Tour De France stage 3
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Listening to it on French radio - feed cut out during last km (conspiracy :evil: ) but when I rejoined they were audibly shocked at having to announce Armstrong in 3rd for the GC.
Gallic eyebrows working overtime.0 -
How did the other teams get caught out like that? The forecast of cross winds was well-known i thought? Disappointed that Wiggins wasnt in the front group as he was really focussing on the chance of yellow tomorrow. I know its not that easy but even so.0
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Pokerface wrote:And don't forget that Astana still have to beat High Road in the TTT to take yellow. High Road may be 'tired' from being on the front the last 2 days - but they also won the TTT at the Giro - so don't count them out just yet.
They also have to beat CSC by 40 seconds0 -
Were there any gc riders in the front group?Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0
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All that effort and Armstrong is only 19 seconds ahead of Contador, the break did little for Lance, but will have hurt team relations.You live and learn. At any rate, you live0
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There is still a slim chance that Wiggins could be in Yellow after tomorrow. That would be lovely!
When Cav crossed the line doing his victory phoning which was clearly for the HTC phone manuf. sponsors Harmon et al completely missed the point of the gesture..0 -
Just Armstrong (if you count him).<a><img></a>0
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It happened late in the stage, most had given up on the wind and splits. Indeed Vaughters had just twittered "No real wind today. So, I guess its going to be a full peloton sprint. We need to be ready for a few more sprinters in the mix today."
Then the bunch went through a strange junction where half the bunch were forced to take a longer route around, Cancellara and a few others actually hopped over the islands to get to the front. It was here that it happened.0 -
afx237vi wrote:Rich.H wrote:Help me out?
Lance made the selction - what is he supposed to do, sit up?
It's not that. It's the fact that Popo and Zubeldia were working hard at the pacemaking, and Lance was calling for a bigger effort, when their supposed team leader is stuck in the second group.
Astana had no intention of winning the stage. Their only objective was to take time from Contador.
To be honest, it's not as bad as that. From an Astana perspective it's better to have more of your own contenders high up the classement. And they were takling time from all other GC contenders too.
Now, if there would be any serious other GC contenders in the first group it would have been more dramatic, but I think Contador isn't too concerned about Rogers and Kirchen. And at least now there is no reason anymore whatsoever for him to hold back at Arcalis, even with a teammate in yellow.
Interesting Tour this
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Maybe Armstrongs ambition is no more than to take the yellow jersey as some point and opportunity knocked with the TTT tomorrow. I am not sure he is the one solely at fault, what is the DS doing?
Is it possible for Saxo Bank to lose over 40 secs?0 -
PeteinSQ wrote:What sort of time gap could Astana get over Saxo Bank in the TTT? Anything over 40 seconds and Armstrong will be back in the yellow jersey.
I don't see this as being the end for Contador either btw, when they get to the mountains 19 seconds isn't going to seem like much and I can't see Armstrong or Cancellara holding him off.
I think that this was a good strategy for Astana for maximum PR coverage. Lance in yellow tomorrow but it didn't help any other GC contenders. At least that's how I would spin it to Contador if I had to explain!
Not just PR. It increases the chance that one of them will win. Other teams will be forced to chase every move by either one of them.0 -
Anybody else suspect that Armstrong is giving out brown envelopes? He daren't dope, so he's cheating Old Skool. In addition to Astanas on his payroll he could have some Columbias. They don't have a GC contender, so why not?<hr>
<h6>What\'s the point of going out? We\'re just going to end up back here anyway</h6>0 -
I wouldnt rule anything out but Columbia gained a lot from the break today for themselves. To wipe out all the other sprinters apart from Hushovd has given Cavendish a big boost in the chase for the green jersey.0
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Eurosport punditing Columbia and Saxo... Astana not fancied.
LA didn't just give Bertie the shaft, but Levi and Kloden as well.
I think that ITT underminded LA's confidence more that I'd realised.
It's a dog eat dog world in Kazakhstan."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Any GC behind the second group?
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This strategy worked for Columbia too so I think that theory is nonsense. He was just fortunate to make the break (although I guess he could possibly have been tipped off).<a><img></a>0
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TheStone wrote:Any GC behind the second group?
Results on the letour site are slow to come in but they should be there soon.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Eurosport punditing Columbia and Saxo... Astana not fancied.
LA didn't just give Bertie the shaft, but Levi and Kloden as well.
I think that ITT underminded LA's confidence more that I'd realised.
It's a dog eat dog world in Kazakhstan.
LA 19 seconds up on Bertie. I'm sure that'll get him through Arcalis. :roll:"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Bertie's in the cream puff!!
Roll on the mountains!!! 0 -
Rich.H wrote:Maybe Armstrongs ambition is no more than to take the yellow jersey as some point and opportunity knocked with the TTT tomorrow. I am not sure he is the one solely at fault, what is the DS doing?
Is it possible for Saxo Bank to lose over 40 secs?
Saxo could definitely lose over 40 seconds - with such TT giants on their team as the Schlek brothers.
Astana had 4 of the top 10 in the opening prologue - probably the best team by far even if people think Garmin are favourites.
Love him or hate him - the public want to see Lance in yellow - if only for the time being. It's a HUGE public relations coup for Astana - and for Lance. Contador will crush him in the mountains and go on to take yellow off him. So really - it's win-win all around.0 -
And Astana are going to ride as a perfectly unified team tomorrow after that little display? Whatever chance Armstrong thought he was giving himself of getting in the MJ he's just sabotaged with that little effort. Reminds me of the chute de Gois when he won his first Tour - Armstrong helped drive away the group that attacked as the race was trying to slow to allow for the traditional regroupment after such a crash. There is no sense of honour in the Bruyneel/Armstrong camp.0
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Well done to Dumoulin. In the break all day and managed to hang on to the Columbia train and then grab 4th. Not many other sprinters in that group mind but still a creditable achievement given his hours out in front.0
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Pokerface wrote:Love him or hate him - the public want to see Lance in yellow - if only for the time being. It's a HUGE public relations coup for Astana - and for Lance. Contador will crush him in the mountains and go on to take yellow off him. So really - it's win-win all around.
This concurs with my thinking exactly.<a><img></a>0 -
I don't know...at the end of the day most of Astana were carried to the line while other teams did the work...
only popovych and zubeldia rode.. if it hasn't fractured the team Astana could do a good ride tomorrow.
tactically it wasn't that stupid to ride for lance given the situation..how contador and the press sees it will be the thing I guess
colombia hit the gas at just the right moment.. I was watching and the attack came in a blink of an eye... with in seconds the peloton split.
how much it took out of them i don't know"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
But Bertie can't win on his own. If Armstrong gets in yellow tomorrow you'll get more of the team riding for him the next day, and the day after that, so they can keep the jersey. Bertie will get more and more pissed off, there'll be massive rows which Bruyneel won't sort out.<hr>
<h6>What\'s the point of going out? We\'re just going to end up back here anyway</h6>0 -
I don't see the problem with Astana did today. If one of your GC candidates has a chance to gain 40 seconds on all his rivals - you take it.
Bertie's only 19s down and in 4th, so he's hardly out of contention.If he can't take that back off a 38 year old in the mountains then he doesn't deserve to win (I'm sure Schleck, Evans et al will).
It just strengthens Astana's options.
The sprinters (except Cav and Thor) need to have a good hard look themselves though - out a green jersey contention in two stages.Twitter: @RichN950 -
Just going on Armstrong's performance in the Giro I think it will soon be obvious that he can't cope in the mountains and all this will be forgotten as Bertie steams away from him.<a><img></a>0
