Paris-Nice: STAGE 4 - Maurs -Mende 173.5 km

[Publicus]

From Vaughters Twitter Feed about 6 minutes ago:

Contador is just better than everyone else. Period.

 

[Angliru]

Hey, he was top Radio boy, today, 23rd, only a minute and a bit behind Contador.
Nipped in before Levi, so he could get his wooly blanket, pipe and slippers ready, for his dwarfship's afternoon nap.

Cruel, cruel, cruel...but pretty funny!

 

[Jamsque]

I personally love it oh so much! How and why did you expect it to change, especially this early in the season? I expect Andy Schleck to sort of make things interesting but this is as it is for the forseeable future.

I didn't expect it to change, I hoped it would change. I understand that some people love watching a great champion, but honestly I find him boring. He's just a machine. Every uphill finish that he decides to take time on he attacks once, no-one can stay with him, and he solos to the finish looking as calm and un-exerted as if he was popping down the road to the shops. Last year the guy had two bad days in races he was trying to win. Two, in an entire season.

What can I say, I like seeing close races, and races with Contador in them don't seem to ever be close.

 

[Angliru]

Yeah, I saw that. He didn't look like he had given 100% at all.

What I don't understand, though, is this: Even if he is just there for training, why doesn't he just go all in? I don't know much about sports physiology, but I can't see how a short 100% effort will affect any form later on.

Agreed. I would think that giving a hard effort would be a part of training and what better training than actual race conditions?

 

[franciep10]

I didn't expect it to change, I hoped it would change. I understand that some people love watching a great champion, but honestly I find him boring. He's just a machine. Every uphill finish that he decides to take time on he attacks once, no-one can stay with him, and he solos to the finish looking as calm and un-exerted as if he was popping down the road to the shops. Last year the guy had two bad days in races he was trying to win. Two, in an entire season.

What can I say, I like seeing close races, and races with Contador in them don't seem to ever be close.

what was the other one, I know one was Paris-Nice

 

[Jamsque]

what was the other one, I know one was Paris-Nice

I would class stage 3 of the '09 tour as a bad day (the day he missed the split in the wind and lost 41 seconds). It wasn't a case of him not having the legs, and he didn't lose time to a major rival, but it was the kind of mistake that a top-tier grand tour contender shouldn't make.

About the Frank Schleck thing, I think he is being very sensible. This race isn't a target for him, he is just building for the Ardennes. Every time you go into the red you are wearing your body out, if even only a little. He also probably doesn't want to give Contador the psychological victory of beating him in a straight fight this early in the season.

 

[sandman]

I didn't expect it to change, I hoped it would change. I understand that some people love watching a great champion, but honestly I find him boring. He's just a machine. Every uphill finish that he decides to take time on he attacks once, no-one can stay with him, and he solos to the finish looking as calm and un-exerted as if he was popping down the road to the shops. Last year the guy had two bad days in races he was trying to win. Two, in an entire season.

What can I say, I like seeing close races, and races with Contador in them don't seem to ever be close.

hold on, hold on.....

you say this after a few years of lance's consecutive Tour victories?

at least the fact that he is on a somewhat underdog (name wise team) makes it interesting.

LA and USPOSTAL were just dominating everything back in the day

 

[Angliru]

I would class stage 3 of the '09 tour as a bad day (the day he missed the split in the wind and lost 41 seconds). It wasn't a case of him not having the legs, and he didn't lose time to a major rival, but it was the kind of mistake that a top-tier grand tour contender shouldn't make.

...but every other top-tier contender was on the same side of that split with Contador (with the exception of Armstrong).

 

[Jamsque]

/\ /\ /\ /\

Angirlu, just because a lot of other people made it too, doesn't mean it wasn't a mistake. It didn't end up costing him, but it was a mistake nonetheless.

Maybe I should have said one and a half bad days.

hold on, hold on.....

you say this after a few years of lance's consecutive Tour victories?

at least the fact that he is on a somewhat underdog (name wise team) makes it interesting.

