Giro stage 4 *spolier*

thebongolian
thebongolian Posts: 333
edited May 2009 in Pro race
So there's a break in it with Jens Voigt (hurrah!), Stannard and a few others.

Does Voight have a chance of staying away? He's been OK in the mountains in the Deutschland Tour?

More importantly, he's getting on a bit, any candidates to be the next hardman, breakaway king of the peloton?
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Comments

  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Jens Voigt is in the break of 6 riders including Brit Ian Stannard (ISD) and now have 6 minutes.

    stannard-isd.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Jens Voigt is unique I think yet I would put Boasson Hagen as a potential as he is looking very promising and has a huge engine for his age.

    350boasson.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    7.03 at 53km.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    I wonder how much Eurosport gets for showing those Columbia infomercials before each stage?
  • NervexProf
    NervexProf Posts: 4,202
    Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom
  • ju5t1n
    ju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    Did Harmon just say "welcome to stage 4 of the Tour de France"? or did I imagine it?
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    PMSL... Jens is really happy with his mini Mars bars!
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    afx237vi wrote:
    PMSL... Jens is really happy with his mini Mars bars!

    untitled.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    ^ Class :lol: Mrs Voigt must have prepared the musettes today.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Apparently he races grand tours 'to rest' given he has five kids at home!
    Contador is the Greatest
  • nolf
    nolf Posts: 1,287
    Jens is such an awesome guy. I think the only guy who can compare is Dave Zabriskie when it comes to pesonality.

    Hope he can grab a stage win today.
    "I hold it true, what'er befall;
    I feel it, when I sorrow most;
    'Tis better to have loved and lost;
    Than never to have loved at all."

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  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Just curious, how many people know Voigt or do you base your views on him based on his riding style or soundbites? (sorry if I'm doing a Dennis!)
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Kléber wrote:
    Just curious, how many people know Voigt or do you base your views on him based on his riding style or soundbites? (sorry if I'm doing a Dennis!)

    Kleber, i'm basing my affection for Jens on his mental riding style, his public persona gleaned from overcoming, various interviews ("I'm gameboy world champion" "Aussies taught me to swear" etc) and the testimony of other riders.

    Recall teh story of Millar and McEwan riding in crappy weather in last years Tour saying they were both having a miserable time, Millar says "I don't think anybody looks forward to days like this" then them both saying in unison "Except Jens".
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Petacchi leads the peloton up the hardest slope of the day? :?
    They are going so slowly, that he's still hanging, just off the back.

    If it were me, I'd want to make it hard all the way up.
    Let lance ride at this pace and it's just a nice little training ride.
    They could live to regret this inactivity.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Kléber wrote:
    Just curious, how many people know Voigt or do you base your views on him based on his riding style or soundbites? (sorry if I'm doing a Dennis!)

    It's possible to form an opinion of someone without actually meeting them. Surely the whole point of being a fan (of anything) is devour information about that thing and form opinions based on it? We read stuff about Voigt and watch him on TV and like what we see. What's the point of following cycling if you don't form opinions on it?
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Is that di Luca way back?
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  • agnello
    agnello Posts: 239
    steep little hill the Croce. Did it at the end of the GF Campagnolo a couple of years ago
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  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Kléber wrote:
    Just curious, how many people know Voigt

    99.8% of cycling fans do not know a pro rider per se and can base their opinions on Voigt on the same things they base their opinion on all other riders. The 'things' are obvious for the most part.

    But you only need to see the 2008 Tour of Poland to understand why he is unique.

    bettiniphoto_0030262_1_full.jpg

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/se ... /poland086
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  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    calvjones wrote:
    Is that di Luca way back?

    Mechanical
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  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Let lance ride at this pace and it's just a nice little training ride.

    Not so sure about that, he only just scraped in with the front group yesterday -- at the back of it actually -- though maybe he'd also had to chase hard after the crash yesterday.

    If the speed goes up right at the start of the final climb and the peloton begins shatter we'll get a better idea of his fitness.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Did I just see Jens getting a Twix as well?! The man's a chocoholic.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    8km to go and Popo goes all the way from the front to the back and fetches Leipheimer up front, leaving Armstrong towards the back...
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Is Gibo going to put away the Werthers Originals and attack up to De Bonis?
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Soler! He's alive!
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Soler flare!
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    How comfortable does Lovkvist look? Dark horse, that one.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Bit piano. 2km to go and on the final climb there's only been one attack from Soler and that was it.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Soler! He's alive!

    Graze on his cheek and bandage on his knee, but yeah, definitely alive.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Armstrong, legs weak.
  • cullen_bay
    cullen_bay Posts: 256
    DI LUCA!!