Radioshack in top team position

[Highlander]

If they do manage to hold on for the team win, I just hope that Lance has his assistant Alphonse up on the stage to accept the team award. I thought that he has been their true MVP so far in the tour.

 

[Polish]

The team competition in the tour is basically a prize for the team with the crappest gc contender.

If that is the case, why doesn't SKY lead the Team classification?

Anyway, the Team Prize is second only to Final GC for Award $$.
More than green or polka dots or lantern rouge.

 

[hrotha]

Two losers. One losing more slowly than the other.

Caisse, losers? Considering they came without a GC guy, I'd say they're doing very, very well. They've been unlucky so far, but the likes of Kiryenka, Ivan Gutierrez, LL Sanchez, Perget and even Christophe frickin' Moreau have been everywhere.

 

[reubenr]

Caisse, losers? Considering they came without a GC guy, I'd say they're doing very, very well. They've been unlucky so far, but the likes of Kiryenka, Ivan Gutierrez, LL Sanchez, Perget and even Christophe frickin' Moreau have been everywhere.

But not where it counts, except for the team thing, which is kind of like the "Weenie Award" of cycling at the TDF. Is it a coincidence or is it just the facts that the two teams without a legitimate GC guy are fighting it out for the team classification?

 

[hrotha]

But not where it counts, except for the team thing, which is kind of like the "Weenie Award" of cycling at the TDF. Is it a coincidence or is it just the facts that the two teams without a legitimate GC guy are fighting it out for the team classification?

Is Caisse actively fighting for it, though? Because reading Horner's diaries, it would seem it's RadioShack doing all the covering, pulling when they don't get in a breakaway and the like. It looks like Caisse is just trying to win stages.

 

[flicker]

Different tours different results different teams. I still appreciate and love Lance. It is curious how he made the U-Turn at the top today. Lance must be dissapointed with himself. I like the Shack though, positive website and LIVESTRONG has a great message.

WARNING: If the haters want to belittle me for my opinion they will be reported.

 

[michaeld]

Team award: This usually means everyone is sucking wheels and not racing. No plan, everyone race for 20th-50th.

The team who chases, sets up leaders, etc. usually finished in the autobus, and will never win the team classification.

 

[michaeld]

...I'm nobobody's fanboy, just an admirer of an incredible athlete...SNIP...

Okay.


Sure.

 

[reubenr]

Is Caisse actively fighting for it, though? Because reading Horner's diaries, it would seem it's RadioShack doing all the covering, pulling when they don't get in a breakaway and the like. It looks like Caisse is just trying to win stages.

That sounds about right. It's all RS has to go for in this TDF, so as to avoid a total bust. Caisse is a different story. They came in to the Tour in an awkward position, and as much as I like this team, L Sanchez (and Valverde, too), it was dooms day. In many ways, I liked their team with Valverde as much as any other team, especially after seeing them perform together in last year's Vuelta. I think they would have put a dent in Saxobank and added a different dimension to this years event than what has turned out to be their lot.

 

[Cobblestones]

Let's put this in here as well:

Leipheimer fights to defend sixth overall.

Note that there's no story 'Sanchez fights to defend third overall' or 'Menchov fights to defend fourth overall' or 'VDB2 fights to defend fifth overall'.

 

[flicker]

Let's put this in here as well:

Leipheimer fights to defend sixth overall.

Note that there's no story 'Sanchez fights to defend third overall' or 'Menchov fights to defend fourth overall' or 'VDB2 fights to defend fifth overall'.

Cobble it was an epic stage and Levi hung in their really well. I have watched it over and over. Give Levi some credit as todays stage was totally not his territory. Menchov and Sanchez have advantage over Levi and yet Levi hung in there with them. Signs of good things to come for Levi.

 

[theswordsman]

After flying over the bars and landing on his back, he's doing ok by anyone's measure. Most riders would have probably dropped out.

Have you actually watched the race, or read stories about other riders? Farrar finally abandoned today after ridinbg for days with a broken wrist. Cadel tried to defend the yellow jersey with a fracture in his elbow. Garmin had 4 guys riding with fractures. David Millar was as injured as Armstrong but keeps fighting to make the time cut & try to finish the race. There are a lot of tough riders who have a lot less to gain riding with injuries trying to help their teams.

He's probably been tested for dope more in his career than the entire peleton combined this year. He's NEVER tested positive so if any of you have proof he's ever doped, speak now, or shut the f@#k up!

The "never tested positive" is meaningless. Frei wouldn't have tested positive if he'd drunk a liter of water between microdosing & an early morning test. The Lithuanian U23 riders never tested positive, but got busted for possession and testified that they knew a protocol of different substances so they could cheat without failing a test. LA's blood values at the 2009 TdF suggested his wonderful podium finish might have been due to infusions of his own blood.

Feel free to rant and curse all you want. But if you read the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post, and the New York Daily News, you'll know that there are subpoenas being issued, and that riders will testify after the Tour de France. So enjoy your last few weeks or months of denial, because the truth is out there, and some very qualified people are piecing it all together. Cheers

 

[reubenr]

Let's put this in here as well:

Leipheimer fights to defend sixth overall.

Note that there's no story 'Sanchez fights to defend third overall' or 'Menchov fights to defend fourth overall' or 'VDB2 fights to defend fifth overall'.

Exactly! Plus or minus 10 characters.

