"Im no quitter"

vinocough

Alexandre Vinokourov said on eurosport this morning he won't quit.Despite the awful rumours about him you can't help but admire his courage,no doubt some will knock him,but would you get up off the floor and continue like he has.
nil ilegitimous desperandum

Bronzie

You can't knock his persistence.............the puss oozing through his dressings yesterday was shocking............whether it would be better for his long term health fo him to retire from this Tour and focus on the Vuelta again is debateable. But then given the current doping climate, do any of the riders really consider their long term health?

I wouldn't put it past him to put in a crazy attack in the Pyrenees if he can get himself together in time, but I think he has no chance of winning this Tour.

Mr Bumble

I think Vino is secretly hoping that he can pull off what Landis did last year:

Appear to fade out of all hope of competetion and then in one valiant attack reconquer the glory....

only I think he is going to need a bit more than testostrone to succeed...

i

alanmcn1

I reckon he is still holding out hope of a kamikaze stage win in the pyrenees, but he has no chance of winning. He'd probably retire if he wasn't carrying an entire nations hopes on his shoulders (something he has kinda brought on himself to be honest)

ricadus

Based on his disappointing climbing performance during the Duaphine Libere, he had little chance of winning the tour to start with; a stage win (or two) would salvage something. Remember his last gasp win on the Champs-Elysees, holding off the sprinters?

His pic, for me at least, wins best tour photo so far anyway:
http://tinyurl.com/3xpwty
It says everything about his situation - the media pressure, the injuries, his despair.

SteveR_100Milers

alanmcn1 wrote:

I reckon he is still holding out hope of a kamikaze stage win in the pyrenees, but he has no chance of winning. He'd probably retire if he wasn't carrying an entire nations hopes on his shoulders (something he has kinda brought on himself to be honest)

<insert> Industry <insert>

alanmcn1

Very true, my mistake

Moose11

I was never a big fan of Vino's before the tour, not really sure why but I just didn't really like the guy but his guts and willingness to fight on through more than many would put up with on a 3 day tour never mind a 3 week tour has definately won my admiration.

jimmythecuckoo

I hope he gets to the finish cleanly as I have much admiration for his ride so far.

alanmcn1

am with previous post, i don't have much time for the man, and never really fancied him. Kloeden is a better all round rider

aba2005

He shouldn't be racing really. He is probably doing himself more damage hopefully it is not long term damage. He is needing the race doctor everyday, IMO he should probably cut his losses.

Fixed.

squired

The problem with Vino is that a few years ago he was winning all sorts, and then he did well in the Tour. Then he changed his strategy to doing very little in other races and concentrating on the Tour. Of course injury and other problems have affected his participation in the Tour. This season is probably one of his last chances, and given the fact he has effectively ignored all other races I'd imagine he is desperate to do something special.

In fact, I think Vino is a great example of the problem with the GC guys. They could do well in other races, but save everything for the Tour. Look at Leipheimer. Last year he was flying in the Dauphine and when he was poor in the Tour people said he was on form too early. This year he was poor in the Dauphine, as he was focused on the Tour. Of course he has come to the big race and done nothing. At least he had a few good results last year...

vinocough

aba2005 wrote:

He shouldn't be racing really. He is probably doing himself more damage hopefully it is long term damage. He is needing the race doctor everyday, IMO he should probably cut his losses.

That is disgusting what you have said.Your hoping he has done long term damage.I hope it happens to you one day.Your a sick person. :twisted: :evil: :twisted:

shazzz

vinocough wrote:

aba2005 wrote:

He shouldn't be racing really. He is probably doing himself more damage hopefully it is long term damage. He is needing the race doctor everyday, IMO he should probably cut his losses.

That is disgusting what you have said.Your hoping he has done long term damage.I hope it happens to you one day.Your a sick person. :twisted: :evil: :twisted:

I suspect (hope) that the op missed out the word 'not' by mistake......

aba2005

vinocough wrote:

aba2005 wrote:

He shouldn't be racing really. He is probably doing himself more damage hopefully it is long term damage. He is needing the race doctor everyday, IMO he should probably cut his losses.

That is disgusting what you have said.Your hoping he has done long term damage.I hope it happens to you one day.Your a sick person. :twisted: :evil: :twisted:

LMAO! Calm down! It was a typo! I'm a Vino fan, but I guess you're his brother!

jimmythecuckoo

Lol, I hope he is ok, but I still dont like him.

weyayeman

Like him or Loathe him he's getting stronger and could still have a big say in this tour,as he can time trial with the best of them on saturday(3rd in worlds)

Bronzie

Bronzie wrote:

I wouldn't put it past him to put in a crazy attack in the Pyrenees

Sorry - that should have read "on stage 11 - yes, that stage 11, the pan flat one in a howling crosswind".

He even tried to chip off the front in the final 2km - chapeau!

