Official thread: Tour de Suisse

[Andre.J]

Yes the Tour too. Monfort might do better than Devolder. Devolder's performance in the Dauphine is a big mystery. Either he is way off form or he's saving everything for the big one. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Seeldrayers improves and hopefully races in the Tour next year. He could finaly be the chosen one for Belgium.

Andre

 

[patswana]

He could finaly be the chosen one for Belgium.

You have officially just put the Moz on him.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Yes the Tour too. Monfort might do better than Devolder. Devolder's performance in the Dauphine is a big mystery. Either he is way off form or he's saving everything for the big one. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Seeldrayers improves and hopefully races in the Tour next year. He could finaly be the chosen one for Belgium.

Andre

About De Volder: I think he was very afraid to peak too soon, like he did last year. We'll have to wait for the Belgian championship to see what he can & can't do...

 

[Jasper]

I'm afraid now with overcompensating for last years mistakes, he's peaking a little bit too late actually. He said he aims at the last week, to possibly take a stage win there, but at the same time he also - still - wants to ride a decent GC. And you can't do that if you're not up to form in the first week. :s It's very likely that he didn't give one single pedal too many in the Dauphiné, but surely he would have wanted to test himself at one point, to see if everything is going as planned? Now he has no reference of his form against his competitors at all, and he can't adjust where necessary.

That's why I think Monfort will indeed do better than Devolder in the Tour. Intrinsincally, he's the better climber, and he's also made big improvements in his timetrialling. He's much more consistent as well, and is already showing signs of good form, whereas Devolder is playing hide and seek to the extreme. I just hope Monfort can go for his own chances, and doesn't have to work for Cavendish or Rogers/Lövkvist. I think he has hat it takes to at least start in the same league as those guys. The race itself then will show who the team captain will be.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

I just hope Monfort can go for his own chances, and doesn't have to work for Cavendish or Rogers/Lövkvist. I think he has hat it takes to at least start in the same league as those guys. The race itself then will show who the team captain will be.

And therefore, it's important he rides a good Tour de Suisse...

 

[Jasper]

Indeed. I just hope he doesn't go all out to prove himself, and later pays for that in the last week of the Tour.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I'm interested to see where Dekker stands now. It's been since april 2008 since he last really competed against the world top riders. Since then it's been a long downhill road up until the Tour of Belgium, but that race had a mediocre field, compared to Suisse. If Dekker can ride a top 10 or top 15 here, he can still get it right for the Tour.

 

[Bala Verde]

I'm interested to see where Dekker stands now. It's been since april 2008 since he last really competed against the world top riders. Since then it's been a long downhill road up until the Tour of Belgium, but that race had a mediocre field, compared to Suisse. If Dekker can ride a top 10 or top 15 here, he can still get it right for the Tour.

If he can finish in the first groups in stage to Serfaus (A) and Crans Montana, there is a nice, ondulating 39k TT left for him. If he is as good as he was uphill, he should be able to secure a top 15 spot.

anyways, only 17k to go! Danish Delight on TVU has good and up to date picture.

http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=41635&part=sports

 

[39*23t]

nothing like a spot of german spongebob before the tour starts

 

[Bala Verde]

And we are live!

Pascal Hungerbuehler is 1:47 ahead of the pack in the descent. I think the big guns will open their can of climbing calves on the final 10k climb. The last 3k are about flat...

 

[39*23t]

should be a good fight up the hill today there quiet a few riders who will give it a go here and not worry about a tour top 20 finish

 

[Jamsque]

Fun racing today at the TdS, Tony Martin is riding very aggressively.

 

[Bala Verde]

hmm, nothing happened. Boring for a so-called queen stage

As if a grupetto is trying to get in before the time limit

Good win for swiss native Albassini and a good day for Colombia!

And T Dekker was nowhere, so I wonder how good he will be in the TdF.

 

[Jasper]

Was the Schlecklet just dropped fair and square, or did he have some kind of mechanical problem?

 

[Bala Verde]

Was the Schlecklet just dropped fair and square, or did he have some kind of mechanical problem?

My picture was too grainy. Even if an elephant had dropped from the sky right on his head, I would have missed it, assuming it was a pixel blotting out his face.

 

[clydesdale]

My picture was too grainy. Even if an elephant had dropped from the sky right on his head, I would have missed it, assuming it was a pixel blotting out his face.

