How do you defeat Astana ?

[39*23t]

For all the internal leadership problems they may be having Astana have definetly showed themselves as the ones to be beaten. So if you were Bjarne Riis or Marc Sergant how would you go about this task.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Hire Contador /thread

 

[Amsterhammer]

This could happily have been posted in the existing Astana battle topic. We're on a crusade against multiple topics, don't you know.

 

[issoisso]

Contador has shown time and time and time and time and time and time again he has no stamina.

Keep the pace as high as possible for an entire stage. it'll tire out your riders tremendously....it'll also pretty much kill bertie.

The ideal stage for this would be Le Grand Bornand.

This goes double if your team leader is Carlos "I only do well in long hard grueling stages" Sastre

 

[39*23t]

This could happily have been posted in the existing Astana battle topic. We're on a crusade against multiple topics, don't you know.

thought about it but that thread seems to be heading down the lance love/hate route. if you want we can carry it on there?

 

[nathan_peace]

Contador has shown time and time and time and time and time and time again he has no stamina.

Keep the pace as high as possible for an entire stage. it'll tire out your riders tremendously....it'll also pretty much kill bertie.

The ideal stage for this would be Le Grand Bornand.

This goes double if your team leader is Carlos "I only do well in long hard grueling stages" Sastre

i agree, the best way would be to ride tempo, i have noticed that with contador, when he attacks he quickly pulls out 30-60 seconds but then struggles to pull out any further advantage. this shows that he is very explosive but lacks the stamina for a sustained attack, whereas if you look back LA (and even Sastre last year) used to keep pulling away from other riders and put 5-6 minutes into them.

 

[Tusher]

For all the internal leadership problems they may be having Astana have definetly showed themselves as the ones to be beaten. So if you were Bjarne Riis or Marc Sergant how would you go about this task.

Food poisoning.

 

[Publicus]

i agree, the best way would be to ride tempo, i have noticed that with contador, when he attacks he quickly pulls out 30-60 seconds but then struggles to pull out any further advantage. this shows that he is very explosive but lacks the stamina for a sustained attack, whereas if you look back LA (and even Sastre last year) used to keep pulling away from other riders and put 5-6 minutes into them.

That's one of the things he spent timing working on (sustain his bursts of speed). We'll see if he's got the hang of it.

 

[franciep10]

Hope that they all tests positive, or hope for swine flu to take over the team and nobody else in the peloton.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

That's one of the things he spent timing working on (sustain his bursts of speed). We'll see if he's got the hang of it.

It's questionable though if you can get better at this that much.

Andy and Fränk Schleck are also Stanima Monsters.
I could imagine that some teams will work together if it get's necessary.

I'd just love to see Saxo Bank, Cervelo and Columbia to go berserk on stage 17 for example.
Not to forget Liquigas, if all their guys are on form.

 

[slcbiker]

I don't know that riding tempo would work to drop Contador. He's got 3 domestiques that have all podiumed in GTs. He's not likely to have the wind in his face until he decides to attack. You really think there is another team that could ride tempo hard enough to tire him out without killing themselves?

The best bet is probably to hope that they have a massive pileup in the TTT that takes out 2-3 of their top riders.

 

[Anonymous]

You have to make it to stage 20 close enough to matter.

You have to have faith that your GCer is as good or close to as good as AC and is better than the rest of Astana. You could argue that Evans is that good.

Then you need one guy who has at least one day in him where he's as good as the Astana supporters. Then when you get somewhere above tree line on Mont-Ventoux you have to attack.

It can happen.. these guys still put there pants on pretty much the same way.

More likely the things that normally can happen in a grand tour will happen. Crashes w/injuries, crashes that split the peleton at a bad time, flats, other mechanicals, rain, long decents, bonks, illness, ect, could put us in week three in a situation we don't imagine now.

 

[Cobblestones]

Food poisoning.

A power outage.

 

[BroDeal]

A power outage.

The courier's refrigerated panniers fail.

 

[dgodave]

So basically, barring catastrophe, this tour is OVER.
.
Well, it was fun. See you in 2010.
.

 

[Bagster]

Contador has shown time and time and time and time and time and time again he has no stamina.

Keep the pace as high as possible for an entire stage. it'll tire out your riders tremendously....it'll also pretty much kill bertie.

The ideal stage for this would be Le Grand Bornand.

This goes double if your team leader is Carlos "I only do well in long hard grueling stages" Sastre

Yup, he really showed that in his last three tour wins..