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

[whiteboytrash]

Kloden to team car for long chat with the Hog. Kloden rides up to Lance for another long chat. Astana to the front and up the gas. They are a nervy team aren't they ? They can't trust the other riders and can't trust the members in their own team.

 

[Anonymous]

How much worse is the night coverge than the live coverage? I have not bothered to watch any of the "expanded" coverage this year.

Oh, the commentary is more spot on because they re-tape the parts where they were morons. You watch during the day and they are right about 5% of the things they discuss. At night that changes quite a bit. I guess its easy to sound informative when you are watching the tape. Past that, they add in Roll and Ventura more (no improvement there). They did do a piece on Contador last night finally. It is all flash and less racing, pretty much sucks.

 

[BroDeal]

I don't know if I can take much more of Sherwin. Why the hell does he have to mention Armstrong when talking about pros being multilingual?

 

[BroDeal]

It is all flash and less racing, pretty much sucks.

How the hell can they have even less racing?

 

[msjett]

leon luis sanchez looking good and eager, and according to paul and phil, not a threat at all...who did he beat at paris nice? after the hunger flat how much time did he lose? I'm hoping

He is only 4.10 minutes off the lead...so that musn't be a threat...

 

[whiteboytrash]

I don't know if I can take much more of Sherwin. Why the hell does he have to mention Armstrong when talking about pros being multilingual?

What ???????? Canc speaks 6 languages, the Shlecks 4 each. Armstrong speaks American and a wee little bit of cliched French. Make them stop the bs.

 

[BroDeal]

One tour wonder Oscar Pereiro is out.

FLandis is back home watching this and thinking, "They gave my title to that joke!"

 

[msjett]

I don't know if I can take much more of Sherwin. Why the hell does he have to mention Armstrong when talking about pros being multilingual?

Cause Paul lurves Armstrong...lol

 

[Irish2009]

Damn, I hate eurosports hangup on "english speaking riders" really ****es me off.

 

[BroDeal]

Damn, I hate eurosports hangup on "english speaking riders" really ****es me off.

It could be worse. Right now Versus has the ugly mug of The Hog on the screen.

 

[Anonymous]

How the hell can they have even less racing?

Last night, there was a space in the coverage where it was literally 15 minutes of fluff and commercials while they were approaching the last climb.

 

[Anonymous]

They just showed an interview with JB where he said they addressed Contador's "unplanned" attack yesterday and he said there was some tension. Well, if he were half the DS he is promoted as being, there would be no problems. Good think Contador looks strong enough to do it by himself. I also have to believe that a team that wants his services next year would be smart to offer some help to him.

 

[BroDeal]

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.

 

[Publicus]

They just showed an interview with JB where he said they addressed Contador's "unplanned" attack yesterday and he said there was some tension. Well, if he were half the DS he is promoted as being, there would be no problems. Good think Contador looks strong enough to do it by himself. I also have to believe that a team that wants his services next year would be smart to offer some help to him.

I'm going to guess there was no tension on AC's part. For a young guy, he's approached this thing pretty consistently and level-headed (never staking claim to the leadership when he was up; compare LA). So it is clear JB was having to placate LA's ego a bit. I think JB bit off more than he could chew by accepting LA back into the fold.

 

[mambo#5]

They just showed an interview with JB where he said they addressed Contador's "unplanned" attack yesterday and he said there was some tension. Well, if he were half the DS he is promoted as being, there would be no problems. Good think Contador looks strong enough to do it by himself. I also have to believe that a team that wants his services next year would be smart to offer some help to him.

even he is a "made man" already by wining the 3 GT, someone like Lance still commands the power to take him back to the woodshed.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm going to guess there was no tension on AC's part. For a young guy, he's approached this thing pretty consistently and level-headed (never staking claim to the leadership when he was up; compare LA). So it is clear JB was having to placate LA's ego a bit. I think JB bit off more than he could chew by accepting LA back into the fold.

I don't know, but is Contador being the media whore in the European press that Lance is here and elsewhere? I mean, you can't throw a rock without the Uniballer commenting on it. I am just wondering because for most of the writers and commentators in the US, they just cannot be bothered to translate an interview. Is AC talking every day about the "tension?"

(I know the answer)

 

[Anonymous]

even he is a "made man" already by wining the 3 GT, someone like Lance still commands the power to take him back to the woodshed.

I guess the "woodshed" was 21 seconds in arrears yesterday. It'll be further back by the end.

 

[mambo#5]

I'm going to guess there was no tension on AC's part. For a young guy, he's approached this thing pretty consistently and level-headed (never staking claim to the leadership when he was up; compare LA). So it is clear JB was having to placate LA's ego a bit. I think JB bit off more than he could chew by accepting LA back into the fold.

all personal sentiments aside, that's the part of AC I don't understand. He is a great rider and has better legs than Lance. He can be a team player now and kill everyone in the TT and Mount Ventoux. He would be in a win-win situation.

 

[Boleyn]

Anyone know why OP withdrew?

 

[BroDeal]

Anyone know why OP withdrew?

He figured out the peloton was not going to give him thirty minutes plus the real winner was not going to be DQed, thus he had no chance of doing well.

 

[mambo#5]

Anyone know why OP withdrew?

My guess is Astana turn down his request of allowing him to get 30 mins up on the peloton.

 

[Publicus]

all personal sentiments aside, that's the part of AC I don't understand. He is a great rider and has better legs than Lance. He can be a team player now and kill everyone in the TT and Mount Ventoux. He would be in a win-win situation.

Could you flush out what you don't understand about AC? It's not clear from your post.

 

[RigelKent]

He doesn't have the confidence to do that (in the team support). As any young hot shot he has to strut his stuff.
And while AC has been cool during the tour he did try or threaten to change teams multiple times in the last year. He just plays his aggression a different way because he's not as comfortable playing it out in the media.

 

[colwildcat]

Anyone know why OP withdrew?

Because he's a disgrace as a former Tour winner

 

[Anonymous]

all personal sentiments aside, that's the part of AC I don't understand. He is a great rider and has better legs than Lance. He can be a team player now and kill everyone in the TT and Mount Ventoux. He would be in a win-win situation.

Yet you didn't proffer the same comment when JB sent Popo and Zubeldia on stage 3. JB showed then that he is DS for everyone but Contador (and any rider who might be loyal to him.) Why would AC have consulted anyone regarding the attack?

The funniest part is that by the end of this tour, the "JB is a genius" myth will be completely busted.