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

[Libertine Seguros]

Am I the only with the the deer-in-the-headlights look after today's stage?

I don't even know where to begin... what in the world is Leopard thinking? Are they banking the entire Tour on 1 or 2 stages in the Alps? Are they kidding me?

Alberto's knee is getting better, Cadel is a monster in the ITT and will put 2 minutes on AC, AS, FS & IB. Alberto's got a reason for not attacking (crappy form, injured knee, et cetera). Ivan is not as good as he used to be. But Andy? Or Frank? How can they expect to win the TdF if they're unwilling to take advantage of the OBVIOUS opportunities being handed to them?

To me Andy looks more like a man waiting for a showdown with Contador (and subsequently beat him of course) than someone looking to win the TdF.

Cuddles isn't a monster in the ITT. He hasn't put in a really monstrous one for years now.

He might pull out time on the Schlecks and Basso, maybe even Contador if he's still injured, but Cadel isn't as good in the TT as he used to be, by any stretch of the imagination.

In 2009 he took a grand total of nothing out of Valverde or Sánchez, until the final split of the final ITT, when Valverde knew he was safe and could ride within himself to make sure of no errors (especially after seeing the Menchov accident in Rome!)

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

ok...I don't understand the LeOpard Trek strategy. Maybe I need a LeOpard Trek how we win book for dummies.

Use all of your guys on the flat lands, making Paul and Phil gush at how strong the team is, explaining how great the team is for sending two in the break...Yet when we get to the Beille, all the favorites are there with teammates and it is only Frank and Andy.

I read or saw an interview with the team where they stated they need time on Cadel, yet only seem to be preoccupied with AC AGAIN. Andy is like a bobble head doll, constantly looking for AC.

They didn't do a one-two punch. If you attack, then wait and everyone comes back, not really a one-two punch.

I know there is still the Alps stages, but sure seems odd to wait to gain all the time needed in the remaining mountain stages.

Does Andy think that as long as he beats AC he wins? Even if Tommy V and Cadel are ahead of him on the podium? Heck at this rate, Samu will be on the podium, AC will occupy the Schlecks and Samu will keep riding away.

Nice summary.
Reminds me of last year AS looking at AC the whole time and racing "zick-zack". That may used more energy than trying at least one REAL attack. And then crying, crying and excuses. He´s got the looser mentality.

But then again, AS may thinks, he´s the best TTler. LOL. The most boring GT-Contender ever. At least since 1980.

 

[sportzchick]

Why did Hitch delete that post on Evans, it was true. Earn it on the road.

he is by riding smart....not running himself to the ground just to please a handfull of people

Why does everyone on this forum think that their personal satifaction is more important than winning the tour de france FFS!

 

[The Hitch]

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

1 year at the top vs 5 years at the top.

If Gilbert wins 2 monuments / Ardennes triple a year a few more times then maybe he can challenge. Untill then not even close.

Personally i think Valverde is way ahead of Gilbert too.

 

[El Pistolero]

lancearmstrong Lance Armstrong
If Voeckler makes it to the top w/ the leaders today then we have to say he can win the TdF. He's got 2 mins and they can't shake him.
1 hour ago

That's the first time in my life I see Armstrong doing a tweet related to cycling and not related to Radioshack(or some tragedy like Weylandt, rip)

 

[ggusta]

lol "we tried to race"

is this an article on cyclingnews? if not link pls.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

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

LOL.

Thank you. Joke of the day... What a one liner.

 

[luckyboy]

Evans did well in the 2010 Giro TT didn't he?

 

[MKirilenko]

Originally Posted by benpounder
While Andy is watching Alberto, and Alberto is watching Cadel, and Cadel is watching Ivan, and Ivan is watching Andy, Thomas Voeckler may be standing on the top step in Paris.

Funny and pretty much sums up this stage for me. Gotta love the wreckless attack of Andy to gain a massive 2s over his biggest opponents! Wow.

 

[El Pistolero]

1 year at the top vs 5 years at the top.

If Gilbert wins 2 monuments / Ardennes triple a year a few more times then maybe he can challenge. Untill then not even close.

Personally i think Valverde is way ahead of Gilbert too.

Phil's been having a very good 3 years at the top already. This year is HC though, but who has ever had a season like this? Not even Valverde.

Contador is the best. He's doing a very good Tour considering everything...

 

[The Hitch]

he wont be given the same oppurtunities in the alps. he will be a marked man now. he wont be able to get away.

That doesnt mean he didnt TRY TO WIN THE RACE, and that he was in the group which did nothing, which was the post i was responding too.

