Official thread - TdF Stage 4: Team Time Trial (Montpellier - Montpellier 38 km)

[Parrot23]

(my guess being Frank S, Menchov and Pellizotti to kick it off) friday.

I think Lance will wear yellow after fridays stage, unless Contador gets a green light to go for it.

That is a good call on who will kick it off.

But wonder if Contador is going to try to go first vs. Lance (may be overeager, and this can produce errors, opportunities for other teams). I'm thinking of Sastre on Alpe d'Huez last year going first (to the Schlecks' consternation, and even Riis', who looked embarassed).

 

[richwagmn]

I tend to agree.

Dekker_Tifosi, I thought it was all lost, too, but have reconsidered:

- Andy Schleck is at 1:40

- Van Velde at 1:16, with a lot of teammates thereabouts too (Millar and Wiggins are both much lighter, and on individual mountain stages might be able to help to a point)

- Kreuzinger at 1:31, with a strong team (and maybe Pellizotti can come alive).

Finally, we have Armstrong's ego vs. Contador's climbing (and a year of sleights/resentment and rage maybe).

Lots of potential for intrigue and team dissolution in the mountains, giving others opportunities. I just hope so 😀

The others definitely have to attack in the mountains so it's good for us (as fans). Should be some excellent stages.

I don't think it's over yet. Especially with Contador/Armstrong being rivals on the same team.

Imagine an Armstrong/Contador duel up the Ventoux.

 

[Parrot23]

If Contador counter-attacks a Shcleck attack (or Menchov or Evans) you really don't think JB is going to tell him to sit up are you?

Think that is how Contador is going to win; his best strategy, I would think.

 

[Anonymous]

I think of you more as an asshat, but agree completely...;-)

Well, as they say, "spot it, got it"

 

[korfy13]

The seven-time Tour champion received the congratulations of his teammates after the finish - one notable exception - Alberto Contador.

Only one notice. These two were first who clapped their hands in front of their bus.

I've considered Cyclingnews as a serious website...

 

[slowoldman]

58 pages!! That's a lot of reading, some of it was hilarious.

Garmin boys were studs today! Cancellara kept the yellow on his back by himself, his effort over the last 10km of the course was incredible, one of my favorite riders by far... Columbia obviously paid for the effort yesterday, and are more concerned with green. Liquigas was a pleasant suprise, looking forward to the young guns in the mountains.

Now for the stuff this board won't like to hear. Armstrong rode GREAT today, monster pulls. He is riding exactly like I expected. He is a warrior with a huge overblown ego and he honestly believes he can win this thing. This was his chance for yellow and he went for it, you have to respect that. He will still be after yellow and I believe he will try to get it before Friday. He will also try to keep it. But he won't, I believe that Contador will ride away in the mountains, probably counterattacking off Sastre, Schleck or Evans. (Or gasp, possibly even off Armstrong). I still say you will see a monster Armstrong of Ventoux, he wants that stage....

I also laugh at how people are whining the race is over. It shouldn't be. The other contenders have to attack now. It should make for better racing, similar to 2003. They have to punch early and often. I am still hoping for great racing in this Tour, and yes, I will still be around for the Vuelta, but I will enjoy the rest of this race.

 

[Publicus]

Has Evans been interviewed yet?

 

[richwagmn]

Has Evans been interviewed yet?

Not that I've seen. Imagine if that guy actually had a team?

 

[Anonymous]

Has Evans been interviewed yet?

Who wants to get slapped....oh wait, he doesn't have any lions this year so I guess it IS safe to interview him. Maybe they just don't want to hear him whine?

 

[Mellow Velo]

So: How do you go about attacking an Astana train, that hasn't even got to rely on the likes of George Hincapie to drop all the climbing opposition?
How do you successfully attack on climbs such as Arcalis, without getting hoovered up, after a couple of kms?
More to the point: How do avoid getting dropped by the turquoise express, in order to be around to attack, in the first place?

 

[Publicus]

Not that I've seen. Imagine if that guy actually had a team?

Sort of feel bad for him, but he can be such an a$$ that I don't. I assume he is going ballistic right about now.

 

[RightWingNutJob]

I think Evans has secretly hired the devil to stick his trident in Contador's front wheel when the mountains start.

 

[Bala Verde]

Here is the Evans Interview

and I am still pretty happy with my prediction in post #7. I even predicted that popofthebackovich would pop off the back HA. Unfortunately Menchov crashed in K1, which disrupted the train too early, too long. 🙂

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Not that I've seen. Imagine if that guy actually had a team?

