TDF Stage 15 - Monday, July 19 2010, Pamiers - Bagnères-de-Luchon, 187 km

[Dedelou]

Contador is a sore loser. I have no respect to him. He accelerated immediately when he saw Andy had a problem.
During the decent he got a better guys to work with while Andy had to work alone. It means Andy not only lost 40 seconds today but he also used much more energy to limit his loses. Due to huge amount of wasted energy his time on Tourmalet might not be the same as it should have been.
All in all, the race is f**** up because of this accident. But anyway, a credit to the organizers for such a great route this year.

I guess If we wait long enough we shall hear all kind of opinions. woaw! Isn't bike racing amazing?

 

[4smajeure]

Lots of emotional responses from today's chain event. Instant replay feuled the debate. The final time differences in Paris will reveal whether the 13 seconds lost at the summit will make any difference. History will decide Contador's honor (if he wins). But you have to admit this tour has been filled with exciting races. Especially on tame stages where the radio controlled races would otherwise be boring. This sensationalism will draw a broader audience to cycling.

 

[El Pistolero]

Look if the Boss says it's not so bad - it's end of story.

BTW LA actually contributed to the Team Classification today!

"I didn't see exactly what happened because I was a bit behind," - Armstrong

That was quite honestly the best quote of the day.

 

[Big GMaC]

"I didn't see exactly what happened because I was a bit behind," - Armstrong

That was quite honestly the best quote of the day.

New signature?

 

[El Pistolero]

New signature?

Good Idea.

 

[Big GMaC]

Good Idea.

I meant for me!

 

[El Pistolero]

I meant for me!

Haha >_> If you want you can.

 

[Anonymous]

Holy crap! BPC got deleted and we are down to under 1000 posts. We were well over 1100. Did he really make that many posts today?

 

[jilbiker]

Hold on. If the rest of the GC group SAW what happened and then didn't stop, why would the guy who blew by him in an effort to reel him in know exactly what had happened and shut it down? Seems to me if Menchov et al, had shut it down, AC would have realized it was something abnormal and shut it down as well. Instead he has two of the other top contenders racing hard up the mountain and he, wisely, follows.

These were all split second decisions. Expecting that AC or any rider was working with perfect information at all times is unreasonable. Going further and saying that a rider is dishonorable because he raced through an uncertain situation just makes it worse. (Hell, wasn't AC the one who told his guys NOT to race when Andy was off the back on Stage 2 (he wasn't with Spartacus up on the front, so wasn't aware of his attempts to nullify)).

It was a POOR gear change not a mechanic fault. He made a mistake which he won't admit. There is absolutely NO reason to stop for an error by your opponent, in EVERY sport it is a time to crush your opponent. If AC had stopped today, i would have said this is no longer a contest but a lunch stroll. I think AC knew like his fellow professionals that AS had made an error, hence no one stopped. AS should be truthful and be upset at himself, Riis, a fellow pro (ex) also knew which is why he initially blamed AS. but when everyone saw that AS wouldn't admit, they all kept quiet.

I think it is a low trick and very childish by AS to pitch this as "AC is to blame". take some responsibility and grow up!

 

[MarcoB]

No one know what "error" happened, and if ANYONE looks at the close up, Shleck was just pounding away, and whatever happened.

Absolutely - absolutely - anyone who has raced a bike before knows when someone drops a chain. They might as well be dragging a Coke can behind them. Excuse by Contador, bull****... "oh, he had a problem after I attacked."

Lying *****. Shleck was 20 meters in front and Contador had to violently swerve around him. What... You that stupid that you don't know the stronger rider in front of you is stopping in the middle of the road because of a mechanical?!?!?

Crock of ****. Contador is a cheat with no honor and will take the win any way he can.

 

[Anonymous]

No one know what "error" happened, and if ANYONE looks at the close up, Shleck was just pounding away, and whatever happened.

Absolutely - absolutely - anyone who has raced a bike before knows when someone drops a chain. They might as well be dragging a Coke can behind them. Excuse by Contador, bull****... "oh, he had a problem after I attacked."

Lying *****. Shleck was 20 meters in front and Contador had to violently swerve around him. What... You that stupid that you don't know the stronger rider in front of you is stopping in the middle of the road because of a mechanical?!?!?

Crock of ****. Contador is a cheat with no honor and will take the win any way he can.

What did he do today that was cheating??

