TdF Stage 12 - Fri 16th - Bourg-de-Péage - Mende 210.5km

[frizzlefry]

LOL @ the RadioShack fans whining about teamwork.

LOL@ Moose deflecting as usual.

 

[Mellow Velo]

LOL@ Astana....nice teamwork.

You would be laughing if you were an Astana, not a Lance fanboy.

Excellent tactics.
Saxo suffered horribly and Mende was never going to be worth more than 10-20 seconds on the GC.

 

[CatsNK]

1st and 3rd and Vino made Saxo chase him all day. Seems like good strategy to me.

I agree - Saxo took a big hit. Schleck looked the worst he has so far. We can hope he's spent.

I also wanted Vino to win today for sentimentality. It would have been a nice end to the day. But he did his job - amazingly. He was actually coming back at the very end. Incredible.

 

[hrotha]

Rodriguez is the one who attacked. Did people not watch the stage today? WTF?

Contador didn't exactly stay on his wheel when he caught him.

 

[Ferminal]

So... The people who previously have a go at Vino for attacking and leaving his GC leader (Contador) behind, are now having a go at Contador for attacking, and leaving a potential stage winner (Vino) behind.

Make up your minds, can't have it both ways. Personally I think the relationship is working well.

 

[Hairy Wheels]

Don't mean to beat a dead horse...but...good thing Cervelo worked to pull it back!!

It was good because then they...um...they could have...ahhh....hmm...done something?

 

[frizzlefry]

You would be laughing if you were an Astana, not a Lance fanboy.

Excellent tactics.
Saxo suffered horribly and Mende was never going to be worth more than 10-20 seconds on the GC.

Obviously a Contador Fanboy.

 

[reyan12]

Vino can not survive that climb(he will be caught anyway) thats why Contador decided to attack to check and gain time over the cocky Schleck!

 

[Thee_chisa]

good ride by wiggins today, he pulled himself together and finished with basso and sastre despite going off the back near the middle of the climb

 

[bigloco]

Rodriguez is the one who attacked. Did people not watch the stage today? WTF?

Alberto led/pulled the last 1k?

I like it, Alberto has a little Merckx in him

 

[Mellow Velo]

Rodriguez is the one who attacked. Did people not watch the stage today? WTF?

Some folks are getting confused by Lance, over which end of the bike race they are supposed to be focused on.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Contador wouldn't have pushed on if Rodriguez wasn't there. He had no choice now. Too bad for Vino though. I cried a little.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Rodriguez is the one who attacked. Did people not watch the stage today? WTF?

He is no threat for GC. Alberto didn't have to counter him.

 

[Ferminal]

Obviously a Contador Fanboy.

Congratulations to Team RadioShack for winning the TEAMS classification for today.

 

[Thee_chisa]

1. RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin 77 KATUSHA TEAM 4h 58' 26"
2. CONTADOR Alberto 1 ASTANA 4h 58' 26" + 00' 00"
3. VINOKOUROV Alexandre 9 ASTANA 4h 58' 30" + 00' 04"
4. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen 101 OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 4h 58' 36" + 00' 10"
5. SCHLECK Andy 11 TEAM SAXO BANK 4h 58' 36" + 00' 10"
6. SANCHEZ Samuel 181 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 4h 58' 36" + 00' 10"
7. KLÖDEN Andréas 24 TEAM RADIOSHACK 4h 58' 36" + 00' 10"
8. MENCHOV Denis 191 RABOBANK 4h 58' 36" + 00' 10"
9. GESINK Robert 195 RABOBANK 4h 58' 41" + 00' 15"
10. KREUZIGER Roman 44 LIQUIGAS-DOIMO 4h 58' 41" + 00' 15"
11. LEIPHEIMER Levi 25 TEAM RADIOSHACK 4h 58' 43" + 00' 17"
12. PLAZA MOLINA Ruben 168 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 4h 58' 57" + 00' 31"
13. CUNEGO Damiano 201 LAMPRE - FARNESE 4h 58' 57" + 00' 31"
14. WIGGINS Bradley 31 SKY PRO CYCLING 4h 58' 57" + 00' 31"
15. EVANS Cadel 121 BMC RACING TEAM 4h 58' 57" + 00' 31"
16. BASSO Ivan 41 LIQUIGAS-DOIMO 4h 58' 57" + 00' 31"
17. HORNER Christopher 23 TEAM RADIOSHACK 4h 58' 57" + 00' 31"
18. SASTRE Carlos 91 CERVELO TEST TEAM 4h 58' 57" + 00' 31"
19. SANCHEZ Luis-Leon 161 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 4h 58' 57" + 00' 31"
20. ROCHE Nicolas

 

[indurain666]

All the Contador criticizers forget how your beloved Uniballer won 7 Tours: Strong dedicated team with 1 clear leader, 8 domestiques.

Gaining 10 seconds on a very strong contender (who happens to be winning the race at the moment) who only lost about 60 seconds on mountains to last years winner is MUCH MORE important than having one of your old domestiques winning a stage.

Now stop criticizing Alberto and lets talk about Lance...do you think he is coming back next year??

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

LOL@ Moose deflecting as usual.

What am I deflecting? I thought Astana's tactics were excellent.

How did Lance do today? I know it's tough on you fanboys.

 

[Francois the Postman]

Contador wouldn't have pushed on if Rodriguez wasn't there. He had no choice now. Too bad for Vino though. I cried a little.

Saves me having to type that. Indeed.

 

[Ramira]

So... The people who previously have a go at Vino for attacking and leaving his GC leader (Contador) behind, are now having a go at Contador for attacking, and leaving a potential stage winner (Vino) behind.

Make up your minds, can't have it both ways. Personally I think the relationship is working well.

I think it all depends on how the relationship in the Astana team is I guess, some stages it looks pretty bad (ie when Vinokourov rode away from Contador in the stage to Arenberg) while others it looks good. Tactically it was very well done it's just the question of how Vinokourov feels about it and how the squad harmony is.

 

[The Sheep]

Vino wouldn't have beaten Rodriguez anyways

 

[therhodeo]

I want Vino to win just 1 stage. On the Champs. I would love to see him attack and take that one from the sprinters again.

 

[Carl0880]

So... The people who previously have a go at Vino for attacking and leaving his GC leader (Contador) behind, are now having a go at Contador for attacking, and leaving a potential stage winner (Vino) behind.

Make up your minds, can't have it both ways. Personally I think the relationship is working well.

I agree with this sentiment. I think the disgust that Vino showed at the line was more because the team didn't get the win. If he couldn't have done it, then he wanted Bertie to do it. Vino was out front, so he didn't know that Contador was able to leave Schleck behind. I am sure when they go back adn review, their will be no problems. Its call in teh heat of the moment frustration.

God would I have lvoed to see Vino win though.

 

[woodburn]

He is no threat for GC. Alberto didn't have to counter him.

But even solo Rodriguez probably would have caught Vino. It sucks he cracked at the end.

 

[Jamsque]

Contador didn't exactly stay on his wheel when he caught him.

He'd distanced his main rival, who just happens to be in the yellow jersey. Of course he pushed on.

To me it looked like Contador was torn between wanting Vino to win and wanting to put time on Schleck. He was looking behind and sitting in front of Rodriguez trying to keep the pace high but not so high that Vino couldn't catch back on.

 

[reyan12]

Rodriguez is the one who attacked. Did people not watch the stage today? WTF?

agree
Contador just followed Rodriguez and was able to gain a little time over AS.The yellow is more important than the stage.