Tour de France Stage 2 (3/7/11) - Les Essarts 23km TTT

[Bumeington]

+1 It is pretty amazing. AS takes all the races but the TdF as a training, and now even the last 3 km of yesterday and the whole ITT today. His team would have been faster if he would have been in the front even just 10 seconds at a time, that is for sure.

It is like last year: AS in the shadow of Cancellara and never looking like a worthy champion, more like a junior.

and he is top 10 now!!

The Schlecks were a joke in this TT. Did you ever see either of them on the aerobars? They spent more than 50% of TV time not on the aerobars, I think they are just terrible at balancing

 

[jens_attacks]

i hope so.

f*ck it...

do you know what i really hope for? AC to explode this race, even if he explodes himself first. for him this is about winning or not winning! if he cant brake them in pone stage, attack from even more far out the next time, until they explode or he explodes!

give them hell!!

fucc yeah.
anyway i said it and i repeat it:in that day when alberto won't have absolutely any chance at the 1st place,he will quit the race,i don't know why i just can't see him on the podium and not on the first place.

but before quitting the race i definitely see him doing what pantani did in the old days when he raped lance armstrong 24/7.shiit he attacked from 140 km in one day or something.

pyrenees will be on fire this july my friends,euskaltel and saxo bank will burn the field up to tourmalet.it will be epic stuff right there.

 

[Cimber]

Riis about the Schlecks after today's TTT:

"I noticed that the Schlecks were not taking their pulls. That bodes well."

 

[c&cfan]

fucc yeah.
anyway i said it and i repeat it:in that day when alberto won't have absolutely any chance at the 1st place,he will quit the race,i don't know why i just can't see him on the podium and not on the first place.

but before quitting the race i definitely see him doing what pantani did in the old days when he raped lance armstrong 24/7.shiit he attacked from 140 km in one day or something.

pyrenees will be on fire this july my friends,euskaltel and saxo bank will burn the field up to tourmalet.it will be epic stuff right there.

lol i hope they burne it in the first climb with the spanish armada.. then samu contador and shlecks can have a chat. or maybe contador says f*ck it again and landis stage will reborn!

 

[thehog]

Riis about the Schlecks after today's TTT:

"I noticed that the Schlecks were not taking their pulls. That bodes well."

Classic deadpan Riis. It will cut deep.

 

[No_Balls]

Riis about the Schlecks after today's TTT:

"I noticed that the Schlecks were not taking their pulls. That bodes well."

He must mean that they don´t look that well. Strange considering Nygaard has done everything in his powers to convince the world how ready AS is and how good the form is.

Something is about to reveal itself.

 

[just some guy]

Great ride by BMC

Andy and Frank - the more I watch them the more I want them to loseby doing something stupid. Hope the wind blows tomorrow and they get dropped.

Contador will have to do something amazing now

Sammy for KOM now ?

Tour being the Tour great stuff

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

BMC, Sky and Leopard trek all finished between 4 and 5 secs back - IIRC BMC finished 4.5 secs, sky 4.6, and leopard 4.7-8 - i.e. it was incredibly tight...

This all fits in with my assertion that the TTT needed to be double the length. I think organizers didn't want to go back to the years where USPS or ONCE would put 2 minutes on other leaders, and 5m on some teams. But some of those TTTs were 60km plus. This one could have been 40km and we likely would not have seen a 3 minute difference between the 1st and 22nd placed teams.

 

[Cimber]

This all fits in with my assertion that the TTT needed to be double the length. I think organizers didn't want to go back to the years where USPS or ONCE would put 2 minutes on other leaders, and 5m on some teams. But some of those TTTs were 60km plus. This one could have been 40km and we likely would not have seen a 3 minute difference between the 1st and 22nd placed teams.

I have to disagree here. A TTT is a beautiful thing (or can be at least), but it shouldnt have a huge impact on the GC. GT riders on smaller teams get the shaft when the TTT is to long, and that really doesnt do anything good for the race or the sport. A 25km TTT is fine. Shoulndt be any longer than that. If this had been a 40k TTT Sanchez and Basso would be truly game-over, and that would be sad so early in the race.

