Is this the stage where Contador and Schleck won't just try to out bluff each other with a track style on-the-spot stand-off, but the two will actually turn around just before they get to the top of the Port de Bales, peddle back down the slope, and do it all over again?
I thought that yesterday Menchov (and Sanchez) might have benefited from the fact that the stage win was a goner (great ride Riblon, well chuffed that a break-away rider squeezed out the victory here). I think that if the stage win was still up for grabs, the dynamics within their group would have been very different.
But credit where is credit is due. He does spot and grab his opportunities. Sensed the mind-games battle, and jumped at the perfect moment. It's the one way for a "lesser" rider to trump his rivals. Great response by Sanchez too.
I have been anticipating something like yesterday for days now. Rabo's intentions to save themselves for the Pyrenees were clear, and the super attentive way that Menchov and Gesink have been riding at the helm for days now meant they were fighting fit and then some. Yesterday in particular. Bodes well for the coming days. My heart sank when Gesink dropped, until he came back inna Sastre stylee. It will be one of those annoying riders where you are never sure how bad/good he is when he slides back at certain moments, until you see what happens or doesn't happen a few minutes later.
It is also clear that everyone is still pinning down one of the upcoming days as do or die day. No-one yesterday tried to settle any of the mini-rivalries. Fairly inconsequential skirmishes only. I think it is a mistake, but if they all pin the same day, it should be fun for a bit, until suddenly all the answers are clear. and the Tour doesn't have any race left to alter any of it. The most we can hope for then is appropriate time gaps so small that the ITT is "it".
Contador and Andy appear not too bothered with Sanchez and Menchov (one of them ought to be a bit more worried than the other I think). Yesterday, I even wondered if Menchov wasn't too annoyed to see Sanchez come back, assuming he starts to smell the #2 spot, so the two of them might gain more time on Andy than he would be able to alone, and settle their own battle later too. That it was just 14 sec in the end was a shame.
Andy must feel very good and confident if he ain't too fussed with the duo behind them, and is also not too preoccupied with attempting taking time on Contador at every opportunity (which probably is wise). If he can really afford to gamble as big as they did yesterday, and the confidence is actually backed up by a ride later this week, remains to be seen. Maybe he thinks he can pull out a ITT that will surprise too. I think he feels he can, otherwise he would be riding differently. But I do wonder if it is all more in the head than the legs though. he seems to be that sort of bad judge of himself and others, at times.
VdB impressive again. My surprise this year. And I am just as confident that this will turn out to be no fluke, as I was confident last year that the surprise name then was a real odd one out. But it was almost a shame he was on the road yesterday, where he was, as I would have been dead curious to see what had happened if it really had been just Andy and Alberto, who had to make up their minds and decide how to start riding again, alone, together.
So it looks like Rabo is the only team who has 2 riders left in the final kms of the climbs. getting Basso through the Giro has taken an obvious toll on Liquigas. What a difference that makes, it is usually Menchov who is isolated on the last climb with another team that still has more irons in the fire. I have been curious about it all year, anticipating a reversal of fortunes, and can't wait to see how they play their additional card over the coming days. I fear that Gesink is just a bit below where he would like to have been, but we'll see.
I am in two minds about the absence of Frank Schleck at this point in the race. I think it is as much a help a a hindrance to Andy. Maybe a slightly bigger help. He always seems a distraction to Andy, a rider he thinks about in a way that you really shouldn't, if you want to kill it off for yourself. But if he would be in the mix, like Gesink is with Menchov, I can see how this year's less domineering Contador could have been put under some real pressure, especially if both duos would be "at it".
Sanchez is good. I'm well impressed. Menchov hasn't got the better of him yet. And it will have to be a real good ride if he wants to do it before the ITT, I think. There are not many seconds between the two, but he looks very motivated, and able, to spoil the Rabo podium party.
There are many potential alliances here, it will be dead exciting to see how it will play out.
Contador could team up with Sanchez (vs Andy and vs Menchov). Sanchez could team up with Menchov (and Gesink) to try to ride Andy off the podium, and then settle it between them later. Andy could work with Sanchez to keep Menchov at bay. Menchov/Gesink with Contador against Andy. VdB could just keep doing what he does and fight to maintain his spot, and someone dropped could fluke a great spot-saving piggyback as a consequence. Armstrong could try one more (utterly doomed) bid for camera hugging glory. Gesink might be motoring away above 1300m and the others would stare themselves blind at their more direct GC competitor, actually letting him slip away enough to steal a win. Vino could attack. Scrap that, Vino will. (In all seriousness: still happy he won a couple of days back, and after the joy of seeing the entire Astana squad show race strength all day yesterday, and then some, I was baffled to see Vino as the last one at the helm for yet another last pull for Contador. Massive.)
I think what we will see day to day will largely depend (again) on what is happening ahead of them. The interaction will be very different if the stage win is still up for grabs. Instead of bagging a great stage win that might also settle GC, Schleck (if he is overly confident with good reason) and Contador (who might judge playing with #2 less risky than attacking all and suffer a bad spell) will probably be shadowing each other until the last showdown moment has to be taken instead.
