rely on a domestique (or two) falling off the back and drifting back to the team car, then bringing bottles up for the entire team. The riders in the peloton proper had to make do with -- at most -- 20 bottles on the day, less than half the number FLandis used to pour over his head. After the stage, Dave Zabriskie and Christian VandeVelde remarked that their last-minute counterattack fizzled because they were too knackered by the heat. FLandis, OTOH, was in danger of contracting frostbite. </hyperbole>
The second key to his win was that 2006 was the first post-Pharmstrong TdF and the peloton had not yet coronated its new patrón. No central authority who could dictate strategy to the pack. When FLandis launched an absurdly early attack, the peloton responded with polemics and indecision (and perhaps incredulity) and waited until it was too late before initiating the chase in earnest. They could have caught him any time they wanted, provided they didn't wait until he was too near the finish. Which is exactly what happened.
EDIT:
And IF FLandis had some magical bicycle that would propel him to victory at the mere flick of a switch, why didn't he use it the day before, when he lost 10 minutes to the Chicken, rather than letting himself get so far in the hole that his only hope of a GC victory lay in an heroic effort on Stage 17?
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