Stage 17 spoiler

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Comments

  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited October 2012
    Contador is consistently brilliant RACER. He rides to race to win. Evans is the same.

    Evans may not light them up but his key strength is Consistency and a fast finish. He is ALWAYS there. He has said as much himself. Classy RACER.

    Right, DG, if you are on the backfoot you have more need to make time. You know that there are some riders that take time regardless though. The link BikingBernie posted about Merckx is a perfect example.

    EBH is rolling big time this Tour. Shame he does that awful salute.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Paulie W
    Paulie W Posts: 1,492
    Pokerface wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Pokerface wrote:
    Contador is a better TT rider than Evans

    Is he?

    I suspect the results of the final time trial in previous Tours suggest otherwise.


    Which Tours?

    Bertie won in 2009, Evans didn't finish in 2010? Bertie didn't ride in 2008.

    Evans did finish in 2010. As noted they have shared the honours in TTs (although the 2010 race doesnt really count as Evans was completely crocked by the time of the final TT).

    1:27 in Evans favour in final TT of 2007 and 1:14 in Contador's favour in 2009.
  • AidanR
    AidanR Posts: 1,142
    frenchfighter wrote:
    12568456img2568438.jpg

    It's disconcerting seeing pics of the undead winning bike races.
    Bike lover and part-time cyclist.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Comparing results from 2007 is a little much.


    Have they ridden against each other in any meaningful races in the past 2 years (max)?
  • stfc1
    stfc1 Posts: 505
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    Ha ha ha Bertie a real wasted effort there.

    Putting your rivals under that kind of pressure is not a waste of effort. They would have had to ride hard themselves to get back on, and will now be sitting on the team bus worrying about what he's going to have in store for tomorrow. Class ride.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    FF

    You know I'm only teasing you!
    "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
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Btw, can anyone tell me whether the Schlecks had a teammate or two with them?
    Contador is the Greatest
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Pokerface wrote:
    Comparing results from 2007 is a little much.


    Have they ridden against each other in any meaningful races in the past 2 years (max)?
    Why? The last time trial is a special case, as previous time trialling form has much less impact and it comes down to who is the freshest. The best comparison is time trials in the closing stages of 3 week tours, and they are about equal.

    I'd not be surprised if they are separated by a few seconds at the end of the time trial.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Pokerface wrote:
    Comparing results from 2007 is a little much.


    Have they ridden against each other in any meaningful races in the past 2 years (max)?

    Get thee to CQ ranking "head 2 head" and enter "evans cadel" as Rider 1 and "contador velasco alberto" as Rider 2. You can mix and match performances by year, stage type etc.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • richard wants a baum
    richard wants a baum Posts: 744
    Wondering if Contador has attacked so hard the past two days because his not confident in dropping anyone on the climbs ? ( nothing against Contador I expect it will be war tomorrow )
    Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Pokerface wrote:
    Have they ridden against each other in any meaningful races in the past 2 years (max)?

    2008:
    Pais Vasco (20k) - Contador 23s
    Olympics (47k) - Contador 5s

    2009:
    Paris-Nice (9k) - Contador 31s
    Pais-Vasco (24k) - Contador 1m 25
    Dauphine (12k) - Evans 8s
    Dauphine (42k) - Evans 37s
    TdF (15k) - Contador 5s
    TdF (40k) - Contador 1m 14

    2010:
    TdF (9k) - Contador 12s
    (2nd TdF TT not worth considering)

    Conclusion: Contador has the edge, but not by much
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    andyp wrote:
    Pokerface wrote:
    Comparing results from 2007 is a little much.


    Have they ridden against each other in any meaningful races in the past 2 years (max)?
    Why? The last time trial is a special case, as previous time trialling form has much less impact and it comes down to who is the freshest. The best comparison is time trials in the closing stages of 3 week tours, and they are about equal.

    I'd not be surprised if they are separated by a few seconds at the end of the time trial.


    Why? Because what rider is the same today as he was in 2007?


    EDIT: I didn't mean to imply that Contador was going to walk it or anything - I just think he's a better TT rider.

    I think the TT in THIS Tour will prove me wrong though.
  • luckao
    luckao Posts: 632
    I can't be the only one who chuckled when Taaramae led the main bunch over the top, at which point Schleck signalled for him to get out of the way. It was like a different guy. Watch out, guys, Andy's going to fly down.
  • cornoyemade
    cornoyemade Posts: 180
    inspired ride by EBH! Two wins in this Tour. Enjoy him now, because next year he and the others at Sky will be wasted due to pulling a baby tram to the sprint.

    Shouldn't Tony Martin be higher in GC this year? Probably, but Martin et. al. at HTC have been baby sitting during this Tour.
  • stokepa31
    stokepa31 Posts: 560
    Credit where its due. Shreks showed some nuts today for a change.
    Burning Fat Not Rubber

    Scott CR1
    Genesis IO ID
    Moda Canon
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Ah school's out I see.
  • luckao
    luckao Posts: 632
    cornoyemade wrote:
    inspired ride by EBH! Two wins in this Tour. Enjoy him now, because next year he and the others at Sky will be wasted due to pulling a baby tram to the sprint.

    Shouldn't Tony Martin be higher in GC this year? Probably, but Martin et. al. at HTC have been baby sitting during this Tour.

    You try too hard.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    when you dont pull of a attack like that it smacks of desperation more than an inspired move


    there was no surprise and he couldn't create a gap over the top as the previous day

    still he is not giving up
    "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
  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    stokepa31 wrote:
    Credit where its due. Shreks showed some nuts today for a change.

