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

[Benotti69]

Pencil Necks fail today.

I bet Contador will be stronger in the Alps than either Schleck.

Voekler will not keep yellow to Paris.

Evans not looking stronger or weaker than the others, but a bad day in the Alps ends it for any GC rider.

 

[dlwssonic]

Voeckler not even 1 minute faster then in 04.
Seems the field got cleaner, not Voeckler so much dirtier.

wow thanks for the info. if so, if they race really hard on the galiber and huez voeckler will crack.

 

[Pharazon]

oh thank goodness, a disappointing day is saved from turning utterly crappy.

has he ever come close like this before?

he was in the bus... so it's difficult to know how muich danger he was in..

depends on how much he was holding onto the cars i guess

 

[auscyclefan94]

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?

I think we are agreeing with each other. They did focus on AC but they should now look at Sanchez.

Samu wasnt struggling with accelerations.

Unlike some hes been in and Al vs Andy battle before. He saw first hand last year that when Andy goes he usually slows down and those like Samu maintaining their own pace usualy catfch back on.


If Andy doesnt slow down, then hes going to drop those like Basso and Evans anyway so its pointless to follow every attack.

And what do you mean let go. Its every man for himself.. Samu wasnt let go, he crushed his legs and his lungs to go up the mountian himself.

Not my fault Evans didnt have the balls nor the skill to fly up the Plateau de Beille chasing him.



Lets hope thats the same info that the other contenders are getting.

Rob Hayles says Samu can time trial, some sanity restored.

Nor the skill or balls? Who is 2 mins down on guys like Shcleck? Go back and watch the repley...the only reason Samu got back in was because the Schlecks and Evans looked at each other.

because by attacking is how the tour is won- and if he's playing the same game as the Schleck Bros are currently doing- he's putting at risk a golden opportunity. Honestly- today's stage remained me of the 08 tour-and that's not good for Evans at all...

Indurain never really attacked. He just held on and did an awesome tt. How did it remind you of 2008 when Evans couldn't follow the climbers. This year he is.

 

[airedefuego]

looking around

When Andy looks back after attacking it doesnt necessarily mean he's looking for his brother. He may be looking for the damage done to his competitors.
Can anyone explain to me, however, his peculiar style of climbing in a group.
Apart from constant looking around (very irritating) he seems to be everywhere, sometimes at the front then in the middle at the back again front again back, on the right when everyone is on the left?
Isn't wasting the energy????
When Sammu attacked he didnt look back, the same with todays winner.
And please please God of cycling- let Alberto find him his best legs in the stage b4 Alpe d'Huez!

 

[Publicus]

He hardly looked comfy...

As comfy as Cuddles did.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Voeckler not even 1 minute faster then in 04.
Seems the field got cleaner, not Voeckler so much dirtier.

Good point. Contador's time was also ~2 minutes slower than last time, I believe. Maybe you should post this in the clinic, since I'm sure the anti-French housewife brigade is already out in force.

 

[thehog]

You don't know how your GC guys will do until the final climb. I think they rode well, but obviously did not gain the time they wanted. Andy looked good, grabbed a few seconds...AC followed wheels.....

Rides like a girl is right. Saxo are saving their team for the Alps. Smart move by Riis.

 

[cavfan11]

Ok, at this point I'd prefer Contador to win rather than the Schlecks. That's how ****ed off I am.

Yeah it was boring watching Cadel and Contador ride wheels today.

 

[UlleGigo]

I think Cadel's tactic has to be to avoid dropping Frank at all costs because Andy obviously doesn't want to attack and drop him himself.

If Frank gets dropped at some stage then Andy will be free to attack without this strange sibling guilt he seems to have which prevents him from attacking full gas while his brother is in the group.

Not that I'm complaining. I support Evans, and Evans will win the tour if Andy keeps sitting up every time he has a dig to wait for big bro.

By the by. If Voeckler takes 2 min advantage in the TT he will win the tour.

 

[BillytheKid]

I think if they race hard on the galiber and alpe, voeckler can lose quite a lot of time. But thats a if and I hope those guys stop playing around.

