TDF Stage 14: Saint-Gaudens - Plateau de Beille 168km

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

OH man screw garmin for chasing hard for those 20km on stage 9.

Tommy V could be another 2 mins up.. That would have been interesting considering how he is climbing (tho I think he will crack big in the alps)

 

[auscyclefan94]

Sanchez was only 11 seconds behind Contador at the start today, so you're saying if Contador went, they'd let him go cos he's so far down?

Did you watch the stage? They were all watching AC as they kept on rolling to the back of the group just to watch AC.

 

[mr. tibbs]

...

To be fair, nobody gave him any reason to do anything but be his old pre-2009 negative self. It lost him the race in 2008, but it could win him the race this year if the Schlecks keep on wasting opportunities.

We've had to wait 2 weeks for a GC battle, and then the Schlecks call a little truce until the last 200m so they can ride up the mountain hand in hand with Jean-Christophe Peraud and Pierre Rolland? Weak.

First bold is absolutely true. Evans is riding the best race he possibly could right now.

Second bold is just wonderful. Well done, LS.

 

[El Pistolero]

did anyone see Gilbert congratulating Jelle behind the stage? he looked like a little child, genuinely thrilled for his teammate's win.

He said he was happier than if it was a win of his own. And I believe him, I've never seen him so happy- not even after he won LBL.

After his win in the national championships he looked like he was on marijuana though

 

[trailrunner]

The racing is so much more exciting when everyone is evenly matched as they were today.

Yeck, but that was NOT exciting.

Yawn.

 

[Trofinios]

Conti looks better, but he lacks confidence, that's why he isn't attacking, he is afraid to crack.

In 2007 he climbed Plateau de Beille in 44.08, this time around 46.50...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

if they really raced hard today. contador, voeckler, frank and sanchez could have lost time.

exactly. (+ evans )
This was poor.

I swear it did seem like andy was worried about frank.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Allowed? Szymd was dropped early on the climb.

I noticed, and my initial thought was that he was taking it easy today. Of course I could be wrong.

 

[gilbertador]

To be honest that was rubbish, Contador for the win he looked comfy at the end, **** will go down on the final 2 mtfs, Galibier is very like Etna....

 

[El Pistolero]

Well, any complaint would basically be a request for the rules and tradition to be ignored. The stage has been incorrectly classified anyway to produce an extremely tight limit, so a large group missing is pretty much inevitable, unless there's a bus on the last km now.

He should be thrown out if he finishes outside the time limit. I don't care how big his group is. That's like all sprinter teams deciding they'll ride together, so they can never get thrown out of the time limit because the group will always be too big.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Disappointing stage, no critical selection. The GC guys merely marked each other. Hat tip to the stage winner for taking advantage of the situation, and hap tip to the Maillot Jaune for having the strength to not lose time. Can't wait to see some 100% all-out racing from the GC contenders.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Whose in Kom. Vanenedert?

I think Samu.

 

[cavfan11]

So why were the Schlecks boring but Evans doing literally nothing but follow wheels being praised?

 

[ggusta]

If Contador does abandon, they'll likely climb into the back seat of the Saxo car.

just reading through the thread after making breakfast but that was funny

 

[dlwssonic]

exactly. (+ evans )
This was poor.

I swear it did seem like andy was worried about frank.

nah evans looked really strong today so i would have preferred it if those stupid schlecks raced harder to drop contador and voeckler.
ANDY SERIOUSLY GOTTA STOP CARING ABOUT HIS BRO!
He should give his bro more of a super domestique role
its really fking irritating!!

 

[Jeanne]

cav in, not eliminated.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Time for Leopard-Trek to stop the nonsense of putting both of the brothers on the podium. You can't have it all! If they want to win the tour they have to sacrifice Fränk. Fränk can put Evans, Conti and Basso on the limit and set up Andy for a decisive attack. If they continue what they are doing now, Evans will win the tour. Dumb tactics from LT and the Schlecks.

Have to agree with this. Andy missed a big opportunity today by worrying about Frank and not going for it. Pity.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

First bold is absolutely true. Evans is riding the best race he possibly could right now.

Second bold is just wonderful. Well done, LS.

yep he hit nail on the head.

Schlecks must be confident for the alps, or andy in particular.

 

[luckyboy]

Hmm, interesting..



As much as I like him, he is still 2 minutes down on Frank. I don't know where that time would come from if I'm honest.

Allowed? Szymd was dropped early on the climb.

What? I meant it was interesting prospect to think about how Basso is a third week rider.

 

[salixcycling]

Yay, Cav in within the time limit

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Basso is another factor I've forgot about. He'll always be in it, but without any sharp accelerations realtive to the other GC bunch, he won't get too far away without any Zoncolan-esque percentages. I don't think at least,

I haven't looked at the next few stages carefully, but how would everyone rate the crash risk for the next week in general? The pecking order has been sorted, and hopefully the nerves have cooled, but it is the 2011 Tdf.

Finally, at what rank would Sanchez give up in the GC to go for the mountains Jersey in Paris? 6th maybe? Does it matter?

 

[auscyclefan94]

To be honest that was rubbish, Contador for the win he looked comfy at the end, **** will go down on the final 2 mtfs, Galibier is very like Etna....

He hardly looked comfy...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Well, any complaint would basically be a request for the rules and tradition to be ignored. The stage has been incorrectly classified anyway to produce an extremely tight limit, so a large group missing is pretty much inevitable, unless there's a bus on the last km now.

Relax. Any money there's plenty of people with Cavendish so he won't be kicked out. The organisers don't want him to be kicked out even if he wasn't. The only people that want him to be kicked out are Rojas, Gilbert and those people that really like to see Cavendish lose.

Not only does he have an equally rabid fanbase in support of him as the one against him, but Christian Prudhomme doesn't belong to the latter group.

It's bad form to throw out a jersey wearer, so regardless of limits, they wouldn't want to throw him out unless they absolutely had to (say he and Eisel came in alone 15 minutes behind the bus or something).

 

[Pharazon]

cavendish inside the limit..

shove that up your a** El Pistolero

 

[BYOP88]

Did you watch the stage? They were all watching AC as they kept on rolling to the back of the group just to watch AC.

Yes I did watch the stage. If they all focus on 1 guy then they'll get burned by another guy. What happens if in the next mountain stage they all watch Contador and Sanchez attacks again and gains more time, will they then all focus on Sanchez and someone else will ride away etc etc?