And now back to work. Have fun without me ;-)
I thought that yesterday Menchov (and Sanchez) might have benefited from the fact that the stage win was a goner (great ride Riblon, well chuffed that a break-away rider squeezed out the victory here). I think that if the stage win was still up for grabs, the dynamics within their group would have been very different.
But credit where is credit is due. He does spot and grab his opportunities. Sensed the mind-games battle, and jumped at the perfect moment. It's the one way for a "lesser" rider to trump his rivals. Great response by Sanchez too.
I have been anticipating something like yesterday for days now. Rabo's intentions to save themselves for the Pyrenees were clear, and the super attentive way that Menchov and Gesink have been riding at the helm for days now meant they were fighting fit and then some. Yesterday in particular. Bodes well for the coming days. My heart sank when Gesink dropped, until he came back inna Sastre stylee. It will be one of those annoying riders where you are never sure how bad/good he is when he slides back at certain moments, until you see what happens or doesn't happen a few minutes later.
It is also clear that everyone is still pinning down one of the upcoming days as do or die day. No-one yesterday tried to settle any of the mini-rivalries. Fairly inconsequential skirmishes only. I think it is a mistake, but if they all pin the same day, it should be fun for a bit, until suddenly all the answers are clear. and the Tour doesn't have any race left to alter any of it. The most we can hope for then is appropriate time gaps so small that the ITT is "it".
Contador and Andy appear not too bothered with Sanchez and Menchov (one of them ought to be a bit more worried than the other I think). Yesterday, I even wondered if Menchov wasn't too annoyed to see Sanchez come back, assuming he starts to smell the #2 spot, so the two of them might gain more time on Andy than he would be able to alone, and settle their own battle later too. That it was just 14 sec in the end was a shame.
Andy must feel very good and confident if he ain't too fussed with the duo behind them, and is also not too preoccupied with attempting taking time on Contador at every opportunity (which probably is wise). If he can really afford to gamble as big as they did yesterday, and the confidence is actually backed up by a ride later this week, remains to be seen. Maybe he thinks he can pull out a ITT that will surprise too. I think he feels he can, otherwise he would be riding differently. But I do wonder if it is all more in the head than the legs though. he seems to be that sort of bad judge of himself and others, at times.
VdB impressive again. My surprise this year. And I am just as confident that this will turn out to be no fluke, as I was confident last year that the surprise name then was a real odd one out. But it was almost a shame he was on the road yesterday, where he was, as I would have been dead curious to see what had happened if it really had been just Andy and Alberto, who had to make up their minds and decide how to start riding again, alone, together.
So it looks like Rabo is the only team who has 2 riders left in the final kms of the climbs. getting Basso through the Giro has taken an obvious toll on Liquigas. What a difference that makes, it is usually Menchov who is isolated on the last climb with another team that still has more irons in the fire. I have been curious about it all year, anticipating a reversal of fortunes, and can't wait to see how they play their additional card over the coming days. I fear that Gesink is just a bit below where he would like to have been, but we'll see.
I am in two minds about the absence of Frank Schleck at this point in the race. I think it is as much a help a a hindrance to Andy. Maybe a slightly bigger help. He always seems a distraction to Andy, a rider he thinks about in a way that you really shouldn't, if you want to kill it off for yourself. But if he would be in the mix, like Gesink is with Menchov, I can see how this year's less domineering Contador could have been put under some real pressure, especially if both duos would be "at it".
Sanchez is good. I'm well impressed. Menchov hasn't got the better of him yet. And it will have to be a real good ride if he wants to do it before the ITT, I think. There are not many seconds between the two, but he looks very motivated, and able, to spoil the Rabo podium party.
There are many potential alliances here, it will be dead exciting to see how it will play out.
Contador could team up with Sanchez (vs Andy and vs Menchov). Sanchez could team up with Menchov (and Gesink) to try to ride Andy off the podium, and then settle it between them later. Andy could work with Sanchez to keep Menchov at bay. Menchov/Gesink with Contador against Andy. VdB could just keep doing what he does and fight to maintain his spot, and someone dropped could fluke a great spot-saving piggyback as a consequence. Armstrong could try one more (utterly doomed) bid for camera hugging glory. Gesink might be motoring away above 1300m and the others would stare themselves blind at their more direct GC competitor, actually letting him slip away enough to steal a win. Vino could attack. Scrap that, Vino will. (In all seriousness: still happy he won a couple of days back, and after the joy of seeing the entire Astana squad show race strength all day yesterday, and then some, I was baffled to see Vino as the last one at the helm for yet another last pull for Contador. Massive.)
I think what we will see day to day will largely depend (again) on what is happening ahead of them. The interaction will be very different if the stage win is still up for grabs. Instead of bagging a great stage win that might also settle GC, Schleck (if he is overly confident with good reason) and Contador (who might judge playing with #2 less risky than attacking all and suffer a bad spell) will probably be shadowing each other until the last showdown moment has to be taken instead.
And now back to work. Have fun without me ;-)
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