SHACK ATTACK: Radioshack fail dismally!

[Angliru]

... as in: "I don't have a great team" ?!

I guess Lance agrees with whoever started this thread

Additionally I do recall seeing Andy Schleck taking turns on the front so all this Andy "not having to do anything" is just bs.

 

[Angliru]

True LA may of flatted regardless, but when he moved past Popy, he was crisscrossing the road like an amature, looking for a good or smoother path. Didn´t look good and such erratic riding couldn´t of helped.

Back to the orginal topic: I only saw team RS at the front before any cobbles. Early on before the going got really tough they were mostly gone. Also to say they are all climbers?? Kloden & Levi are strong TTers and should of been at the front with LA. It looked like an overall disaster as far as their pre-stage plan.

From my perspective Leipheimer was too busy in his standard hunkered down as close to his stem as possible position, trying to stay in the draft of a wheel. I don't recall ever seeing him in the wind for Armstrong. Plainly speaking he was wheelsucking as he normally does.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

... as in: "I don't have a great team" ?!

I guess Lance agrees with whoever started this thread

Oh to be a fly on the wall in the bus after that mess!

They were supposed to be up there with Saxo all day putting time into AC and wearing Astana down. How'd that go!?

I don't think Lance is one to bite his tongue or sugarcoat things in private (to put it mildly). he is a jerk, but his team let him down more than some failing of his own. Much as I dislike him, he looked tragic and brave trying to fight back after the flat. (Who am I kidding? Watching him eat *** is just fabulous! Ok, so I am conflicted. Kill me.)

Anyone else think he went ballistic after the stage?

 

[luckyboy]

Oh to be a fly on the wall in the bus after that mess!

They were supposed to be up there with Saxo all day putting time into AC and wearing Astana down. How'd that go!?

I don't think Lance is one to bite his tongue or sugarcoat things in private (to put it mildly). he is a jerk, but his team let him down more than some failing of his own. Much as I dislike him, he looked tragic and brave trying to fight back after the flat. (Who am I kidding? Watching him eat *** is just fabulous! Ok, so I am conflicted. Kill me.)

Anyone else think he went ballistic after the stage?

Did he do one of those videos he normally does after this stage?

 

[Roland Rat]

Oh to be a fly on the wall in the bus after that mess!

...

Anyone else think he went ballistic after the stage?

Absolutely. £10 says Bottle didn't get his pre-bed milk last night. Lucky they were in the same hotel as Rabobank, the screaming dutchies would have been useful to prevent the rest of the hotel hearing his shouting.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

Toto!

http://nyvelocity.com/toto

Brilliant

That that is some quarliddy kommudee!

We might as well sell, we're all paid up with michele

These are the good times!

 

[hrotha]

Did he do one of those videos he normally does after this stage?

It's going to be one of those Downfall parody videos.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

Did he do one of those videos he normally does after this stage?

He handled it much better on the interview than the way he did last year (How could anything come close to last year's interviews?) but you could tell he was disgusted. It's tearing me apart to feel the slightest sympathy for him.

If he'd just stick to riding his bike he'd be OK.

 

[No_Balls]

Radioshack just had bad luck with all the punctures. And it's not like their Tour team is packed with big heavy classics riders. I think Lance did put in a very good ride, he did pretty much everything there was left to do after that puncture.

And yet yesterday was the day when the hammer would hit Contador and the weak Astana-team? So we have been told at least, according to thousands hours of Versus-Coverage and over-the-top-optimistic Lance-minions.

Why are you changing the script everytime?

 

[woodburn]

Additionally I do recall seeing Andy Schleck taking turns on the front so all this Andy "not having to do anything" is just bs.

Imagine if it was LA and a teammate that made the break. It would have been great riding because they were at the front. In Andy's case, he didn't have to do anything but follow. Makes it sound so easy that everyone should have been able to do it.

 

[altark123]

I like this one from klodis


Reading through some of the tweets, Klodi is a real arsehole and has major sour grapes

Your far from right klodi.

Well you're far from right, the F Schleck fall is actually what caused the original gaps so he is correct. It's not like Canc, Evans, ASchleck simply rode away from Conti, Lance, Wiggo,etc. cleanly, go back and watch.

 

[euanli]

It wasn't a Frank Schleck fall. It was Tony Martin and Robbie Hunter riding into each other with Frank Schleck behind them and unable to miss them.

