*Spoliers* Tour de France talk *Spoilers*

cjcp

Attica wrote:

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

Hushovd weighs 81kg (v Cavendish at 70kg) but can climb in the main group?

I've a feeling (and I'm probably about to get shot down in flames here) that Cav's problem in the mountains is psychological, he can't do well so he won't try type of thing.

He can climb, but he's saving his energy. At the moment, he's forcing Hushovd to work very hard for points.

attica

You're right, I'm fairly sure he can climb, and he'll be less tired for tomorrows flatter stage too! Clever lad.

cjcp

Attica wrote:

You're right, I'm fairly sure he can climb, and he'll be less tired for tomorrows flatter stage too! Clever lad.

He rolled in with teammates around him from the brief glance I had at the TV, so looks like they were helping him conserve more energy.

tailwindhome

Watching LA and AC in todays stage reminded me of this quote from Ali

You have heard of me since you were young. You've been following me since you were a little boy. Now you must meet me, your master

Eau Rouge

Cavendish isn't a climber by any means, but he has improved his climbing since last year (when it was said only half in jest that he couldn't climb a railway bridge) He had to, it was taking him out of sprints he should have been contesting, if not winning.
But 'better' doesn't make him Brad Wiggins. Today, half the field finished in two groups, one 20:21 down, the other 23:44. Thats what a HC climb will do, and that's really where the sprinters should be.
For Hushovd to be with the leaders is very unusual, and thinking about it, a big risk. He got lucky today, it paid off and he's back in green. It worked because the pace can't have been that high, there were over 50 riders in his group in the end. Had any of the GC guys attacked though, and Thor could well have found himself high and wet in no-mand land and spending a lot of energy for nothing at all. Now, maybe he/they knew the GC guys wouldn't attack and he'd have a shot at a top 10 place and it's points, but it seems risky to me.
Lets see if he has any legs for the intermediate sprints or the stage tomorrow. I bet he's looking for a nice big break to get away early and stay there.

cjcp

Yeah, I don't think CTT will chase a break tomorrow.

Great ride from Haussler.

Stone Glider

Thor Hushovd is a great cyclist and a great cyclist. His problem in this race, is that Mark Cavendish is a faster sprinter with a superb team supporting him. Clearly, he has analysed his problem and noted that Cavendish is a young man who has yet to develop the reserves of stamina a career racing at the highest level has provided for him. He is fighting this battle with all the skill and ability he has available.

That is why this is the interesting contest of the Tour. The KoM is a bunfight in comparison and the Yellow Jersey will be collected by Senor Contador when he chooses.

Great Stage in terrible weather,

cjcp

Some people are just not right in the head.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/freire- ... tour-stage

jonginge

As said above, I think Hushovd took a punt yesterday that the pace wouldn't go ballistic on the last 1st cat climb. He may pay for it in the coming days. Also think that Haussler's initial mission was to mop up the intermediate sprint points so that Cav didn't extend his lead there. Great ride in the end, was pretty certain it was going to be Chava's day but he blew big stylee. Made up for Haussler's near misses in the big races in the spring.

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

Some people are just not right in the head.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/freire- ... tour-stage

Boggling :shock:

attica

I hope you mean the geezer with the shooter!

Finishing a stage with a lead pellet in your leg, that's nails that is, proper MTFUing.

tailwindhome

Question :?:


How would a top amateur rider fair in a stage of the Tour, could they be carried along in the peleton and survive the day or dropped early? What about in the hills?

Obviously I mean a top club rider, not a fat boy on a bike like me

Eau Rouge

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

Question :?:


How would a top amateur rider fair in a stage of the Tour, could they be carried along in the peloton and survive the day or dropped early? What about in the hills?

Obviously I mean a top club rider, not a fat boy on a bike like me

You'll have to define what sort of rider you mean. "Top amateurs" race in Europe and are all looking for Pro contracts in the next year or so. Many club riders are Cat 2 or better racers, and could stick with the Peleton, but probably not get into a break, and wouldn't be able for 3 weeks of it.
If you've not raced before, you're doing well just to stick with the main group in a Cat3/4 race over 20 miles.

