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Why does BMC need to set the pace when no threat exists in the break?

Maybe a seasoned team road racer can shed some insight here, but I would have thought the ideal tactics for BMC today would be to send one of their own ahead in the breakaway and then sit back and let other teams do the chasing. Instead they are on the front burning all their energy up to keep the breakaway in check, but there are no GC contenders in it.

Why would you bother wasting your energy chasing non-GC riders? Why not conserve energy now, and protect Cadel when he will really need it later in the race when the stronger teams Astana and Saxobank surely will put the hammer down?
 
If there was a real GC contender in there that'd be good for BMC, as it would soon be clear BMC couldn't handle it and Astana or Saxo would have to do the work. However, there's Luis Leon Sanchez, 20th at 5:03. If they take it too easy, the breakaway (which is packed full with rather decent riders) could get a very big gap.

Anyway, BMC has it under control now, and they're using riders who won't be up there with Evans anyway. The problem was when guys like Vino were going, and BMC knew if they didn't solve the problem immediately they'd have a very tough time solving it later.
 
Saxo must be laughing at them right now. Shleck is only 20sec in arrears, BMC are doing all the work and Jens Voight is in the break.

If Vino were there, it changes the dynamic and yeah Saxo would likely come to the front and help out. But the goal of BMC should be yellow in PAris, not a few extra days in the middle just so someone like Sanchez can't have it until they hit the pyrenees when all 3 of the top GC contenders could take the time back anyway.
 
Mar 11, 2009
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Krebs cycle said:
Saxo must be laughing at them right now. Shleck is only 20sec in arrears, BMC are doing all the work and Jens Voight is in the break.

If Vino were there, it changes the dynamic and yeah Saxo would likely come to the front and help out. But the goal of BMC should be yellow in PAris, not a few extra days in the middle just so someone like Sanchez can't have it until they hit the pyrenees when all 3 of the top GC contenders could take the time back anyway.

All 3?

I thought there were only 2?
 
Mar 13, 2009
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If you have the yellow jersey, you control the pace in the peloton, I think that's just an unwritten rule.

It wouldn't be in anyone's interest if the if the break gets too much time or if the pace behind is so slow that there are random attacks all the time, so I think it's just always the yellow jersey's team's job to make sure that doesn't happen
 
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It does not appear as if they are riding that hard. Just tempo. I think they are trying to keep the break at a managable gap.

Keep everyone around Cadel and keep Cadel around his closest rivals seems to be the tactic.

BMC does not necessarily want to keep the MJ at this point. They don't have the team for it.
 
Apr 8, 2009
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whats the stages like after this - if Phill and Paul are correct then the next few stages are transition races where the sprinters might take advantage...BMC might get lucky and the sprinters. Yellow or not BMC shouldnt have to do the sprinters' work for them
 
Aug 6, 2009
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Archibald said:
tell that to Astana at this year's Giro!
17min breakaway anyone? :D

Wasn't the Astana team in the Giro fairly weak? The analysis I remember was that the only team strong enough to have controlled that enormous break was Liquigas.
 
May 13, 2009
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I think we have an answer to the question: it's the only time this year they have any reason to show themselves up front. Good for them they didn't miss it.
 
Jul 7, 2010
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I've always thought it was strange...Especially when people say "I think I got the yellow jersey too early" etc.

Why not just ride the race like he wasn't in yellow. Look at it logically. he was only 20seconds ahead of Schleck. Schleck didn't want to lose time on all the same guys as Evans. I always wonder why cycling has these 'unwritten rules' at times, but then doesn't when it suits them.

Either the teams want the yellow jersey, or they don't But it frustrates me to no end when I hear people say "now he is in yellow they will have to control the race, and their team is probably too weak to do that"...Then DON'T control the race. The other GC teams will. The worse that can happen is that you lose the jersey - the jersey you apparently didn't want yet anyway.
 
Sep 16, 2009
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No one forced BMC to do the work but why they defended, who knows. Maybe they knew Cadel couldn't win and wanted to keep yellow for a few days to keep the sponsors happy?
 
Aug 4, 2009
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As a domestique, you sometimes want the excuse to ride up front in the limelight. Sometimes it is tactically pointless but it is your only chance to get noticed in between lots of fetching bottles and sitting wind-side of your leader for miles and miles.

And BMC still need invites.

And BMC needs to step up to PT.
 

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