Tour de France stage 1 *spoilerific*

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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Moray Gub wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Armstrong was fourth of the four potential team leader candidates in Astana. That's not good if he hopes for the rest of the team to support him, especially in a stage that he would have won back in his prime.

    But he is not in his prime now though so who really expected him to win or beat Cancellara and Berte et al ?

    Of course, this is merely the usual speculation, but I'd guess LA was expecting better.
    Beat Cancellara? Probably not
    Match Contador? Possibly so.

    Maybe he thought top 3 or 4.

    I know we are only talking seconds, here, on stage 1, but I'd guess your 10th in the GC finish isn't too far off the mark.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • emadden
    emadden Posts: 2,431
    dennisn wrote:
    Moray Gub wrote:
    emadden wrote:
    Geez... I just heard CONtadope speak for the first time... He sounds exactly like Speedy Gonzales .... hahahaha

    Whats with all the childish name thing youve got going like lancey pansy and bertie contadope ? Id expect that from a primary 5 schoolkid.

    It could be who you're dealing with, although I'd put him at 3. I'd love to meet him. Knowing me I'm sure I'd walk away shaking my head and laughing.

    come on over Dennis... although being American you probably dont know where Switzerland is or have a passport for that matter :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
    **************************************************
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  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Moray Gub wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Armstrong was fourth of the four potential team leader candidates in Astana. That's not good if he hopes for the rest of the team to support him, especially in a stage that he would have won back in his prime.

    But he is not in his prime now though so who really expected him to win or beat Cancellara and Berte et al ?

    Of course, this is merely the usual speculation, but I'd guess LA was expecting better.
    Beat Cancellara? Probably not
    Match Contador? Possibly so.

    Maybe he thought top 3 or 4.

    I know we are only talking seconds, here, on stage 1, but I'd guess your 10th in the GC finish isn't too far off the mark.

    Maybe for public consupmtion he said that but deep down i reckon he would have expected to lose to Cancellara,Bertie,Wiggins maybe even Leipheimer. When i say 10th and thats me being generous to him i just cant see him being a major player in this race cant see him being able to handle the kicks when they come in the mountains. But as andy says its a three week race and lot can change in that time.
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • georgio15
    georgio15 Posts: 77
    why is it that sprinters such as cav, aren't great on time trials? is it not up someone like boonen's alley so to speak?
    i want one: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Cinel ... orus~Eurus)_2009/5360040482/
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    They would be pretty good at short prologues - just not good enough to win on that course so they didn't give it 100%. I think Hushovd has a prologue win ?
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • don key
    don key Posts: 494
    afx237vi wrote:
    Another hour or so until the first rider off the ramp:

    http://sport.ard.de/sp/tour2009/fahrer/ ... te_EZF.jsp

    Tom Boonen apparently has diarrhea. Let's hope it ain't less than fresh eggs to blame :shock:


    What miracle cure did Tom end up using, was it leaked to the press afterwards?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    BrianS wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Note to Brain Smith: Cavendish HAS finished the Giro, stop saying he hasn't

    He was 132nd: http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro0821

    Apologies...you are correct. :D

    No problem - apart from that, I thought you were good - nice to see what you look like (I'm sorry, I can't remember your Pro days).

    It was funny seeing James R insisting that Cav had finished the Giro (and he clearly knew 100% that he had) to be confronted by you and Magnus vigourously shaking your heads
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    andyp wrote:
    Winners today:

    Cancellara
    Contador
    Wiggins
    Evans
    Andy Schleck
    Carlos Sastre

    All of them did as well as or better than expected.

    Losers today:

    Armstrong
    Menchov
    Kirchen

    All of them did worse than expected.

    I'd disagree with Carlos. I thought he was well below what he's capable of. I'd have him in the loser's coloumn
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    georgio15 wrote:
    why is it that sprinters such as cav, aren't great on time trials? is it not up someone like boonen's alley so to speak?

    Cavendish can win a short prologue - as he did in Romandie and Great Britain, but in general the very short burst of high speed needed for a sprint is not the same as the steady endurance needed for a TT of any real distance.

    Hushovd, who isn't quite as fast as a Cav or McEwen, but can take a sprint from a long way out, can win prologues (Tour de France, Catalunya, Paris-Nice), as well as longer ones like the Norwegian TT championships, although I don't know if he has any decent competition up there.
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    What's the consensus on Menchov ? He lost a shed load of time on a relatively short course, I've read that he hasn't raced for a month etc, but for anyone seriously wanting to contend the TdF that was a disasterous start. And contrasts markedly with the Giro.

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