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

[Moose McKnuckles]

I think the biggest defense Contador has for this move is the fact that Saxo gapped Contador et al. after the Stage 3 crash.

I don't like seeing this stuff. No way should you attack the MJ during a mechanical.

 

[lilyprotector]

Great ride by Andy. Rode faster than ALberto uphill and only a few seconds slower than S Sanchez on the descent. Hopefully he'll get his desvered revenge on the tourmalet.

i think andy gained a lot of new fans today. he rode like a champion.

 

[hoolaparara]

Looked like a lack of black jersey across the line yet.. seems like retirementshack will retake the all important team classification.

 

[Big GMaC]

Phil Liggett: 'It is the Tour de France, it should not be a gift for anybody. I am in favour of this attack'

 

[crispy]

Looks like RS may get the team GC back. I saw 3 RS come in but no Caisse yet - at least not on the video.

 

[The Hitch]

Wow.

what a stage.

chapeau voeckler

 

[Ferminal]

Congatulations to Voeckler on the win and to Alberto for the great ride to earn yellow.

 

[Ramira]

I don't like what Berto did, but I guess he can not wait for Schleck to come back so he can attack him back again. That would be stupid.

Having said that, Andy needs to improve his descending skills.

Isn't this a little pay back from the Cobbles stage when Andy took advantage of everybody's missfortune? They are even now.

AS lost about 25 seconds to Sanchez and Menchov working with Contador on the descent, I doubt there's many guys in the peleton who could have done better.

 

[sublimit]

Menchov improving his handling, exemplary performance by him.

 

[Biological Entity]

He. Didn't. Attack. Because. Of. The. Mechanical. He was trying to close down Andy's attack when the mechanical happened, and blew by him on his left when he came to a stop.

I don't know what happened after that, but I am 100% positive of the above.

Contador wasn't the first to attack, of course, that was Schleck, but he clearly then stayed on the attack and did not wait. Why are you denying it?

 

[mikkemus23]

And big respect to Voeckler- a great stage win.

 

[cyclestationgiuseppe]

Alberto is in yellow tonight!!!!:

Maybe he can kick a baby or a puppy on the way to the podium.

 

[wildboar]

Because I wanted to win the tour, I chose SR... err

 

[BroDeal]

Great job by Ryder. He is still hanging in there. I thought he would collapse in the Pyrenees.

He is b!tch slapping Wigans.

 

[khodder]

Those 39 seconds could be MASSIVE in the scheme of things. If Andy is still able to put a minute into AC on the Tourmalet it is the difference between a 21 second advantage pre TT and a 1:39 second advantge pre TT.

 

[VeloCity]

Remember that discussion about the 10 second gain vs letting Vino win on the stage to Mende? That 10 seconds is looking pretty big right now.

 

[rinnyrusso]

to me it looked like Schelck was going strong. It's tragic for him to loose the yellow because of mechanical and bad form on Contador. Andy rode amazing before and after this chain malfunction, and he worked all on his own, he is a class act. i hope he comes back strong tomorrow

 

[kurtinsc]

"Drove" the pace or tried to control the pace? I didn't see him exactly dropping Menchov or Sanchez.

One would think that if he wanted to wait, but didn't want to lose time to Menchov or Sanchez... he'd ride slow enough for them to take the lead (and I think they would have).

 

[Spare Tyre]

I don't like what Berto did, but I guess he can not wait for Schleck to come back so he can attack him back again. That would be stupid.

Having said that, Andy needs to improve his descending skills.

Isn't this a little pay back from the Cobbles stage when Andy took advantage of everybody's missfortune? They are even now.

I agree with this. And the Ardennes stage was rather helpful to Andy's campaign.

I might change my mind later, if I get a better understanding of what happened.

 

[simmspin]

Can't wait to hear LA bag out Conti!....LOLBiscuits...

 

[Publicus]

I don't like what Berto did, but I guess he can not wait for Schleck to come back so he can attack him back again. That would be stupid.

Having said that, Andy needs to improve his descending skills.

Isn't this a little pay back from the Cobbles stage when Andy took advantage of everybody's missfortune? They are even now.

I swear it's not any different. Andy went from 85th after Stage 2, to 6th after Stage 3. All because of the unfortunate crash of Frank. Spartacus didn't wait. Neither did Andy. He drove on.

 

[vcampbell]

Who says anything to Contador, those should remember the Saxo thing in the first week.

 

[Ramira]

Remember that discussion about the 10 second gain vs letting Vino win on the stage to Mende? That 10 seconds is looking pretty big right now.

Actually I wouldn't be surprised Contador would rather not have had those 10 seconds so he'd be 1 second behind AS not having to sacrifice his team.

 

[khodder]

On the replay. When Andy's chain went Vino was already on his wheel, but Contador took a good 3-5 seconds to catch up with Andy going nowhere. He had opened up a somewhat signigicant gap...

Onto tomorrow, does anyone honestly see any big battles going on??

 

[Moondance]

EVANS!!!!

Good job my man.