9 Days In, Whats The Verdict

2

Comments

  • sportvan
    sportvan Posts: 105
    The HTC boys have been overlooked, both can climb and time trial. We could be in for a surprise if both can stay up with the leaders.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    And still no-one mentions Kloden. Or are we all pretending he doesn't stand a chance in the hope it never happens, 'cos that sounds like a fun game to play...
  • emadden
    emadden Posts: 2,431
    I dont want to turn this into a Contador & CAS thread ... but I agree that there must be something behind the CAS decision than meets the eye.... In addition the WADA annoucement in early June that they are looking at the Clenbuterol "rules" perhaps witha view to reinstating "maximum" amounts seems to me to indicate that WADA believes that the current rules are not fair... Why else would they be looking at the rule again?

    Bertie (or Evans) for the Tour! :D
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  • emadden
    emadden Posts: 2,431
    Kloden v Andy .... :shock: I didnt want to think about it.... but now that you mention it, Kloden is one to watch. I dont know what his climbing form is like at the moment though... Maybe Evans could gap Kloden, but probably not enough to hold off Kloden in the TT...

    Apologies to the Schleck fans, but I dont know which is the lesser evil, Kloden or Andy
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  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    emadden wrote:
    Kloden v Andy .... :shock: I didnt want to think about it.... but now that you mention it, Kloden is one to watch. I dont know what his climbing form is like at the moment though... Maybe Evans could gap Kloden, but probably not enough to hold off Kloden in the TT...

    Apologies to the Schleck fans, but I dont know which is the lesser evil, Kloden or Andy

    Really not sure these days Klodi will be faster than Evans in a non-pan flat TT

    He'll be faster than AS tho!
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  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    calvjones wrote:
    emadden wrote:
    Kloden v Andy .... :shock: I didnt want to think about it.... but now that you mention it, Kloden is one to watch. I dont know what his climbing form is like at the moment though... Maybe Evans could gap Kloden, but probably not enough to hold off Kloden in the TT...

    Apologies to the Schleck fans, but I dont know which is the lesser evil, Kloden or Andy

    Really not sure these days Klodi will be faster than Evans in a non-pan flat TT

    He'll be faster than AS tho!

    800ml (or is it 200ml these days?) of packed cells notwithstanding of course
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    I was really anjoying the start to this years Tour. I've enjoyed the uphill finishes and the lack of pure pan flat sprinter stages.

    The last few days have taken the edge off a bit. When Brajkovic went I thought- well thats unfortunate but I suppose some of the favourites are going to crash at some stage. Having now seen likely top ten finishers in Wiggins, VDB, Vino and Horner go as well I cant help but be a bit disappointed. Thats bike racing though and you have to take your hat off to how tough these guys are.

    I'd love Evans to do it but the stages so far have played to his strength- I do worry the high mountains will be too much and the Schlecks,AC and Basso will cause him problems.

    Oh yes, and Jonny H- what a legend. I am not sure I could have been so magnanimous under similar circumstances after what happened to him yesterday. Leaving sport aside, in any walk of life, thats a great way to behave.
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    afx237vi wrote:
    And still no-one mentions Kloden. Or are we all pretending he doesn't stand a chance in the hope it never happens, 'cos that sounds like a fun game to play...

    No, No you didn't, Surely you didn't? You did? You did didn't you? have you? yes you have. You mentioned Kloden. :shock:
    http://www.twitter.com/InTheGC http://www.InTheGC.com http://www.facebook.com/intheGC
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,462
    Cogidubnus wrote:
    They delay from Cas is that they have chosen to hear the case in August and not June as originally scheduled. You may say it was delayed because it took AC's team to submit the evidence but equally it shouldn't take 2 months to read it.

    CAS delayed the hearing due to a request from Contador's lawyers, which both the UCI and WADA agreed too.

    Get your facts straight.
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    andyp wrote:
    Cogidubnus wrote:
    They delay from Cas is that they have chosen to hear the case in August and not June as originally scheduled. You may say it was delayed because it took AC's team to submit the evidence but equally it shouldn't take 2 months to read it.

    CAS delayed the hearing due to a request from Contador's lawyers, which both the UCI and WADA agreed too.

    Get your facts straight.

    They could have said no :wink:
    http://www.twitter.com/InTheGC http://www.InTheGC.com http://www.facebook.com/intheGC
  • airwise
    airwise Posts: 248
    I don't think at this time anyone should write off the HTC duo.

    Given Velit's performance in the Vuelta and Martin's TT victory over Evans in the Dauphine, if either of them can limit their losses in the high mountains to a couple of minutes or so they will be there or there abouts come Paris.

    I feel Basso might struggle with a weak Liquigas squad here - the situations reversed with Evans compared to the 2010 Giro. Leopard Trek remain the strongest outfit with GC contenders though. I would expect them to control the race once we hit the Alps. I just hope HTC play their cards right.
  • avoidingmyphd
    avoidingmyphd Posts: 1,154
    airwise wrote:
    if either of them can limit their losses in the high mountains to a couple of minutes or so they will be there or there abouts come Paris.
    Well, obviously. If I could limit my losses to 2 minutes in the high mountains, I'd be there or thereabouts in Paris. But (apart from looking a bit unwell in an obvious attempt to ape Wiggins in 2009), Tony Martin has never looked capable of this has he? He'll lose more than that in one stage, at least once.
  • airwise
    airwise Posts: 248
    I doubt you are much of a time triallist actually so no you wouldn't :wink:

    But I'll point you to Ventoux in 2009 and Paris Nice 2011 for starters.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    airwise wrote:
    But I'll point you to Ventoux in 2009 .