LA and USPOSTAL were just dominating everything back in the day

Yeah, and I didn't like watching Lance either!

My favourite Tour of recent years was 2008, because it was a close fight between two riders who were evenly matched, but had very different strengths, who both had to dig incredibly deep to get the results they did.



Sorry, I am getting well off topic now, I'll shut up.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I would class stage 3 of the '09 tour as a bad day (the day he missed the split in the wind and lost 41 seconds). It wasn't a case of him not having the legs, and he didn't lose time to a major rival, but it was the kind of mistake that a top-tier grand tour contender shouldn't make.

At the risk of starting that whole thing up again, I would have to say that the only mistake Contador made back then was in trusting that his team would be looking out for his best interests.

 

[pmcg76]

/\ /\ /\ /\

Angirlu, just because a lot of other people made it too, doesn't mean it wasn't a mistake. It didn't end up costing him, but it was a mistake nonetheless.

Maybe I should have said one and a half bad days.




Yeah, and I didn't like watching Lance either!

My favourite Tour of recent years was 2008, because it was a close fight between two riders who were evenly matched, but had very different strengths, who both had to dig incredibly deep to get the results they did.



Sorry, I am getting well off topic now, I'll shut up.

I thinks it initally exciting to watch a great rider do their thing but it does become boring after a while. I am not quite at that stage with Contador yet. The Tour multiplies this boredom which is why I now prefer the classics over the Tour.

I know its unlikely to happen again,but everyone thought Contador had P-N wrapped up as well last year. I honestly think there is more chance of a uprising or mistake in early season races than in the GTs.

 

[franciep10]

Jamsque you are correct and Alberto would probably agree with you that it was a bad day

 

[franciep10]

I thinks it initally exciting to watch a great rider do their thing but it does become boring after a while. I am not quite at that stage with Contador yet. The Tour multiplies this boredom which is why I now prefer the classics over the Tour.

I know its unlikely to happen again,but everyone thought Contador had P-N wrapped up as well last year. I honestly think there is more chance of a uprising or mistake in early season races than in the GTs.

April and March are my two favourite month's in the season because of races like paris nice and the classics

 

[BroDeal]

I would class stage 3 of the '09 tour as a bad day (the day he missed the split in the wind and lost 41 seconds). It wasn't a case of him not having the legs, and he didn't lose time to a major rival, but it was the kind of mistake that a top-tier grand tour contender shouldn't make.

A top tier Tour contender should not have teammates who conspire against their leader and do their best to drive a split up the road.

 

[ravens]

Sorry to interrupt the rehashing of stage 3 for 9000th time....

Is there a stage 5 thread? I looked and cannot find it.

Apologies and please carry on.

 

[franciep10]

A top tier Tour contender should not have teammates who conspire against their leader and do their best to drive a split up the road.

Let's not get into that now this a Paris- Nice thread not Lance backstabber thread

 

[Francois the Postman]

LA and USPOSTAL were just dominating everything back in the day

If with everything you mean the Tour. Yes.

"The Problem" with Contador is that he is racing for at least 6 months each year, and actually goes for a win too. And I hope to see him do the Vuelta again this year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

hold on, hold on.....

you say this after a few years of lance's consecutive Tour victories?

at least the fact that he is on a somewhat underdog (name wise team) makes it interesting.

LA and USPOSTAL were just dominating everything back in the day

No, just the Tour de France, and when Lance felt like it sometimes the Dauphine.

Other than that, Discovery/US Postal was nothing special. They never won a big classic (Gent Wevelgem is not big imho), they didn't win much small tours even.

They only killed the Tour for years in a row. But hey, can't blame Armstrong for being that strong back then.
You can't blame Contador for being so strong right now either.

And, always when you least expect it, a challenger will come. Just wait and see.

