Parrot23 said:
Never seen such wheel sucking ever before--even if it's to win.
This make Leipheimer and Evans look like Spanish bullfighters, the tip of the spear.
I am getting really fed up with this. Anyone who is levelling 'wheelsucking' accusations at Menchov, Leipheimer or Evans has clearly never raced a bike up a hill in their life.
On the flat at high speeds, slipstreaming makes a big difference, and sitting in the wheels saves you a lot of energy. HOWEVER, once you hit 7/8/9 % slopes, the lower speeds make the advantages of sitting in someone's wheel vanishingly small. Hauling yourself up Vesuvius is incredibly hard, and whether or not you do it at the front of the group or the back makes very little difference. Menchov could have ridden in front of Di Luca today, sure, but the only difference it would have made is that it would have been harder for him to spot when Di Luca was attacking.
Even if you leave aside the fact that Menchov was only saving a tiny amount of energy by following Di Luca, this is professional goddamn bike racing. Menchov isn't trying to prove a point or show off, he is trying to win a Grand Tour. You don't win a grand tour by attacking every day and wasting energy. You have to be clever, you have to save your strength for the times when it will make the most difference. Menchov has done exactly that this Giro. His tactics have been flawless, and that's why he's in pink.
Menchov, Evans and Leipheimer may not be as aggresive as Di Luca and Contador, but that doesn't make them less talented bike riders.