    If they give him a five minute head start at the beginning of every final climb, then yes, he'll have a good chance.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    RichN95 wrote:
    airwise wrote:
    But I'll point you to Ventoux in 2009 .

    If they give him a five minute head start at the beginning of every final climb, then yes, he'll have a good chance.

    What, when Garrate dropped him?
    _
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    edited July 2011
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    airwise wrote:
    But I'll point you to Ventoux in 2009 .

    If they give him a five minute head start at the beginning of every final climb, then yes, he'll have a good chance.

    What, when Garrate dropped him?

    He might have dropped back on purpose because he was afraid of being hit on the noggin with a bike wheel.

    Edit: Oops, ignore me, that was Barredo, not Garate. Got my tiny-Spanish-climber-implausibly-riding-for-northern-classics-team riders all mixed up.
  • avoidingmyphd
    avoidingmyphd Posts: 1,154
    airwise wrote:
    I doubt you are much of a time triallist actually so no you wouldn't :wink:
    But I'll point you to Ventoux in 2009 and Paris Nice 2011 for starters.

    Haha you're right about my timetrialling (I'd be there or thereabouts for the lanterne rouge though) but wrong about Ventoux 2009 - Tony Martin lost nearly 5 minutes to the GC riders (I make it at least 4:36 but accurate splits are not easy to come by - a video of the stage would yield one) on that climb.
    Surely Paris-Nice tells us nothing useful - sure, he rode well but it was easier climbs, not many of them, with a second rate field, in March!
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    Its been good. One of the most exiting minus all the wacky races kinda crashes etc..

    I just hope for Berties sake this rest day has made some sort of difference :lol: . He has to hit some sort of form come the mountains otherwise he is going to struggle to make any time back.

    I have a funny feeling that he is going to leave it till the last few mountain stages and possibly light things up.. Here's hoping.

    I really cant wait to see Evans and the Care Bare Brothers fight it out for a few days come the hilly stuff..
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  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,795
    decent enough race....

    I quite like the super sprint and if you look at it non of the crashes have really been about that...



    Bertie to pack leaving it open for Andy after Cadel fades in the third only to have LIQ and Basso to come good in the third and drop everyone of note by over 2 mins on the Galibier and a further min on the alpe

    Basso hangs on in the TT and wins tour by 56 secs

    :lol:
    "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 pm
  • avoidingmyphd
    avoidingmyphd Posts: 1,154
    Doobz wrote:
    I have a funny feeling that [Contador] is going to leave it till the last few mountain stages and possibly light things up.. Here's hoping.
    He's certainly spent the rest day implying that this is his plan.
  • airwise
    airwise Posts: 248
    RichN95 wrote:
    airwise wrote:
    But I'll point you to Ventoux in 2009 .

    If they give him a five minute head start at the beginning of every final climb, then yes, he'll have a good chance.

    Hmm. He only lost a minute on La Toussuire and seemed to be climbing well within himself when he passed us - unlike some ahead of him.

    All I'm saying is the guy is climbing better than most people seem to think - as is Veltis. They are developing. If one is able to support the other in the high mountains then HTC could get a man high in GC.
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    Schlecks to wipe up now - Bertie looks really out of sorts.
    Voeckler and Kloden to have a chase for podium place.
    Outside punt - Nicholas Roche on podium?(am prepared to be shot down on this one)
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Roche will be like Voeckler... out the back as soon as the real climbers kick off. Roche gets an inordinate amount of attention for someone who never wins anything... I can't think why.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    afx237vi wrote:
    Roche will be like Voeckler... out the back as soon as the real climbers kick off. Roche gets an inordinate amount of attention for someone who never wins anything... I can't think why.

    Hah, pwnage.

    You tell 'em Afx.
    _
  • Bakunin
    Bakunin Posts: 868
    afx237vi wrote:
    Roche will be like Voeckler... out the back as soon as the real climbers kick off. Roche gets an inordinate amount of attention for someone who never wins anything... I can't think why.

    Kinda like Andy...a stage racer who has never won a stage race.
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    looking forward to seeing Tommy V Riding his custom Colnago tomorrow

    1310401625668-1nwv6ibf8c2ye-80.jpg

    1310401625656-15vuvghgo0zus-80.jpg

    1310401625689-17oon2yexeddt-67.jpg
    cartoon.jpg
  • cogidubnus
    cogidubnus Posts: 860
    http://www.geraintthomas.com/videos/

    G and EBH are going on the attack tomorrow :)
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,795
    afx237vi wrote:
    And still no-one mentions Kloden. Or are we all pretending he doesn't stand a chance in the hope it never happens, 'cos that sounds like a fun game to play...

    can not see it myself...
    "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 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,795
    cunego is going to have a go
    "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 pm
  • eh
    eh Posts: 4,854
    For some reason in this tour I wouldn't rule out an Oscar Pereiro situation where the Schleks etc. don't react to a half decent rider and before they know it are big time in the sh*t. OK unlikely but that break they let go the other day could have had and still have serious consequences and will they learn from it, and get past their Contrador obsession who knows :?:

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