Le Tour de France 2011 STAGE 8 - Aigurande-Super-Besse Sancy 189 km

[Parrulo]

Once Tejay saw he wasn't going to win the stage he tempo rode the rest of the way, but Costa was stronger on the final climb. He's also three years older, I honestly think they both have bright futures.

2 years older not 3 just being picky here but what was being argued was who was stronger today from the break and no matter how you put it, it was rui costa. if it makes you feel better i still say that TJVG has more climbing potential and GT potential then rui. but rui has much more classics potential

 

[rides like a girl]

That's cos Rui wasn't speaking Portuguese.

Maybe Paul does know it. But we'll have to wait to find out.

Sorry about that. I had started to mute Paul and Phil on my tablet and the TV. They were muted on both the tablet and TV. I looked over and saw Rui being interviewed. By the time I turned up the sound on the tablet, kind of heard the last two words of what Rui said, and really only heard Paul translating. Knew he was Portuguese, so assumed that was what he was speaking.

I guess that is what you get when you assume...Paul made me an A$$..Another reason to dislike Paul...he punked me today

 

[furcah]

You are comparing Annecy and the Bordeaux TT's to show that Schleck won't lose 30 seconds to Evans? really?

Actually yes for several reasons. Those 2 ITTs are the only ITTs in the last 2 years Andy has takes seriously.


We all know that Andy doesnt care about any other race but TDF and LBL. He doesnt even try in any other race therefore races like TOC ITT doesnt show anything that Andy can do in ITT.

I can list some reason for you.

1) 2 weeks in the mountains makes the gap between good and bad ITTers smaller than most of you can think.
2) Last ITT is in the only week of the year when Andy is on his peak. We know that he's the master in peaking at the right moment.
3) Andy improved his ITT by 40 watts according to document made about his preparation to tdf.
4) This is the only ITT in the whole year where Andy actually tries his best.

 

[kurtinsc]

2 years older not 3 just being picky here but what was being argued was who was stronger today from the break and no matter how you put it, it was rui costa. if it makes you feel better i still say that TJVG has more climbing potential and GT potential then rui. but rui has much more classics potential

I don't know who was stronger, but TJVG did seem to spend a lot more time at the front from the CAT2 onward. Costa definitely road a smarter race, regardless of if he was stronger, weaker or of the same strength.

It seemed like he was perhaps a bit overconfident going to the front constantly and burned his energy off too early. Not a smart race... but I wonder if his work made it possible for Costa to stay away.

 

[Moviefan1203]

What the hell happened to Roman Kreuziger? Did I miss a crash or something?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

What the hell happened to Roman Kreuziger? Did I miss a crash or something?

Giro happened.

and maybe a crash, i dunno, but he was never gonna do anything at this race.

 

[just some guy]

Actually yes for several reasons. Those 2 ITTs are the only ITTs in the last 2 years Andy has takes seriously.


We all know that Andy doesnt care about any other race but TDF and LBL. He doesnt even try in any other race therefore races like TOC ITT doesnt show anything that Andy can do in ITT.

I can list some reason for you.

1) 2 weeks in the mountains makes the gap between good and bad ITTers smaller than most of you can think.
2) Last ITT is in the only week of the year when Andy is on his peak. We know that he's the master in peaking at the right moment.
3) Andy improved his ITT by 40 watts according to document made about his preparation to tdf.
4) This is the only ITT in the whole year where Andy actually tries his best.

and Evans did not take them seriously

 

[Parrulo]

3) Andy improved his ITT by 40 watts according to document made about his preparation to tdf.

sounds like a legit source

ok i believe you now schleck is a better time trialist then contador.

 

[roundabout]

Giro happened.

and maybe a crash, i dunno, but he was never gonna do anything at this race.

What happened to Poels? Last by 8 minutes on the stage.

 

[Moviefan1203]

Giro happened.

and maybe a crash, i dunno, but he was never gonna do anything at this race.

He finished third last on the day, he was never going to contend for this race but the sprinters finished ahead of him.

 

[William H]

What the hell happened to Roman Kreuziger? Did I miss a crash or something?

He was in the crash yesterday that took out Wiggins, wasn't he?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

What happened to Poels? Last by 8 minutes on the stage.

really?

That sucks. He might've crashed, I read on his twitter earlier today that he said he hoped to be not so stiff today so maybe he crashed yesterday or something.

 

[Moviefan1203]

sounds like a legit source

ok i believe you now schleck is a better time trialist then contador.

Until I see Andy do a solid time trial, I won't believe that 'document.' He has looked awful against the clock this season. Absolutely dreadful.

 

[spalco]

Cuddles is always good on hills like this(yes, this is a hill). He'll totally fade in the mountains as usual. Otherwise you might as well say Gilbert is going to win the Tour.

That's a very good point. All the people writing off Contador already should think about that.

