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

[theyoungest]

huh? there is nothing wrong with attacking if someone is not paying attention! are you suggesting that someone should make sure his closest rival is paying attention before attacking?

attacking the MJ when he's down is not ok. again, it's about the MJ whoever is in it.

The instant karma thing was a bit of a joke. I was actually referring to the trick they pulled in the Ardennes stage, and the following cobbles stage where fair play suddenly wasn't important anymore. And Andy's attack today was a lot of things, but it surely wasn't fair play.

 

[frizzlefry]

Because Andy ATTACKED WHEN CONTADOR WAS AT THE BACK. He did it on purpose, and now he needs to SUCK IT UP.

AC Fanboy????

 

[Escarabajo]

Andy Schleck's post-stage interview:

"I would not have not done the same"

Really Andy. Remember Stage 3?

 

[Ramira]

Something tells me the stage to the Tourmalet is going to be awesome, AS is either going to drop Contador or fall of his bike, better make sure you have the time to watch it .

 

[Ferminal]

The situation was different. Evans was hanging at the back of that group and then his wheel went. It is very likely noone saw what had happened; and that Basso (who did almost all of the pulling) probably just thought Evans had been dropped.

Obviously not the case here.

On the other hand, Evans didn't just ramp up the pace and force the others to counter as it happened.

It's not identical but we can still learn the same lessons (let's not revisit it again though!).

 

[skidmark]

Well, it's just too bad, is what it is.

Andy just interviewed: 'it's not up to me to determine whether or not it's fair... myself, I would not have raced that way'

(on the verge of tears) 'my stomach is full of anger and I will get my revenge'.

Sounds like he's motivated.

 

[frizzlefry]

who is la? Oh, that has been trying to finish in the top 40?

lmfao, ...

 

[Anonymous]

Geeezus,

Some of you people are hilarious.

By your "rules" the race would be a pleasant little tea party with one person wearing yellow all the way and riding in to Paris with 100 virgins scattering confetti.

It's a race. If the Saxo mechanics F up or the rider F's up on a shift, then you keep racing. F'ing up is your own damn fault and the rest of the race doesn't sit up and wait for you because you're stupid or ham-handed.

It's a race.

Were the shoe on the other foot.............. oh wait .........................

 

[Ten Percent Grade]

Andy Schleck's post-stage interview:

"I would not have not done the same"

Really Andy. Remember Stage 3?

No kidding. What a d-bag.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

On another note - Vino proved he IS a team player today by not going out in front of Schleck. He might have been able to pass him several times but hung back. Kudos to him!

well if he would have pushed on, the guy would have lost all credibility.

i agree that saxobank get what they deserved, they have been pi$sing me off this tour.

 

[RdBiker]

I don't really understand this. When Cancellara attacked Boonen in PR the consensus was that Boonen should have been more attentive. Schleck attacking Contador when Contador drifted too far back is IMO a good racing ploy. Contador attacking Schleck during a mechanical is IMO a bit cheesy.

EDIT: Andy seems to agree (natch)

Don't you see that it depends on who does the attack It's different when Contador does it than when Cancellara does it

 

[salixcycling]

BroDeal - your prediction of 20 minute loss for Wiggins was looking good, but he has already managed it with 2 mountain stages to go

 

[Spare Tyre]

Is there a "Cycling for Dummies" way of explaining to the layperson how Schleck might have brought this problem upon himself?

(I ride a bike with two baskets on it. )

 

[Ferminal]

On another note - Vino proved he IS a team player today by not going out in front of Schleck. He might have been able to pass him several times but hung back. Kudos to him!

Not to mention his desperate effort to mark Schleck's move just as the "incident" occurred.

 

[Bala Verde]

Worse yet for Andy is that Samu and Dennis M are now within striking distance of him, for the ITT.
Yesterday's track standing biting him the ass.

I think it will be a fired up Schleck, on the Tourmalet, come Thursday.

Yup! That's the advantage. On Post race intv he said he is highly motivated to get this undone, so the the next days will become highly competitive ?!? hopefully

 

[Publicus]

The other way to look at it is that Wigans was well aware of how lucky he had was and decided to make the most of it. Both he and Vaughters got out with a pile of cash at Sky's expense.

Good point. DB has a lot to learn.

 

[BroDeal]

Wow, almost as many ACD apologists on this forum as Armstrong apologists.

Yah, Ferrari and Fuentes battling it out on the roads of France. Those were the days.

 

[menlo_guy]

Andy Schleck interview with Versus TV:
"My stomach is full of anger. I want to get my revenge".

 

[Biological Entity]

What's clear is that Contador did not have the legs today. Given how Schleck gained at least 25 seconds chasing back on the climb, it looks likely that AC would have been dropped.

But cycling being cycling, AC takes back the yellow and the tour is now over.

What a crappy sport this is sometimes.

 

[indurain666]

More than sportsmanship, who wants to be known as the guy who won the TdF because the strongest rider had a mechanical on his attack?

Sorry to ruin your "logic" but after AC puts in 2 minutes to AS during the final TT. Nobody is going to remember this.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Andy Schleck's post-stage interview:

"I would not have not done the same"

Really Andy. Remember Stage 3?

Absolutely NOTHING prevented Astana from being at the front when the cobbles started. NOTHING. They chose to follow Andy and suffered the consequences.

Stage 3 is no defense of Contador. I've been a Contador supporter, but what he did today is totally lame.

 

[frizzlefry]

Andy Schleck interview with Versus TV:
"My stomach is full of anger. I want to get my revenge".

Dont forget this one:

"I would not have raced like that"

 

[Publicus]

Yeah you might want to actually watch it before defending AC.

Watched on my iphone and internet stream moron. Hence the comment about seeing it in HD.

 

[Spare Tyre]

Well, it's just too bad, is what it is.

Andy just interviewed: 'it's not up to me to determine whether or not it's fair... myself, I would not have raced that way'

(on the verge of tears) 'my stomach is full of anger and I will get my revenge'.

Sounds like he's motivated.

This might be the end of their friendship and hunting together.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I say it here as well as in the other thread:

You wait if the problem was not of your own doing, but you don't wait if it was your fault ie. You stupidly throw your chain

I would normally agree with...... but in this incident Andys chain slipped because he hit a bump, so not quite his own stupidity.
Under these circumstances Contador should have sat on Menchov & Sanchez and not continued an attack.

EDIT - just seen a replay, perhaps AS was doing a 'jump' to get the chain back on - and did not hit a bump as I first thought..... I wil have to wait to see.