SHACK ATTACK: Radioshack fail dismally!

[scribe]

His rear brake apparently was dragging for the last 30KM. Instead of stopping, he just drove on.

So then for the last couple of k's it must have really really been dragging.

 

[Anonymous]

To me, with the way his tongue is pointed, it almost seems like he thinks Contador is some tall skinny blond, and he is letting her know he has some...talents.

Anyone have the story on what this (if he is indeed yelling) is about?

 

[Big Doopie]

So how does a guy go from not being able to ride with the best, to know dropping the best two weeks later????

i am sure that can be answered in the clinic.

i think armstrong is shockingly and, frankly, impossibly in even better "shape" than he was last year. his prologue showed that. do not be surprised if does some extraterrestrial things in the mountains. i do not trust him. i do not trust the hog. i do not trust the uci. he may be the only rider with carte blanche this year.

i do find it ironic that those who supported the TTT in the tour last year (which basically ended the race for several favorites) are now against the cobbles. and vice versa. i do think it's karma that evans (so defeated by the TTT last year) has ended up with an advantage this year with some gutsy riding.

armstrong getting a flat is not, however, my definition of karma.

a prison cell would be.

and only barely...

 

[Andrichuk]

Agree with Barrus.
Leaving Steegmans at home, taking a surplus of climbers = big mistake.

At the end of the day, has Lance not punctured, he would have gained just 20 seconds on Contador.........for a puncture.

Contador would have finished in the same group as Lance. Thats the way the race is, you cant neutralize everything.

 

[ManInFull]

Well, it would have been 20 seconds on Contador because Contador was dropped. Not sure if it was due to his fitness or a mechanical issue with the bike.

 

[Andrichuk]

Did you see him passing the cars solo in all the dust?

You mean after the Commissaire car stopped all the team cars?

 

[scribe]

Yes, and if my Aunt had balls, she'd be my Uncle.

 

[perico]

I don't disagree with the concept. I just don't see Armstrong climbing with Contador. He's not looked good at any point this year climbing. Not at the Tour de Suisse. Not at Tour of California. Not at Gila. Not at Criterium. Not at Murcia. No where.

So how does a guy go from not being able to ride with the best, to know dropping the best two weeks later???? AC is looking for time on Cadel and other TT'ers. Andy is looking for time on Cadel and other TT'ers. It seems to me they are the more natural allies in the mountains. But that's just me.

In all fairness, Schleck the younger has looked like Damiano Cunego almost all year, so if he improves drastically during the tour, I don't think it's beyond Armstrong's ability to do so either. Considering that it took Basso a full year to regain his climbing legs, maybe the same can be said for Lance.

 

[Barrus]

Well, it would have been 20 seconds on Contador because Contador was dropped. Not sure if it was due to his fitness or a mechanical issue with the bike.

Perhaps than Contie wouldn't have a mechanical either, or perhaps the Lotto rider wouldn't have fallen, or perhaps he would have taken out Armstrong as well.
We could play what ifs the rest of the year, but we just don't know what happened

 

[hrotha]

Anyone have the story on what this (if he is indeed yelling) is about?

Speaking of equipment selection, doesn't that look like Contador used about 10 times as much handlebar tape as Armstrong?

 

[Publicus]

In all fairness, Schleck the younger has looked like Damiano Cunego almost all year, so if he improves drastically during the tour, I don't think it's beyond Armstrong's ability to do so either. Considering that it took Basso a full year to regain his climbing legs, maybe the same can be said for Lance.

I actually thought Frank was the best bet for the overall this year. I don't think Andy has it this year (notwithstanding his result today). I guess we will find out in a few short days.

 

[scribe]

Speaking of equipment selection, doesn't that look like Contador used about 10 times as much handlebar tape as Armstrong?

Wants to keep his hands supple.

 

[Publicus]

So then for the last couple of k's it must have really really been dragging.

Don't know, but if that works for you, go with it.

 

[hrotha]

Wants to keep his hands supple.

Yeah, I know it's customary to use extra tape for cobbled races, but it looks like Contador maybe overdid it. Samuel Sánchez rode with MTB brakes so that he didn't have to move his hands too much.

 

[ManInFull]

AS will need more than 30-40 seconds on AC. AC will take that from him on that long ITT.

 

[spaceboy]

The failure by RS was technical/ equipment choice, the four of them flatting is evidence of that. One or two may be luck but four HAS to be silly equipment choice and is confirmed in this article:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/teams-bring-out-the-classic-gear-for-stage-3-cobbles

The picture actually looks like Lance is saying: "Contadorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

 

[luckyboy]

AS will need more than 30-40 seconds on AC. AC will take that from him on that long ITT.

In Annecy (only 40kms with a climb too), Andy lost something like 1.45. He's gonna need a lot.

 

[ManInFull]

Will be interesting to see if AC can actually drop Lance, AS, and Evans. I just don't think he is riding like he was last year. He couldn't drop the young rider on RS during the Dauphine. He's also had 2 unimpressive TTs lately. He lost the Dauphine because of a poor TT.

 

[pedaling squares]

I'm not ready to call it a Shack failure. LL, AK, JB, and CH together weigh about as much as Cancellara. But Popo did a great job and Lance rode well. He was right up there until the puncture and did well thereafter. Thanks in part to his team car, but who hasn't done that? I'm with Publicus - that was a great photo of him gutting it out solo on the cobbles.

...i do find it ironic that those who supported the TTT in the tour last year (which basically ended the race for several favorites) are now against the cobbles...

I agree. Why is it ok to get a major early gap among GC favourites because a couple of them had strong TT teams and a couple did not, while it is not ok to get an early GC gap because a couple of contenders have strong teammates on the pave?

Many of us have been complaining all year that the TDF is the most boring GT because it is ridden defensively and by formula. Well we might actually see some strategy, alliances, and balls out racing. I won't complain about that.

 

[hawkeye87]

Will be interesting to see if AC can actually drop Lance, AS, and Evans. I just don't think he is riding like he was last year. He couldn't drop the young rider on RS during the Dauphine. He's also had 2 unimpressive TTs lately. He lost the Dauphine because of a poor TT.

Winning the Dauphine means you've peaked too early. Most of the serious GC guys do not set to actually win that race as they would rather reach peak fitness during the Tour.

 

[Cervelo77]

To be fair, punctures for Kloden, Leipheimer and Armstrong didn't exactly make it easy to stick with the lead group.

 

[luckyboy]

Will be interesting to see if AC can actually drop Lance, AS, and Evans. I just don't think he is riding like he was last year. He couldn't drop the young rider on RS during the Dauphine. He's also had 2 unimpressive TTs lately. He lost the Dauphine because of a poor TT.

Yeah, he should've fallen into the Evans 09 trap of using all his energy to try and win the Dauphine.

 

[erader]

If the flat/mechanical happened in the last 3KM, Vino did the right thing to push on. My guess is that Vino had no idea about the mechanical and was driving to minimize the gaps to the first group.

you'd have a case if vino didn't have priors.

ed rader

 

[Weapons of @ss Destruction]

These guys aren't gonna hammer in every event they enter through the season. With the tight competition employing peaking techniques, (and bus mechanicals of course), the days of the Cannibal are long ago gone.

Where did you absorb that nugget of wisdom from? Evans has been hammering right from WC last year onwards. Contador goes for the win in pretty much every event he enters, and succeeding more often than not, or at least finishing with a top placing. You've been spoon fed the lie for too long.

 

[Publicus]

you'd have a case if vino didn't have priors.

ed rader

I guess it's another one of those Rorschach tests.... Stage is over, Astana did better than expected and now just has to marshal its energy in advance of the Alps.