Giro d'Italia, Stage 19: Bergamo - Macugnaga 209km

[The Hitch]

Watch Contador deny it was a gift (im guessing)

 

[spalco]

You know what, if Contador's goal in this Giro was to make friends he certainly succeeded with me, I wouldn't be ****ed anymore if he wins at the CAS.

 

[Francois the Postman]

Must be just me who sees a cynical ploy to Contador trying to win as many friends in the peloton with all these stage gifts.

It is hardly a win when the strongest guy gives it to you?

Cynical ploy or one aspect of what makes our sport so damn interesting. The forging alliances and making friends across team boundaries. It is actually one of the things that attracts me to cycling, the psychology of it all.

Folk at the top, who ride themselves into position they can make or break alliances, when they earn gifts that they can keep or hand out, still need to manage their long-term relationships too.

I expect this particular win was genuinely paying back a friend, and continuing a good relationship is a bonus. Earlier this Giro it was more forging alliances for strategic purposes. And more than likely an element of class on top, to glue it all together.

 

[Ildabaoth]

Watch Contador deny it was a gift (im guessing)

I'm guessing that too. It was the same with Rujano. Contador said Rujano was just stronger even when that was clearly a gift too.

 

[Barrus]

Great to hear the comments by Tiralongo after the stage and I really was amazed that he had never won a professional race before this stage, I really thought he had some wins already.

Also another great ride by Kruijswijk, just one minute away from a top 10 placing now

 

[Psalmon]

Already on Wiki

Right after Tiralongo crossed the line I checked his palmares out on Wiki and was shocked to find he already had 1st Stage 19 Giro for 2011.

Does Wikipedia update automatically or does Paulo have some rabid fans looking out for him?

 

[The Hitch]

If you watch how long Tiralongos post victory interview is and considering Contador doesnt like too much media duties, you might see why Contador keeps letitng others cross the line first.

 

[TeoSheva]

You know what, if Contador's goal in this Giro was to make friends he certainly succeeded with me, I wouldn't be ****ed anymore if he wins at the CAS.

why he should need friends? ha can take how many minutes he wants on a decent climb... the others need to be friend of him to get some gifts...

 

[Benotti69]

Tiralongo telling RAI that Contador and him are mates. Contador told him at 6kms it would be a good time to attack.

How many teams has Contador got owing him now? Movistar and Astana at least. If he can gift a win to Euskatel tomorrow he could have at least 4 teams working including Saxo for him during the TdF

 

[metaCYCLE]

entertainment & class.

 

[Ildabaoth]

Great to hear the comments by Tiralongo after the stage and I really was amazed that he had never won a professional race before this stage, I really thought he had some wins already.

Could you translate what Tiralongo said?

 

[DenisMenchov]

If you watch how long Tiralongos post victory interview is and considering Contador doesnt like too much media duties, you might see why Contador keeps letitng others cross the line first.

He doesn`t speak English.

 

[spalco]

why he should need friends? ha can take how many minutes he wants on a decent climb... the others need to be friend of him to get some gifts...

But good will from the public and polite relationships with other riders can't hurt. Maybe he doesn't need friends, but he just wants them.

 

[ruamruam]

Right after Tiralongo crossed the line I checked his palmares out on Wiki and was shocked to find he already had 1st Stage 19 Giro for 2011.

Does Wikipedia update automatically or does Paulo have some rabid fans looking out for him?

Just checked that. That was pretty quick

 

[luckyboy]

Yes why should it matter when someone does something in a sport we are following? How ridiculous of me to ask such a question on a forum dedicated to that sport!

Well it was obviously one of those three things. Not something ridiculous like that guy who said he did it just to show he could.

edit: it was Jamsque

Another gift from Bertie. Seems kind of a **** move to pull back Tiralongo just to show he can and then let him win.

 

[nvpacchi]

Tiralongo telling RAI that Contador and him are mates. Contador told him at 6kms it would be a good time to attack.

How many teams has Contador got owing him now? Movistar and Astana at least. If he can gift a win to Euskatel tomorrow he could have at least 4 teams working including Saxo for him during the TdF

Drawing a blank on the Movistar gift?

 

[Benotti69]

[edite by mod]

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

1 difference tho, Montevergine comes after 1 week and riders are fresh.
This comes after 3 weeks when most riders are wrecked.
If they are gonna ride up hard, there will be less riders left than you'd expect on such an easy climb

Seems I was right.

Me 1, Hitch 0

 

[Maxiton]

Merckx and Hinault weren't champions?

Don't pretend you don't know what I mean. And besides, there must be examples of Merckx and Hinault being similarly noble.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Hands up all those who said Montevergine was harder than today's climb?
I said somebody would suffer a major upset and our Venezuelan man-child
drew the short straw.
On the other hand Menchov should have found this right up his street.

Contador has sucked the life out of this race. Without him, the GC would be a real dogfight over a few seconds here and there.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

Tiralongo telling RAI that Contador and him are mates. Contador told him at 6kms it would be a good time to attack.

How many teams has Contador got owing him now? Movistar and Astana at least. If he can gift a win to Euskatel tomorrow he could have at least 4 teams working including Saxo for him during the TdF

Movistar -- i can see that, also considering he is ultimately planning to go there or just movie guys want him to be there.

But like hell Vino will give his own teammates to do work for Conta this time.

 

[The Hitch]

lol watching the "inside Astana" from before the race and Tira is told to stay with Kreuziger AT ALL TIMES

 

[Frosty]

19.31 for Anton, just pipping Michael Barry to the line. Breakaway tomorrow?

 

[Benotti69]

Drawing a blank on the Movistar gift?

you must have missed the Movistar car helping a stopped Saxo rider while the Saxo car drove straight by

 

[Publicus]

Tiralongo telling RAI that Contador and him are mates. Contador told him at 6kms it would be a good time to attack.

How many teams has Contador got owing him now? Movistar and Astana at least. If he can gift a win to Euskatel tomorrow he could have at least 4 teams working including Saxo for him during the TdF

I wonder how Roman feels knowing that his domestique is indebted to AC?

Talk about divided loyalties. Btw, did AC initiate the attack or was that in response to Nibbles' attack?