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Jan 3, 2010
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If you look closely at the mans performances in the last 5 years or so, although not a lot of wins, a phenomenol level of consistency. With a recent tour victory, and that incredible day at the giro last year, what do yall think, does he still have it? What can we expect from him this year? In my opinion, we all know that there is a great deal of talent ot back him up on the test team so if he is in form, I think we could see great things from him in 2010.
 
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It's hard to judge Sastre's form really. I mean, the guy was super in the Giro, barring that one bad day, he could have been right up there with Di Luca and Menchov. And the tour, well that was just burn out really. 4 GTs in a row does that to you.

I would suggest he does the Giro/Vuelta this year. He has a good chance of winning whichever one he focuses on completely. Giro parcours is perfect for him, and the Vuelta seems like no-one is lining up. All the vuelta contenders (bar Mosquera) seem to be going for tour honours this year (Valv, Sanchez, Contador). So if he skips the tour, we will be fresher than those guys.

I'd like to see him win another GT, but please make it the Vuelta Carlos, and don't spoil Cadels Giro campaign. He's lost to enough spaniards the last 3 years... :(
 
Jun 18, 2009
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maltiv said:
He has a good chance at winning Giro. Could also win Vuelta if he skips TDF, but doubt it.

It's nice to see Sastre focus on the Giro. I hope he wins one. Hopefully, he'll plan his season a little better this year. I think he was just too burned out from his schedule.
 
Sep 2, 2009
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Comobosques said:
and that incredible day at the giro last year

Just want to say that it was two indcredible days. Monte petrano and vesuvio.

it seems like the proriders nowadays last longer in general. maybe 35 is the new 30
 
Mountain Goat said:
It's hard to judge Sastre's form really. I mean, the guy was super in the Giro, barring that one bad day, he could have been right up there with Di Luca and Menchov. And the tour, well that was just burn out really. 4 GTs in a row does that to you.

I would suggest he does the Giro/Vuelta this year. He has a good chance of winning whichever one he focuses on completely. Giro parcours is perfect for him, and the Vuelta seems like no-one is lining up. All the vuelta contenders (bar Mosquera) seem to be going for tour honours this year (Valv, Sanchez, Contador). So if he skips the tour, we will be fresher than those guys.

I'd like to see him win another GT, but please make it the Vuelta Carlos, and don't spoil Cadels Giro campaign. He's lost to enough spaniards the last 3 years... :(

Indeed-his option on riding La Vuelta is pending upon the TDF invitation-although the team seems to be favored by ASO, since Thor is the current green jersey winner & they got 2 stage wins too...
 
Sastre is about as exciting as watching alfalfa grow. He has all the charisma of a boiled egg.

I think I'd like him a lot more if he got busted for something. Make him a little bit more 'edgy'. Word on the street is he used to ride for ONCE, if you know what I mean (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). That makes him a little bit intriguing...skeletons in the closet and all...
 
Jun 10, 2009
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I really hope sastre wins the giro. Got to love seeing an older rider coming in to his own at the end of his career, and the fact hes got no drug ties either makes me support him. I also think people seem to under rate his preformances in recent times, due to the fact he never raced contador. But look at how he won the stages in the mountains in the giro and on le alpe d'huez when he won the tour, no one was close to him.
Id like to see him do well in the tour again this year, and its another race with a good route for him. If hes not to tired from the giro i think he could do a good race, i think he could mix it with andy s, and contadoor in the mountains. the route of la vuelta has been designed with the hope of attracting contador, valverde, sanchez etc to race the tour, vuelta double, with mtfs with just the one climb, and most of the other stages having shorter climbs, and the stages seem to be pretty short on average to, wich doesnt suit sastre.
 
Jul 6, 2009
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sastre is one of my favorite riders in the top 3 for sure. he is a well spoken humble man who is very consistent and stays out of trouble some of the stars of the sport should maybe take notice of his respectful nature and try to emulate that a bit it would do them good. i hope he wins a giro or vuelta he deserves it i was thrilled when he won the tour in 2008 pure class.
 
Jul 26, 2009
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forty four said:
sastre is one of my favorite riders in the top 3 for sure. he is a well spoken humble man who is very consistent and stays out of trouble some of the stars of the sport should maybe take notice of his respectful nature and try to emulate that a bit it would do them good. i hope he wins a giro or vuelta he deserves it i was thrilled when he won the tour in 2008 pure class.

thank you, i couldnt agree more, class no other word for it, class.......
 
