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Cimber said: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.
Archibald said:Oh, I shouldn't... yes, I will... I think "CAS" could well be his biggest helper if he wins
I'll get me coat...
Scott SoCal said: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.
b.broadhurst said: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 said: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.
luckyboy said:Maybe Astana will pay him back for the gift on Macugnaga. Maybe Movistar will help him too?
Parrulo said: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.
Parrulo said:well if kloden is on the same group it wouldn't surprise me<- i meant wouldn't there not would. my bad
kurtinsc said: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.
kurtinsc said: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.
Spaniard said: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.
b.broadhurst said: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
montagna lunga said: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.
b.broadhurst said:Are you saying Contador has doped to win every Grand Tour?
kurtinsc said: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.
kurtinsc said: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.
hfer07 said:CONTADOR TO ME IS BUFFLING-BEWARE OF THE SPANIARD IN COMING STAGES.......
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-says-his-knee-is-feeling-better