 

[Publicus]

What's not to like about a guy who pretty much races to win EVERY TIME he clips into his pedals? He's competing against guys who also want to win, and he beats them. There is nothing wrong with that in my book. From Michael Jordan to Lance Armstrong, if you can be the best even when everyone is gunning for you, that's a mark of greatness in my book. Something to be appreciated because it doesn't happen often.

And I enjoyed the 2008 Tour, just as much as I enjoyed the 2007 and 2009, simply because each race had it's own drama/spectacle. And I'm looking forward to the 2010 Tour for a variety of reasons, but mainly I want to see if AC can win under what I predict will be difficult circumstances...

 

[Jamsque]

Sorry to interrupt the rehashing of stage 3 for 9000th time....

Is there a stage 5 thread? I looked and cannot find it.

Apologies and please carry on.

I'm sorry I started rehashing stage 3 for the 9000th time.

There is no stage 5 thread yet, you could make one if you like. It might help us move back to actually talking about P-N.

 

[ravens]

I'm sorry I started rehashing stage 3 for the 9000th time.

There is no stage 5 thread yet, you could make one if you like. It might help us move back to actually talking about P-N.

It's OK. It still is arousing passions 8 months later and prolly will 8 years from now. That's how history is made. And the colombiere, arcalis, annecy and ventoux also generate passionate arguments. It's funny that in my perspective, Verbier, the stage where AC actually took yellow AND won the stage doesn't arouse like the aforementioned. It was a signature win, but also was expected much like today. But...I could be wrong.

When it comes to pro-racing, I defer to my peers to start the next stage's thread.

 

[Publicus]

It's OK. It still is arousing passions 8 months later and prolly will 8 years from now. That's how history is made. And the colombiere, arcalis, annecy and ventoux also generate passionate arguments. It's funny that in my perspective, Verbier, the stage where AC actually took yellow AND won the stage doesn't arouse like the aforementioned. It was a signature win, but also was expected much like today. But...I could be wrong.

When it comes to pro-racing, I defer to my peers to start the next stage's thread.

The beauty of Verbier was how dominant AC looked that day. Not much controversy when a guy rides away from two of the best climbers in the world (Brothers Schleck) like they are standing still.

EDIT: Well there was the controversy of Kloden and Armstrong leading the chase, but that's neither here nor there.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Kloden and Armstrong leading the chase, but that's neither here nor there.

Neither were they.

Contador looked absolutely dominant on Verbier. I'm looking forward to Saturday's stage. That was a great stage last year.

 

[taiwan]

Some observations: Sylvain Chavanel actually had a decent day, I think he came in with Jens!. Dan Martin, along with CVV, Chris Horner and Tony Martin lost about 5', as did Kolobnev although he might have been working for Rodriguez earlier on. Fuglsang and Pierrick Fedrigo rode up with the autobus. 24" isn't the most generous lead to defend, particularly over lumpy stages, in poor weather, from Valverde of all people. Think Contador might end up doing quite a lot himself. Roman Kreuziger's hat is daft. That is all.

 

[thehog]

Some observations: Sylvain Chavanel actually had a decent day, I think he came in with Jens!. Dan Martin, along with CVV, Chris Horner and Tony Martin lost about 5', as did Kolobnev although he might have been working for Rodriguez earlier on. Fuglsang and Pierrick Fedrigo rode up with the autobus. 24" isn't the most generous lead to defend, particularly over lumpy stages, in poor weather, from Valverde of all people. Think Contador might end up doing quite a lot himself. Roman Kreuziger's hat is daft. That is all.

Just finishing watching the stage on my Sky box. Indeed Chavanel did come in with Jens. Where were Radioshack thou? Never at the front all day and went missing in the final 2km.

For those wondering Contador put a minute into Levi in 1.85km.

What are Radioshack doing? Someone needs to start the Radioshack in disarray thread.

Great day of racing and thank god the days of Tour riders hiding all year long until July are gone.