Official Thread: TdF Stage 8, Andorre-La-Vieille to Saint-Girons

[Anonymous]

I vote for stupid.

I second that motion, all in favor type "aye." (and some other shit because of the 10 character rule)

 

[Irish2009]

"aye".....

 

[Franklin]

Hmmm,
I truely belief you don't get what I am asking you.

Might just be out of cultural reasons I suppose...
Or well, I might also be way to stupid.

You are stupid for arguing with a silly troll^^

Who cares if he's a moron who hasn't got a clue of the world beyond his xenofobic Faux news? Just do as we all do, pity him, he's ony 16 year old and already a sad person. And chances are it wont get better for him

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Over half of these posts belong in the Armstrong thread, easily. This thread is about Stage 8, and it's results, and affect on the Tour.

 

[BroDeal]

Over half of these posts belong in the Armstrong thread, easily. This thread is about Stage 8, and it's results, and affect on the Tour.

Did you watch stage 8 or at least attempt to? Before I left to ride we were reduced to making up news about a spat between the brits and americans on Garmin. Boring does not even begin to describe this snoozer.

 

[Anonymous]

Over half of these posts belong in the Armstrong thread, easily. This thread is about Stage 8, and it's results, and affect on the Tour.

Yea, it was more boring than a baseball game.

 

[bikeGURU]

The stage was a little boring because of the downhill to the finish but fun for other aspects and the discussion here is always good for a laugh.

Cadel Evans clearly demonstrated that he doesn't have enough understanding of professional cycling to ever win the Tour. A tour favourite can't go into a breakaway and expect any suppport from the other riders in the break. George, Thor and Fabian did what anyone would do in telling him to get lost so they can have a chance at staying away. Unless his plan was a drug induced 150km solo breakaway like Flandis did he had no chance and just wasted a bunch of energy. If he was trying to prove that he isn't a wheelsuck, I think he would have been better to be a wheelsuck instead of a stupid bike racer.

And for the people thinking that Riis is some strategic genius, why??? They are going to 'force' Astana to take the yellow jersey by doing what?? Maybe they should start thinking about getting that 2min back that they have given up so far. Fabian wasted a bunch of energy today and will be tired tomorrow and less likely to help push the pace on the 70km ride to the finish.

 

[klodifan]

Finally, an insightful post! Well said!

The stage was a little boring because of the downhill to the finish but fun for other aspects and the discussion here is always good for a laugh.

Cadel Evans clearly demonstrated that he doesn't have enough understanding of professional cycling to ever win the Tour. A tour favourite can't go into a breakaway and expect any suppport from the other riders in the break. George, Thor and Fabian did what anyone would do in telling him to get lost so they can have a chance at staying away. Unless his plan was a drug induced 150km solo breakaway like Flandis did he had no chance and just wasted a bunch of energy. If he was trying to prove that he isn't a wheelsuck, I think he would have been better to be a wheelsuck instead of a stupid bike racer.

And for the people thinking that Riis is some strategic genius, why??? They are going to 'force' Astana to take the yellow jersey by doing what?? Maybe they should start thinking about getting that 2min back that they have given up so far. Fabian wasted a bunch of energy today and will be tired tomorrow and less likely to help push the pace on the 70km ride to the finish.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

So true...

 

[JamesB]

Poor Cadel, gets criticised if he doesn't do anything. Gets criticised if he does. Perhaps he was hoping to achieve what the stage winner Sánchez did and pull back 2min and move up to 11th overall.

But his critics are probably right, it never works so don’t bother trying.

 

[Cobblestones]

The stage was a little boring because of the downhill to the finish but fun for other aspects and the discussion here is always good for a laugh.

Cadel Evans clearly demonstrated that he doesn't have enough understanding of professional cycling to ever win the Tour. A tour favourite can't go into a breakaway and expect any suppport from the other riders in the break. George, Thor and Fabian did what anyone would do in telling him to get lost so they can have a chance at staying away. Unless his plan was a drug induced 150km solo breakaway like Flandis did he had no chance and just wasted a bunch of energy. If he was trying to prove that he isn't a wheelsuck, I think he would have been better to be a wheelsuck instead of a stupid bike racer.

