Wheelsucking to victory

elvis6093

If the aussie troll taints this great race by winning in paris, will he be the first to do it having never won a stage ?

ricadus

No, at least one – Lemond – did that before.

afx237vi

Firmin Lambot (1922)
Roger Walkowiak (1956)
Gastone Nencini (1960)
Lucien Aimar (1966)
Greg Lemond (1990)

And of course Oscar Pereiro won the Tour without winning a stage or standing on the podium in Paris. He did at least wear the yellow jersey for a day or two, gotta give him that.

It will have to be a first if Contador does in the Giro, Evans does it in the Tour then someone (Menchov possibly - he's worse than Evans) does it in the Vuelta too.

FixUpLookSharp

We need some insane Desgrange-ian "innovations" to kill the defensive riding trend.

RichN95.

FixUpLookSharp wrote:

We need some insane Desgrange-ian "innovations" to kill the defensive riding trend.

Yeah, why don't they let them all dope up as much as they like and the attacking days of Pantini may return.

I'd rather a wheelsucker won than a doper. Besides, he'll win the final time trial and Indurain only ever won time trials.

elvis6093

yes id forgotten about lemond. i thought that cadel had never one a stage but a quick look at wikipedia shows that he was upgraded to winner of the time trial last year (stage 13) after vino and his transfusion. Interestingly vino's entry states that his doping ban was for one year and would allow him to enter the 2008 olympics - i wonder if he will

FixUpLookSharp

RichN95 wrote:

Yeah, why don't they let them all dope up as much as they like and the attacking days of Pantini may return.

I'd rather a wheelsucker won than a doper. Besides, he'll win the final time trial and Indurain only ever won time trials.

You really think that's the choice? It's either horribly boring defensive riding, or people coked up to their eyeballs?

feersumendjinn

The overall gc has become more a mind game & calculation thing then a one win in the Alps, one win in a TT kinda thing this year, it doesn't make for great TV but it is interesting.
And the race outside of the gc contenders has been entertaining enough, can't remember the last time each stage winner was so hard to predict

thamacdaddy

Funny this one because really he is riding his game at his pace. he is the guy they need to beat and none of the other GC contenders bar the Schleck CSC attack has really tried to do anything to beat him yet.

You can have a go all you want but unless someone puts the pressure on why should he completely kill himself just to provide you with a stage win. I am sure if he has too then you will see him fight for it. So far in my book the guy has rode a good race and will be interesting how he now deals with being in the yellow and defending his GC position. Given there are still a lot of crucial stages left I think its a bit premature to say "no stage wins" etc etc.

If he went all out on a stage where he didn't need too killed himself in self distruction and then a few days later lost because of it you would call him foolish so he can't win.

Yeah its great to get an amazing performance but as in boxing it takes a great match up to make a great win. So unless the others put some pressure on to actually make it a race then its a bit unjustified to criticise that way.

RichN95.

Well Evans got his wheel sucking reputation for following the wheels of Basso, Landis, Rasmussen and Vinokourov - so just hanging in there was an achievement if, as I believe, he is clean.

I didn't see much wheelsucking from him on stage 10 when he lead Menchov, Sastre, Ricco and Vandevelde up Hautacam, even attacking at one stage despite being injured - a pretty gutsy ride I thought.

But some people seem to want him to ride Saunier Duval off his wheel.

wicked

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikzgWE3t0A

Don't like the man at all but I do think that the tour NEEDS him to win this year. At least there will not be any doping revelations about this years winner if he does indeed win it. I hope!

daver1

I thought he started to show what he can do if he has to on Stage 10. He responded to all the attacks that he needed to worry about and then with practically no help help except for Menchov he dragged himself into the yellow jersey. He's never going to impose himself on the race in the same way as Armstrong, Indurain etc as he doesn't have that type of personality but I think that there will be a few more stages where he's not going to be able to follow others. Having said that I'm not sure if I can cope with him winning as living in Australia I have to put up with one-eyed Aussie press. Roll on the Olympics where they will only show events that they think the Aussies have a chance of winning so I should get to see them being beaten in the final on numerous occasions.

yakk

A pity that no-one besides Shleck (and CSC) was prepared to (or could) force the issue of yellow. Even Evans could have tried something to get a more deserving Yellow jersey by maybe even increased his lead. Especially when the stage was followed by a rest day! Stage 11 was disappointing as there was no contest for the Yellow, even when followed by 3 flat stages. It almost looked like there was agreement between everyone to suspend that contest till the Alps.
There's nothing wrong with what Evans is doing, but it makes for bloody boring viewing. And where's the style? At least if Shleck was in yellow I for one would be saying he would be more deserving of it because he put himself out for it and made the effort.
Here's hoping for more exciting viewing.

Yak

Kléber

Yakk, do you think they guys were riding up Hautacam and admiring the views? Pretty much every rider was on the limit, unable to do more. We saw several times where Evans slowed, others too, unable to match the pace in the group. The whole point of there being few attacks was because the pace was so high that few could leave.

Don't forget too that on the previous climb, several race favourites saw their dreams turn to a nightmare, the likes of Valverde, Pereiro and Cunego were blown away.