Not some bogus "unwritten rule", not a piece of crap rule like neutralizing the finish, not attacking after a group splitting crash .........

What did he do that was "cheating"?

Since you know, I am sure you can direct us to the relevant rule in the UCI code?

 

[jilbiker]

No one know what "error" happened, and if ANYONE looks at the close up, Shleck was just pounding away, and whatever happened.

Absolutely - absolutely - anyone who has raced a bike before knows when someone drops a chain. They might as well be dragging a Coke can behind them. Excuse by Contador, bull****... "oh, he had a problem after I attacked."

Lying *****. Shleck was 20 meters in front and Contador had to violently swerve around him. What... You that stupid that you don't know the stronger rider in front of you is stopping in the middle of the road because of a mechanical?!?!?

Crock of ****. Contador is a cheat with no honor and will take the win any way he can.

yes and what is my business if he has problems with his equipment? There was no bodily harm, he had problems with his equipment, deal with it. This isn't our friendly around town road racing where we help a fellow biker if they have issues, this is TDF, pro battle. A crash I can understand but equipment failure??

A lot of people say hey we will now see AS come out with guns blazing but i think all the comrade hughug that has been going on between them was affecting ACs competitive edge and he is a tough one mentally as we saw last year. i think he needed this and it will bring out the fire in him.

Now the games really start. Glad all that hughug is over.

 

[MarcoB]

Yes, I am glad all the hughug crap is over. Settle it on the road.

Cheating... Yes, unfair advantage, cheating, using an unfortunate mishap to determine an outcome.

That was a chump move. After all, they are (were) hughug friends, would YOU not wait for YOUR FRIEND to resume the contest. Think about that.

AC had countered his own team mate just a few days ago - ironically, the team mate who had this team made in the first place that now pay AC crazy fat money - yet.... AC chases the guy down and burns up the team chemistry.

It's out there, and I'm not an anti-Contador person, but why is he consistently pulling these types of moves.

I have had bad team mates before, and when the shoe fits...

 

[MarcoB]

What did he do today that was cheating??

Not some bogus "unwritten rule", not a piece of crap rule like neutralizing the finish, not attacking after a group splitting crash .........

What did he do that was "cheating"?

Since you know, I am sure you can direct us to the relevant rule in the UCI code?

UCI CODE... come on. you know there isn't a code, or maybe you don't, or maybe you don't know anything in the first place.

Contador way lying through his teeth non stop after the race, and that's the problem. HE KNEW, yet he professes - and hopes - it will all be OK.

 

[Beasty Boy]

New signature?

Pssst, guys, probably best not to embarrass the mods by exchanging ideas on trolling signatures when they're trying to claim some other guy is a troll. Yep?

Back to the topic...

 

[Beasty Boy]

yes and what is my business if he has problems with his equipment? There was no bodily harm, he had problems with his equipment, deal with it. This isn't our friendly around town road racing where we help a fellow biker if they have issues, this is TDF, pro battle. A crash I can understand but equipment failure??

A lot of people say hey we will now see AS come out with guns blazing but i think all the comrade hughug that has been going on between them was affecting ACs competitive edge and he is a tough one mentally as we saw last year. i think he needed this and it will bring out the fire in him.

Now the games really start. Glad all that hughug is over.

Nothing wrong with being a tough guy - I'm sure you were a big fan of Armstrong for being like that in his time so it's not like your hypocritical and inconsistent - but surely it's best to beat the guy fair and square, like? Not because he hits a bump that knocks his chain off? Sport and all that?

 

[spanky wanderlust]

how many finishes should we neutralize so that andy can win the tour? he was the one who attacked causing his bike to break down. his mechanics built and tuned his bike. he was the one using the vehicle. it was the critical point of the race. if it were a flat that's one thing. this was caused by faulty mechanics or faulty technique. in the end it only resulted in alberto taking back (not quite) the time he lost on the cobbled stage through no fault of his own.

imagine if a nascar race was neutralized because some folks' favorite driver's car broke down in lap 248. racing doesn't work like that. mechanicals are a big part of it. in this case its worth 30 seconds.

it's pretty ****ty business. but bike racing is at least as ugly as it is pretty. that's why we're here.

if andy is the stronger rider, let the tourmalet decide it.

 

[craig1985]

See on I told you loy about the descent, and the sharp corner that Vockler nearly crashed into.