TDF Stage 9 - Tuesday, July 13 2010, Morzine-Avoriaz - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, 204 k

[San Carlo]

Thor Hushovd never crashed today. So that information was wrong from the Tour radio.

 

[davis_123]

BMCProTeam #TdF, Stage 9: @CadelOfficial raced with a fractured elbow, according to BMC Racing Team President @jimochowicz.

Time for cadel to drop out of the tour and focus on the world champs at the end of the year.

 

[Galic Ho]

Good stage. Lots of team leaders are now sorted out. What do we know?

Firstly I was right about Samu. He is a chance for 3rd. Menchov is still in with a shot as well.

The Giro riders are paying for their efforts. Wigans is out of GC contention. He'll be lucky to come 10th. An apology to Garmin would be nice chump. Evans had a bad day. So what? He has been racing flat chat all season. Guess Andy Schleck isn't an idiot. He called that one. ACF94, apologise now. However Schlecks' call about being the strongest climber was off. Contador matched every move. AC will only get stronger. Andy better hope he didn't peak too soon. Sastre popped early and so did Rogers. Lack of support evident right there. Sastre raced the Giro too. Evans is close to them on GC. Kreuziger and Wigans are nearby and Vino is slightly ahead. These guys can all go up, but I suspect Vino won't.

Shocks? Van den Broecke and Bottle. How long can they hold on? Not too long.

Unknowns? Basso right now. Can he back up and get closer to 5th? Probably. Maybe Sastre and Evans might get better. They can certainly pull themselves higher up.

I loved how Phil and Paul thought that Lance's group was the first one behind AC and AS. Fanboy love. I guess we ignore the fact Lance should have been with Levi and why was it that Basso was setting pace. Both tell tale signs that there were people in between. They need to use their brains...Phil eventually figured it out, but it took him 10 minutes.

Is it true? Does Evans have a broken elbow? Either way this is an interesting race for the top 10. 1 and 2 are on their own, for now. Maybe Samu and Menchov might get higher up if Schleck peaked too early. Big IF. I have a feeling Andy is going hard so he can at least hold yellow, I suspect he knows AC will beat him in the Pyrenees and he may as well wear yellow for once in his career, Just a hunch,

Oh and I think there are signs that this year ain't as clean as people think it is. Just saying, not that I care. Todays stage was really enjoyable. AC and AS dropped everyone really easy. Looked like stage 17 last year, with the absence of Franck. It sucks. Franck would have made the podium this year. Some great riding today. Bad luck to Evans and well done to the breakaway group, AS, AC and SS rode really well. I also think that Samu looked like he was cramping. Came so close to bridging the gap. Feel sorry for him soloing home.

 

[curium]

@ghincapie

Proud of @cadelofficial today. he fought all day with a fractured ARM. much respect...

 

[ak-zaaf]

A new excuse every GT, pics or it didn't happen.

 

[cineteq]

Cadel had a fractured ARM...

 

[cow_penalty]

From http://twitter.com/jimochowicz

# Cadel is topping out at 100KPH trying to save time.
about 1 hour ago via UberTwitter

Yikes!

 

[Winterfold]

I see Brad as a kind of forlorn hope of Sky/British GC pretensions.

learn what we can get with him over the next couple of years and see if he can get on the podium but really its about learning so that Geraint and Kennaugh are in a good position for when Contador etc start getting on a bit.

No TTT, partic last year where it was early in the race, has cost Wiggins a lot vis a vis the other podium contenders.

He does seem to blow in style though. Once he's gone, quite a few dropped riders catch him up and overtake. He needs to find a way to take more pain and for much longer if he is going to get a podium spot in another year.

 

[rhubroma]

It's just being announced after the stage by many people on Twitter - including BMC - http://twitter.com/BMCProTeam

Well that would explain much if indeed true. Though he did finish well yesterday. Strange.

 

[BroDeal]

That's why he'd have to climb better than he has this tour. He wasn't that far off on the climbs last year so we know he can do it.

Maybe he screwed up on how he lost weight or something - he looks down on power.

But you don't give up just yet.

There were barely any real climbs last year or barely any that were really raced. The stage to La Grand Bornand was it, and Wigans lost a metric buttload of time there.

It turns out that Wigans was smart enough to bamboozle a huge contract out of Sky. Vaughters was smart enough to take a massive payoff to release Wigans contract. And Brailsford is the poor sucker who was taken for a fool. Both Vaughters and Wigans are probably laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Time for cadel to drop out of the tour and focus on the world champs at the end of the year.

he might as well drop out. Though I'm not sure the wc can really be realistic goal this year. Course isn't for him.