 

[Anonymous]

TeamSky will be right up there for that award then.

I bet Hendo is laughing.

Henderson who a week before the tour admitted to being completely worn out after the giro (but being on good form), and a week later was complaining that he didnt go to the tour.

You cant have it both ways. Youre tired, or youre not. personally i didnt like gregs emails that appeared in print. Be dissapointed yes, but there are 26 guys up for places, people are going to lose out. He rode the giro, some guys wont get to ride a grand tour this year. Talk to DB about it, dont put it in print.

 

[bobs nob]

when jokes become reality

It's pretty amazing that their Team GC ranking has been an in-joke since Carbon Crank and now it is a stated goal.

They are literally a parody of themselves.

 

[nvpacchi]

Let's put this in here as well:

Leipheimer fights to defend sixth overall.

Note that there's no story 'Sanchez fights to defend third overall' or 'Menchov fights to defend fourth overall' or 'VDB2 fights to defend fifth overall'.

The best part about the article is that Bottle is not even the first person mentioned but the 5th! He even sucks wheels and hides in the shadows of articles supposedly about him.

 

[benpounder]

That requires a team leader who is a protagonist for the podium. Shack doesn't have that this year. Levi is largely by himself: no team driving at the front for him, so it's hard to "see" team strength animating a stage.

No firm opinions here. Just throwing this out for discussion.

I suspect we will see if your theory is true when the real mountains start. I dont like it that it does seem as if Levi is being hung out, but perhaps the team, finally recognizing that Alberto and Andy are far above anything they have to offer, have re-evaluated and re-focused.

All things remaining the same, Menchov will be hard to get over in the TT, Sanchez will be hard to get over in the mountains. Thus, save energy until Levi needs a team in the Pyrnees (shoot for a top 5, accept a top 10), but dont explode and jeapordize a podium in Paris.

 

[indurain666]

I'm so happy for them, this tour could have been a complete disaster if everyone on the team fell off the back while lance soloed to victory.

Cheers to the kings of the peloton

LOL...I am pretty sure uniballer and his ***** (johan) disagree with you...this tour is a freaking massive disasters of biblical proportions to the shack

 

[Old School]

They are a failure. I'm sure RadioShack's foot traffic has increased ten-fold due to all this great commercialization.

Show me some real riders on real teams...HTC is an American based team, Garmin is an American based team. They that broke that they can't show a few more commercials?

 

[Parrot23]

All things remaining the same, Menchov will be hard to get over in the TT, Sanchez will be hard to get over in the mountains. Thus, save energy until Levi needs a team in the Pyrnees (shoot for a top 5, accept a top 10), but dont explode and jeapordize a podium in Paris.

Okay, thanks, that's perceptive. I'll watch for that....

 

[BroDeal]

Screw lance armstrong, I was a fan up until last week. When he quit after his 3rd "crash" of the day and just set up for the rest of the stage I saw a quitter. When he came back the next day and appeared to fight hard in the mountains I thought maybe he just needed to regroup but then he did nothing on the flat. Then these past two days he has been utterly pathetic, sitting up at the end of each day. And then today he pulls this $hit and 1) sits up half way up the climb, then to top it off, he gets to the finish line and not 5m past does a 180 and heads straight to the team hotel.

I hoped he would not drop out of the tour after he lost 12 minutes last week, now I wish he would drop out, because it is embarrassing, frustrating, pathetic, and disgusting to watch him quit on his team and on himself everyday. What a shame, he should have at least fought.

I think it is pretty obvious that Armstrong should target the Lanterne Rouge. He appears to have an undiscovered talent for it.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Like it or not you American bashers, the team standing is a part of the Tour. It's as least as legitimate as the polka dot jersey.
To all the Lance bashers....the man has won 7 Tours. After taking off for 3, he comes back and gets a podium. Anyone else come close to that?
After flying over the bars and landing on his back, he's doing ok by anyone's measure. Most riders would have probably dropped out.
He's probably been tested for dope more in his career than the entire peleton combined this year. He's NEVER tested positive so if any of you have proof he's ever doped, speak now, or shut the f@#k up!
I'm nobobody's fanboy, just an admirer of an incredible athlete who has overcome near terminal cancer and who contributes millions to cancer research through the Livestrong Foundation.
You don't have to like him, obviously, but show some respect for a guy who beat the best cyclists in the world for 7 consecutive years.
Rant over, you bigoted, redneck kids.

Hey look roadfreak44 is back. No tea party rally tonight?

 

[Mellow Velo]

On a positive note. It is nice to see the fanboys have learnt about a new, albeit insignificant component of a professional stage race.
They can add this to their CVs, which previously just consisted of the yellow jersey competition.

Lance has worked hard, early on each stage to chase down every Caisse attempted breakaway, before going out the back.

The strongest team in the world, has then done it's job; packing riders in the 10th to 20th positions.

Which such an excellent performance, I would not be surprised if Nicolas Sarkozy didn't offer to make them all French citizens.

 

[cyclestationgiuseppe]

Oh yeah, people always remember the winner of that all important team classification.

Except I cannot remember which team won last year, um or the previous 25 years or um....ever.

Epic Fail.

 

[Benotti69]

I think it is pretty obvious that Armstrong should target the Lanterne Rouge. He appears to have rediscovered his talent for it.

i believe he lost this contest a few times before '99 but was close..