 

[The Hitch]

Great ride by BMC

Andy and Frank - the more I watch them the more I want them to loseby doing something stupid. Hope the wind blows tomorrow and they get dropped.

Contador will have to do something amazing now

Sammy for KOM now ?

Tour being the Tour great stuff

It would be so sad to see Sammy go for a stage or the breakaway jersey. Not worth it. He spent all year preparing for a gc challenge. like Japanese generals he should not go down the line of shame. Even if it means pulling out and saving himself for the Vuelta.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Riis about the Schlecks after today's TTT:

"I noticed that the Schlecks were not taking their pulls. That bodes well."

It certainly bodes well for Andy. He's got nearly 2 minutes on AC already, and has hardly spent any energy at all.

Why would they bother doing a turn anyway when they have Spartacus to do the work of 5 men, putting time into the GC men?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It would be so sad to see Sammy go for a stage or the breakaway jersey. Not worth it. He spent all year preparing for a gc challenge. like Japanese generals he should not go down the line of shame. Even if it means pulling out and saving himself for the Vuelta.

I think Samu still thinks he has plenty of a shot at the podium, and I think Igor Antón will have plenty to say about his dropping out and going for the Vuelta.

 

[Tuarts]

This all fits in with my assertion that the TTT needed to be double the length. I think organizers didn't want to go back to the years where USPS or ONCE would put 2 minutes on other leaders, and 5m on some teams. But some of those TTTs were 60km plus. This one could have been 40km and we likely would not have seen a 3 minute difference between the 1st and 22nd placed teams.

Wasn't there some sort of scaling for the TTT which they stopped during the Armstrong era?

I like the TTT because its another discipline and another obstacle the eventual winner needs to navigate. The best at getting through the sprints unscathed, limitting losses in time trials, climbs consistentally with the best wins, which is why its called a GC, and the riders who go for it "All-Rounders".

The 4 main MTF will be vitally important now more than before. It will all depend on Contador's attacking legs but at least we know now he has, which given what happened at the Giro, should be very exciting. I'd take a leap and so more so because unlike Zoncolan where he knew he just had to attack and have a buffer, now he'll want to attack and gain as much as possible.

 

[FF'Wilco]

Last year Sanchez finished fourth having more than 2'30 over van den Broeck. I mean if he gonna be 3rd best climber this year (lets say after Contador and Schleck) he is still able to finish close to podium.

 

[thehog]

Last year Sanchez finished fourth having more than 2'30 over van den Broeck. I mean if he gonna be 3rd best climber this year (lets say after Contador and Schleck) he is still able to finish close to podium.

Virtual GC:


1. Cadel Evans, 5:06:26
2. Fränk Schleck, at 0:03
3. Andy Schleck, s.t.
4. Brad Wiggins, s.t.
5. Tejay Van Garderen, at 0:04
6. Andreas Klöden, at 0:09
7. Chris Horner, s.t.
8. Levi Leipheimer, s.t.
9. Jani Brajkovic, s.t.
10. Robert Gesink, at 0:11
11. Alexander Vinokourov, at 0:31
12. Jorgen Van den Broeck, at 0:38
13. Nicolas Roche, 0:52
14. Ivan Basso, 0:56
15. Ryder Hesjedal, at 1:13
16. Alberto Contador, at 1:41
17. Christian Vande Velde, at 1:48
18. Roman Kreuziger, at 2:20
19. Samuel Sanchez, at 2:35
20. Jérôme Coppel, at 2:50

 

[thehog]

Things don't look so bad in this format.