I got to watch todays stage, a rarity. A classic break, big enough to hold off the peleton (so if Astana are going to sit on the front of the peleton anyway, why are they 'cleverly' avoiding taking over yellow...) Some good relay attacking on that hill, and then Ivanov flying off to the line with nobody able to catch him. I was happy to see Roche come second, even if he did get to sit at the back all the way in.
Columbia, trying to both set Cav up and slow the peleton down was bizarre. It must be the slowest group sprint ever, but a point gained for Cav non-the-less. Wierd as it was, even without Hincapie there, the Columbia machine was still well oiled and running. Thats a team that knows what they are doing. Hincapie will be chasing those 5 seconds in his mind for a while though.

fungus_the_muffin_man

Cav's not been given any points today due to an infringement in the sprint in against Hushovd :shock: he's now 18 pts behind

greg66_tri_v2.0

What a clusterfcuk for Columbia. Missed yellow partly through their own chasing, didn't recover green, THEN had Cav penalised, AND now have a severely hacked off Hincapoe on the team.

cjcp

He seemed annoyed (putting it lightly) at Astana and Garmin though.

The Columbia lead out looked less than slick for once. To my uneducated eyes, why did Cavendish just put the hammer down? He seemed to hesitate. Thought Hushovd's reaction in his post-race interview - despite the smile - was slightly melodramatic. Second day in a row he's had a pop at somebody on the finishing line. Two flat stages to go and it's advantage Hushovd.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Predictions for today (Sunday, to Verbier)?

I think it will be less exciting that expected. I don't see Astana attacking (although AC doing another unscripted attack is possible). Astana know that they can pluck yellow off whoever's shoulders in the ITT and/or at Ventoux. If they take it now, they have to defend it for a week, which is an unnecessary waste of energy (case in point: if AC's tantrum ttack had put him in yellow, Astana would have spent all of the last week defending - not good for them in the long run).

Schleck, Evans and Sastre may make some moves, but I suspect they'll be marked by Astana rather than counterattacked.

Wiggins - via Garmin's ahole tactics yesterday - has vicariously picked up some bad karma. Whether today or later, they'll be payback for him. For me, his best tactic today is to hang on and not go on the attack.

WIldcard pick: Astana may let Kloden go at 1 km - if he can makea clean break - to allow him to pull back some time. Makes their goal of a clean sweep of the podium a little more assured.

Now watch the predictions prove to be wrong...!

cjcp

Astana will put Zubeldia and Popvych on the front again to try to control things, but A. Schleck to attack,perhaps assisted by Frank. They finish on a 1st Cat climb, so it's got to be worth a shot to see who's feeling good going into the the third week. If he takes a minute out of the other GC contenders today, that will put more pressure on Astana next week, and, if there is any split in the Astana ranks, the other GC contenders have to try to exploit it. Leaving it until the end of next week is too risky.

Evans has to try something too.

Agreed about Wiggins. He should save himself for Ventoux and the ITT.

tailwindhome

Difficult day in the WMC household, kids going nuts, final round of the Open and a Mountain top finish in the tour.

My popularity will be at an all time low come tea time.


For those not watching, Tom Watson, a 59 year old vetran and 5 time previous champion is currently leading the Open, 26 years after his last major win. What a story if he wins!



As for the Tour I don't care who does it, please just somebody attack!

cjcp

Lock the kids outside.

attica

Boonen had a rough night then, shame he wasn't in the sort of form to play with the big boys, a 3 way fight for green would have been good.

Still he can put his feet up now and stop worrying about those dangerous white lines (in the wet)

DonDaddyD

WOW!!!!

I got the final 3km of today's stage (Sunday) and all hell broke loose. Contador is amazing! Felt kinda sorry for Lance but he is in a team with a better climber (rider). Don't understand why Armstrong had a guy helping to pace him when everyone ended up riding off.

Still, whether you like or dislike Armstrong, whether you believe the reason he gave for coming back, he is still second in the Tour and that's brilliant even before you consider his age and the fact that he retired 3.5yrs ago.

It's been twice now that Contador has ridden off solo, given that no one can catch him during the races its not a problem but how willl those tactics play out in the team dynamics?

Proud of Wiggins, was wondering why he didn't have a team mate to support/pace him or if he has any and if so would the protection aid him?

I've missed Friday and Saturday on the tour, what happened?

Please answer.

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

I've missed Friday and Saturday on the tour, what happened?

Please answer.

Nothing, a 165 riders did a 2 day sportive.