 

[thehog]

lancearmstrong Lance Armstrong
If Voeckler makes it to the top w/ the leaders today then we have to say he can win the TdF. He's got 2 mins and they can't shake him.
1 hour ago

That's the first time in my life I see Armstrong doing a tweet related to cycling and not related to Radioshack(or some tragedy like Weylandt, rip)

.....& about a French rider!

 

[luckyboy]

is this an article on cyclingnews? if not link pls.

He said it in a post-stage interview on ITV4/British Eurosport.

 

[goggalor]

The other GC guys and especially the Schlecks really need to stop "letting" Samu go like that, or he's gonna steal this Tour in Grenoble.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Has BavarianRider been around to tell us how huge and decisive those Plateau de Beille time gaps were?

As it stands: Luz Ardiden>Muy de Bretagne>Plateau de Beille.

Wacky racers.

Not to hammer on Cadel, but I didn't think he looked that great today; at one point, struggle to get onto Tommy V's wheel.
Looked a bit grey at the finish to me.

 

[The Hitch]

a whole 3 seconds.....its good to attack all the time isnt it???

Thats 24 seconds.

I don't thin it was just his fanboys, some others praised him because he responded well to the attacks of the Schlecks and basso therefore doing what he has to.

Ive praised Evans more than most on this forum, but his performance this Tour other than the stage he won is not worth of it.

 

[thehog]

Funny and pretty much sums up this stage for me. Gotta love the wreckless attack of Andy to gain a massive 2s over his biggest opponents! Wow.

Riis would have seen that and smiled knowing his got inside Andy's head.

 

[Delicato]

Evans isn't Indurain-so the comparison is pointless- the 08 TDF issue is simple: Evans is once again "putting all the money in the ITT" and we already know what happened back then...... not good at all

Different thing this year. First of all, Evans needed to put minute and half on Sastre, who is actually one of the greatest third week GT-ers around and a guy who can ride very,very solid TT if he really needs it. At least before that final TT in 2008 he was 3rd or 4th in the final TT of the Vuelta in 2005, rode some other good TTs, check his results. Yet Schleck bros are mediocre time-trialists and don't have a good history of doing any reasonable TTs, he also doesn't need to put any time on the strongest of the two, because he is ahead of Andy in GC. So, things are looking quite good for him.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Seems my eyes have been deceiving me again. I could have sworn I saw Andy attack 3 times on the last climb. It's a good job you lot are around to point out to me that this didn't happen.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Well this dull racing is a logiical consequence of the alck of TT km. Had there been a long TT before the mounatins, things would look totally different.

 

[El Pistolero]

Seems my eyes have been deceiving me again. I could have sworn I saw Andy attack 3 times on the last climb. It's a good job you lot are around to point out to me that this didn't happen.

The thing is, he always stops. He should try and keep up the tempo for a chance... Did Contador stop riding when Rujano and Scarponi were sucking his wheel on the Mongibello?

 

[davestoller]

lancearmstrong Lance Armstrong
If Voeckler makes it to the top w/ the leaders today then we have to say he can win the TdF. He's got 2 mins and they can't shake him.
1 hour ago

That's the first time in my life I see Armstrong doing a tweet related to cycling and not related to Radioshack(or some tragedy like Weylandt, rip)

I think its fair to say that since LA has been in that situation before, trying to get the jersey back from Voeckler, that he is relishing shoving it in the faces of Alberto and others--that their poor tactics really blew this race wide open.

And of course, a mere statement of fact. Evan Paul and Phil are talking about it now.

And, of course, he is saying "chapeau" to Voeckler. Whom he always had kind words for.

Also fair to say that even though LA tried to get the Schlecks to join his team before, that LA cannot stand negative racing and watching Voeckler go to the front and stay there was more than hanging on or an act of defiance, he was taking the race right to the supposed GC leaders.

 

[luckyboy]

Ive praised Evans more than most on this forum, but his performance this Tour other than the stage he won is not worth of it.

Evans doesn't need any more time over Schlecks than he has, but Sanchez needs a bit before the TT.

Therefore, Evans hangs on and Sanchez attacks.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

I can't wait to watch the stage again tonight. I want to try and see how much of the defensiveness was tactics and how much was fatigue.

It was all "tactic". Fatique is if you watch S. Roche in 1987 MTF. That was racing. Today was kindergarten with the Schleck crybabies.

 

[El Pistolero]

Well this dull racing is a logiical consequence of the alck of TT km. Had there been a long TT before the mounatins, things would look totally different.

If anything the time trial there is now should encourage them to attack. There's only 2 stages left were the Schlecks can take time on the others.