And for the people thinking that Riis is some strategic genius, why??? They are going to 'force' Astana to take the yellow jersey by doing what?? Maybe they should start thinking about getting that 2min back that they have given up so far. Fabian wasted a bunch of energy today and will be tired tomorrow and less likely to help push the pace on the 70km ride to the finish.

Hey TTF, here goes your theory that low postcount=low quality post.

Well, I guess we found the exception to the rule.

BikeGuru, good analysis, and welcome to the forum.

 

[frizzlefry]

Finally, an insightful post! Well said!

I second that.

 

[frizzlefry]

Hey TTF, here goes your theory that low postcount=low quality post.

Well, I guess we found the exception to the rule.

BikeGuru, good analysis, and welcome to the forum.

Yet some on this forum label Big George "Dopey". Seems to me Cadel is the "Dope" and the "Wheelsucker".

 

[hmronnow]

And for the people thinking that Riis is some strategic genius, why??? They are going to 'force' Astana to take the yellow jersey by doing what?? Maybe they should start thinking about getting that 2min back that they have given up so far. Fabian wasted a bunch of energy today and will be tired tomorrow and less likely to help push the pace on the 70km ride to the finish.

I'm not saying Riis is a genious, but the tactic of putting Cancellara up front was worth a try. That tactic has worked for them in the past. It will not work every time, but you have to create the opportunities for it to work. As it happened, the plan didn't work for 2 reasons:
1) cancellara apparently developped some stomach problem, which is why he was where he should be when schleck attacked. (waiting around the summit to pull schleck downhill)
2) Schleck did not manage to pull away from astana.

In fact, one of the saxo riders even revealed this tactuc during an interview in danish before the stage.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey TTF, here goes your theory that low postcount=low quality post.

Well, I guess we found the exception to the rule.

BikeGuru, good analysis, and welcome to the forum.

A diamond in a field of horse manure. I agree, great post.

 

[bikeGURU]

I'm not saying Riis is a genious, but the tactic of putting Cancellara up front was worth a try. That tactic has worked for them in the past. It will not work every time, but you have to create the opportunities for it to work. As it happened, the plan didn't work for 2 reasons:
1) cancellara apparently developped some stomach problem, which is why he was where he should be when schleck attacked. (waiting around the summit to pull schleck downhill)
2) Schleck did not manage to pull away from astana.

In fact, one of the saxo riders even revealed this tactuc during an interview in danish before the stage.

It seems a little over confident to think that Schleck and Saxo Bank could gap Astana on the climb and get pulled ahead by Fabian on the downhill and flats. Contador is a faster climber (not to mention LA, LL, AK) and Astana had most of the team up front and have proven to be a much stronger team in the TT's and would have fairly easily caught any break at the end of the stage. Astana had 7 riders in the front pack and could have mounted a good chase. Even Schelck admitted that the team should think a little more before making moves. If it was a summitt finish I can see them launching attacks and gaining some time becuase that makes it rider vs rider instead of rider vs the entire Astana team. With the 30k+ before the finish on the flats it just gives too much time for the team to catch up if they do get dropped on the climb.

Explained Schleck of the tactics: "We had Fabian [Cancellara] in the [escape] group but he's had a stressful week behind him, so he didn't make it according to the plan, which was that we attack behind him and then he helps us from the top of the [Col d'Agnès] climb until the end. Maybe we have to use our head a little bit more in the future and not spend energy uselessly."

 

[benpounder]

Hey TTF, here goes your theory that low postcount=low quality post.

The only time that low post counts mean likely facile content is during the TdF. While I pay attention to it, start date is a bit more revealing. And admittedly, some newbies can contribute greatly irrespective of when they joined and how few posts they have made.

 

[blaxland]

don't yall get it??? The ASO designed these stages with French riders in mind. Give them a chance to win from long breakaways that they KNEW the GC folks would let go. Worked yesterday (Feillu, first French summit win since Virenque SEVEN years ago, with Kern 2nd) and nearly again today (with Casar).