    As did Voeckler! Crazy bugger tried to take Contador on on the downhill! Great stuff though.
  • lostboysaint
    lostboysaint Posts: 4,250
    cornoyemade wrote:
    inspired ride by EBH! Two wins in this Tour. Enjoy him now, because next year he and the others at Sky will be wasted due to pulling a baby tram to the sprint.

    Shouldn't Tony Martin be higher in GC this year? Probably, but Martin et. al. at HTC have been baby sitting during this Tour.

    Damn, how could I not see that EBH's two wins were just worth so much more than Cav's 5*


    * I reserve the right to change this IF he doesn't clean up again on Sunday!
    Trail fun - Transition Bandit
    Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
    Allround - Cotic Solaris
  • stokepa31
    stokepa31 Posts: 560
    clanton wrote:
    stokepa31 wrote:
    Credit where its due. Shreks showed some nuts today for a change.

    As did Voeckler! Crazy bugger tried to take Contador on on the downhill! Great stuff though.

    Tommy is never lacking in kahoonas. I was kind of hoping he might win as ill be in Paris Sunday. would have made the atmosphere superb.
    Burning Fat Not Rubber

    Scott CR1
    Genesis IO ID
    Moda Canon
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    lostboysaint wrote:
    cornoyemade wrote:
    inspired ride by EBH! Two wins in this Tour. Enjoy him now, because next year he and the others at Sky will be wasted due to pulling a baby tram to the sprint.

    Shouldn't Tony Martin be higher in GC this year? Probably, but Martin et. al. at HTC have been baby sitting during this Tour.

    Damn, how could I not see that EBH's two wins were just worth so much more than Cav's 5*


    * I reserve the right to change this IF he doesn't clean up again on Sunday!


    EBH's wins ARE worth more than Cav's - because (today) he had to do it solo. All day in the break, then escape on the final climb and TT's to the finish? Yeah, that's a little bit more impressive than being towed to within 150 meters of the finish line and pedalling the last bit faster than a few other guys.

    (And I'm a Cav fan).
  • mz__jo
    mz__jo Posts: 398
    Luckao wrote:
    cornoyemade wrote:
    inspired ride by EBH! Two wins in this Tour. Enjoy him now, because next year he and the others at Sky will be wasted due to pulling a baby tram to the sprint.

    Shouldn't Tony Martin be higher in GC this year? Probably, but Martin et. al. at HTC have been baby sitting during this Tour.

    You try too hard.

    Isn't a part of EBH's job this year to be pulling faster than the baby tram and beating him to the sprint? Hasn't been an obvious success and doesn't seem to have taken that much out of him. Why should next year be any different (if they are both in the same squad)? Other than he might be exhausted after helping drink the champ to celebrate the successes of said baby tram!.
    http://rctl.ffct.org/
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    cornoyemade wrote:
    inspired ride by EBH! Two wins in this Tour. Enjoy him now, because next year he and the others at Sky will be wasted due to pulling a baby tram to the sprint.

    Shouldn't Tony Martin be higher in GC this year? Probably, but Martin et. al. at HTC have been baby sitting during this Tour.

    It's true, robbing us of seeing Tony Martin going off the back of the peloton a further 2k up the mountains is one thing I cannot forgive Cav for.
  • mz__jo
    mz__jo Posts: 398
    Thomas Voeckler showed great nerve on the descent but as Laurent Jalabert pointed out (and TV agreed) he could have kept all his time lost and finished with his closest rivals if he had not tried too hard and had 3 bad moments in the chase. Case of trying to gain time and losing it instead - bad defence in this instance. But it added some suspense. TV could still finish on the podium sunday with a bit of luck (and lots of courage - but then we all know he has that).
    http://rctl.ffct.org/
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Bring on the mountains and take them to the pain cave.

    Anyone go long Contador or Samu when they were priced down :lol:

    Don't you think it's possible that if Bert thought he could take them to the pain cave, he'd have rode a little less riskily on the descent. The breathtaking descending was to allow for his lack of (relative) climbing form.
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    richard wants a baum wrote:
    Wondering if Contador has attacked so hard the past two days because his not confident in dropping anyone on the climbs ? ( nothing against Contador I expect it will be war tomorrow )

    I agree.
  • luckao
    luckao Posts: 632
    dougzz wrote:
    The breathtaking descending was to allow for his lack of (relative) climbing form.

    I'm more inclined to believe it was due to Andy straight up telling everybody that he's struggling on the descents.
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,852
    Credit where it is due..

    Thank you Mr Mollema for my first PTP points for about a fortnight!
    Half man, Half bike
  • mz__jo
    mz__jo Posts: 398
    [quote=


    EBH's wins ARE worth more than Cav's - because (today) he had to do it solo. All day in the break, then escape on the final climb and TT's to the finish? Yeah, that's a little bit more impressive than being towed to within 150 meters of the finish line and pedalling the last bit faster than a few other guys.

    (And I'm a Cav fan).[/quote]

    One win solo for which he might take the bulk of the prime, one bunch win which he'll have to share with the team and one second place he ought to pay the team 'cos he muffed it (yesterday) against four bunch wins and several days in green. If Cav makes it across the mountains (by no means guaranteed as friday's stage is very short and the delays will be very difficult) I am not sure of the maths but he might well have won more than EBH even if he has to share it with his team. Whose wins are worth more?
    If going faster than everyone else in the last 150m was so easy they would all be at it (including EBH, its what he's supposed to be in the team for).
    http://rctl.ffct.org/

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