Yeah, sorry, meant Contador. I really like the guy and have no problem with the move. Whether it was intentional or not, it doesn’t matter. Contador will be on a different team after the Tour de France so it will be a non issue. I don’t know what Contador’s character is like (biting me tongue re: an anti lance comment) but if what he says is true, this should go away quickly.
My other philosophy is that I have always thought the Tour SHOULD be an individual sport and if Klodi can’t hack it then off he goes, he should be trying to bury his rivals on the off chance he has a bad day over the next three days. Besides, how was he REALLY helping, the Schlecks were doing all the work - and rightfully so, they are behind).
In the Giro this year, Menchov seemed to be able to follow wheels just fine without any help from his team. If you are the strongest rider, and Contador is by a wide margin, what use is a team to you really (other than TTT really).
Kind of bizarre that Bruyneel would advise Contador not to take advantage of a chance to gain time on the GC contender most likely to gain time on him in the TT, plus there was the chance the Schlecks wouldn’t have been able to follow and it would have been time on everyone. What would Merckx have done? Less calculating with the stopwatch and the computer, and more throwing down the gauntlet and riding aggressively. Please.
Frankly I’m more and more appalled by the sheer rudeness with which Lance and his cronies are treating the rider who is most obviously the strongest in the tour. Even if you consider Contador’s move to be untactical from Astana’s POV, then why share your views with the world on twitter (as Armstrong and Leipheimer have done) or with the press (as I reckon Bruyneel has). Here’s hoping that Contador speaks with his legs (as he now seems to be doing) and that the other Astana’s positions are further destroyed in today’s TT!
Heck of a ride by Contador, and a great ride for Andy. He’s got to be happy being 1’10 or so over third.
I also thought Frank Schleck did pretty reasonably considering he’s generally terrible. This year he was only kinda bad. He needs a minute four on lance on Ventoux. That’s more than doable.
Saturday should be good.
As an aside, a little bit of depression set over me. I’m a bit Andy Schleck fan and I’m beginning to wonder how the heck he will EVER beat Alberto Contador? Luckily I like Contador.
Alberto is a beast. Not that there was any doubt. Reckon Andy S will have his work cut out matching that in the coming years - don’t know if he can realistically expect to improve his TT enough to contest things with Alberto.
I just watched Bradley interviewed on the highlights - he was putting a brave face on things, said he felt great, smooth, bit of a headwind slowed him down at the end etc. His body language was terrible, though. Think he must have had a horrible last section. Sets things up for an awesome fight for the podium places on Sat - think he’ll struggle to get third tbh.
Amazing performance by an amazing rider. Barring a catastrophe in Mt Ventoux, this will make it four out of four GTs in a row – and all at the ripe old age of 26!
With his natural talent and work ethic, barring injuries, the sky’s the limit for this kid. In two years time he went from a decent TTer to one of the very best. And he’s only bound to get better. Right. Enough with the superlatives.
drm, good as Conta is and hard as it might be to get to him anytime soon, due props to Andy anyway, for he certainly has his head in the right place – he respects Alberto’s talent but is not afraid of him and believes that he can beat him. Whether he does or not is another matter, but his head’s in the right place. Anyway I think this whole new generation of riders should give us some old-fashion thrills as opposed to the radio-controlled robots that had taken over as of late.
Švejk & Gorsnak, just so.
Glad to see we’re watching the same [shameful] race. It’s gotten so blatant that some American cycling reporters are joining the chorus:
I haven’t completely given up hope, and you’re right about Andy, he does seem to have a good attitude about the whole thing. I have to believe at some tour down the road after Andy strengthens his time trial enough to not hemorrhage time to Contador and after Contador finds his way to Caisse (isn’t that the conventional wisdom seeing as Valverde has ‘issues’?) which may swing the TTT the other way, there could be some solid battles. Maybe Contador has a hunger flat on a mountain stage, who knows?
Who knows what will happen, but one thing is for sure, and that is that in about a decade it looks like Contador is gonna have Merckx like grand tour wins.
Quite the race today. Barring some major catastrophe or horrendous flaunting of the unspoken rules, the podium spots have been determined. Contador was the man to beat, and he rode a tour. And however you feel about Lance, you have to give him credit for hanging in for third place.
Awesome race today. I’ve heard people describe places like Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez as the greatest sports stadia in the world and theres definitely something to it. Just a fabulous venue for to watch great sporting endevour.
I was following Wiggins today more than the other riders and he put in a phenomenal effort. Talk about digging in - fuck ing hell that was a gritty performance. Fourth place by 4 seconds, the highest spot by a British rider for 25 years and really out of the blue for Wiggins.
I thought Andy Schleck could have taken it to Alberto today, but he seemed more concerned with keeping his brother in the picture and seeing if they could drop Lance. Alberto almost, sort of, nearly grimaced towards the top, but was otherwise in serene control of the race. Lance also has been exceptional as the Tour went on, looked steely today.
It’s been a great tour IMO. The total lack of GC drama will have turned some off, but the battle for green and seeing Wiggins compete has made it a great race to follow for me. Also seeing Contador assume command will make it an important Tour historically. His first win was in less than ideal circumstances, he’s now stamped his authority on the race and has the talent to dominate in the coming years.
Yeah, good stage today. I kind of wanted to see a full out duel between Andy and Alberto to see what they could do to Ventoux but I understand he wanted to help Frank to a Podium. Contrats to lance grumble grumble for holding third.
Tomorrow? I want Thor to take it even if he has to pull a Theo Bos and pull Cav right off the bike. That guy is starting to annoy me.
You should probably hear this interview with him, in which he apologises for his accusations, sounds incredibly sheepish and outright says he’s embarrassed by what he said. I’ve not been following particularly closely, but he sounded pretty sincere.
I want Thor to win because I get sick of guys who can get points only by sitting in the pack on a flat stage all day, then getting a lead out from a train of some of the world’s best riders, then hitting the front of the peleton at about 4 or 5 discrete moments. Moments measured in seconds over a distance measured in metres, in a race that lasts three weeks and 3500km, and for this they get massive kudos. Yes, I know Thor does this too, but at least he shows more flexibility and endurance in picking up points in a variety of ways, and I think that is more like what should be rewarded in a three week race over a variety of terrain.
I got a good chuckle out of the green jersey drama.
Cav: “The green jersey is tainted!”
Thor: solo breakaway on toughest alpine stage of the tour to pick up 12 points in intermediate sprints
Cav: “…okay, maybe not.”
Will be interesting to see who wins tomorrow’s stage, though Cav’s got to be the favourite. Still, all Thor needs to do to stay in green is not fall off his bike. That’s a pretty decent consolation prize if he can’t manage the stage win. Not a bad debut season for Cervelo Test Team, even if Sastre was a rather disappointing.
I think you could say he won it going away. Once he had the finish line in sight, was there a doubt who would cross the line first? ZOOM!
So ends another tour…the best man won. I always enjoy these three weeks in July, getting up early and having coffee with Phil, Paul, Bob, and the rest of the Versus team. ( But I’m glad I can go back to sleeping in on the weekends.) Let the off-season dramas begin!
I’ve avoided posting to this thread for the past couple of days because nothing good would have come out of my doing so. Thank Og I have plenty of meatspace friends that served as an scape valve or else I might have have self-combusted.
Fitting that they’d play the Danish national anthem while raising Spain’s flag, you’d think they’d get it right after four consecutive victories. I was as puzzled as Alberto at the time for with my apologies to Danes I had no clue to what was being played.