Fireworks in the mountains next week?

ricadus

Perhaps tomorrow after that 1st cat climb 50 km from the end, as the last thing the climbing specialists would want is another hard day's riding ahead of an ITT.

aarw

Moose11 wrote:

I was never a big fan of Vino's before the tour, not really sure why but I just didn't really like the guy but his guts and willingness to fight on through more than many would put up with on a 3 day tour never mind a 3 week tour has definately won my admiration.

Portaferry?? :roll:

well pissed i can't be there...

Moose11

aarw wrote:

Moose11 wrote:

I was never a big fan of Vino's before the tour, not really sure why but I just didn't really like the guy but his guts and willingness to fight on through more than many would put up with on a 3 day tour never mind a 3 week tour has definately won my admiration.

Portaferry?? :roll:

well pissed i can't be there...

Heading down to watch this evening.

sing_for_absolution

He was absolutely flying yesterday. Contributing when his team broke the peloton up. That attack towards the end as well. That blood he had transfused during the Dauphine's been put back in, or Testosterone? Damn Astana.

aba2005

sing_for_absolution wrote:

He was absolutely flying yesterday. Contributing when his team broke the peloton up. That attack towards the end as well. That blood he had transfused during the Dauphine's been put back in, or Testosterone? Damn Astana.

:evil:

SteveR_100Milers

sing_for_absolution wrote:

He was absolutely flying yesterday. Contributing when his team broke the peloton up. That attack towards the end as well. That blood he had transfused during the Dauphine's been put back in, or Testosterone? Damn Astana.

There are times when its obvious when everyone is thinking the same thing it doesnt need saying...

mac220

I don't think he is going that well, yesterday when the astana team were hammering it on the front it was vino that stopped it by making a cutting gesture to the team. I think he was on the edge of blowing. His little dig at the end wasn't that impressive. If he's done what Cancerella did and won the stage then fair play.

There's no way he's going to make up 5 mins on Kloden, Kloden can out TT him, out climb him and should have been the team leader from the start. Lets not forget of all the riders Kloden is the only one in the race to have come 2nd in the tour, 2004, and 3rd last year.

Vino just doesn't have consistency in the high mountains, and with the type of crash he's sustained he would need a miracle. I think it was Michelle Farrari who said a crash can easily lose you 10% to 15%, with the kind of work his body is having to do to recovery from the riding, fix his wound he's asking for too much.

Certainly i wish him all the best, but sadly i can't see him finishing anywhere near the podium.

Regards,

iainf72

mac220 wrote:

I don't think he is going that well, yesterday when the astana team were hammering it on the front it was vino that stopped it by making a cutting gesture to the team. I think he was on the edge of blowing. His little dig at the end wasn't that impressive. If he's done what Cancerella did and won the stage then fair play.

He told them to stop riding because no one else was helping. Notice as soon as Astana stopped other teams decided to commit.

And anyone who gets off the front of the peloton in full flight near the end is impressive in my book.

sing_for_absolution

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

sing_for_absolution wrote:

He was absolutely flying yesterday. Contributing when his team broke the peloton up. That attack towards the end as well. That blood he had transfused during the Dauphine's been put back in, or Testosterone? Damn Astana.

There are times when its obvious when everyone is thinking the same thing it doesnt need saying...

Yeah don't I know it now! :oops:

mac220

iainf72 wrote:

mac220 wrote:

I don't think he is going that well, yesterday when the astana team were hammering it on the front it was vino that stopped it by making a cutting gesture to the team. I think he was on the edge of blowing. His little dig at the end wasn't that impressive. If he's done what Cancerella did and won the stage then fair play.

He told them to stop riding because no one else was helping. Notice as soon as Astana stopped other teams decided to commit.

And anyone who gets off the front of the peloton in full flight near the end is impressive in my book.

But is it impressive enough to make the time back and be a contender for the tour, which is what I'm wondering about. Certainly i couldn't ride of the front of the tour peleton wouldn't even be able to keep up to ride of the back :-) , but he's supposed to be the top dog within the tour, if he can't do that then who can.

Bronzie

iainf72 wrote:

He told them to stop riding because no one else was helping.

He told them to stop because the only GC contender to get caught out was Moreau................and he was already done for, 3 minutes down and not coming back.

If any of the other big names had been caught out, Astana would have TTT'd the last 60km to the finish.

mac220

I was never very good at reading races, :oops: What you say makes sense.

Bronzie

mac220 wrote:

but he's supposed to be the top dog within the tour, if he can't do that then who can.

There are a very few who can ride off the front of the bunch on a flat run in..............Vino actually did this on the final stage (2 years ago?) in Paris............jumped off the front with about 1km to go and stayed away to win. Almost unheard of on such a prestigous stage (certainly I can't remember anyone else doing it).

A few riders attempted a last gasp break in the Giro this year, but can't think of any that have tried at the Tour this year..............Cancellara kind of did it I suppose, but the run in there was hardly the most straightforward.

Ekimov used to try it with some regularity, but I can't remember if he ever won a stage this way.