TDF Stage 19 - Saturday, July 24 2010, Bordeaux - Pauillac, 51 km ITT

[Bobby G]

Does anyone think that Gesink's inured wrist affected his performance at all?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I'm thick? You are the one that was poo pooing the guy who only finished 45 seconds behind of your guy. I would suggest that you, ACF, and both of your sour grapes doping allegations about the people who challenge your heroes is the thick part.

Yeah I lost my head I know I should not have posted that.

It's just weird Hesjedal comes out of completely nowhere in time trial land. He was the 4th best GC rider today in the TT. That's complete madness compared to his past time trial results. It just didn't add up.
But it could be he was just fresher than all the others.

I really am sorry for that statement.

 

[Anonymous]

I say Ryder can actually improve. He has grown much mentally. I like him to podium in the future

I'm not going that far, but I would expect someone to be smart enough to spend some money hiring him as a domestique.

 

[theyoungest]

I say Ryder can actually improve. He has grown much mentally. I like him to podium in the future

Like, in the Tour? No way. Maybe in the Vuelta.

 

[dsut4392]

I'm thick? You are the one that was poo pooing the guy who only finished 45 seconds behind your guy. I would suggest that you, ACF, and both of your sour grapes doping allegations about the people who challenge your heroes is the thick part.

Just imagine the s*it storm of posts if Cadel had placed next to Gesink...been real quiet on the ACF front lately, hope he hasn't topped himself

 

[snosnob]

snosnob

The strongest rider will win this years race. Leave out leave out cobbles, spa, and chaingate. There was no gap between AC and AS in the mountains. AC took 74 seconds out of AS in time trials. Each dropped the other once for 10 seconds in the mountains. Menchov was impressive today, but AC and AS would have taken more time on him in the mountains if they needed to. Finally, my impression is that AC is not weaker, but rather AS is stronger this year.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah I lost my head I know I should not have posted that.

It's just weird Hesjedal comes out of completely nowhere in time trial land. He was the 4th best GC rider today in the TT. That's complete madness compared to his past time trial results. It just didn't add up.
But it could be he was just fresher than all the others.

I really am sorry for that statement.

No problem. In all honesty, I only went at you because of that statement. I actually think that his ride is evidence that there was little to no recovery enhancement this year. In fact, I think you can look at today's results as a sign that things might just be changing.

Props to Gesink. He just needs some TT work, and he can contend for a podium. I don't think Ryder ever will, but I do think he can make a very nice living working as a domestique.

 

[theyoungest]

Just imagine the s*it storm of posts if Cadel had placed next to Gesink...been real quiet on the ACF front lately, hope he hasn't topped himself

Well, he suggested we Dutchies slit our wrists after Boom's TT result today... but of course that was before Evans rolled off the ramp like a sinking stone, and continued his TT in that fashion.

 

[woodburn]

Yeah I lost my head I know I should not have posted that.

It's just weird Hesjedal comes out of completely nowhere in time trial land. He was the 4th best GC rider today in the TT. That's complete madness compared to his past time trial results. It just didn't add up.
But it could be he was just fresher than all the others.

I really am sorry for that statement.

Fresher due to no refills by others ... see Levi.

 

[Steel4Ever]

Yeah I lost my head I know I should not have posted that.

It's just weird Hesjedal comes out of completely nowhere in time trial land. He was the 4th best GC rider today in the TT. That's complete madness compared to his past time trial results. It just didn't add up.
But it could be he was just fresher than all the others.

I really am sorry for that statement.

He didn't.
Obviously you never bothered to look at his historical TT stats I posted.
He rode 46km/hr -- VERY comparable to what he has done in the past.
Your boy just had a crappy day.
Welcome to Tour 2011.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No problem. In all honesty, I only went at you because of that statement. I actually think that his ride is evidence that there was little to no recovery enhancement this year. In fact, I think you can look at today's results as a sign that things might just be changing.

Props to Gesink. He just needs some TT work, and he can contend for a podium. I don't think Ryder ever will, but I do think he can make a very nice living working as a domestique.

Yup, it's in the wind tunnel again for Gesink.

Hesjedal, well, why not try the Giro? The climbs are more mtb-like in steepness...

 

[henryg]

I am not saying Andy should've won the tour, but I think he was slightly stronger in the mountains and probably the stronger rider overall this year.

If he was stronger in the mountains he would have gained time on Contador on the Tourmalet. He gave it every ounce of effort he had and failed.

There is nothing that actually happened on the road as opposed to what happens in "what if fantasies" that could lead one to believe that Schleck could have won this year. Next year might be a different story but this year he had the opportunity to beat Contador and he couldn't.

 

[Steel4Ever]

I don't think Ryder ever will [podium], but I do think he can make a very nice living working as a domestique.

He's already signed a 3-year Garmin contract and is "making more money than [he] ever thought riding a bike" (paraphrasing). He'll be a solid Top 20 GT contender for the next couple of years.

Although his Classics riding is what I would focus on...he seems more suited to those.