Of course I'd love to see some Anquetil-Poulidor duel between Evans and Schleck but the final acceleration from Evans meant he took the yellow jersey by one second. We're halfway through the race and the lead is just one second. What more do you want?

discurio

Kléber wrote:

We're halfway through the race and the lead is just one second. What more do you want?

i agree! some people can never be pleased. if he led by 10 mins and the rest of the tour looked like it was going to be a procession to paris they would still be complaining. just enjoy it ffs. he's paid to win not entertrain you. go watch wrestling

blazing_saddles

Evans, Menchov and Sastre all attacked-once. Schleck was further back in the GC, so there was hestitation when he attacked and he got away.
If you noticed, after the previous day, Ricco got marked out, too. Now Schleck will find it hard to get off the leash.

Also, Evans intimated he was close to breaking point, on several occasions during the day.
Only Menchov muttered something about it being too easy: Kidology?

It would be foolish to make you big effort in the first, serious mountain stage of a Tour. Only Lance made that a trademark and he was never shy in the self-belief department.

The only way to make some of these mountain stages more attacking, is to somehow hold a couple back, until after the final ITT. Unfortunately, the Tour isn't blessed with topography like the Giro, so it's hard to see how it could be done.

yakk

Yeah, I know, and very fair points. Been watching some old tours recently and seen Hinault do his thing. Maybe the contenders are all too close in performance these days?

Regarding doing something bigger on the Hautocam stage, what with the rest day after it would have been worthwhile putting in the effort as you'd have yellow for at least 2 days inc the rest day. And then possibly for the next 3 flat stages too. A lot to play for.

So maybe I'm unreasonable in expecting more, but Schleck thought it was worthwhile, why didn't anyone else?

Yak

muggomagic

I think it's been a very enjoyable tour so far. It's the first tour for many many years that there has been some british interest. Seeing Cavendish win 2 stages so far, he has to be a future green jersey contender. Saunier Duval and CSC will have alot more effect over this tour before Paris. If Ricco or Schlek stand a chance of winning they will need to be a good minute or 2 in front before the TT, and I can't see Evans letting that happen. Really Menchov is in my opinion the only real contender left.

It's down to the other to attack now that Evans is in yellow.

Bugly

elvis6093 wrote:

If the aussie troll taints this great race by winning in paris, will he be the first to do it having never won a stage ?

Hardly call the ride in stage 10 wheelsucking - speaking of which wonder how many of his critiques could suck on his wheel for a few clicks.. You clowns are full of it :roll:

Moomaloid

I hope Cadel romps home!! He clearly wants it more than anyone else, and totally deserves it!

Earthbound

RichN95 wrote:

Well Evans got his wheel sucking reputation for following the wheels of Basso, Landis, Rasmussen and Vinokourov - so just hanging in there was an achievement if, as I believe, he is clean.

I didn't see much wheelsucking from him on stage 10 when he lead Menchov, Sastre, Ricco and Vandevelde up Hautacam, even attacking at one stage despite being injured - a pretty gutsy ride I thought.

But some people seem to want him to ride Saunier Duval off his wheel.

On stage 10 his 'attack' lasted seconds and he was forced into it cos Schleck moved into yellow on the road. The 'attack' was useless and didn't put him back in yellow. The others in the Menchov group slowly upped their pace, reeled in Evans and then carried him to the line.

Winners should actually DO SOMETHING to deserve it. Not simply 'not do anything to rule them out'

He is taking the whole Armstrong thing one step further - win the tour by whatever tactic is efficient and totally ignore the rest of the cycling calendar

SteveR_100Milers

+1
Evans Schleck and Vandevelde are easily the most interesting riders so far. Though the polictics of follow-who-is-my-leader in caisee d'epargne is an interesting sideshow. Now you know just how hard it is Alejandro when you got to do it *unaided*

knedlicky

Kléber wrote:

Yakk, do you think they guys were riding up Hautacam and admiring the views? Pretty much every rider was on the limit, unable to do more.

Don't forget too that on the previous climb, several race favourites saw their dreams turn to a nightmare, the likes of Valverde, Pereiro and Cunego were blown away.

I think 'not prepared to do more' rather than 'unable to do more' often applies, on this stage to Menchow and Sastre (though maybe the latter had an excuse with Schleck up front). Too often the last decade-plus, top riders haven’t been prepared to take a gamble for fear it going pear-shaped.

Pereiro was probably only a loser because he had to stay with Valverde when he could have actually kept up with the leaders.

knedlicky

Blazing Saddles wrote:

The only way to make some of these mountain stages more attacking, is to somehow hold a couple back, until after the final ITT. Unfortunately, the Tour isn't blessed with topography like the Giro, so it's hard to see how it could be done.

I don't know why they don't try some short mountain stages. I seem to remember when odd stages in different tours have had to be shortened because of bad weather in the mountains (in recent years, I think once in the TdF, and a couple of times in both the Tour de Suisse and the Giro), the stages have been livelier - perhaps because the climbers haven't had to ride 100 km beforehand, perhaps because no team was able to control a stage which started right into a climb, perhaps because the climbers realised with less climbing in the stage, it had to be now or never.

They could have started the Pyrennees stages at the foot of the Peyresourde and the foot of the Tourmalet respectively. The same with what's to come - start the Alpe d'Huez stage in the Maurienne valley and forget the Galibier. Maybe occasionally, even forget all but the last climb, so on the Restefond/Bonnette day, skip the Col de Lombarde and start a bit farther down the valley from Isola. Or start an Alpe d'Huez stage from the flat land west of Grenoble, like Romans, so it's the only climb.

To compensate for shorter mountain stages, they could add another one to the Tour.