GC Top Two - Pre-Pyrenees

[mr. tibbs]

Contador takes time in the prologue
Schleck takes time on the stones
Schleck takes 10 seconds with a late hilltop attack
Contador takes 10 seconds with a late hilltop attack
Schleck, ostensibly the weaker of the two, has yellow
Contador, ostensibly the stronger of the two, has to make up time

This is going to be quite a show. I haven't been this excited about the second mountain range in the Tour for some time.

^_^

 

[michaeld]

..Contador takes a few minutes in the Pyrenees,
..Contador takes another 2 minutes in the Bordeaux TT...

 

[hrotha]

I hope I'm terribly wrong, but this doesn't look close at all. I get the feeling Contador could drop Andy anytime he tried.

Contador doesn't *need* to make up time, but he will because he could crash or have a mechanical problem in the TT.

 

[Publicus]

Actually Andy is the one that ostensibly needs more time.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Contador is saving up energy for the Tourmalet. He could afford finally waisting some real energy in Mende because it was a short effort. He didn't waiste any energy on Morzine because it wasn't worth the effort.
And on the Madeleine he was never put in real trouble and knew collaborating was a good idea to drop any other contenders.

Now we'll shadow Schleck, attack if he sees weakness, but probably wait for the Tourmalet to finish of poor Andy once and for all.
Expect the final difference to be the same as last year, 4/5 minutes for Alberto.
The rest will be at 8/9 minutes.

Andy will be the new Zoetemelk/Poulidor/Ullrich the coming years. Poor guy, born in the wrong era.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

I hope I'm terribly wrong, but this doesn't look close at all. I get the feeling Contador could drop Andy anytime he tried.

Contador doesn't *need* to make up time, but he will because he could crash or have a mechanical problem in the TT.

I totally agree about the concerns about the TT. I think if he has a minute to 90 seconds, then it would be virtually insurmountable. (actually 30 seconds would be a decent cushion. He can play safe and go out on the road last which makes it easier. Hope the radios work.

(But it does make it more exciting without the radios, no?)

 

[sometriguy]

I think contador is slow playing it, I really don't think it is even close

 

[David Suro]

Both riders look very strong and are definately the class of the field in the climbs. A lot can happen in four tough stages in the mountains. I am hoping Schleck comes out of the final mountain stage with a 2:30 lead, which would make the TT a real nail-biter.

Wishful thinking? Maybe. But it would make for good spectating right to the end.

Contador did have that one terrible day in the Dauphine when he bonked. He probably won't make that mistake again, but there are a lot of variables.

 

[Ryaguas]

Nah forget it... the only thing that can take out AC from the victory is a mechanical problem... but besides that he is cooking cette Grande Boucle very slowly... is almost sad for AS cuz he really thinks that he can drop AC... today he take a dosis from reality but I still think that is not enough...

In La Col du Tourmalet AS is going to fall from his cloud and will crush in the floor called reality... AC knows his body pretty well and he is starting to say that the feelings are good so... we know what happens when he has good feelings...

I still want to see some fireworks in Les Pyrénees and I'm expecting to see a good performance from AS, Kreuziger, Basso, Menchov, VdB, Gesink, etc... but I think that prolly is not going to happen and we have to wait for another year...

but IMO this TdF is already done... we just have to sit and see how AC smash the dreams from the others GC contenders...

 

[movingtarget]

Schleck thinks Contador is nervous because he did not let Vino win the stage ? To me, the more Schleck talks, the more nervous he sounds. Contador has won on that climb before. It was obvious he would try something. Contador is looking more and more assured. VDB is the surprise for me. He looks good and has a real shot at the podium.

 

[staubsauger]

oh come on this is like garzelli v.S simoni at the giro 2003 when garzelli was in rosa and everybody was talking about the duel of the two. at the end simoni nearly takes a minute on him at evey mountain stage and won with a massive gap.

conta will do the same in the pyrenees with schleck. he just had no chance.

 

[icefire]

Schleck thinks Contador is nervous because he did not let Vino win the stage ? To me, the more Schleck talks, the more nervous he sounds. Contador has won on that climb before. It was obvious he would try something. Contador is looking more and more assured. VDB is the surprise for me. He looks good and has a real shot at the podium.

VDB is one of a few who spent a some days in May doing altitude training in Sierra Nevada. Sam Sánchez was also there.

One guy went there on a weekend to climb to the radiotelescope at 2800 m and met both of them. He posted pictures:

http://apmforo.mforos.com/401631/96...nevera-abierta-otro-idilio-con-sierra-nevada/

 

[Sophistic]

I think a lot of people here are overestimating the outcome of stage 12.
That was an 1km race, not very surprising that the more explosive rider(Contador) performed better.
Is Rodriguez now a better climber than Schleck or Sanchez, who dropped him at Avoriaz and the Madeleine?
The race for the GC still hasn't really started, with 4 supertough stages yet to come, tough to predict what is gonna happen.
May be Contador is going to ridicule everybody, may be Schleck can pull an upset. I think the combination of Port de Pailhere + Ax3-Domaines as well as the Tourmalet should both fit Schleck very well but he needs a high continous pace and none of his teammates can provide it, this Tour would obviously be much more fun with F.Schleck in contention.

 

[uphillstruggle]

Andy will be the new Zoetemelk/Poulidor/Ullrich the coming years. Poor guy, born in the wrong era.

I don't think he would be a tour winner in any era. Andy is a good climber and really no more (in the grand scheme of things).

He wouldn't have won in the Armstrong era or the Indurain era. he may get a win when AC retires if the next great tour rider hasn't already come along by then.

 

[blaxland]

Contador is saving up energy for the Tourmalet. He could afford finally waisting some real energy in Mende because it was a short effort. He didn't waiste any energy on Morzine because it wasn't worth the effort.
And on the Madeleine he was never put in real trouble and knew collaborating was a good idea to drop any other contenders.

Now we'll shadow Schleck, attack if he sees weakness, but probably wait for the Tourmalet to finish of poor Andy once and for all.
Expect the final difference to be the same as last year, 4/5 minutes for Alberto.
The rest will be at 8/9 minutes.

Andy will be the new Zoetemelk/Poulidor/Ullrich the coming years. Poor guy, born in the wrong era.

Agree with this sumary...i was just talking to my father the other day about this exact topic..And we both agree that A.Schleck will be second to A.Contador a lot in the future.Probably never winning the Tdf whilst Contador is alive.

 

[Ryaguas]

I think a lot of people here are overestimating the outcome of stage 12.
That was an 1km race, not very surprising that the more explosive rider(Contador) performed better.
Is Rodriguez now a better climber than Schleck or Sanchez, who dropped him at Avoriaz and the Madeleine?
The race for the GC still hasn't really started, with 4 supertough stages yet to come, tough to predict what is gonna happen.

Nop nop... OFC is a signal about what is going to happen... that climb was about power and answer capacity... AS didn't has it... and is prolly that he is not going to has it either in the next stages when AC gets bored of just be following wheels and wants to break some legs... that climb in Mende is steep (9 - 11%) and if you study Le Port de Pailheres et Ax-3 Domaines they have pretty steep zones in the same range as Mende... well you need power to can stand a full attack of AC there... AS right now don't have that power and answer capacity... so... he will be dropped big time tomorrow and in La Col du Tourmalet... he can't do anything just wait the attack and try to follow but he knows pretty that he can't follow AC... that's why he has been talking too much trying to put pressure in AC...