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issoisso said:
The guy who called Moncoutié "*** in the head" for no reason at all, without any provocation?

If there's something Andy Schleck doesn't know, it's class ;)

Did he? You can't admire anyone these days, can you...!
 
Jul 30, 2009
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it would be great to see Sastre win another GT. It's great to see a rider attack from a long way out. Too bad about that bad day in the Giro last year, he could have won it with style, rather than being a bit too obviously on something or wheelsucking/TTing the win.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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Winterfold said:
it would be great to see Sastre win another GT. It's great to see a rider attack from a long way out. Too bad about that bad day in the Giro last year, he could have won it with style, rather than being a bit too obviously on something or wheelsucking/TTing the win.

It wasn't so much a bad day, as Sastre's main asset being great stamina that means he does better the harder the stage is....and that stage was 68kms long with one single climb in it
 
A. Schleck seems to think that Sastre is ungrateful for the assistance that the team put in in helping him win the Tour, likely using his exodus to the Cervelo Test Team, which was already a done deal prior to the end of the Tour, as his motivation. Sastre had stated after his Tour win and IIRC during or after the Vuelta, that Riis had no confidence in Sastre's ability to win the Tour and additionally that it was Riis' plan to pull most of the team during the Vuelta, leaving Sastre to fend for himself, likely out of spite that Sastre was already known by Riis to be jumping to CTT.

Even as Sastre was Saxo Bank's last hope at a Tour win in 2008, even with Frank Schleck in yellow on Alpe D'Huez, I'm sure Andy held out hope that Frank would be able to launch an attack that would leave Cadel Evans in the dust and somehow make such a gap at the finish to make up for the inevitable time loss in upcoming ITT. Andy had already blown his chances at contending for the victory by bonking on an earlier stage, losing major minutes and dropping out of the top ten of the gc. If one recalls after the Alpe d'Huez stage there was almost a mournful appearance to the 2 Schlecks rather than a celebration for Sastre's win.

Of course there was still the possibility that Evans could make up the time loss in the ITT but Sastre's TT abilities were underestimated as were the extend of the effect of Evans injuries resulting from an earlier crash.

If any of this is incorrect or inaccurate, I'm sure there will be posts to the contrary correcting me.
 
Apr 20, 2009
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On the contrary, Sastre is a very smart rider who can win with one or two big attacks. Nothing compared to the Cadel snorefest, where everyone can follow his attacks.

Any rider who was active during the time period Sastre has been active has skeletons in the closet- although at this point I'd argue they aren't skeleton's anymore. The doping was systematic.

Willy_Voet said:
Sastre is about as exciting as watching alfalfa grow. He has all the charisma of a boiled egg.

I think I'd like him a lot more if he got busted for something. Make him a little bit more 'edgy'. Word on the street is he used to ride for ONCE, if you know what I mean (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). That makes him a little bit intriguing...skeletons in the closet and all...
 
Jul 30, 2009
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I agree Angliru - A Schleck had blown it and that was a killer Tour winning attack on the Alpe. I dont see who could have gone with it other than Andy Schleck who did was required of him.

I didnt realise Riis had been quite such a ****.

Good answer from Sastre :D

I always thought his last TT was just him performing well but within his capabilities. Evans performed well below his, so Sastre won, having dropped him like a brick on the Alpe. As it should be IMO - winning a GT with big attacks on the classic mountains is a much better way to win than through dominating the TT.

I hope after the Worlds Evans realises this, but I still think he should do the Classics rather than trying for another podium in a GT.
 
Apr 12, 2009
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I actually disagree with almost everyone about this feud between sastre and the shlecks. If you think about carlos did attack the yellow jersey, while ut was a great attack he still attacked the yellow jersey if this was the 2009 tour and an astana rider attacked on ventoux and the yellow jersey wearer just marked the attacks of the other riders it would be a completely different scenario. I don't believe the spin out of saxo bank I'm pretty sure the schlecks were pi ssed about that, I doubt sastre was set up to win, I don't think any ds would set up a rider in 3rd place to win rather than the rider that has the yellow jersey