So why shouldn't AC have a stomach full of anger now?

[Barrus]

Hah. Well, that's what I get for believing CN news stories.

Some user already posted that same story yesterday when it was printed in a Danish newspaper. Otherwise I wouldn't have known either

Although the previous CN article you posted no longer exists

 

[Archibald]

I wouldnt be surprised if he plans to try to take a few secs on tuesday, just for the psychological advantage.

Same.
just like stage 8 in this year's Giro - he probably doesn't need to but you can see it happening.

I don't think Contador cares what AS thinks. AS has made many more mistakes than Contador, tactically, mechanically and even physically by not eating enough on previous TDF stages.

Contador will be bitter about his position and even though there are plenty of hard stages left, he can't afford any more slip ups or it's race over. Some people think it already is. I don't see this race being decided until the TT just like last year.

that.

 

[lostincosmos]

It's a difficult one, IMO. Where do you draw the line? Had he not crashed at the 8km point, and only been held up by the <3km crash, he'd have not lost any significant time. But because his chase back on was impeded by the <3km incident he is penalised for both? Seems a little bit unfair.

I think I agree with this. Normally I think racing is racing and you take your lumps. But I can see the argument here - if Sammy and AC were only 35 seconds back when they hit a crash within 3k, they shouldn't be further penalized when those who crashed aren't. I think Sammy and AC got a raw deal in that decision not to adjust the time.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Oh yes... this is the same situation as last year with Schleck dropping his chain...

When you are high in the mountains you usually have a small group of riders so if someone gets a mechanical the leaders can easilly communicate and decide to wait (Ullrich, Armstrong for example). With today's stage the front group was huge with many teams (OP-L) seeing this stage as one of the most important stages. The same 'rules' don't apply here as in that mountain stage with just the favourites in the lead group.

Leopard-Trek didn't put the hammer down at the front so I think they behaved very sportsmanlike. Cancellara could've made the gap even bigger. Compare that to Contador attacking Schleck and even upping the pace a few times going up the mountain. Actually after that incident I would've been astounded if anyone would've waited for Contador on saturday...

You didn't even watch that stage, did you?

 

[jobiwan]

Oh yes... this is the same situation as last year with Schleck dropping his chain...

When you are high in the mountains you usually have a small group of riders so if someone gets a mechanical the leaders can easilly communicate and decide to wait (Ullrich, Armstrong for example). With today's stage the front group was huge with many teams (OP-L) seeing this stage as one of the most important stages. The same 'rules' don't apply here as in that mountain stage with just the favourites in the lead group.

Leopard-Trek didn't put the hammer down at the front so I think they behaved very sportsmanlike. Cancellara could've made the gap even bigger. Compare that to Contador attacking Schleck and even upping the pace a few times going up the mountain. Actually after that incident I would've been astounded if anyone would've waited for Contador on saturday...

How exactly could Andy have communicated with Alberto? Contador was 20 seconds up the mountain, and the radios are just between riders and their teams.

Contador did nothing wrong on the Bales. If Andy could shift, we wouldn't have this problem. Andy needs to move on (as does everyone else), and if he keeps bringing it up, then we need to ignore him.

I hope that they will just race unless it's an obvious stop-and-wait scenario.

I also hope for my sanity's sake that it won't be Leopard who puts the hammer down every time, otherwise the eternal wrath of most here will come upon them.

 

[Sebastian]

You didn't even watch that stage, did you?

Exactly my thougth too.

 

[Angliru]

Simple answer: Had AC not attacked AS last year during Chaingate - and therefore, subsequently, had he lost the Tour 2010 to AS - the peloton might have waited for him yesterday. But luckily, the peloton has learned to play the game just the way AC loves to play it: dirty. Only mistake was that Leopard didn't send their guys to the front to put even more time into AC.

You continuously conveniently leave out the fact that Andy intiated the aggressions in the Chaingate incident. He alone is responsible for what happens after his attack. As I mentioned in another thread, you and Andy are confusing racing with a no-drop club ride.

