Le Tour 2010

[Metro Commuter]

I stayed up much of last night (Tuesday) working, and watched the TdF to make the time pass.  I thought last night's stage was just great.  my thoughts:

1.  Evans rode possibly the smartest of all of the main contenders - he seemed to be doing it easy, and made all the right moves. 

2. Lance still has "it" - the way he was able to get back on was pretty impressive.

3.  What happened to Contador?  Vino probably did not know Contador had been tailed off with a puncture, but there is always the doubt that he was just being Vino and looking after the number one gumbah - Vino.

4.  Thor barely raised a sweat in the sprint - perhaps not unexpected.  He is nearly as impressive as our own Thor God of Thunder, and I am sure he heard of Dougie's massiveness and thought "I could aspire to that".

5.  Having the pave made for a great stage - better than the flat sprinter stages and, I think, better than the mountain stages.

[Robbo]

I agree Metro, it was entertainment plus.

Andy S had the best team help of all the GC contenders. Tonight's stage should help restore some legs that were pretty smashed last night.

FWIW I reckon A.C. is still the main favorite with Andy a closer second than what he was. Evans hasnt done anything wrong but he needs a strong team performance to keep him fresh for the big attacks in the mountains.
Nothing changes for Sastre, he has no hope of yellow unless the peleton makes a big mistake. Rogers should still go top 10 and top 5 would be a great result. Basso will find it harder to make up 2.40 in TDF than in the Giro so top 5 for him, maybe 3rd place at best.

Armstrong will have strong support from the whippets but wont have it in the big attacks - 5th I reckon.

Vino hasnt changed and could be a thorn from within for Alberto. He will blow up eventually and landslide down the order.

Menchov will fall off in a time trial or whilst warming up on the wind trainer- 8th.

Wiggins - 4th

Kreuziger - dark horse. Could pose the biggest threat outside Contador, Schlek & Evans.

The rest will just be side shows, apart from Thor taking Green unless he has his arm cut open by a banner waving lunatic

[giantcfr1]

Not sure if it was mentioned in the TV coverage but Rogers got a flat and was given a wheel by Renshaw to finish

[hilljockey]

Controversial that!

Jan would have waited...

[Metro Commuter]

HJ,

Chris Carmichael had this to say about the issue on PezCycling, and I think it is pretty balanced:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=8466&status=True&catname=Latest News

Reading between what Contador has said as reported on CyclingNews, he knew what he was doing was suss but did it anyway.  My view, as the current CD D grade Road Champion (cough cough ), is that Contador should have waited, as should others like Sanchez (who did not seem to retard their progress).

People like Contador, Armstrong and Schleck do not get to do winners by being charitable or kind.  They are driven not by a desire to win but a fear of not winning, and tend to have narcisistic traits.  Which is why so many of my friends on this forum are not hugely successful racers but decent humanbeings.  I prefer the latter.

Off the soapbox now!

[Haddo]

Real tough call on this one. A crash is much more clear cut. You would definately wait but the Schleck incident was different, from where Contador was he may not have known it is mechanical, it could have been a torn heartlidge. Schleck wouldnt be the first person to attack a few times then go backwards very quickly.

If Contador had waited would this have opened the door for Schleck to "pretend malfunction" every time Contador looked to attack always retaining yellow till he lost it in the time trial anyway?
Was it just nerves for Schlek that cost him as he panicked?
Does Schleck want the yellow jersey anyway? It hasnt been very lucky for a few riders this year.
Would you have waited?
Did Phil jinx he by the numbers of times he raised his concerns about how Schleck will have no team mates left when he needs them in the last 5kms of the climb?
Will you slow down for the next mechanical at the gang?
Does anyone else find it hard not to write Shrek when refering to Andy?

I am looking forward to seeing an angry motivated Schleck tonight as he takes out his frustration on Astana.

[Metro Commuter]

Haddo - good considered and learned replies as always - sure you are not The Ferret?

I thought Alberto would have seen what had happened, but he pressed on.  If he did not know then fair eough, but I think he has said he did know but kept on going because he thought others (Sanchez etal) were not pulling up.

Was it just nerves for Schlek that cost him as he panicked? Hmmm - at that level I'd be gobsmacked that he could fluff a change so badly, and that the bike was set up that badly.

Does Schleck want the yellow jersey anyway? Unless he can put time in to Contador before the TT it seems his race is run.  Schlek time trials as well as I do, in comparitive terms.  Like lining me up against Tony Heaney...

Would you have waited?  Yep - I do a lot of waiting on hills.

Will you slow down for the next mechanical at the gang?  If it came down to just me and another person, and the mechanical was the only reason I would win, then absolutely.  If it was just another KI mechanical and there were lots of people who could win, then prolly not.

[Haddo]

There was an intersting story to come out of last nights stage invovling Phil Liggets favourite rider Nicolas Roche.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/roche-furious-at-gadret-for-not-helping-with-tyre

[hilljockey]

And who do you call for a van when in Europe?  Dirk Hofman of course.  Man can that dude work a camera angle!

[spandexcstacy]

Hey Hilljockey,

Jens Voigt is almost as tough as some of our  C graders at KOCC! Check this out...

..."I’m doing 70 kilometers an hour on the first descent when my front tire explodes,” explained Voigt. “Before I hit the asphalt I actually manage to think that this is going to hurt. Both knees, elbows, hands, shoulders and the entire left side of my body were severely hurt.

“My ribs are hurting but hey, broken ribs are overrated anyway. Fortunately, I didn’t land on my face this time and I’m still alive.

“I was offered a ride on the truck that picks up abandoned riders but I’m not going to quit another Tour de France. Now there’s a rest day and Paris is not that far away.”......


I just love this guy's attitude.


Spandy.

[Metro Commuter]

Spandy,

Do not upset HJ - he will be upset that you did not include HDCC C graders, and therefore him, in that "tough man" category. We know HJ is a hard man and he'd be welcomed at KOCC with open arms...

MC

KOCC - the club of hard men and even harder women.

[hilljockey]

Do I bite?

Nibble a bit?

Nah.

[Metro Commuter]

How good was last night? Good to see Andy and Skinny Albert friendly after such a tough duel - some local A graders might take note!

Unless there is a crash or Alberto has a mechanical it would seem he will win...I bet Randy Andy is offering the services of his mechanic to Astana right now. It would be good to see Alberto lose the time he gained when Schleck dropped a chain by dropping a chain himself, but even that would not be enough for Schleck.

Hoping Armstrong or Cadel can pull out a solo break for a stage win. Even if he was dumb enough to break up with Sheryl Crow.

[Proudly hairy-legged]

I thought Contador would surely out-sprint Schleck to the line, and was relieved when he didn't try. It was an amazing effort for Schleck to get onto Contador's wheel when he made that attack, they really showed that they're 1 and 2 on GC for a reason.

It would be really interesting if Schleck were better in the time trial. Funny that being the National Time Trial champ in your country is not good enough to rate you as a decent time trial rider. Even if your country is as small as Luxembourg.

[hilljockey]

Menchov to be 2nd on GC.  Yes?

Cadel been saving himself for the TT, or, just rooted after the Giro?