 

[Publicus]

Well you're far from right, the F Schleck fall is actually what caused the original gaps so he is correct. It's not like Canc, Evans, ASchleck simply rode away from Conti, Lance, Wiggo,etc. cleanly, go back and watch.

True Frank's crash caused the split, but Spartacus drove that group across the cobbles at a much faster pace than the folks left in his wake. If they had preserved the original gaps, then I think you would have a point. But let's not dismiss the work done by the front group. It was impressive (there were times that Andy was clearly suffering just to stay on Fabian's wheel).

 

[Cerberus]

Additionally I do recall seeing Andy Schleck taking turns on the front so all this Andy "not having to do anything" is just bs.

He was talking about getting to the front for the cobbles which is really important. Also I took his comments more like a praise for Saxo than trying to badmouth Schleck. It's the job of a GC contenders team to make sure that the contender has to do as little work as possible.

 

[Publicus]

He was talking about getting to the front for the cobbles which is really important. Also I took his comments more like a praise for Saxo than trying to badmouth Schleck. It's the job of a GC contenders team to make sure that the contender has to do as little work as possible.

Agreed. I think the most telling comment from Lance was that he was on the rivet/exhausted once they hit the fourth section of cobbles. That can't be a good sign of his fitness level (IMO).

 

[Siriuscat]

It's going to be one of those Downfall parody videos.

Spike Milligan is doing the sript from the grave as we speak..... Lance Armstrong, My Part in his Downfall.

(For the uninformed...Spike Milligan is a well known UK comedian for most of the second half of the last century. One of his books was called Hitler..My Part in His Downfall)

 

[altark123]

For those who want the original lance shouting at contador picture

http://www.daylife.com/photo/0ez0adD9gW5Ua

Still think it looks more like he's showing signs of hurting and simply looking at AC rather than yelling at him.

 

[Publicus]

Still think it looks more like he's showing signs of hurting and simply looking at AC rather than yelling at him.

I agree. I think this photo is much ado about nothing.

 

[ManInFull]

True Frank's crash caused the split, but Spartacus drove that group across the cobbles at a much faster pace than the folks left in his wake. If they had preserved the original gaps, then I think you would have a point. But let's not dismiss the work done by the front group. It was impressive (there were times that Andy was clearly suffering just to stay on Fabian's wheel).

Yes, for a while there, I was certain that the Contador group was going to bridge to Spartacus' group.. However, Spartacus widened the gap from that group and Contador lost contact with his own group due to no legs or a mechanical. I'm not really sure of which because I have read so many different things over the past 24 hours.

 

[Ten Percent Grade]

Here's a question:

Now that Armstrong's chances have gone from dismal to virtually non-existent, where does everyone expect the Shack to go for broke and be ultra aggressive? I know the real battle will be in the mountains but are there any other possible opportunities?? They have to be planning something because I don't think they'll take it laying down...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

are there no windy stages left?? Between alpes and pyrenees I think.

 

[ManInFull]

Here's a question:

Now that Armstrong's chances have gone from dismal to virtually non-existent, where does everyone expect the Shack to go for broke and be ultra aggressive? I know the real battle will be in the mountains but are there any other possible opportunities?? They have to be planning something because I don't think they'll take it laying down...

Realistically, LA can probably hang with all of the climbers except AC and AS. I think he's down about 1:51 or so on Evans. He and his team have to break Evans on the climbs. How are they going to do that?

 

[alberto.legstrong]

I agree. I think this photo is much ado about nothing.

It's just a funny photo, worthy of 'caption this', but it really is meaningless for any evidence of anything about their relationship.

 

[frenchfry]

It's just a funny photo, worth of 'caption this', but it really is meaningless for any evidence of anything about their relationship.

He's trying to give Contador "the look" hoping that will make him crack, but Contador is just ignoring him. How times have changed.

Either that or he is about to imitate Eki's spitting on Simeoni, but remembers that there are cameras everywhere so restrains himself.

 

[fatandfast]

Here's a question:

Now that Armstrong's chances have gone from dismal to virtually non-existent, where does everyone expect the Shack to go for broke and be ultra aggressive? I know the real battle will be in the mountains but are there any other possible opportunities?? They have to be planning something because I don't think they'll take it laying down...

What race are you watching? It's the 4th day not the 14th