Well with Kohl and Dekker he would have had a reasonable team 😛

Silence is just not so lucky with its transfers lately

 

[Amsterhammer]

So: How do you go about attacking an Astana train, that hasn't even got to rely on the likes of George Hincapie to drop all the climbing opposition?
How do you successfully attack on climbs such as Arcalis, without getting hoovered up, after a couple of kms?
More to the point: How do avoid getting dropped by the turquoise express, in order to be around to attack, in the first place?

I imagine that a lot of phone calls are being made this evening between various DS's and team leaders.

 

[richwagmn]

So: How do you go about attacking an Astana train, that hasn't even got to rely on the likes of George Hincapie to drop all the climbing opposition?
How do you successfully attack on climbs such as Arcalis, without getting hoovered up, after a couple of kms?
More to the point: How do avoid getting dropped by the turquoise express, in order to be around to attack, in the first place?

I have no idea either. Given that there are four leaders (or is it two, can't remember), are you gonna ask kloden or levi to bury themselves? Do you just sit and watch and react to the other team's attacks?

I honestly don't know what Bruyneel's plan is.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Anyone knows where to get individual riders' finish times?

 

[Cobblestones]

So: How do you go about attacking an Astana train, that hasn't even got to rely on the likes of George Hincapie to drop all the climbing opposition?
How do you successfully attack on climbs such as Arcalis, without getting hoovered up, after a couple of kms?
More to the point: How do avoid getting dropped by the turquoise express, in order to be around to attack, in the first place?

A good question. Now, my feeling is that neither LA nor LL will stay in the selection on the last climb, stage 7. The Astana train will deliver everybody over the Serra Seca and to the bottom of the last climb, but it will not be driving too fast so they won't drop any of the Astana 4.

Then someone will attack* which will drop LL right away and possibly LA. Riders who should make the selection: Sastre, Evans, Kloden, Contador, Kreuziger, A. Schleck, possibly Menchov, Martin, VdV, Nibali, Kirchen + a couple others.

That would be the opening for a counter attack by Bertie (he might want to use up Kloden first and see what damage he can do). Anyway, I can't predict who might be able to stay with whom, but at that time it's mano a mano. So, if Schleck or anybody has found courage he could very well try and go for it. It's not impossible. That said, I don't think Schleck (or anybody) will get 3 min on Contador that day, which would be required to even things out a bit on the GC.

*If Contador knows his stuff, he will make sure that someone WILL attack. Caisse still owes him one for instance. The worst which can happen to AC is the Astana train steadily dragging the peloton up to Andorra.

 

[benpounder]

They have to keep the TTT out of the Tour. It corrupts the overall and punishes some contenders unjustly.

Right on Brother!

They ought to get rid of the ITT as well, for it also corrupts the overall, and punishes those who aren't strong enough to be contenders.

 

[Cobblestones]

Right on Brother!

They ought to get rid of the ITT as well, for it also corrupts the overall, and punishes those who aren't strong enough to be contenders.

They should get rid of mountains, too. It punishes the heavy TT guys which can't make up time in the TTs any more.

They should get rid of sprints, too. People will fall and get injured.

I think they should reduce the TdF to a 1-day 1-lap crit around the Champs Elysees.

 

[richwagmn]

Right on Brother!

They ought to get rid of the ITT as well, for it also corrupts the overall, and punishes those who aren't strong enough to be contenders.

What about the mountains? Poor sprinters are excluded from winning the tour.

 

[benpounder]

What about the mountains? Poor sprinters are excluded from winning the tour.

Good point. Maybe the race ought to be restricted to the neutral roll-out zone!

 

[franciep10]

OK I get I think astana has been covered, what about columbia, they were supposed to challenge astana for the win today, but they weren't good, i think they went all out yesterday and were too tired to work in the team time trial.

 

[issoisso]

They should get rid of mountains, too. It punishes the heavy TT guys which can't make up time in the TTs any more.

They should get rid of sprints, too. People will fall and get injured.

I think they should reduce the TdF to a 1-day 1-lap crit around the Champs Elysees.

Are you insane? There's bound to be crashes! Neutralize the damn criterium!

 

[slcbiker]

Maybe we should just go with BigBoat's suggestion and not actually have a race at all. Just hand it to the guy with the highest VO2 max.