is yates right about more pressure being on andy/cuddles?

[GPlataniotis]

At this point have to see who can avoid the crashes. Looks like Wiggins and Horner are out. Tour De France has turned into the Tour De Crash this year. Can't remember this many crashes since I started watching the Tour in '84.

 

[Angliru]

>>At no time has Contador's shown confidence that he can win the Tour, only that he looks forward to the challenge of competition and that he will see how things go being that this is definitely uncharted waters for him.<<

wha? just defending his tour title after winning the giro shows supreme confidence. remember he's never lost a GT.
also, after the tour last year contador talked about winning all three GTs in a year.

i know some of you think contador is a mousy little guy that doesn't understand tactics or have self-confidence but the record speaks for itself. don't be surprised to see AC open a can of kick culo next week.

rodent-boy, on the other hand, had better win after all the smack talk and betraying his team last year.

erader

I should have said publicly since his Giro victory Contador hasn't shown confidence that he can win the Tour. I have no doubts about Contador's confidence in his abilities but I also think that he is a practical person and recognizes (and has stated as much) that the Giro is not ideal prep for the Tour if your goal is to win the overall.

Regarding winning 3 grand tours in the same year, Contador only approached this topic when Riis made the statements that he believes Contador could do it. Contador was then put on the spot to respond and admitted it was a dream of his (I believe he is quoted as saying this) but also that the circumstances to do such a feat would involve so many variables having to be to his advantage. I believe he loves the challenge that it holds but I think he would have geared his season's schedule much differently if this was all part of his grand scheme for the 2011 season. I'm quite certain this could not have been the case with his knowledge of all the uncertainty about what his future holds still being left up in the air.

 

[jobiwan]

I should have said publicly since his Giro victory Contador hasn't shown confidence that he can win the Tour. I have no doubts about Contador's confidence in his abilities but I also think that he is a practical person and recognizes (and has stated as much) that the Giro is not ideal prep for the Tour if your goal is to win the overall.

Regarding winning 3 grand tours in the same year, Contador only approached this topic when Riis made the statements that he believes Contador could do it. Contador was then put on the spot to respond and admitted it was a dream of his (I believe he is quoted as saying this) but also that the circumstances to do such a feat would involve so many variables having to be to his advantage. I believe he loves the challenge that it holds but I think he would have geared his season's schedule much differently if this was all part of his grand scheme for the 2011 season. I'm quite certain this could not have been the case with his knowledge of all the uncertainty about what his future holds still being left up in the air.

You are correct good sir.

The Spaniard revealed that while he realises the difficulty of a Grand Tour triple, he does not rule it out completely. "It is a dream, and I don't know if it is impossible," he said.

Even he admits the sheer monstrosity of the Triple.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-clarifies-grand-tour-triple

 

[Angliru]

There is not much pressure on AC, I guess. Only a few months ago, nobody expected him to race this tour because of his habit "to win races in the hotel" (just a quote )and I guess his motivation is not at highest level, because he already has won the Giro this year and he knows he might well lose a 2011 Tour title as well as last year's Tour victory (and his Giro) soon, so why should he bother... I guess, he is racing only because Riis wanted him to do so.

Cadel is in a quite comfortable position. Due to all of his bad luck and/or bad form in the past, nobody expects him to actually win a GT. He can take it day by day and use his endurance and routine to try the impossible. He would make a great winner of the 2011 Tour for sure...

Andy Schleck, on the other hand, is clearly under serious pressure. No results this year, damn strong team, already huge gap to AC etc. I am not sure if he knows his form himself. In the mountains, everything is possible for him from being dropped at the very foot of the final climb to easily dropping everybody including AC like he did last year just before chaingate[/B].

We will see...

I must have missed that particular stage. Were there 2 incidences of chaingate that I'm not aware of? What I recall is Andy attacking because he saw Contador not in an ideal position to respond quickly, not Andy simply dropping Contador. Even, I believe it was Kim Anderrson admits that Andy's attack was ill-advised considering they close to the top of the climb with a descent to the finish looming. This implies to me that Andy's attack in the eyes of one of his manager's was not going to bear any fruit even without him slipping his chain.