 

[Angliru]

A plea to the MODS. Please just open a sticky along the lines of '1001 Reasons why I hate Andy Schleck'. It will save just about every new thread recently including this one the trouble of being anything else.

Quit your frakkin' whinin'! When ever there is 'negative' post or thread regarding Andy here you come. If you have an actual point to make that is contrary to what is being stated then make it instead of crying about how it's just that those making the less complimentary posts about Andy actually hate him.

 

[Jeanne]

A plea to the MODS. Please just open a sticky along the lines of '1001 Reasons why I hate Andy Schleck'. It will save just about every new thread recently including this one the trouble of being anything else.

Ahh, no need for that, no hate around here Just a little mockery. If he rides great and wins "Le Tour", I'll personally be happy with that - if he doesn't, well, then he will just look like a big fool - no offense! Pride before a fall

 

[jobiwan]

Quit your frakkin' whinin'! When ever there is 'negative' post or thread regarding Andy here you come. If you have an actual point to make that is contrary to what is being stated then make it instead of crying about how it's just that those making the less complimentary posts about Andy actually hate him.

Ahh, no need for that, no hate around here Just a little mockery. If he rides great and wins "Le Tour", I'll personally be happy with that - if he doesn't, well, then he will just look like a big fool - no offense! Pride before a fall

Andy has set himself up for whatever mockery or negativity he gets by:

Calling himself the favorite (Was that w/ or w/o Contador?)
CONSTANTLY REFERRING TO CHAINGATE (Move on, Andy )
Generally being a Blockhead

To the guy/girl who wanted Andy "hate" to stop, (not really hate around here), just take it in stride and have a good laugh.

Plus, it will make the triumph so much grander when he wins!

 

[Jeanne]

QUOTE: jobiwan

"Andy has set himself up for whatever mockery or negativity he gets by"

Well, that is true, that is why he must bear it all now

"Calling himself the favorite (Was that w/ or w/o Contador?)
CONSTANTLY REFERRING TO CHAINGATE (Move on, Andy )
Generally being a Blockhead "

That must have hurt him very deeply. Almost a year and still he needs to talk about it. (Psychologist speaking. Amen.) But to be fair, at least where I live, whenever someone on TV interviews him at a race, BE SURE, chaingate will be mentioned.

"To the guy/girl who wanted Andy "hate" to stop, (not really hate around here), just take it in stride and have a good laugh."

1000% agree

 

[gauchotee]

I may be crazy, but I think Contador is in a fairly good if not ideal position being a minute and a half back. Since he is so far back, his team doesn't have to chase down breakaways everyday. And this year we're looking at 4 HC mountain top finishes. IF Contador is in form, the gap is nothing.

 

[Apollonius]

I may be crazy, but I think Contador is in a fairly good if not ideal position being a minute and a half back. Since he is so far back, his team doesn't have to chase down breakaways everyday. And this year we're looking at 4 HC mountain top finishes. IF Contador is in form, the gap is nothing.

He was in brilliant form last year and he wasn't exactly dominating Schleck was he? This year he has to make up that gap and that's after he's raced in the hardest Giro I think there's ever been.
The tour is Andy's to lose now.

 

[UpTheRoad]

He was in brilliant form last year and he wasn't exactly dominating Schleck was he? This year he has to make up that gap and that's after he's raced in the hardest Giro I think there's ever been.
The tour is Andy's to lose now.

AC didn't appear to have great form last year. His usual jump on climbs was not as decisive. He definitely got it back for the Giro, but who is to say he can do it in France? We'll know for sure in a week or so.

Don't think the TdF is Andy's to lose, either. He doesn't look good at all right now. Can't see how he will miraculously get his climbing legs without actually doing some climbing, although he did a lot of lead climbing in the TdS until he got shelled.

 

[gauchotee]

Yea I also tend to agree AC wasn't in his best form last year. I'm not sure he's in great form this year either, cause in stage 4 couldn't get away from the pack.

