Giro 2011: Stage 16 Belluno - Nevegal12.7 km ITT

[GoAndyGo]

Schleck wouln't have been anywhere close to Contador if Cancellara hadn't neutralized that one stage in the first place.

I am aware of that. Thats why I have typed now a third time that AC won the TDF and Schleck finish 2nd by 39 seconds. The rest are what ifs.

We have completely hijacked this thread.

Lets talk about the 2011 Giro and todays time trial.

 

[jobiwan]

the yellow argument is just so lame it makes me vomit everytime i see it

p.s. the if no1 waited for the schlecks on the stage canc neutralized would mean that by stage 2 both schlecks would already be 5 minutes behind on all the competition.

I agree it's a lame argument, it's just the one people make.
P.S. Thanks for ingraining that image forever in my mind!!!

 

[spalco]

Why is that?

If he's supposed to be the real guy than it's quite logical that he win's by huge margins. Especially when the only real threat in the peloton isn't on his best form. They should start putting long more TTs into GCs again though.

I agree, but that wouldn't keep Contador from winning, it could play into his cards actually.

 

[Parrulo]

Contador was sitting down pacing behind Schleck and Vino and when Andy popped AC stood up and accelerated. He accelerated so fast he left Vino who was in front of Andy and AC when Andy popped the chain.

Good call on the he just kept going

Again I say AC won and Schleck finish 2nd by 39 seconds. The rest is what ifs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe7wpDjGHXU&feature=related

first 10 secs. andy attacked cus he saw that contador was for some reason bad positioned something that he almost never does. but you can see in those first 10 secs that he goes past the group like if they are standing still and is already on his way to andy's wheel. you can see how badly positioned he is because on second 1 of the video which is the first frame of andy's attack you see andy with a small gap on a group already, vino responding and contador isn't even on the pic even tho you can see gesink, purito, VDB2, hesjay and samu.

 

[lejarreta]

Why should he apologize? I didnt see Andrew apologizing for using Cancellara to put as much time into Contador on the cobbles while Bertie was standing in the Frank Schleck crash traffic jam, looking at his watch.

Schleck got a minute on cobbles, Contador got 39secs on the mountain, and Contador is the one that should apologize???

Hitch, you really read my mind and express far better than me in English. Nothing else to add almost one year after.

By the way, I have just recovered (rest/hang over day) from my toasts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Half Basque, half Venezuelan, you may guess...

What remains? Just Scarponi and Nibali fighting for 2nd and 3rd? Will Gadret have any chance to aim for a podium spot?

 

[boomcie]

Hitch, you really read my mind and express far better than me in English. Nothing else to add almost one year after.

By the way, I have just recovered (rest/hang over day) from my toasts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Half Basque, half Venezuelan, you may guess...

What remains? Just Scarponi and Nibali fighting for 2nd and 3rd? Will Gadret have any chance to aim for a podium spot?

Ask his time trialling abilities.

Gadret's time trialling abilities answer: "No".

 

[Chef_Vodnik]

the one that cause the crash was F.S. .

Nope. But keep on pretending that. Not that it would matter WHO caused the chute, but at leat get that part of the story right, eh?

 

[spalco]

Schleck wouln't have been anywhere close to Contador if Cancellara hadn't neutralized that one stage in the first place.

So what? Did Cancellara have a revolver in his back pocket? Nobody had to listen to Cancellara if they didn't want to.

 

[Bavarianrider]

So what? Did Cancellara have a revolver in his back pocket? Nobody had to listen to Cancellara if they didn't want to.

Sure, and so Conatdor didn't have to wait for Andy" i am to stupid to shift gears" Schhleck

 

[robertocarlos]

http://www.53x12.com/do/show?page=indepth.view&id=119

Nothing outstanding at all. Contador is the ebst but far from suspicous with those kind of numbers.

So if his performance is good but nothing out of this world, how can it be suspicious? The time that he has gain has been over 5 or six stages, which he only has won 2, and it also impplies that anton, and nieve are on the stuff. enough of this this is not the clinic.

 

[spalco]

So if his performance is good but nothing out of this world, how can it be suspicious? The time that he has gain has been over 5 or six stages, which he only has won 2, and it also impplies that anton, and nieve are on the stuff. enough of this this is not the clinic.