I think Tommy's riding at their level. That's no Cat. 3 climb they finished on. Voeckler could end up on the podium. If he holds form, you have to consider it possible.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Without the RadioShack captains at the front this TdF has lost it's sparkle -

 

[killswitch]

Schleck fan here but i'm already giving up on Andy. He shouldn't wait for Frank, instead of 4 ten-seconds-long attacks, he could have attacked once and put at least a minute into everyone... Should not have bet on him winning and Gesink getting on the podium...

 

[The Hitch]

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)

He could have got another minute had tv car not taken out 40% of his breakway.

 

[Benotti69]

Interesting team story so far;

1. TEAM EUROPCAR 15h 50' 20"
2. TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 15h 51' 34" + 01' 14"
3. AG2R LA MONDIALE 15h 51' 45" + 01' 25"
4. COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 15h 53' 35" + 03' 15"
5. EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 15h 54' 00" + 03' 40"
6. SAXO BANK SUNGARD 15h 54' 27" + 04' 07"
7. TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 15h 55' 22" + 05' 02"
8. KATUSHA TEAM 15h 57' 31" + 07' 11"
9. QUICK STEP CYCLING TEAM 15h 59' 25" + 09' 05"
10. TEAM RADIOSHACK 16h 03' 43" + 13' 23"

 

[benpounder]

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...

It sure seems like they would rather stand in Paris, hand in hand, second and third, rather than first and tenth.

 

[sportzchick]

I think Cadel's tactic has to be to avoid dropping Frank at all costs because Andy obviously doesn't want to attack and drop him himself.

If Frank gets dropped at some stage then Andy will be free to attack without this strange sibling guilt he seems to have which prevents him from attacking full gas while his brother is in the group.

Not that I'm complaining. I support Evans, and Evans will win the tour if Andy keeps sitting up every time he has a dig to wait for big bro.

By the by. If Voeckler takes 2 min advantage in the TT he will win the tour.

i agree - also at the end of the day Cadel has to find what works for him to win the tour de france not to impress a handfull of keyboard warriors....

 

[dlwssonic]

I think Tommy's riding at their level. That's no Cat. 3 climb they finished on. Voeckler could end up on the podium. If he holds form, you have to consider it possible.

he dropped on tuesday when they really raced hard so you never know.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It sure seems like they would rather stand in Paris, hand in hand, second and third, rather than first and tenth.

In that case, more fool them, because 2nd and 3rd don't stand next to each other on a podium.

 

[hrotha]

Yeah it was boring watching Cadel and Contador ride wheels today.

Contador is injured and Evans is already in a perfect position. Now what the hell is the excuse of the Schlecks? Why all those half-arsed attacks instead of giving it a real go? What the hell was that with O'Grady? Why did they have Voigt and Gerdemann in the break to begin with?

 

[The Hitch]

I think Samu.

Well they both have a 2nd and a 1st on a hc climb but Vanenderts first came more recently so probably him.

Samu needs it more though because he needs something to distinguish him from that team which keeps crashing.

 

[benpounder]

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

Yeah, that was nice. For all those wanting to proclaim Contador the greatest cyclist of our time, I'd say there are other contenders.

 

[auscyclefan94]

i agree - also at the end of the day Cadel has to find what works for him to win the tour de france not to impress a handfull of keyboard warriors....

exactly right....some poster opinion means squat.

 

[Square-pedaller]

Voeckler not even 1 minute faster then in 04.
Seems the field got cleaner, not Voeckler so much dirtier.

Thanks for posting that. I have really enjoyed watching this stage because none of the GC guys have been looking improbably extra-terrestrial. They all looked right at the limit to me, trying to find that little bit extra to get away from the others. Just like you should look when you're riding as fast as you can up a mountain ...

 

[BillytheKid]

Yeah it was boring watching Cadel and Contador ride wheels today.

Cadel needed to cool it. He closed more than a few gaps, put in a decent attack under 2K. Smart of him to follow Basso today. Never saw AC do much.