I applaud Liquigas

[Potomac]

They stuck to their guns

 

[scribe]

Vino disagrees

 

[eljimberino]

How so? Seemed to me the Spanish did over the Italians once again.

 

[Galic Ho]

They stuck to their guns

Yes and they lost out more than any other team with a sniff of winning the Giro. Idiots.

 

[Cobblestones]

They stuck to their guns

Sticking to your guns when you're losing? It may sound noble, but it's dumb. Really.

 

[Runitout]

They stuck to their guns

They must be so proud. They lost the Giro, but they chose to lose it. It makes it all better.

 

[SpartacusRox]

They stuck to their guns

Yes they certainly did that and in doing so rode the dumbest tactical race I have ever witnessed. Saying that it was up to Astana to chase when it was obvious that Astana were too weak to do so just beggars belief.

But hey at the end of the day they can still say we "stuck to our guns". we lost 12 minutes and probably the Giro but we stuck to our guns!

I could never see Saxo, HTC or Radioshack surrendering a GT like LG did today, in such a dumb way.

 

[Festa1971]

I could never see Saxo, HTC or Radioshack surrendering a GT like LG did today, in such a dumb way.

TdF 2006 - Landis rode away, CSC (and others) all looked at Periero and the broken Caisse team to chase.

They didn't know he was going to be DQd at the time, did they?

I have never quite understood the principal of "the team with the jersey HAS to control the race".

 

[karlboss]

TdF 2006 - Landis rode away, CSC (and others) all looked at Periero and the broken Caisse team to chase.

They didn't know he was going to be DQd at the time, did they?

I have never quite understood the principal of "the team with the jersey HAS to control the race".

Was about to mention that, T- mobile sat as did CSC until it was too late. The difference was Landis was one guy, I guess they may have thought he would crack on the final climb.

 

[movingtarget]

Liquigas

If this stage costs the favourites a win and it probably will, it will be the 2006 TDF all over again. They reacted far too late. If Sastre is feeling good and really believes that all of the time he had lost earlier was the result of bad luck and misfortune, well the race is his to lose. BMC has exploded, Astana are weakened. Porte's lead over Sastre looks tenuous but he is an unknown over a 3 week race, so who knows ? Evans must be feeling suicidal. Liquigas tried to play it both ways and were caught out but you could say that all of the favourites were caught out and letting Sastre and Wiggins back into the race like that is beyond comprehension not to mention Arroyo and Tondo. A weird race and the weather has played a huge part in all of the ups and downs.

 

[Magnus]

It's a bit like getting killed by a car crossing a green light:

You followed the law, but you're dead so it doesn't matter.

 

[ScottyMuser]

I just saw this lingerting on page 2, with multiple comments on Liquigas losing the race and throwing it away, so thought I would give it a bump. Well done those prediucting end of the race for Liquigas, anything else you would like to add

 

[scribe]

I just saw this lingerting on page 2, with multiple comments on Liquigas losing the race and throwing it away, so thought I would give it a bump. Well done those prediucting end of the race for Liquigas, anything else you would like to add

Slow down there, the fat lady hasn't sung. There is plenty of deficit with plenty of road ahead

 

[Steampunk]

Liquigas has been the class of this GT by a long, long way. But you do have to wonder where they'd stand right now without L'Aquila...

 

[Potomac]

Liquigas made vino and evans work that day.

 

[hfer07]

pfff-they should've been in control of the maglia rosa by now....but nevertheless, the stage victories by Nibali & Basso are a huge boost to their morale for the next week to finish the job

 

[flicker]

the real liquid gas Gs are a capin oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

[Cerberus]

Looks like the breakaway won't be decisive, at least not for determining the winner. Still strikes me as a stupid risk to run though.

 

[theswordsman]

I'll definitely applaud the whole team this weekend, especially Nibali & Basso. Just from Basso's point of view, before the stage he had raced eleven days in a row, lost time when attacked after a crash, spent days with a teammate in the pink jersey, got drilled in the Italian press, came in second yesterday, and still put in his best day in four years Sunday. I said in another thread that it seems like he's peaking perfectly for a three week race, where Cadel and Vino might be past the peak that got them wins before the Giro. Basso's weaknesses are normally Individual Time Trials and descending. If he had to ride a TT, the uphill one Tuesday should be perfect for him. I'm still hoping Porte can hang in for a podium spot. But yeah, the guys in green have been really impressive on two continents this past week.

 

[Cerberus]

I'm still hoping Porte can hang in for a podium spot.

I think that boat has sailed. He has only 1 minute to Basso and little more than 2 to Cadel. He need to keep one of those behind him or take more than 2,5 minute on Arroyo. Several others of the original contenders are within striking distance of Porte as well. Top 5 might be possible and top 10 seems realistic, but a podium spot is out of reach. Barring some major unforeseen events of cause, and what are the odds of that?

 

[HL2037]

"The race is long. Sometimes you are ahead and sometimes you are behind."

The Liquigas mountain train is positively frightening. I can't wait to see who will be their leader in the tour.