Well, that link itself is unbelievably clinic-y though. How the hell does is this guy's opinion still worth **** to anybody, and why is he allowed to sit in front of a computer instead of a rather uncomfortable 2x5m prison cell?

 

[Ryaguas]

I imagine that for most, being the best goes along with having an out-sized ego

LOL? Rly? Take a look to his interviews and comments... He is one of the most humble guys in the peloton...

Hahaha all the Italians watching the podium presentation on the wall look mad.

Nop... They were serious cuz Contador was with a really sad face dedicating his victory to Xavi... When He was in the interview in Processo alla Tappa you could hear the cheers from the Italians...

How did Smydz do? he could be immense for Nibali in the next four stages.

Nah... Forget it... He stills has bronchitis...

A class rider is someone like pinotti

Seriously?? A guy who was tweeting sheet about Riccó when He was almost dying in the Hospital? Yes... Super class...

Why are you leaving?

He said it this morning in twitter... He's mad cuz a guy like Hincapie who admitted doping in the grand jury is going to race Le Tour like nothing has happened and the UCI saying nothing, while at the same time UCI wants to destroy Contador's career for just 0,00000000075 of clenbuterol...

I never liked Bjarne. I seem to remember a Vuelta not to long ago (last year) where Andy was thrown out along with Stuart O'Grady for drinking after dinner. Funny how a man's morals change isn't it.

Andrew wasnt thrown out cuz Riis' moral values but his team discipline... that is absolute for him...

it's nice to know that i'm not alone in thinking Contador is class

Dont worry you are not alone dear

I was pretty mad when it happened but its over so I can't harp on it. Atleast a couple days later Contador personally apoligized to Schleck and he even told him - Sorry I shouldn't have done that.

I am neither a Contador hater or lover but there are times when to me he does disrespect the sport. For example this year after Etna saying that he wouldn't put a man on the front to pound out even a meter of pace. To me thats disrespecting the tradition of the maglia rosa.

Alot of people say Cavendish is bad for the sport but it is interesting that the first thing he does after he wins is thank his team. That is something I also rarely hear Contador doing. There's no I in team Pistelero haha.

Nop... Alberto apologized the same day posting a video on youtube the same day apologizing to Andrew... then the next day He talked to him...
If You say that Alberto never thanks his team you are Bananas... Read his tweets and his interviews... maybe You said that cuz You dont get a sheet about the spanish but Alberto ALWAYS says how great is his team and how great the work that They are doing, etc...

But his performances are not out of this world

Even with normal performance You hear the people crying out loud that He's **ped to the gills, etc...

 

[Carl0880]

Hitch, you really read my mind and express far better than me in English. Nothing else to add almost one year after.

By the way, I have just recovered (rest/hang over day) from my toasts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Half Basque, half Venezuelan, you may guess...

What remains? Just Scarponi and Nibali fighting for 2nd and 3rd? Will Gadret have any chance to aim for a podium spot?

I think for the most part, the podium is already decided. The only ones with outside chances IMO are Rujano (Due to his climbing abilities) and Menchov (Due to his improving form and the flat 31 km TT at the end). Especially if it gets windy, I can see Menchov making up a fair amount of time on those in front.

This is barring the completely unforseen happen, crash, horrible weather, etc.

 

[robertocarlos]

Nope. But keep on pretending that. Not that it would matter WHO caused the chute, but at leat get that part of the story right, eh?

O.k. i did not watch the race as i sould have been as i was in the middle of work, but F.S. was infront of A.C. and bruised on the ground when the cammeras were on the site. what i do remember is that contador crossed the line with a wobbly wheel but laboring and with dignity.

 

[Chef_Vodnik]

O.k. i did not watch the race as i sould have been as i was in the middle of work, but F.S. was infront of A.C. when the cameras and bruised on the ground. what i do remember is that contador crossed the line with a wobbly wheel but laboring and with dignity.

Yeah. Tony Martin was the one to go down first, taking F.S. and A.C. with him, amongst others.

 

[Ryaguas]

Haven't read the whole thread...

