Sella's three days...

donrhummy
donrhummy Posts: 2,329
edited May 2008 in Pro race
Three days ago, Sella was 24:22 back of first (17:23 back of Contador). Then he goes 1st, 1st, and 2nd (which was only 6 seconds from being a 1st). Suddenly, he's sitting only 4:25 back and has a solid chance of being top 10, possibly top 6 (with the Mortirolo stage). WOW.

Comments

  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    Shhhh. Don't tell andrewgturnbull... :wink:
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    18 minutes of which, were lost in a crash.
    That then allowed him to go in his first break and take back 16 minutes on the pink. Visconti was utterly cooked, so no Q Step train.
    As for the second break. LPR had the wrong man in pink, so they weren't going to chase hard, either.
    He is a pure mountain climber. It's not rocket science.

    What do think his confidence was like by Corones?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    pottssteve wrote:
    Shhhh. Don't tell andrewgturnbull... :wink:

    It's ok - I'm having a rest day...
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • ricadus
    ricadus Posts: 2,379
    I was thinking that with the start in Sicily as well as the Manghen/Alpe di Pampeago and Gavia/Mortirolo/Aprica stages this tour was somewhat reminiscent of the 1999 Giro.

    Maybe they will go that bit further and include a scandalous expulsion of a star climber at the end of the week.

    8)
    Tour de France
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    ricadus wrote:
    I was thinking that with the start in Sicily as well as the Manghen/Alpe di Pampeago and Gavia/Mortirolo/Aprica stages this tour was somewhat reminiscent of the 1999 Giro.

    Maybe they will go that bit further and include a scandalous expulsion of a star climber at the end of the week.

    8)

    Hi there.

    Was that for punching a spectator who turned out to be a rival's cousin? Or deliberately switching a rival into the barriers? Cocaine-laced sweeties from a Columbian aunt, or vials of distilled water found in a suitcase?

    I haven't gone back and googled it, but was that the year that Simoni, Casagrande, Frigo et al all got kicked out and Savoldelli won?

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    It was Pantani who got kicked out in 1999, the defending champ
    I like bikes...

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  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    andrewgturnbull wrote:
    ricadus wrote:
    I was thinking that with the start in Sicily as well as the Manghen/Alpe di Pampeago and Gavia/Mortirolo/Aprica stages this tour was somewhat reminiscent of the 1999 Giro.

    Maybe they will go that bit further and include a scandalous expulsion of a star climber at the end of the week.

    8)

    Hi there.

    Was that for punching a spectator who turned out to be a rival's cousin? Or deliberately switching a rival into the barriers? Cocaine-laced sweeties from a Columbian aunt, or vials of distilled water found in a suitcase?

    I haven't gone back and googled it, but was that the year that Simoni, Casagrande, Frigo et al all got kicked out and Savoldelli won?

    Cheers, Andy



    I think that was 2002
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    Good stuff.

    I've always thought that the Italians do their scandals with a little bit more panache and style than the French...

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • flattythehurdler
    flattythehurdler Posts: 2,314
    That'll be the drugs
    Dan
  • Peakraider
    Peakraider Posts: 143
    Perhaps he's been on the tequila every night?

    Does amazing things for you.
  • Slow Downcp
    Slow Downcp Posts: 3,041
    I only wish alcohol was the performance enhancing substance people suggest may have been the reason for their increase in ability.

    I would be leading the field by 7 days and 14 hours by now :wink:
    Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Slow Downcp wrote:
    I only wish alcohol was the performance enhancing substance people suggest may have been the reason for their increase in ability.

    I would be leading the field by 7 days and 14 hours by now :wink:

    have you tried running (or riding) home from the pub? Feels like I run like the wind, no one could catch me :lol::wink:
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Peakraider wrote:
    Perhaps he's been on the tequila every night?

    Does amazing things for you.

    Apparently, there's an ex-pro, used to ride for the "Posties" and "Phonies", who highly recommends beer with Jack Daniels chasers.
    Does wonders for the recovery, after a hard day at the office. :roll:

    Definitely get a following wind, after a few pints. :oops:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    18 minutes of which, were lost in a crash.
    That then allowed him to go in his first break and take back 16 minutes on the pink. Visconti was utterly cooked, so no Q Step train.
    As for the second break. LPR had the wrong man in pink, so they weren't going to chase hard, either.
    He is a pure mountain climber. It's not rocket science.

    What do think his confidence was like by Corones?

