Which team has the best climber squad?

[Carlo Algatrensig]

Too early to draw a conclusion. My guess is you will hear Radio Shack say they were saving Popo and Kloden for tomorrow.

When we saw a close up of Kloden as he fell away from the main group he didn't look in any trouble, waved at the TV camera and said "a demain". My thoughts when I saw that were that he was delibrately taking it easy but I might be wrong.

 

[Barrus]

Too early to draw a conclusion. My guess is you will hear Radio Shack say they were saving Popo and Kloden for tomorrow.

They said directly after the stage that Klödi was moaning about stomach problems the entire stage

Pretty good showing by bot RS and Astana, but it is not the real mountain stages yet, I think a lot of teams were not showing there cards. I think even Szmyd was out of the first group, something that normally would not happen that easily. Also Astana were the only team that really did set a higher pace during the final climb, and some RS people did appear to be struggling during this. But than again the Astana were not able or did not want to really go too deep, especially Vino was hidden in the group

 

[van nelle]

Hey!!!!! wowowowowowowow... this "not that selective" stage affects a lot of ppl... Martin, Millar, Zabriskie, Kloeden, Linus, Fuglsang, Rogers, etc, etc, etc... nobody show their cards but they were suffering today in the last climb... If they were suffering today what about tomorrow with Ramaz and Avoriaz...?

Liquigas I don't know if they were resting their climbers or what but they arrive together to the finish line... or maybe they didn't have a good day... But Basso and Kreuziger keep the pace of El Pistolero

Lars Boom from Rabobank was having a bad day as well...

what about Astana keeping the pace? They hammer a little bit in the 3rd 2nd category, dont they?

Liquigas took it easy for sure today, Kreuziger said it before stage. The same applies to other teams, only Astana pulled quite hard, so thats why they look stronger. But Saxo without Frank is a lot weaker, this will be VERY hard Tour for Andy.

+ Boom was ok I think

 

[perico]

Boom lost 19+ minutes

 

[Delicato]

They said directly after the stage that Klödi was moaning about stomach problems the entire stage

Clinic Zone...

 

[Rob_Roy]

Clinic Zone...

No not at all,Lance had stomach problems earlier this year and it is really contagious,so I think Klöden will sleep alone tonight,outside the hotel....

Must have been to much sucking up....

 

[van nelle]

Boom lost 19+ minutes

He is a cobbled classic type of guy , I'd expect that. Happy he survived

 

[Big Doopie]

When we saw a close up of Kloden as he fell away from the main group he didn't look in any trouble, waved at the TV camera and said "a demain". My thoughts when I saw that were that he was delibrately taking it easy but I might be wrong.

not kloden.

that was mureyev.

 

[Publicus]

not kloden.

that was mureyev.

Kloden just tweeted that he just had bad legs and it was too hot, so he was trying to minimize his losses.

andykloedi
today was a bad day for me, for me it was too hot today, was trying not to lose too much time. hope for better legs tomorrow.

And Contador just tweeted as well:

Incredible hot day, very fast and hard stage. The team has been very good at all times, show some effort tomorrow. Now relax!

 

[jaylew]

Hmm, not sure where that is coming from. I don't think they looked particularly strong, but weren't they the only team with 4 riders in the front group?

 

[Publicus]

Hmm, not sure where that is coming from. I don't think they looked particularly strong, but weren't they the only team with 4 riders in the front group?

Yes they were the only one with four.

 

[ScottyMuser]

Not sure why people think without Frank it would be harder for Andy to get the podium. If anythign, it *consolidates* it, as last year, they had the 2 of them as join leaders, with the domestiques working for *BOTH* and time and again, Andy *waiting* for Frank in the mountains when he could have attacked and dropped EVERYONe apart from Conti - and maybe EVEN Conti on those days. The 2/3 times in the high mountains Frank was there and on for,. the 3 of them dropped Lance, Wiggo, Kloden, Nibs, Roman K et al so easily it was like watching 2 different races.

Anyway, strongest *climbing* team - toss up between LG and Astana for me - RS are just a bunch of old men putting all their eggs in 1, even older, basket, with a talented youngster in Janez who could in the future challenge for a top 5, but not with Lance on the team forcing him to do domestique work and tiring himself out.

 

[SpartacusRox]

Not sure why people think without Frank it would be harder for Andy to get the podium. If anythign, it *consolidates* it, as last year, they had the 2 of them as join leaders, with the domestiques working for *BOTH* and time and again, Andy *waiting* for Frank in the mountains when he could have attacked and dropped EVERYONe apart from Conti - and maybe EVEN Conti on those days. The 2/3 times in the high mountains Frank was there and on for,. the 3 of them dropped Lance, Wiggo, Kloden, Nibs, Roman K et al so easily it was like watching 2 different races.

