FoxxyBrown1111 said:
This sums it up for me too. These guys are worried about tomorrow when today is the day you win. Take the race by the scruff and win it. Basso was the only one with any balls today. TV deserves respect too.
This sums it up for me too. These guys are worried about tomorrow when today is the day you win. Take the race by the scruff and win it. Basso was the only one with any balls today. TV deserves respect too.
Andy Schleck is the strongest among the GC-contenders, he showed that clearly today with multiple attacks and a strong finish. And usually he gets stronger in the third week.
In this tour, Contador will never drop Andy. He couldn't do it on the Tourmalet last year when he was in much better form than now. Contador is paying for a tough Giro.
Andy can win this tour but only if L-T is ready to sacrifice Fränk. I think L-T realize they have do to something drastic to gain time on Evans. I say they will put the hammer down early on stage 18 and then let Fränk do some hard work on Galibier before Andy gives everything in a final attack.
In this tour, Contador will never drop Andy. He couldn't do it on the Tourmalet last year when he was in much better form than now. Contador is paying for a tough Giro.
Andy can win this tour but only if L-T is ready to sacrifice Fränk. I think L-T realize they have do to something drastic to gain time on Evans. I say they will put the hammer down early on stage 18 and then let Fränk do some hard work on Galibier before Andy gives everything in a final attack.
i didn't post last night because i thought it crazy what i imagined would happen:
jelle vanendert winner!! jelle rode away from the top group, samu followed, voeckler rode with the most heart and courageously keeps yellow, while the gc contenders test and look at each other but none of them really want the leader's jersey....yet. bah, tactics. too much tactics kills spontaneous, passionate performance imo.
actually i hope all the so-called top contender team tactics fail and voeckler wins the overall, with samu and a mystery man 2 and 3.
"tactics" seem too obvious
seems somebody wants to slip onto the top podium in paris after skimming a few seconds in the time trial and not having the courage to wear the jersey on the road. it could soften the blow if whoever wins crushes cancellara-style in the ITT. but i hope that's not how this TdF is won.
oth how nibali won the vuelta d' espana last year was kick-*** riding. it was sad to see anton crash out. but at the finish of the last mountain stage i was cheering nibali. i barely even knew who vincenzo nibali was but he was so impressive that it was sad to see nibs couldn't catch contador in the giro. contador was too good. but it does seems bertie doesn't have that killer form atm and has to ride defensively.
jelle vanendert winner!! jelle rode away from the top group, samu followed, voeckler rode with the most heart and courageously keeps yellow, while the gc contenders test and look at each other but none of them really want the leader's jersey....yet. bah, tactics. too much tactics kills spontaneous, passionate performance imo.
actually i hope all the so-called top contender team tactics fail and voeckler wins the overall, with samu and a mystery man 2 and 3.
"tactics" seem too obvious
seems somebody wants to slip onto the top podium in paris after skimming a few seconds in the time trial and not having the courage to wear the jersey on the road. it could soften the blow if whoever wins crushes cancellara-style in the ITT. but i hope that's not how this TdF is won. oth how nibali won the vuelta d' espana last year was kick-*** riding. it was sad to see anton crash out. but at the finish of the last mountain stage i was cheering nibali. i barely even knew who vincenzo nibali was but he was so impressive that it was sad to see nibs couldn't catch contador in the giro. contador was too good. but it does seems bertie doesn't have that killer form atm and has to ride defensively.
Trofinios said:
This makes sense with Basso and now Sanchez adding some spice. With everyone looking more "real" than in years past there seems to be legitimate pace and recovery requirements to the attacks. If that continues it will begin to favor Cadel and Basso. Basso needs time and I think he begins to inadvertently serve Cadel's needs as his attacks seem well-matched to Cadel's style.
Some super-steep drags could separate folks and that will be interesting to see.
- Jan 3, 2011
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lilyprotector said:
Thats not the problem. The problem is that they have to stop w8ing for eachother. Frank didnt w8 on Luz. Andy on the other hand stops when he can see that Frank is hurting. He could have taken time today if he wasnt concerned for Frankie boy. They need to attack for real if they wanna win this Tour.
Why were they so slow up the climb? they were 2 mins slower than Armstrong in 2004 and 3 mins down on Pantani's record
- Jun 7, 2010
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Somebody should start a thread for stage 15. Looks like big-*** crosswind tomorrow on the forecast.
- May 25, 2010
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krismtb said:
I am not sure about that. The only time RS has attacked this Tour was when Contador crashed.
Cimber said:
Captain Obvious reporting for duty here. Andy should just use Neck the Elder till he is spent on a day like today and then go for it. Perhaps he uses the " I waited for him." line as his cover story for the fact he is also not as strong as he was last year and couldn't have put in a sustained attack. Or Neck the Younger just wasn't smart enough, or more to the point, the people talking in his earpiece aren't smart enough to remind him that today was the day to knock out several contenders, especially AC.
People keep prattling on about how boring it is to watch AC win at will when he is on form.
I say the opposite, I love the fact that he goes in for the kill, take the race by the scruff of the neck (as stated earlier) and claim it for his own. It's visceral. It speaks to some vestige of whatever is deep in our brain's heritage when it was kill or be killed and I for one love it.
bla bla bla...whatever...time to go ride.
- Jun 14, 2010
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King Of The Wolds said:
There arent any ill admit, but the 2 minutes wasnt an exact figure, more a hyperbole with the emphasis being on the fact that Contador on top form could ride away from his opponents, even Andy with ease.
And key to the theory is the idea that Contador doesnt go all out, especially if hes got a gt in the bag.
In Tour 09 and Giro 2011, he seemed to me to take it relatively easy once he had the jersey.
In the Giro he could have put 10 minutes into Scarponi, but he kept playing around, marking Nibali, gave a stage to Tiralongo, attacked very late in Gardeccia where he could have probably got 5 minutes on his rivals with an earlier attack. Even the tt he won he wasnt taking any risks, they showed Scarponi and Nibali almost crash into a post they were going all out while Contador took it easy at half speed and was 15 seconds down at the early checkpoint.
In Tour 09 there werent many hc mtfs like Galibier and Alpe so there is no prescedence.
There was only Ventoux which came after a flat, and Contador already had 4.5 minutes on Andy and clearly took it easy up there seeing as Lance and Wiggins finished just behind him.
Maybe not 2 minutes, but maybe yes. Stage 18 and 19 have lots of climbing and proper hc mountain top finishes. Contador isnt on this super form so he wont take 2 minutes, but n that Giro 2011 form, would it be such a stretch to suggest that he could?
- May 15, 2011
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- Jul 30, 2009
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Wiggo must be gutted - the tempo Sky/EBH set at the Dauphin would have shattered this field
Rodrigues on Dauphin form would almost be in danger of winning GC even if he lost a decade on the ITT
Too bad for the other guys who have crashed out too - AC and AS look lame - Evans or Basso must take advantage of this - it will be their best chance ever
Rodrigues on Dauphin form would almost be in danger of winning GC even if he lost a decade on the ITT
Too bad for the other guys who have crashed out too - AC and AS look lame - Evans or Basso must take advantage of this - it will be their best chance ever
Yes, Wiggins would certainly be sitting pretty right now if he hadn't crashed. So far this tour has been the easiest ever, even more than 2009 when the best team was soft pedalling for the Comeback Kid #2
- Jun 15, 2009
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Tuarts said:
You see. The crybaby already starts to with real ridiculous excuses, why he again will have finished 2nd in a TdF.
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