I fear for Saxo Bank.

[Anonymous]

They'll be just fine come the big climbs.

OT. el pistolero of CN forum is super quiet. lol

 

[Archibald]

Imho the first (or the first two) MTF-stages are often the most important ones. That is where the riders get to test eachother and gain that psychological advantage/disadvantage that is important for the following MTF-stages.

About SBS, I think they will be ready for the mountains. They might not be the best mountain team, but they are still a strong mountain team that should be able to support Contador well. Ofcourse its a bit unsure whether Navarro and Jesus have recoved from the Giro, but if just one of those 2 are at normal form the team should be fine. There is also CAS who might be BErties most important helper. Porte will be able to pull on the early mountains at a steady pace and maybe the first k on the last climb. Nicki will also be able to do some decent work on the early climbs on the stages.

However, its really is not good enough that they arent able to support him better on the flats. Cooke should have been there.

Oh, I shouldn't... yes, I will... I think "CAS" could well be his biggest helper if he wins

I'll get me coat...

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, I shouldn't... yes, I will... I think "CAS" could well be his biggest helper if he wins

I'll get me coat...

No, please stay... Besides CAS being Bert's best teammate the race strategy employed on the second rest day will be the key to winning the race.

Good team + good strategy = TdF victory.

 

[Archibald]

No, please stay... Besides CAS being Bert's best teammate the race strategy employed on the second rest day will be the key to winning the race.

Good team + good strategy = TdF victory.

his team has proven to have a good strategy too - it's dealing with CAS is what helped him get over his biggest hurdle and make it to the tour

 

[b.broadhurst]

Other domestiques such as tiralongo and szmyd are also sitting at the back of the field to conserve energy!! Don't forget tiralongo owes contador for his stage win in the giro, so don't be surprised to see him pulling in the mountains once vino has fallen away in the pyrenees!!

Contador has plenty of allies in the peloton - zubeldia, paulinho and martinez can all help!! But still CAS will be his best domestique, didn't ride the giro and form was improving towards the end of the dauphine, 3 top 10 finishes in the mountains!!

Everybody is fearing saxobank in the mountains, they can ride such a high tempo and then contador can keep it going for kilometres on his own!!

Beware peloton, contador is fired up!! This would definitely be his best win of his career!!

 

[kurtinsc]

Other domestiques such as tiralongo and szmyd are also sitting at the back of the field to conserve energy!! Don't forget tiralongo owes contador for his stage win in the giro, so don't be surprised to see him pulling in the mountains once vino has fallen away in the pyrenees!!

Contador has plenty of allies in the peloton - zubeldia, paulinho and martinez can all help!! But still CAS will be his best domestique, didn't ride the giro and form was improving towards the end of the dauphine, 3 top 10 finishes in the mountains!!

Everybody is fearing saxobank in the mountains, they can ride such a high tempo and then contador can keep it going for kilometres on his own!!

Beware peloton, contador is fired up!! This would definitely be his best win of his career!!

I can't imagine Zubeldia or Paulinho being allowed to help Contador. Not that I think Kloden will beat him... but he'll probably be a top 5 guy. Riders from his team will get a talking to if they start helping the favorite.

 

[Parrulo]

I can't imagine Zubeldia or Paulinho being allowed to help Contador. Not that I think Kloden will beat him... but he'll probably be a top 5 guy. Riders from his team will get a talking to if they start helping the favorite.

well if kloden is on the same group it wouldn't surprise me to see paulinho and zubeldia going to the front and helping contador's team.
hell it wouldn't surprise me if paulinho moved to contador's team when his contract at RS ends.

 

[luckyboy]

Maybe Astana will pay him back for the gift on Macugnaga. Maybe Movistar will help him too?

 

[inri2000]

Maybe Astana will pay him back for the gift on Macugnaga. Maybe Movistar will help him too?

Don't forget Euskaltel

 

[kurtinsc]

well if kloden is on the same group it would surprise me to see paulinho and zubeldia going to the front and helping contador's team.
hell it wouldn't surprise me if paulinho moved to contador's team when his contract at RS ends.

If Kloden is not in the same group... then paulinho and zubeldia will be back helping him, well behind him (more likely) or in the off chance that Kloden is UP the road... they wouldn't chase down their leader.

I can't see too many scenarios where they'd help contador as long as RS has Kloden in contention. If he crashes and RS is without a GC hope... then they might do something for Contador.

To be honest... the same goes for the other teams. Nobody will help Contador if they think they have a GC shot.

 

[Parrulo]

well if kloden is on the same group it wouldn't surprise me<- i meant wouldn't there not would. my bad

 

[kurtinsc]

well if kloden is on the same group it wouldn't surprise me<- i meant wouldn't there not would. my bad

They'd only help if it also helped Kloden... not because of any friendship toward Contador. The same would be true of other RS riders who may not like Contador at all.

No riders for other teams are going to help Contador much outside of maybe a bit of food or a bottle unless their team has no GC hopes.

 

[Parrulo]

They'd only help if it also helped Kloden... not because of any friendship toward Contador. The same would be true of other RS riders who may not like Contador at all.

No riders for other teams are going to help Contador much outside of maybe a bit of food or a bottle unless their team has no GC hopes.

meh anyway at this rate RS will be leaderless by tomorrow

^^just joking

 

[b.broadhurst]

I can't imagine Zubeldia or Paulinho being allowed to help Contador. Not that I think Kloden will beat him... but he'll probably be a top 5 guy. Riders from his team will get a talking to if they start helping the favorite.