 

[hfer07]

well- I think i'm a bit troubled by the way the ITT turned out to be-I was expecting much more from Menchov & Contador, but seems like the headwind was quite strong for them-at the same time a was exited on how Andy was grasping the yellow during some of the time checks, which kind of surprised me how much he's improved in that discipline....
overall the strongest man won- Congrats to AC & AS overall

PS: Andy "will win" next year's tour if his progression continues on...

 

[scribe]

Like, in the Tour? No way. Maybe in the Vuelta.

I think the tour suits a bigger rider than the giro or vuelta

 

[VoidSix]

If he was stronger in the mountains he would have gained time on Contador on the Tourmalet. He gave it every ounce of effort he had and failed.

There is nothing that actually happened on the road as opposed to what happens in "what if fantasies" that could lead one to believe that Schleck could have won this year. Next year might be a different story but this year he had the opportunity to beat Contador and he couldn't.

Oh please. Schleck was able to drop Contador on as many climbs as Contador dropped Schleck (one). So that alone should be more than a "what if fantasy." Not to mention that 39 seconds is a TINY margin of victory. It's not outlandish that Schleck could have won regardless.

I think the fact that he pulled Contador up the Tourmalet with all the pressure on him to take time and countered Contador's one attack up the Tourmalet is enough to think he is at least slightly stronger on the climbs. A lot easier to follow than to lead, and both those boys were hurting by the top.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He's already signed a 3-year Garmin contract and is "making more money than [he] ever thought riding a bike" (paraphrasing). He'll be a solid Top 20 GT contender for the next couple of years.

Although his Classics riding is what I would focus on...he seems more suited to those.

Indeed, he'll need to work a bit more on his punch to beat Gilbert though.

 

[Ferminal]

Can someone tell me what Schleck lost to Contador in the prologue?

 

[skidmark]

It's just weird Hesjedal comes out of completely nowhere in time trial land. He was the 4th best GC rider today in the TT. That's complete madness compared to his past time trial results. It just didn't add up.
But it could be he was just fresher than all the others.

I think one thing to take into account is that he's never been put in the position of GC leader before (except once in the Vuelta like 4 years ago). When you're not battling for every second for position, and you're not a threat to win the stage, I find that riders tend to go a bit easier. So I think Hesjedal's TT results when he was like 47th on GC might be feasibly worse when compared to him competing for a top 10. I wouldn't say his performance today came out of nowhere, is all.

 

[afpm90]

Can someone tell me what Schleck lost to Contador in the prologue?

42 seconds.

 

[unsheath]

Yeah I lost my head I know I should not have posted that.

It's just weird Hesjedal comes out of completely nowhere in time trial land. He was the 4th best GC rider today in the TT. That's complete madness compared to his past time trial results. It just didn't add up.
But it could be he was just fresher than all the others.

I really am sorry for that statement.

Lim rice cakes. The gift that keeps on giving. I look forward to the Van Summeran Top 10 next year.

 

[reubenr]

Oh please. Schleck was able to drop Contador on as many climbs as Contador dropped Schleck (one). So that alone should be more than a "what if fantasy." Not to mention that 39 seconds is a TINY margin of victory. It's not outlandish that Schleck could have won regardless.

I think the fact that he pulled Contador up the Tourmalet with all the pressure on him to take time and countered Contador's one attack up the Tourmalet is enough to think he is at least slightly stronger on the climbs. A lot easier to follow than to lead, and both those boys were hurting by the top.

I should be quoting henryg, since he is spot on and the quotes here suggests that Schleck is either stupid or incapable. Figure it out. The 39 seconds margin of victory is Contador's way of screwing around with everyone. Figure it out.

 

[nia O'Malley]

The strongest rider will win this years race. Leave out leave out cobbles, spa, and chaingate. There was no gap between AC and AS in the mountains. AC took 74 seconds out of AS in time trials. Each dropped the other once for 10 seconds in the mountains. Menchov was impressive today, but AC and AS would have taken more time on him in the mountains if they needed to. Finally, my impression is that AC is not weaker, but rather AS is stronger this year.

+1

I would have loved for Andy to win it but he would have had to deserve it too and he didn't just quite. Both who won and the closeness of it do reflect the whole race perfectly.

End of.

 

[henryg]

Oh please. Schleck was able to drop Contador on as many climbs as Contador dropped Schleck (one). So that alone should be more than a "what if fantasy." Not to mention that 39 seconds is a TINY margin of victory. It's not outlandish that Schleck could have won regardless.

I think the fact that he pulled Contador up the Tourmalet with all the pressure on him to take time and countered Contador's one attack up the Tourmalet is enough to think he is at least slightly stronger on the climbs. A lot easier to follow than to lead, and both those boys were hurting by the top.

It's a 21 day race. That's enough chances and opportunities to sort out the winner. No one has any idea what Contador would have been capable of if he had to ride offensively rather then defensively or how the day would have finished had Andy not screwed up. By the way it looks like he almost had another shift problem in the TT. Maybe SRAM does not suit him.

 

[reubenr]

It's a 21 day race. That's enough chances and opportunities to sort out the winner. No one has any idea what Contador would have been capable of if he had to ride offensively rather then defensively or how the day would have finished had Andy not screwed up. By the way it looks like he almost had another shift problem in the TT. Maybe SRAM does not suit him.

Exactly! Plus or minus 10 characters.