Tour de France 2007

tour novice wrote:

Just curious... payback for what?

ostensibly for the first real mountain top finish where moreau attacked relentlessly while vino was in obvious discomfort. frankly, it's a bit of a stretch.

saursoor wrote:

tour novice wrote:

Just curious... payback for what?

ostensibly for the first real mountain top finish where moreau attacked relentlessly while vino was in obvious discomfort. frankly, it's a bit of a stretch.

It probably is more of a long stretch than a bit but it is one of those things that would be fun to think were true.

I think it is more a function of Astana's inability to really impose it's will on the peleton, which had to have been in the pre-race plans, because they've been nursing two injured stars for the first week and a half...

Time to finally get busy!

Dave Zabriskie who has been one huge waste of a bib number so far finished after the time limit today.

The CSC team manager said he had hoped DZ would make it home before the time limit, but the way he's been riding he really didn't care. Ouch!

Astana might not win the tour de france but the tour will be dominated by them from now on. The winner might be whoever can consistently follow their regular attacks which are sure to be a feature over the next week. The best chances for overall success now seem to be Valverdje and Evans, but they are very beatable. Kloden is their biggest threat and everyone is ignoring Carlos Sastre who has lost very little time so far. Sastre is arguably the most consistent climber in the peleton (take the mountain stages from last year and this years Alps) and can ride a handy time trial (though not to Kloden's standard). If you want to put a good value bet on, bet on Sastre for the overall now.

Rasmussen still has a decent chance. It will be interesting to see how he goes in Saturdays first time trial. If he is still comfortably in yellow there will be plenty of teams panicking about trying to drop him in the pyranees. The discovery riders are overated (on this site anyway) because it's an American team. Levi is a good rider, but he will probably lose even more time to Kloden and Evans on Saturday. At best he could hang on in the pyranees but he is not good enough to dominate and take lots of time off his rivals. Contador is a good talent but he is young. I'm expecting him to have a bad day on at least one of the upcoming mountain stages. Regarding Iban Mayo: You can forget about him. He can't time trial and is sure to blow up on one of the mountain stages. I would be surprised if he finishes in the top ten.

Watch for Vinokourov and Kaschekin to attack at every opportunity, perhaps even at times when it seems as if there is no opportunity. The winner of the tour might be who is the best rider tactically. You can't go with every move, but you need to pick the right moves to go with. The next few days are going to be great.

tour novice wrote:

Just curious... payback for what?

Text below snipped from Velonews post race coverage:

The marquee victim of Astana's efforts was Moreau, who was caught at the back. Ag2r dispatched several riders in a desperate attempt to pace its team leader back to the front group, but with Discovery Channel and Barloworld now aiding the Astana effort, Moreau's fate was sealed.

It wasn't lost on anyone that Moreau had been the protagonist of a series of attacks during the first stage in the Alps, when the injured Vinokourov lost time to the GC leaders. On Thursday, it appeared to be payback time.

Within minutes Moreau's group was a minute down, with Hushovd and Zabel even farther back. The break's advantage was slashed to 3:40.

"What Vino did was not unfair," conceded Moreau. "Settling scores is part of the sport. When I attacked [in the Alps] he was not well. Today I was the one who was not that well.

A little off topic but George Hincapie's wife is extremely hot.Just wanted to point that out.

Not off topic at all.

George snagged a podium girl.

But she's French! Aren't you supposed to be bashing her? You know, "she probably didn't put up a fight," that kind of thing. Letsrun is really starting to go soft.

banked track wrote:

Not off topic at all.

George snagged a podium girl.

Pictures please.

Good for George. I would do the same thing if I could

Lucky sob, she's Beautiful!

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070701/TALK/70628042/1235

Time trial tomorrow. I think Kloden will win it and move into contention for the overall lead. Also, it will separate Contador and Leipheimer for discovery so they can go with one leader the rest of the way.

The race to Paris really begins tomorrow... and I cant wait. Honestly, Im expecting a huge TT from Vino, who seems to be getting stronger daily. Rasmussen will lose yellow tomorrow, but the new leader is up in the air. Kloden and Cadel Evans are my 2 picks for the new wearer of the maillot jaune(sp?). Expect a big push from Levi in the next few days as I feel he has been keying towards the Pyrenees. And the man who everyone has to fear, Valverde, watch out for him in the next mountain stages the kid is strong as an ox. I cant wait, this is the most exciting tour in recent memory, cycling is back after last years debacle with Landis, etc etc...

Vive le Levi!!

i think cadel will be in yellow twomarrow but not in paris.

valv and kloden a close second and third

contodor and levi will be practically tied making the controversy even dicier

ras probably 5th after twomarrow +/- a place

watch these predictions will be right on

vino moves to 8th plus or minus one

canch will win

gusev top 5 on the stage

wondering seriously wrote:

i think cadel will be in yellow twomarrow but not in paris.

valv and kloden a close second and third

contodor and levi will be practically tied making the controversy even dicier

ras probably 5th after twomarrow +/- a place

watch these predictions will be right on

vino moves to 8th plus or minus one

canch will win

gusev top 5 on the stage

agree with evans (probably) taking yellow tomorrow. although i think kloeden is a much better TTer, i suspect tomorrow's will not be that decisive in creating a GC selection, it's too rolling. the question tomorrow is how much has Balaverde's TT improved? he's the real question mark. also agree that fabian should stomp on tomorrow. i think vino will take second, kash up there as well. indeed, astana will handily win team comp tomorrow, with disco second, now that csc doesn't have biscuit.

Anyone else think Popo is going for the Polka-dot jersey? He jumped in a sprint for 1 point yesterday, and jumped out ahead of the peleton for 16 on the final climb today. If DSC sends him out again to be support on a climb for Levi and Alberto like they did earlier in the week, he could snag it- he's not far behind Rasmussen, and Rasmussen is too high in the GC for anyone to let him out.

I agree that Popovych looks to be trying for the Polka-dot jersey. He might just get it, because Rasmussen, who is now aiming for Yellow, probably won't go off on any more multiple-climb breakaways.

Kloden must be the overall favorite now: I can't bring myself to believe that Rasmussen won't lose at least 7 minutes to Kloden in the two time trials.

Predicted top six after Saturday's time trial: Evans,Rasmussen, Valverde, Kloden,Leipheimer, Sastre.

I think it's a little too long for Cancellera, although he took a nice rest day today.

Ol Grumpus wrote:

I can't bring myself to believe that Rasmussen won't lose at least 7 minutes to Kloden in the two time trials.

I agree with that, but he's gonna lose less tomorrow than on the last TT. Tomorrow is a more technical course and Kloden won't be able to hammer his high gear as much.

Valverde will be Valamarillo by this time tomorrow, that's my guess.

I think Popyvych does want that polka dot jersey, and he has a good shot of getting it as he will be the man to go out on his own for team discovery in the coming stages. Soler, the columbian who won the stage the other day, also wants the polka dot jersey but Im not so sure they will let him off on his own anymore as he apparently has the climbing legs to make a run at a GC position in the next week.