 

[YoRUsh]

What happened to Poels? Last by 8 minutes on the stage.

I believe he's sick, he dropped from the peloton very early in the race today.

 

[furcah]

and Evans did not take them seriously

In 2009 he surely did. He was 12th in the stage. And even though Evans didnt take it seriously last Conta surely did and Evans isnt as good timetrialist as Conta is.

sounds like a legit source

ok i believe you now schleck is a better time trialist then contador.

I never said so. I've said that 60 seconds is what Andy needs to Contador at max.

I know 40 watts seems alot but he worked alot on his ITT during winter so its sure he's better in it compared to last year.

 

[Parrulo]

Until I see Andy do a solid time trial, I won't believe that 'document.' He has looked awful against the clock this season. Absolutely dreadful.

wasn't it obvious that i was being sarcastic? . . . .

if contador is in good shape he can put 1 minute and a half on schleck on the last itt. the pais vasco itt was a serious test for schleck ans he failed miserably

 

[rides like a girl]

Ok, lets compare Andy, Evans and Conta in 2009 and 2010 TDF last ITT.

in 2010

35 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:05:43
44 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:06:14
166 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:10:57

You can see that Conta only won Andy with 31 seconds.

in 2009

1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:48:31
12 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto 0:01:14
21 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:44

In 2009 Andy lost 30 seconds to Evans and 1:44 to Conta.

Like i've said in few last posts Andy have improved his ITT position alot in the last winter. And other thing i've said Andy probably loose 90 to Evans in 42km ITT if they were both totally fresh but 2 weeks in the mountains changes alot. Andy is known to be great recover and its even fysiological thing. 34-old rider wont recover as fast as 26-year therefore Andy wont loose more than 30 seconds to Evans in the last ITT.

I have not see anything this year that shows me Andy has improved his TT abilities by the watts he is claiming. Many people claim things in the off season. If i listened to what riders say in the run up to the Tour, I would have bet my house on Radio Shack with their strong teams to win the last two years.

Andy has raced ITT's this year and has not show a spark of this improvement. Frank did well in the one TT, the one with his magical attachment on his belly. Since that one, I have no evidence of good TT abilities from a Schleck. Andy hung with his brother at the back during the TTT taking few pulls. Granted few could match Fabian's speed, but to fall back so soon, seems odd, if you have good TT abilities.

Wasn't Cadel dealing with a bad elbow or something by the time the ITT came around last year? Can't say that his results last year can be used to gauge his talent.

All I know Andy needs time on most every GC contender in the ITT. If Andy, AC and Cadel are within 30 seconds of each other, I wouldn't put my money on Andy's claim of better ITT skills just yet.

 

[perico]

2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:01
3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:04
4 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team RadioShack 0:00:10
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:12
7 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad 0:00:13
8 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad s.t.
11 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Pro Team Astana 0:00:32
12 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:00:39
13 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:01:03
14 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:12
15 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD s.t.
17 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:28
20 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:01:42
21 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:57
22 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo s.t.
29 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:02:36
42 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:04:43
46 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:05:46
111 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Pro Team Astana 0:25:27

 

[meat puppet]

not to take anything away from the schleklets' ITT improvement, surely he has made progress. but, since it is july and basically propaganda time, wouldn't the numbers (40W or whatever) presented in the document be best taken cum grano salis too? assuming andy weighs 70kg-ish and is able to push roundabout 400w-ish in tt position (~6w/kg), that wattage gain would constitute quite an astonishing improvement, no? i find such a gain unlikely - within the criteria of this subforum at least. also gaining 40w is different from aerodynamic gains amounting to a 40w gain in pure power. so which one it is?

contador doesn't seem to have the kick that is needed, at least no yet. so it is up to cadel evans from all the riders to stop the upper class twit of the year from winning the tour. gee, even the thought of rooting for him gives me the creeps but what can you do?

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Kreuziger was on the Eurosport Astana feature today. He has a bad wrist from yesterday's pile up - not broken but painful bone bruising. I imagine it's hard for him to pull on the bars

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Man of the tour so far is Hushovd. No doubt about it.!!!

 

[Moviefan1203]

wasn't it obvious that i was being sarcastic? . . . .

if contador is in good shape he can put 1 minute and a half on schleck on the last itt. the pais vasco itt was a serious test for schleck ans he failed miserably

I knew that, I was agreeing with you. Sorry I guess my post was unclear.

 

[just some guy]

In 2009 he surely did. He was 12th in the stage. And even though Evans didnt take it seriously last Conta surely did and Evans isnt as good timetrialist as Conta is.





I never said so. I've said that 60 seconds is what Andy needs to Contador at max.

I know 40 watts seems alot but he worked alot on his ITT during winter so its sure he's better in it compared to last year.

Cause he was amazing in Suisse

 

[Parrulo]

I knew that, I was agreeing with you. Sorry I guess my post was unclear.

oic sorry then