TDF Stage 17 - Thursday, July 22 2010, Pau - Col du Tourmalet, 174 km

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I will play Tom-Jelte Slagter in 2013...

assuming he is no Elthink

Nah, Kruijswijck is the new Eltink

Slagter is the new Weening

 

[theyoungest]

The dutchies are turning on each other!


"We" have had discussions, self-reflections, and different opinions all the way through.

You appear the only one who has missed the ongoing critical comments that the Dutch keep making about their own riders, and the different readings and expectations that are attached to them.

The Dutch aren't nearly as unified as you portray, or experience, them.

F#ck you and your different opinions! Us Dutch are supposed to unite as one behind our glorious leader Erik Breukink!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Glorious leader Thomas Dekker!

 

[hfer07]

I'd be surprised if AC defends his title next year. Maybe does the Giro/Vuelta double instead. Andy can get his first title and AC can probably face off with Ricco in the mountains!

he might want that, but there are "contractual obligations" that always force the riders to lean towards the Tour

 

[theyoungest]

Nah, Kruijswijck is the new Eltink

Slagter is the new Weening

If that means we'll finally get a Tour stage win again in 2013, it's alright with me.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Btw, Gesink was REALLY blocked by Sanchez and Menchov the moment Rodriguez attacked with Hesjedal

 

[theyoungest]

Btw, Gesink was REALLY blocked by Sanchez and Menchov the moment Rodriguez attacked with Hesjedal

I see a gap on the left!

Looks like he's trying to shove Sanchez aside. Good on him.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd be surprised if AC defends his title next year. Maybe does the Giro/Vuelta double instead. Andy can get his first title and AC can probably face off with Ricco in the mountains!

I would have to think that the money earned by winning the Tour (not just purse obviously) would make it hard for him to not ride. I would like to see him ride to win the Giro as it is a far superior race, but I am wondering if being the defending champion will be too much of a draw to pass up?

 

[The Hitch]

I would have to think that the money earned by winning the Tour (not just purse obviously) would make it hard for him to not ride. I would like to see him ride to win the Giro as it is a far superior race, but I am wondering if being the defending champion will be too much of a draw to pass up?

+ if ac does the giro there is a good chance he will win it by like 5 mins, spoiling all the fun.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Sanchez just crop-dusted the group with a particularly nasty fart and Gesink was trying to get a breath.

 

[icefire]

Sanchez just crop-dusted the group with a particularly nasty fart and Gesink was trying to get a breath.

Isn't that illegal propulsion in UCI's rules?

 

[ErmOkk]

I would have to think that the money earned by winning the Tour (not just purse obviously) would make it hard for him to not ride. I would like to see him ride to win the Giro as it is a far superior race, but I am wondering if being the defending champion will be too much of a draw to pass up?

I don't believe so too, and above that he will race even less races next year to keep up with shleck. Because I have a feeling that AC will win this tour with less than a minute... Looking forward to the next AC/AS battles over the next years .

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Isn't that illegal propulsion in UCI's rules?

Yes, unfortunately, under the UCI's "he who smelled it, dealt it" rule, Gesink was penalized 10 seconds.

DekkerTifosi and TimmyLovesRabo are marching on the UCI headquarters as we speak.

 

[El Pistolero]

I would have to think that the money earned by winning the Tour (not just purse obviously) would make it hard for him to not ride. I would like to see him ride to win the Giro as it is a far superior race, but I am wondering if being the defending champion will be too much of a draw to pass up?

He already makes 4-5million euros a year. I honestly don't think he cares for the money, but then again, he had the guts to ask for a raise not too long ago lol.

But you're probably right about Astana "forcing" him to ride the Tour. But I don't think we have a new Armstrong on our hands that will only focus on the Tour. We'll see some Giro's and Vuelta's from him in the future.

 

[kurtinsc]

He already makes 4-5million euros a year. I honestly don't think he cares for the money, but then again, he had the guts to ask for a raise not too long ago lol.

But you're probably right about Astana "forcing" him to ride the Tour. But I don't think we have a new Armstrong on our hands that will only focus on the Tour. We'll see some Giro's and Vuelta's from him in the future.

To be perfectly honest... I'll believe he'll compete in the Giro when I see it. I see him winning the Tour and then giving the Vuelta a try as being much more likely then killing himself in the Giro then hoping to do well in the Tour.

He may ride the Giro... but only as training (and I don't think that would be a great idea).

 

[roundabout]

Wouldn't the allergies be a problem in May?

 

[kurtinsc]

Wouldn't the allergies be a problem in May?

They aren't a problem every day. Apparently he got lucky when he won and his bad allergy days weren't exploited by his opponents that much.

 

[perico]

Contador would kill the excitement of the Giro if he trained specifically for it (instead of hanging out on the beach until the week before). It may make better racing, but it's basically table scraps.

 

[Bala Verde]

Nah, Kruijswijck is the new Eltink

Slagter is the new Weening

ouch!

that'll resonate in team rabobank...

 

[El Pistolero]

To be perfectly honest... I'll believe he'll compete in the Giro when I see it. I see him winning the Tour and then giving the Vuelta a try as being much more likely then killing himself in the Giro then hoping to do well in the Tour.

He may ride the Giro... but only as training (and I don't think that would be a great idea).

Well, if he'll ever ride the Giro again then he obviously has to skip the Tour and do the Vuelta instead.

If Andy can win the Vuelta this year then perhaps Contador will be interested as well to try a Tour/Vuelta combination, but we'll see how Andy will do in this years Vuelta first

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I can see Contador trying to win classics by the way. He was pretty good in Fleche Wallone and Liege Bastogne Liege.
He just needs some more experience in those races to attack at the right time, especially in FW.

 

[kurtinsc]

Well, if he'll ever ride the Giro again then he obviously has to skip the Tour and do the Vuelta instead.

If Andy can win the Vuelta this year then perhaps Contador will be interested as well to try a Tour/Vuelta combination, but we'll see how Andy will do in this years Vuelta first

Well what's the worst thing that happens if you give the Vuelta a shot and fail?

You don't win the Vuelta. You already have whatever you did at the Tour (the biggest race) in hand.

If you try the Giro/Tour... the one that suffers is the more important race.

 

[El Pistolero]

Well what's the worst thing that happens if you give the Vuelta a shot and fail?

You don't win the Vuelta. You already have whatever you did at the Tour (the biggest race) in hand.

If you try the Giro/Tour... the one that suffers is the more important race.

Perhaps he'll want a nice vacation after 3 weeks of hard work.

 

[Parcours]

I dont think Contador has peaked correctly this year for the Tour. It looks as though he may have over cooked his early season, if you look at Schleck he was terrible all the way up until the tour whereas Contador has been a fixture throughout the season.

Maybe a move to Riis next season along with Navarro and a few other helpers would work well for him on a more Schleck kind of training programme?

 

[El Pistolero]

I dont think Contador has peaked correctly this year for the Tour. It looks as though he may have over cooked his early season, if you look at Schleck he was terrible all the way up until the tour whereas Contador has been a fixture throughout the season.

Maybe a move to Riis next season along with Navarro and a few other helpers would work well for him on a more Schleck kind of training programme?

You do know Contador will probably win and not Schleck right?

Contador: overall classification Paris-nice and stage win, Tour of the Basque country with stage win, [probably] Tour de France, stage wins at dauphine and points classification, volta algarve+ stage win, Vuelta Castille y Leon+ stage win, etc

Schleck: 2 stage wins at TdF?