 

[Pantani_lives]

It's my impression that Contador is panicking a little. He shouldn't attack on small climbs like Mur de Bretagne. That's a waste of energy. He should save himself for Luz-Ardiden and then drop a bomb.

 

[thehog]

It's my impression that Contador is panicking a little. He shouldn't attack on small climbs like Mur de Bretagne. That's a waste of energy. He should save himself for Luz-Ardiden and then drop a bomb.

What's all this wasting energy business?

Is cycling 170km's in racing peloton then hitting it hard for 1200 meters any different from riding 170km's in a racing peloton and riding hard for the last 1200 meters following wheels?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

It's my impression that Contador is panicking a little. He shouldn't attack on small climbs like Mur de Bretagne. That's a waste of energy. He should save himself for Luz-Ardiden and then drop a bomb.

The guy has won 6 GRAND TOURS. Good grief. Now every Cat 4 is giving him advice.

 

[ManInFull]

The guy has won 6 GRAND TOURS. Good grief. Now every Cat 4 is giving him advice.

Cat 4? I'd say most are Cat 5! I was cracking up on the recent criticism of AC not being in the drops at the end of the stage that he lost to Evans.

 

[red_flanders]

It's my impression that Contador is panicking a little. He shouldn't attack on small climbs like Mur de Bretagne. That's a waste of energy. He should save himself for Luz-Ardiden and then drop a bomb.

I think it's fair to question his tactics but not accurate to say he's panicking. I say this because he always rides like this and always has people questioning his attacking style. To me panicking is doing something you wouldn't otherwise, and I can't see that in this case.

There's been such calculated racing at times during the last 15-20 years that sometimes I have to remind myself of what a champion who attacks every race he enters looks like!

 

[Spaniard]

It's my impression that Contador is panicking a little. He shouldn't attack on small climbs like Mur de Bretagne. That's a waste of energy. He should save himself for Luz-Ardiden and then drop a bomb.

Too much talk with the stage 4, he wasted energy in an attack of what? 500 meters?. I think his "attack" was just a little test to see the people's form, I'm more worried about how he is wasting himself in the flat stages due to a lack of support by his team, I guess they are saving energies for the mountains.

 

[Midnightfright]

Too much talk with the stage 4, he wasted energy in an attack of what? 500 meters?. I think his "attack" was just a little test to see the people's form, I'm more worried about how he is wasting himself in the flat stages due to a lack of support by his team, I guess they are saving energies for the mountains.

They don't need his whole team to save energy for the mountains! He's been left too exposed to often. Surely Contador himself is the 1 who should be saving most energy for the mountains.

 

[Scirea]

He was in brilliant form last year and he wasn't exactly dominating Schleck was he? This year he has to make up that gap and that's after he's raced in the hardest Giro I think there's ever been.
The tour is Andy's to lose now.

Don't know how can anybody say the Tour is Andy's to lose. The guy won exactly zero Tours unlike that other guy called Contador. If Contador is at least 90% fresh he will win this.

 

[Mambo95]

Cat 4? I'd say most are Cat 5! I was cracking up on the recent criticism of AC not being in the drops at the end of the stage that he lost to Evans.

You're making the classic error of thinking there's a correlation between someone's ability at a sport and their knowledge of it. There isn't really. Manolo Saiz (clinic stuff aside) was a very successful and knowledgeable DS - never raced a bike. Most of the Tour directors have never raced. In football Real Madrid and Chelsea are managed by men who never played football.

The drops thing was daft though.

 

[guncha]

AC didn't appear to have great form last year. His usual jump on climbs was not as decisive. He definitely got it back for the Giro

I am not so sure about this because in Italy he raced against weaker field (I have nothing against Scarponi and Nibali but they have never been successful in Tour). I am not sure if Contador would have looked so impressive if his Tour rivals peaked for Giro and more emphasis were put on ITT.