 

[hamperium]

*** edited by mod***

Stop it. Final warning.

 

[TRDean]

he might as well drop out. Though I'm not sure the wc can really be realistic goal this year. Course isn't for him.

Gear down and come back for the Vuelta??

 

[davis_123]

he might as well drop out. Though I'm not sure the wc can really be realistic goal this year. Course isn't for him.

An Australian will win it, the course will make no difference.

 

[cow_penalty]

Well that would explain much if indeed true. Though he did finish well yesterday. Strange.

He did well to finish yesterday, but he could not match any of the accelerations in the final kilometre. The shot of him from the helicopter showed he was struggling.

 

[Galic Ho]

Evans has serious problems. I mean if you can't take the heat, switch jobs!

How can one fail so miserably like that, over and over again? It is simply amazing how that guy poops his pants all the time.

[edited by mod] You just disrespected every rider who has finished behind him in every race he's ridden. Show some bloody respect for the Pro's and STFU. Bag Cadel and you bag out everyone he beats, which accounts for 95% of the peloton. Those guys all bust their butts off, at least have the courtesy to remember that next time you feel like dissing a rider for having a bad day.

 

[cineteq]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamperium_espana/4759764452/
cadel has broken his arm? true or not?
end of his tour

TRUE, posted by big George

 

[BroDeal]

Gear down and come back for the Vuelta??

He needs more rest than a month. He has raced too much this year. He should rebuild for the worlds and Lombardia.

Plus BMC has no invite to the Vuelta.

 

[RedZone]

Well that would explain much if indeed true. Though he did finish well yesterday. Strange.

not that strange, he did look like he was maxed out sunday, and its amazing what adrenalin can do for you in situations like that.

What I dont understand is the point of him saying this AFTER the stage yet again. Why not just come out with it, not like the end result would of changed anyway.

 

[davis_123]

Gear down and come back for the Vuelta??

Cadel needs a break, Since riding last years TDF he has:
- Rode the Vuelta (3rd)
- Won the World Champs
- Rode since the start of the season in good form including winning Fleche
- Rode the Giro (5th)

And is now back riding the TDF, his 4th GT in a row as well as riding all the one day classics in between.

 

[clearhop]

It turns out that Wigans was smart enough to bamboozle a huge contract out of Sky. Vaughters was smart enough to take a massive payoff to release Wigans contract. And Brailsford is the poor sucker who was taken for a fool. Both Vaughters and Wigans are probably laughing all the way to the bank.

Looks like Vaughters was right about Astana "soft pedaling" last year, which he put down as the only reason Wiggo could keep up...

 

[davis_123]

not that strange, he did look like he was maxed out sunday, and its amazing what adrenalin can do for you in situations like that.

What I dont understand is the point of him saying this AFTER the stage yet again. Why not just come out with it, not like the end result would of changed anyway.

Maybe he wanted to honor the yellow jersey by trying to defend it as best as he could despite the broken arm? Maybe his tour is over now so there is no reason to keep it a secret anymore?

 

[rhubroma]

Hey F%#Ktard. You just disrespected every rider who has finished behind him in every race he's ridden. Show some bloody respect for the Pro's and STFU. Bag Cadel and you bag out everyone he beats, which accounts for 95% of the peloton. Those guys all bust their butts off, at least have the courtesy to remember that next time you feel like dissing a rider for having a bad day.

I love working-up suckers like you, bello.

I have respect for anybody on a bike. But a pussy is really a pussy you know.

 

[cow_penalty]

not that strange, he did look like he was maxed out sunday, and its amazing what adrenalin can do for you in situations like that.

What I dont understand is the point of him saying this AFTER the stage yet again. Why not just come out with it, not like the end result would of changed anyway.

"We didn't want to let our competitors know and have them attacking @CadelOfficial on the early climbs." @jimochowicz said.

 

[Crashes and punctures]

There were barely any real climbs last year or barely any that were really raced. The stage to La Grand Bornand was it, and Wigans lost a metric buttload of time there.

It turns out that Wigans was smart enough to bamboozle a huge contract out of Sky. Vaughters was smart enough to take a massive payoff to release Wigans contract. And Brailsford is the poor sucker who was taken for a fool. Both Vaughters and Wigans are probably laughing all the way to the bank.

That's a very cynical way to look at it. I just think he wanted to work with the same people in British cycling that he had gotten success on the track with.

But you're right that he will have to improve on the climbing. My point is he should not give up yet.