I don't speak italian but A. Schleck was certainly the topic of conversation...I'd really love to know what was being said.

 

[Bala Verde]

I don't speak italian but A. Schleck was certainly the topic of conversation...I'd really love to know what was being said.

Should have tuned in to an Italian channel, because Danish is one of the languages I understand least

 

[Kazistuta]

Danish isn't so hard

Well, the Danish commentators were mildly put a bit disoriented about younger Schlecks sudden lack of presence in the front, so even though you'd understood every word being said, you wouldn't have known anything. I guess we will have to wait for Saxo Banks own statements.

But who thinks Cancellara is going to win now?

 

[Jasper]

Well, Andy was constantly hanging in the back of the group, but he gave no sign of struggling. Then all of a sudden he was gone, that's why I wonder if he maybe had a mechanical problem? Seeing even Cancellara and nearly the entire Saxo team made it into that group, it would surprise me if Andy had to drop out.

Monfort looked very good today, that's a good sign for his Tour ambitions

 

[DamonAlbarn]

Something is very fishy

Kim Andersen is very shrewd indeed, and as there's absolutely no mention of Andy Schleck on the brief statement on The Saxo Bank official site, I really suspect Kim Andersen to have told Andy Schleck to drop back a bit.
Afterall every man and his dog was there from the Saxo Bank Team so it's indeed very suspicious their Tour de France Captain drops back when even Cancellara is able to cope.
Young Schleck did have one bad day last year in the Tour de France, so I reckon the Saxo Bank management have picked up on this in order to play down his current form, and furthermore it was very revealing to see that Frank Schleck and Chris Anker Sorensen had absolutely no interest in winning the stage, today was all about Cancellara.

Oh and IF and that's a big IF Andy Schleck had had mechanical issues why didn't Gustav Larsson or Chris Anker Sorensen oblige?

Cloak and dagger

 

[DamonAlbarn]

Furthermore if there were mechanical issues,

Gustav Larsson or even Chris Anker Sorensen would have obliged.
Doesn't add up

Le Tour has begun!

 

[clydesdale]

Kim Andersen is very shrewd indeed, and as there's absolutely no mention of Andy Schleck on the brief statement on The Saxo Bank official site, I really suspect Kim Andersen to have told Andy Schleck to drop back a bit.
Afterall every man and his dog was there from the Saxo Bank Team so it's indeed very suspicious their Tour de France Captain drops back when even Cancellara is able to cope.
Young Schleck did have one bad day last year in the Tour de France, so I reckon the Saxo Bank management have picked up on this in order to play down his current form, and furthermore it was very revealing to see that Frank Schleck and Chris Anker Sorensen had absolutely no interest in winning the stage, today was all about Cancellara.

Oh and IF and that's a big IF Andy Schleck had had mechanical issues why didn't Gustav Larsson or Chris Anker Sorensen oblige?

Cloak and dagger

As a Schleck fan I'm hoping you're right. It doesn't make sense that even Canc could handle it better than him. Still it seems a little silly to deliberately lose time.

 

[DamonAlbarn]

He's got bigger fish to fry mate

Evidence?

Well usually Frank Schleck couldn't be bothered about Cancellara on this sort of climb, but he was deliberately holding back once in a while.

The conspiracy theorists would probably say
1) Cancellara was miffed about yesterdays stage where A. Schleck and Breschel were allowed to pull in the break away.
2) The Saxo Bank directors realised their swiss star had a point when competing on home soil and ordered the entire Saxo Bank team to work for Cancellara, which A. Schleck wasn't pleased about, being 2nd and all so he decided to have a quick Cafe Latte on the climb.

he he he

 

[DamonAlbarn]

Full report availabe on www.team-saxobank.com

No mention of their captain in todays stage.
Very strange indeed.
My point stands....

 

[Jasper]

There was a certain moment during the climb when Fränk started looking around and went on talking with the DS through his microphone, while the other Saxo men were looking around as well, as if they were making sure Andy (or someone else, but not Cancellara, cause he was in front as well) was still there. If he would've had a bad day and was struggling to hang on, surely his teammates should've know about that, no? It all seems a bit weird. Even if they were all riding for Cancellara, they could have at least put one guy - Gustav Larsson for instance - aside to help Andy? With Fränk and CA Sorensen there, Cancellara was pretty safe.