I will be surprised if Kloden is top 5, his team is in tatters atm and with horner expected to withdraw, he has lost a key man in the mountains.

My Top 5 (Not in order) - Contador, Evans, Van Den Broeck, Schleck, Gesink Anyone agree?

But I think Martin/Velits could spring a surprise for HTC. A

 

[b.broadhurst]

Euskatel will be after stage wins with sanchez and martinez while movistar have lost kiriyenka and arroyo looks fatigued after giro so unlikely to help!! End of the day, contador doesn't need help, he is a machine!! Contador for the win tomorrow? Last 2km is steep, average 7.5%

 

[montagna lunga]

With the insane Giro , the french public against him, the doping stuff the whole year,his bad luck in the first stage and his weak team, if Contador can manage to win this tour I will consider him at least at the level of Indurain and Armstrong.

With the insane Giro , the french public against him, the doping stuff the whole year,his bad luck in the first stage and his weak team, if Contador can manage to win this tour I will consider him at least at the same suspect (doper) level of Indurain and Armstrong.

 

[kurtinsc]

I will be surprised if Kloden is top 5, his team is in tatters atm and with horner expected to withdraw, he has lost a key man in the mountains.

My Top 5 (Not in order) - Contador, Evans, Van Den Broeck, Schleck, Gesink Anyone agree?

But I think Martin/Velits could spring a surprise for HTC. A

Well, Kloden TT's better then all of them (with the possible exception of an in-form Contador). And while he's older, he's proven in the past that he can hang as well as anyone aside from Contador and Andy in the high mountains.

He rarely seems to take the lead... but now he doens't have much choice.

As for domestiques, he doen'st have Brajkovic and Horner. But Leipheimer, Zubeldia, Popovych (though dinged up) and Paulinho is a better supporting cast for climbs then many teams out there.

 

[b.broadhurst]

With the insane Giro , the french public against him, the doping stuff the whole year,his bad luck in the first stage and his weak team, if Contador can manage to win this tour I will consider him at least at the same suspect (doper) level of Indurain and Armstrong.

Are you saying Contador has doped to win every Grand Tour?

 

[kurtinsc]

Are you saying Contador has doped to win every Grand Tour?

Clinic... but yeah, he probably has. Of course I think every GT winner for quite some time is guilty.

But again, take it to the clinic.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Well, Kloden TT's better then all of them (with the possible exception of an in-form Contador). And while he's older, he's proven in the past that he can hang as well as anyone aside from Contador and Andy in the high mountains.

He rarely seems to take the lead... but now he doens't have much choice.

As for domestiques, he doen'st have Brajkovic and Horner. But Leipheimer, Zubeldia, Popovych (though dinged up) and Paulinho is a better supporting cast for climbs then many teams out there.

Kloden's time trialling after a 3 week tour has been suspect in the past, last year he was slower than Contador Schleck and Van Den Broeck!! Not much time to lose on this years time trial as shown in the dauphine!!

This tour is all down to the climb up Galibier!!

 

[Parrulo]

As for domestiques, he doen'st have Brajkovic and Horner. But Leipheimer, Zubeldia, Popovych (though dinged up) and Paulinho is a better supporting cast for climbs then many teams out there.

exactly. and apparently paulinho dropped a few kilos this season to improve his climbing so kloden's domestics aren't that bad.

imo they should give paulinho a free role. the guy has a nice nose for the right brake and how to win from breakaways. and pretty much everytime he gets an opportunity in a GT he gets something. but i am biased so. . .

 

[Thomsena]

It's hard to describe how bad they have looked. Really. Contador is alone every single time the pace is high in the peloton. CAS is pretty much the only rider of the 8 (Richie looks alright as well) who has proven in shape for this Tour. Tosatto who actually should be one of the better, well-experienced riders in the peloton to do his job - protecting the captain from the wind and bad positions - has simply not done his job good enough. I have just read an interview with Sorensen - He says that Contador was caught too far behind when the peloton increased the pace today(Gilbert) and he had to get up in front alone using a lot of energy as a consequence.

The three Spaniards, with especially Noval in mind, have been laughable so far. Larsson must be biting his hand in anger when he sees the lack of simple commitment from Noval. So far, he has contributed with absolutely nothing. Especially his sad attempt to ride a bike in the TTT comes in mind.

I know, this might be too early to make conclusions and that they might have been saving energy to the upcoming stages but.. man.. risky tactics! Already cost Alberto several crashes and 1:30 to three of the GC contenders. If we in the next couple of stages see a Saxo-team destroying the peloton with Noval in front up I'll of course bite my tongue and handle out ice creams to every single user on this forum - I seriously doubt it though.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

At last year's Tour Navarro and Hernández were off the back and in the bottom 10 or so GC. Also to be totally honest I don't recall them expending all that much energy in the Giro. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them on the front working for Alberto in the mountains.

They might not do the péloton-destroying job they did last year, but they'll still do a pretty creditable performance. Though I expect Sylwester Szmyd for Basso to take the main job as GC hope killer.

 

[hfer07]

CONTADOR TO ME IS BLUFFLING-BEWARE OF THE SPANIARD IN COMING STAGES.......
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-says-his-knee-is-feeling-better

 

[Ramira]

CONTADOR TO ME IS BUFFLING-BEWARE OF THE SPANIARD IN COMING STAGES.......
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-says-his-knee-is-feeling-better

You don't have to yell, my screen is just 40 inches in front of me. Also I don't think it matters if he's bluffing about his knee or not, I don't see him beating Andy after the Giro.