    Not saying he didn't have some time situations in his favor to do it but he still had to ride as brilliantly as he did. Even with GC riders not worried about him due to that lost time, it still was far from easy to win two in a row and be only 6 seconds off the third day. Remember, there were other guys trying to win those stages too.
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    The punching a spectator who turned out to be linked to one of your rivals was in 2001. I should know, I was lower down the slopes of that climb up from Lake Garda!
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    GroupOfOne MkII wrote:
    The punching a spectator who turned out to be linked to one of your rivals was in 2001. I should know, I was lower down the slopes of that climb up from Lake Garda!

    Without doing a google was it the Passa Pordoi and was Elli or Selli or something , and wasnt it a relative of Gilberto Simoni ?

    cheers
    MG
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Moray Gub wrote:
    GroupOfOne MkII wrote:
    The punching a spectator who turned out to be linked to one of your rivals was in 2001. I should know, I was lower down the slopes of that climb up from Lake Garda!

    Without doing a google was it the Passa Pordoi and was Elli or Selli or something , and wasnt it a relative of Gilberto Simoni ?

    cheers
    MG

    Nope and yes. 2001, Monte Bondone, Wladimir Belli and Simoni's cousin, I fink. :wink:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • TheHog
    TheHog Posts: 27
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    18 minutes of which, were lost in a crash.
    That then allowed him to go in his first break and take back 16 minutes on the pink. Visconti was utterly cooked, so no Q Step train.

    Yeah and in the process he destroyd the other riders in the break:

    1 Emanuele Sella (Ita) CSF Group Navigare 5.37.14
    2 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit Systems 4.38
    3 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 5.08
    4 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Caisse d'Epargne 7.28
    5 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step 7.59

    He also lost almost no time to the favorites on the final climb.

    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    As for the second break. LPR had the wrong man in pink, so they weren't going to chase hard, either.

    Tell that to the other riders in the break who were all caught. He also did the final climb faster than all the favorites even though he wasted time celebrating.

    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    He is a pure mountain climber. It's not rocket science.

    It is actually, because he is on rocket fuel.

    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    What do think his confidence was like by Corones?

    Yeah sure that's why he almost won the stage :roll:
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    Timoid. wrote:
    andrewgturnbull wrote:
    ricadus wrote:
    I was thinking that with the start in Sicily as well as the Manghen/Alpe di Pampeago and Gavia/Mortirolo/Aprica stages this tour was somewhat reminiscent of the 1999 Giro.

    Maybe they will go that bit further and include a scandalous expulsion of a star climber at the end of the week.

    8)

    Hi there.

    Was that for punching a spectator who turned out to be a rival's cousin? Or deliberately switching a rival into the barriers? Cocaine-laced sweeties from a Columbian aunt, or vials of distilled water found in a suitcase?

    I haven't gone back and googled it, but was that the year that Simoni, Casagrande, Frigo et al all got kicked out and Savoldelli won?

    Cheers, Andy


    It was Belli who punched Simoni's cousin and (I think) Casagrande knocked someone into the barriers.



    I think that was 2002
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Moray Gub wrote:
    GroupOfOne MkII wrote:
    The punching a spectator who turned out to be linked to one of your rivals was in 2001. I should know, I was lower down the slopes of that climb up from Lake Garda!

    Without doing a google was it the Passa Pordoi and was Elli or Selli or something , and wasnt it a relative of Gilberto Simoni ?

    cheers
    MG

    Nope and yes. 2001, Monte Bondone, Wladimir Belli and Simoni's cousin, I fink. :wink:

    Bingo. Was the stage finishing in Arco, won by Freddy Gonzalez, iirc. The climb goes up from Torbole on the side of Lake Garda.
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    TheHog wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    18 minutes of which, were lost in a crash.
    That then allowed him to go in his first break and take back 16 minutes on the pink. Visconti was utterly cooked, so no Q Step train.

    Yeah and in the process he destroyd the other riders in the break:

    1 Emanuele Sella (Ita) CSF Group Navigare 5.37.14
    2 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit Systems 4.38
    3 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 5.08
    4 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Caisse d'Epargne 7.28
    5 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step 7.59

    He also lost almost no time to the favorites on the final climb.

    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    As for the second break. LPR had the wrong man in pink, so they weren't going to chase hard, either.

    Tell that to the other riders in the break who were all caught. He also did the final climb faster than all the favorites even though he wasted time celebrating.

    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    He is a pure mountain climber. It's not rocket science.

    It is actually, because he is on rocket fuel.

    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    What do think his confidence was like by Corones?

    Yeah sure that's why he almost won the stage :roll:

    Well said!

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