Anyway, strongest *climbing* team - toss up between LG and Astana for me - RS are just a bunch of old men putting all their eggs in 1, even older, basket, with a talented youngster in Janez who could in the future challenge for a top 5, but not with Lance on the team forcing him to do domestique work and tiring himself out.

What makes it harder for Andy is that he will not have any help in the big mountain stages because Saxo will all have been dropped. That may or may not be an issue because it will be the same for Cadel. Astana are not that flash. They looked okay today but I am not sure that putting them on the front on a hot day to work so hard on a nothing stage was a particulary smart move. Any team can do what Astana did for one or two days but it is the ability to do it repeatedly that will be required this year. I don't think they have the guys to be able to do that in the last week.

Sorry but you are going to be proved totally wrong about RS. They will be one of the strongest teams in the mountains, old or not.

Your final comment is just absurd. JB is in the team as a domestique, that is his role, to support the team leader. How is that any different from any of the other teams.The fact is that despite what some deluded posters on here say, Lance is the strongest climber on the team and is probably going to show that he is one of the three strongest climbers in the race.

 

[SpartacusRox]

Agree, but it puts an end to this multiple cards to be played nonsense. They have one card.

As do all of the top three or four contenders.

 

[altark123]

Well here we are on stage 8 and all that early talk about DDLF being a key Lt. for AC has been proved wrong the today and yesterday. He was dislodged early.

 

[Anonymous]

I have to admit, I was wrong.

The Radio Shack team are pretty good climbers, there's just one guy holding them back.

Bit of a boat anchor that guy.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

I am supposed to wait for the stage to be over but ah well...

No big fan of JB and LA, but it's got to be Radioshack. Honestly, I don't even think it's close.

Levi says it's The Shack
Leipheimer looks forward to the Alps
"I would say we definitely have a team for the mountains," he continued. "Saxo Bank really showed they had a team for the other day [on the cobbles of stage three], but I predict we have the best team for the mountains, and we need to show that."

Radioshack is the best climbing team. They will have the most bullets left at the end.

The Shack Levi and Kloeden are going to show liquigas what time it is oh yeah!

I agree and deep down most or here do to, but can't admit it (and I'm certainly no fan either)

Nothing of the sort. More that a lot of people would rather sticks pins in their eyes than admit that RadioShack are a very strong team.

They won't crack they will be the squad with the most guys up there in the big climbs, look and learn fella.

What is more sad is that you don't, as it will become readily apparent in the coming couple of weeks.

Too early to draw a conclusion. My guess is you will hear Radio Shack say they were saving Popo and Kloden for tomorrow.

I agree with most of those posts; but, we wont truly know until they hit the mountains. Today was a burp in the road.

________
ARIZONA DISPENSARY

 

[Anonymous]

Don't be a hater.

They're saving themselves for tomorrow!

 

[Race Radio]

It appears Footon has a better climbing team then Retirement Shack

 

[Anonymous]

I think RS should soft pedal for Lance like Astana did last year. This just isn't fair.

 

[Race Radio]

Sorry but you are going to be proved totally wrong about RS. They will be one of the strongest teams in the mountains, old or not.

Maybe you should have this as your signature?

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

But you're right that the crash completely stuffed them. Not something you can predict.

And here goes the excuses!

And pretending i said something i never said and "agreeing" with me.

Priceless.

The crash had very little to do with them not being able to even hold a candle to the best teams in the race.

They are just not good.

And they never were, all this year.

As most of people were telling you ALL YEAR.

But were dismissed as haters.
________
Lovely Wendie99

 

[Publicus]

Astana did a good job today. Well deserved rest day if you ask me.

 

[badboyberty]

Navarro and Vino were excellent.
BMC were better than Saxobank (wtf...!)
But in the end the Rabobus and Leakygas were the only teams left with two contenders in the finale.

BRING ON THE PYRENNEES. THIS TOUR IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!

 

[Oldman]

Navarro and Vino were excellent.
BMC were better than Saxobank (wtf...!)
But in the end the Rabobus and Leakygas were the only teams left with two contenders in the finale.

BRING ON THE PYRENNEES. THIS TOUR IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!

If I were Contador I'd be letting Evans and Schleck do every lick of work. Rabo and Liquigas could be a scary group to deal with and may take everything Astana has.