Is the fact that Purito started with a TT-bike and changed to a 'regular' road bike discussed somewhere? Why did he do that? Some of the great TTers could perhaps have gained something on it, but Purito?

Yes He did! and was a goooooood move BTW! w/o the TT bike He would had lost a lot of time in the 1st part... Just ask Gadret

The cobbles wasn't really personal. Fabian didn't accelerate and stomp out a monsterous pace when the peleton split due to the crash he just never slowed.

LOL... Cancellara was flying... When He finished He was totally cooked that He couldnt even challenge Thor in the sprint...

lol apparently Rujano said that today showed he is 3rd best climber in the world = D

Yep He did! 3 times BTW!

Will Gadret have any chance to aim for a podium spot?

After losing 10min in the final TT? nah...
If He is not careful He could drop the top 10!

 

[Angliru]

Why cant people like Menchov, Kreuziger, Gesink, van den Broeck.... be the best, but it has to be Contador and Armstrong???

What is your point?

 

[Angliru]

Sigh....

Bad memories

Sigh..... Such good times....anger in the belly and all.

 

[Angliru]

Yep, in the future, Contador should wait for rivals who forget how to shift.



Contador is 100% class and he's taking the other riders to school.

In the immortal words of the great Ryder Hesjadel: "You pull out your sword and drop it, you die". Or something like that.

 

[Angliru]

I dont know about you but I m a fan of Ulrich.....

Me too and Indurain too. Both nice guy champions.

 

[Angliru]

Anyone who thinks Contador is 100% class is either trolling or new to cycling.

...or has a different opinion than yourself.

 

[Angliru]

Well that is how gt riders are and by the way he is no alien. I do think that his performances at etna, stage 13 and this tt have been awe inspiring to me by the way he controls the race yet he is able to dominate his main rivals. look at from this prespective everibody has race under the same circunstances (weather, terrain, time, etc.) and contador has been able to put 5 minutes on the second place guy. To be fair with contador saxo has not put as much in the front compared with liquigas. On the other hand he is controlling a race that by nature is really hard to controll.

What is there to control? How often has a primary contender attacked far from the finish? Nibali had the one on the descent I believe but other than that there has been little risk taking by Contador's opponents and thus little to control.

 

[Angliru]

For a second, I thought you were serious. I mean Bjarne, was Andy's manager for years.

Hey you weren't supposed to pick up on that!

 

[Descender]

Pretty Spanish with Vicioso, Ventoso, Contador x2, Nieve & Anton. Also Rujano is Spanish-speaking.


And yeah, Contador isn't perfect but he hasn't got a huge ego like some.

Equaling the record of Spanish wins in the Giro from 1974.

 

[Publicus]

It is all what ifs. What if AC didn't attack when Andy popped his chain? What if Fabian didn't slow down the peleton for Andy when he fell? What if Andy would have slowed down Fabian when Frank fell and broke his collarbone and brought AC to a stop? What if Frank was there to domestique Andy up the mountains?

I think AC apoligized for 2 reasons. 1) The fans were not happy with the attack and booed him and 2) It was a more personal attack on Andy as they were riding together in the mountains and AC actually seen Andy have the mechanical then rode beside him and attacked.

The cobbles wasn't really personal. Fabian didn't accelerate and stomp out a monsterous pace when the peleton split due to the crash he just never slowed.

I wonder even how long it was before Saxo really knew that Contador had got caught in the crash.

AC won and Andy finished 39 seconds behind. That is history. The rest are what ifs?

Have to say your facts are simply wrong on the chain of events (pun intended). Andy attacked while AC was held up behind some riders in the group. Almost immediately Vino set off after Andy and, this is the important part, so did AC but he was coming from further back (I think he was behind Sanchez when Andy attacked, but I could be wrong). Vino is closing down Andy when he (Andy) goes to double shift and really hit it. Of course he drops his chain and AC is already in full flight. To be clear AC did not attack BECAUSE he saw Andy's chain drop. He COUNTER-ATTACKED Andy's move.

Ryder Hesjedal said it best: "If you draw your sword and drop it, you die."

So it wasn't personal unless every attack and counter-attack in a race is personal.