Cav DQ on yesterdays stage cost him the Green Jersey.


See news pages on Bike Radar home page for detail.

See Road forum for gossip, speculation and bitchiness of the very highest calibre

attica

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I've missed Friday and Saturday on the tour, what happened?

Please answer.

Nothing, a 165 riders did a 2 day sportive.

Cav DQ on yesterdays stage cost him the Green Jersey.


See news pages on Bike Radar home page for detail.

See Road forum for gossip, speculation and bitchiness of the very highest calibre

You forgot to mention van Hummel's spirited defense of the Lanterne Rouge

biondino

A complete non-sequitur, but has anyone ever seen golfing legend Tom Watson and Greg 66 in the same room?

cjcp

DonDaddyD wrote:

Proud of Wiggins, was wondering why he didn't have a team mate to support/pace him or if he has any and if so would the protection aid him?

Millar peeled off at the foot of the climb and Vande Velde couldn't keep pace with Wiggins's group. In other words, there was no one in Wiggins's team who fast enough to keep up with him to help him.

That was brilliant by Wiggins. 8) If he's on the podium in Paris, arise Sir Bradley of Wiggins bearing in mind his Olympic success too? (I make no comments on the Honours system itself.)

I don't think Schleck showed today that he has enough to take time (let along enough time) out of Contador on the remaining mountain stages.

Sooo, I think there's a real battle for 2nd and 3rd now. Wiggins can take time out of LA on both the remaining mountain stages and the ITT, but Schleck too 23 secs out of Wiggins today and is now only 40 secs behind Wiggo. However, Wiggo should spank him in the ITT.

Stone Glider

I note that Senor Contador has decided to take charge of his TdF. It is nice to be right

attica

cjcp wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Proud of Wiggins, was wondering why he didn't have a team mate to support/pace him or if he has any and if so would the protection aid him?

Millar peeled off at the foot of the climb and Vande Velde couldn't keep pace with Wiggins's group. In other words, there was no one in Wiggins's team who fast enough to keep up with him to help him.

That was brilliant by Wiggins. 8) If he's on the podium in Paris, arise Sir Bradley of Wiggins bearing in mind his Olympic success too? (I make no comments on the Honours system itself.)

I don't think Schleck showed today that he has enough to take time (let along enough time) out of Contador on the remaining mountain stages.

Sooo, I think there's a real battle for 2nd and 3rd now. Wiggins can take time out of LA on both the remaining mountain stages and the ITT, but Schleck too 23 secs out of Wiggins today and is now only 40 secs behind Wiggo. However, Wiggo should spank him in the ITT.

I quite agree, Wiggins to beat Lance isn't unfeasible and Schleck is probably going to be close to Brad too and <cynical mode> we haven't had the obligatory big name doper yet this year, if Bertie gets caught (a possibility but I'm in no way suggesting that he IS doping) then Brad and AS could be slugging it out with (a reinvigorated if he then becomes the defacto team leader) Lance for a very closely fought podium, no telling which step any of them would be on, the stuff of fantasy today I know but, what if?

cjcp

I don't think LA will finish on the podium. I think his age showed today. He was being towed by Kloden and even Kloden dropped him. I think there's a chance that Kloden and even Sastre will now finish ahead of him on GC.

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

I don't think LA will finish on the podium. I think his age showed today. He was being towed by Kloden and even Kloden dropped him. I think there's a chance that Kloden and even Sastre will now finish ahead of him on GC.

LA was certainly toiling, no doubt. Think it may be then end of the road for him, and to be fair he admitted as much for this Tour in his post-race interview. If he's really coming back in 2010, it would (on the performance so far, set against the standard that's being set) be as a super-domestique.

Interesting to see Sastre get shelled by the pace at the bottom, then settle into his rhythm and reel all but five riders back in. He doesn't have explosive acceleration any more, but he can tap out a pretty hot consistent pace up a hill. Much like he did on the Alpe last year, I guess.

Wiggins. What a revelation. He should be able to ride cannily to a podium place in Paris. I get the sense from his post-race interviews that he's walking on such a lot of new ground at the moment that he's not really sure what he's capable of, and so (naturally enough) he's riding a bit conservatively. Be fascinating to see him really give it some gas on a climb and see what happens.

So much for this morning's prediction... :roll: