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

[Moose McKnuckles]

The other side of that is why is Contador so strong that he can give so many gifts? For me the answer is the same as what we saw in the TdF 99-05.

No. Contador is nothing like Armstrong. Contador has always been a GC rider. He's a pure climber. Armstrong was never in Contador's class. Talent like Contador doesn't come around very often. Even Indurain was not in AC's class.

 

[Descender]

u have to understand few things

1,tiralongo is former teammate

2,contador has already won 2 stages,he doesnt need more,doesnt need seconds in GC

3,u have to make friends in peloton,u never know when u can use some help from other teams (when nibali attacked,contador wasnt doin much work pulling him back)

4,if u are leader of the peloton its common decency to show some sportsmanship and dont take everything even if u are strong enough

so its not surprise to see that kind of gifts

My God... Where is the cycling I know...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Suprised that Scarponi lost time to Nibbles today. And wtf happened with Rujano?

He was caught behind a crash when the peloton split.

Then he returned, and then he was caught behind dropping riders when the peloton suddenly accelerated and got suprised again.

Poor positioning cost him his head today

 

[DenisMenchov]

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.

I believe he`s aiming Milan`s TT.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

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?

AC initiated to help Tiralongo stay ahead of Purito and Gadret. That's my interpretation of things.

 

[patrick767]

As for why Contador would grab the time, why not? I'm with whoever said up thread that you take time when you can get it, even with a big lead. You might bonk tomorrow. You might crash in the final stage time trial and struggle across the finish line. I expect Contador to try to take more time tomorrow.

 

[Tuarts]

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

I'm more interested in the reason to attack at all then the gift. I guess the Tour has ingrained DEFEND!!!!111eleventy-one! into my psyche

 

[Maxiton]

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?

Exactly. What makes Contador's move so great is that it was both generous and canny. It serves his future interests.

 

[Benotti69]

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.

why not? if it means getting a 'gift' from Contador!

 

[nvpacchi]

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

lets hope this and not a crash/injury

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

ahaha thats good, why waste resources on the gregarios?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

My God... Where is the cycling I know...

It retired last year after a 2-year comeback that culminated with a magnificent victory in the Nevada City crit.

 

[*G*K*S*]

Drawing a blank on the Movistar gift?

Could have meant Androni (Rujano) on stage 13.

 

[Barrus]

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

Gift another win to Euskaltel, after two already?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Seems I was right.

Me 1, Hitch 0

I may be wrong, not knowing the climb, but I think folks may be underestimating it a little.
These Alpine valley things tend to have a few ramps along the way.

DT/MV 1, Hitch 0.

 

[nvpacchi]

Gift another win to Euskaltel, after two already?

There's a big difference between what Contador did for Tiralongo today, and the fashion in which Anton won and even more so the way Nieve won.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Contador could volunteer in a leper colony and his haters would accuse him of trying to upgrade body parts.

 

[BYOP88]

I don't get some people if Contador hadn't allowed gifts and had won a few more stages some would complain..boring Giro, Contador is winning too many stages, turning out to be a rubbish race etc etc etc and when he "gifts" stages Contador is then showing no respect to other riders/the race by letting them win. I'm sure if you ask Tira if he was upset angry with Contador the answer would be no.

 

[Publicus]

There's a big difference between what Contador did for Tiralongo today, and the fashion in which Anton won and even more so the way Nieve won.

I would agree. Though I suspect if nibbles was close to pulling back Anton on Zoncolan, we would have possibly seen something similar.

I agree with Moose. No matter what he does, folks are going to take issue with it.

 

[luckyboy]

Contador could volunteer in a leper colony and his haters would accuse him of trying to upgrade body parts.

haha ......

 

[roundabout]

DT/MV 1, Hitch 0.

The climb in itself was pretty meh. It probably had more to do with fatigue, the fast tempo A&S had to set for Garzelli over the Mottarone. wet weather that split the field up between the climbs and Katusha chasing.

 

[goggalor]

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

I doubt it. Back in Merckx's days gregarios weren't supposed to win races, they were expected to let the stars battle it out, even if they were in front.

 

[Benotti69]

No. Contador is nothing like Armstrong. Contador has always been a GC rider. He's a pure climber. Armstrong was never in Contador's class. Talent like Contador doesn't come around very often. Even Indurain was not in AC's class.

I am not questioning his 'class', his character but his performances, which is being discussed in the clinic and CAS. The comparison for me is related to what we saw in the TdF 99-00, he has an amazing 5+ minutes over 2nd.

 

[python]

being this classy, conti will never approach eddy'd record of winning 1/3 of his races

 

[The Hitch]

DT/MV 1, Hitch 0.

lol. I stand by my comments that Montevergine. is harder.

They just raced it differently. Macugnaga came after 19 days and a far longer stage (which i mentioned btw) but that does not mean that the climb itself is more difficult.

The climb in itself was pretty meh. It probably had more to do with fatigue, the fast tempo A&S had to set for Garzelli over the Mottarone. wet weather that split the field up between the climbs and Katusha chasing.

DT/MV 1, Hitch/Roundabout 2

 

[Granville57]

I said somebody would suffer a major upset and our Venezuelan man-child
drew the short straw.

This along with the "drafting on Big Bert" comment, adding to my favorite quotes from this Giro!