Virtual GC:


1. Cadel Evans, 5:06:26
2. Fränk Schleck, at 0:03
3. Andy Schleck, s.t.
4. Brad Wiggins, s.t.
5. Tejay Van Garderen, at 0:04
6. Andreas Klöden, at 0:09
7. Chris Horner, s.t.
8. Levi Leipheimer, s.t.
9. Jani Brajkovic, s.t.
10. Robert Gesink, at 0:11
11. Alexander Vinokourov, at 0:31
12. Jorgen Van den Broeck, at 0:38
13. Nicolas Roche, 0:52
14. Ivan Basso, 0:56
15. Ryder Hesjedal, at 1:13
16. Alberto Contador, at 1:41
17. Christian Vande Velde, at 1:48
18. Roman Kreuziger, at 2:20
19. Samuel Sanchez, at 2:35
20. Jérôme Coppel, at 2:50

 

[pedaling squares]

I don't read too much into Riis' comment, he is a strategist above all and keeps playing the game when they're off the bike.

As for the Schlecks' effort - looked to me like Leopard-Trek put the 'team' in TTT. They did exactly what they had to do to get their leaders the best advantage in the GC. You play to your strengths and, while it may not look as impressive as Cadel, Contador, & Wiggins pulling their teams to the line, it was the best strategy for the team and individual goals. They're not very good at the discipline but I think they're getting a bit of a hard shake here, nobody hangs with the top 5 in a TTT without doing some effort.

 

[Teddy Boom]

nobody hangs with the top 5 in a TTT without doing some effort.

Certainly, but then you have to wonder to what extent Spartacus was soft pedalling to make sure that Frank and Andy could hold his wheel. I mean, I came in here to ask if anybody saw Astana. Did Vino crack his own team like he did in last years Giro?

[edit: Also, since Leopard came in with only 5 riders... Did they completely burn up the other 4 early? Lead out men, so to speak.. I mean 23km is pretty short for that kind of strategy, isn't it?]

 

[Ramira]

I really don't get what everyone here expected the Schlecks to do.

They took their turns till they reached the point they knew they would blow if they didn't hang back and then they did. If they had done one more turn and gotten dropped you would all be screaming about what morons they were for blowing up. They did what they had to do finish as high as they could in the TTT.

 

[Midnightfright]

Certainly, but then you have to wonder to what extent Spartacus was soft pedalling to make sure that Frank and Andy could hold his wheel. I mean, I came in here to ask if anybody saw Astana. Did Vino crack his own team like he did in last years Giro?

[edit: Also, since Leopard came in with only 5 riders... Did they completely burn up the other 4 early? Lead out men, so to speak.. I mean 23km is pretty short for that kind of strategy, isn't it?]

As far as strategy goes altough not flash on endering leopard got it spot on.

 

[Jeanne]

I really don't get what everyone here expected the Schlecks to do.

They took their turns till they reached the point they knew they would blow if they didn't hang back and then they did. If they had done one more turn and gotten dropped you would all be screaming about what morons they were for blowing up. They did what they had to do finish as high as they could in the TTT.[/QUOTE

+1 yap, they just did what was best for them.

 

[Sebastian]

This all fits in with my assertion that the TTT needed to be double the length. I think organizers didn't want to go back to the years where USPS or ONCE would put 2 minutes on other leaders, and 5m on some teams. But some of those TTTs were 60km plus. This one could have been 40km and we likely would not have seen a 3 minute difference between the 1st and 22nd placed teams.

I agree to some point. On the other hand what is the point with even longer TTT if the Schlecks will gain even more time by sucking the wheel of Cancellara and by doing no work themself.

 

[Midnightfright]

I agree to some point. On the other hand what is the point with even longer TTT if the Schlecks will gain even more time by sucking the wheel of Cancellara and by doing no work themself.

I dont think routes should be decided on preference. Do u think they should reduce the number of climbs to stop contador from gaining more time. Anyway in not sure a longer timetrial would be beneficial to the schlecks as they would be more of a hindrance to there team getting a good time.

 

[mewmewmew13]

jeez , cut the Shlecks a little slack. They optimized themselves and used their whole team in an intelligent manner...it worked well.
next..

 

[goggalor]

That was a pretty pathetic showing today from the Schlecks, sitting on for 20 km not doing any work. Sums up what is wrong with team time trials when Contador leads his team to the line and still loses 24 seconds. Still, an entertaining day of racing, the small time gaps both added to the excitement and made the event less unfair than in previous years.