How's THAT for a conspiracy theory? I direct that question to the gaggle of conspiracy theorists that inhabit this forum.

Sans doute, Moncoutie tomorrow from a group of 6.

spot on this quote is dead right...I might just put $100 on moncoutie to win stage 9?

 

[BroDeal]

don't yall get it??? The ASO designed these stages with French riders in mind. Give them a chance to win from long breakaways that they KNEW the GC folks would let go. Worked yesterday (Feillu, first French summit win since Virenque SEVEN years ago, with Kern 2nd) and nearly again today (with Casar).

How's THAT for a conspiracy theory? I direct that question to the gaggle of conspiracy theorists that inhabit this forum.

I direct you to post #162 of this thread:

I think the organizers designed this entire course for breaks with no regard to the GC. Maybe they wanted to give the french riders more chances to win.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Astarloza deserved the win, but to be fair LLS worked too. im glad efi didn't win . Respect loss for that guy.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Yea, it was more boring than a baseball game.

Did you watch stage 8 or at least attempt to? Before I left to ride we were reduced to making up news about a spat between the brits and americans on Garmin. Boring does not even begin to describe this snoozer.

Sorry, I was watching the bowling channel.

All these years I complained about no cycling on Versus network, while they show hours of bull riding. I take back what I said.

As to Cadel, his attacking has to come in one of three ways: 1) under 20km from the finish, when he knows they may not chase him (much) as he's only going to get back seconds, not minutes. Under 5k during a lull, or catch might work better. IF he can get away. 2) On a day with no race radio, when he can get out of sight. 3) Repeated strategic attacks that scare and split the peloton, a la Hinault, and isolate his rivals, and wear everyone out over time through attrition. But Cadel didn't try that, and he's not Hinault.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The stage was a little boring because of the downhill to the finish but fun for other aspects and the discussion here is always good for a laugh.

Cadel Evans clearly demonstrated that he doesn't have enough understanding of professional cycling to ever win the Tour. A tour favourite can't go into a breakaway and expect any suppport from the other riders in the break. George, Thor and Fabian did what anyone would do in telling him to get lost so they can have a chance at staying away. Unless his plan was a drug induced 150km solo breakaway like Flandis did he had no chance and just wasted a bunch of energy. If he was trying to prove that he isn't a wheelsuck, I think he would have been better to be a wheelsuck instead of a stupid bike racer.

And for the people thinking that Riis is some strategic genius, why??? They are going to 'force' Astana to take the yellow jersey by doing what?? Maybe they should start thinking about getting that 2min back that they have given up so far. Fabian wasted a bunch of energy today and will be tired tomorrow and less likely to help push the pace on the 70km ride to the finish.

If he attacked on the Col DAgnes then Astana would of just nailed back the gap like they did to Andy Schleck. He has to be ambitious because AC isn't going to let him go and has the biggest accleration on a climb in the world. At least he is going down fighting unlike Sastre and Menchov who are just letting AStana run away with this race.

 

[bikeGURU]

If he attacked on the Col DAgnes then Astana would of just nailed back the gap like they did to Andy Schleck. He has to be ambitious because AC isn't going to let him go and has the biggest accleration on a climb in the world. At least he is going down fighting unlike Sastre and Menchov who are just letting AStana run away with this race.

Then he should have really gone for it and maybe waited until the 2nd climb and just put his head down and TT'd to the finish. In this case he went into a group and expected that group to try and push the pace with him, he should have sat on the front and ridden them all off his wheel. Of course that is easier said than done, but I think that is the point of all the other teams wondering what he was doing. Launching suicide attacks off the front with 100km+ to the finish doesn't make you a tough rider it makes you a non-thinking rider. He has to look for seconds in these flatter stages and hope he has the legs to push it on the summit finishes and the TT.

 

[Cobblestones]

Has that been discussed already?

 

[Bala Verde]

Has that been discussed already?

Hmmm having to wait an hour before they can tap blood from selected riders? That seems to be a little suspicious to say the least, if not blatantly against the rules...