Fabian or Contador for first, I think its a toss up.
After seeing him win the Swiss tour I'd love to see Fabian take this one too.
Fabian or Contador for first, I think its a toss up.
After seeing him win the Swiss tour I'd love to see Fabian take this one too.
wedpeople wrote:
Fabian or Contador for first, I think its a toss up.
After seeing him win the Swiss tour I'd love to see Fabian take this one too.
No way, Fabian Cancellara can't clim with the best. The climbs during Tour de Suisse don't compare with the TdF.
Tuesday is TTT and Astana will crush the competition. AC will be in yellow afterwards.
Unless AC crashes, he will be on top in Paris. I still see a chance for the podium for LA tho. Maybe third with Andreas Kloeden finishing 2nd. I think Leipheimer will not be that strong in the third week, but who knows...
wedpeople wrote:
Fabian or Contador for first, I think its a toss up.
After seeing him win the Swiss tour I'd love to see Fabian take this one too.
Very far from a toss up. The Tour de Suisse is nothing compared to the Tour De France. Less competitive, less effort, less pressure. Cancellara does not have a team to support him and he cannot climb well. Contador is one of the best riders in the world, has the best team in the world and can hold his own in the time trial.
The betting odds on Cancellara are something around 50/1. For Contador they are around 2/3.
McFishSandwitch wrote:
Contador is one of the best riders in the world, has the best team in the world and can hold his own in the time trial.
Besides the TTT, I don't think AC needs to rely too much on his team. He just needs to sit in there and wait and react. He doesn't need to initiate anything.
Other way around it would be for LA. I can see his form improving so that he can climb with the best (= with AC). But he will not be able to drop him. Big difference. Plus, he would not be allowed to drop him. By both team order and codex of honor. LA needs to hope for AC to get busted for PED, that's his only chance.
Nutella wrote:
Besides the TTT, I don't think AC needs to rely too much on his team. He just needs to sit in there and wait and react. He doesn't need to initiate anything.
If AC does not need to rely on his team aside from the TTT, who is going to control the race during the flat stages after he gets the jersey (or the mountain stages for that matter)? Cycling demands that the team leader's team take responsibility for chasing down breakaways and setting the pace. I am sure AC will be happy to chase down every single breakaway by himself. I am sure he will be happy to set the pace at the front of the peloton, rely on other riders to protect him in the pack, retrieve his own food/water bottles from the team car, pace himself back to the peloton alone if he crashes or flats. There are a bunch of factors aside from a riders ability. Cycling teams exist for a reason.
McFishSandwitch wrote:
If AC does not need to rely on his team aside from the TTT, who is going to control the race during the flat stages after he gets the jersey (or the mountain stages for that matter)? Cycling demands that the team leader's team take responsibility for chasing down breakaways and setting the pace. I am sure AC will be happy to chase down every single breakaway by himself. I am sure he will be happy to set the pace at the front of the peloton, rely on other riders to protect him in the pack, retrieve his own food/water bottles from the team car, pace himself back to the peloton alone if he crashes or flats. There are a bunch of factors aside from a riders ability. Cycling teams exist for a reason.
Of course you need a team. What I was trying to say is not that he could do it without a team, but he would not need that best team in cycling history for that, average would be enough for that. But the former is what he has.
Anyone knows any other team that can afford too leave a rider like Horner at home?
Your language tells me that you seek Yoda.
Nutella wrote:
Other way around it would be for LA. I can see his form improving so that he can climb with the best (= with AC).
Improve Armstrong will, climb well he must.
Nutella wrote:
But he will not be able to drop him. Big difference. Plus, he would not be allowed to drop him. By both team order and codex of honor.
More acceleration Contador has. Right you are. Big difference is it. Team leader Contador is. Work as a domestique Armstrong will. Remain unbroken holy codex of honor will (http://www.answers.com/topic/codex).
Nutella wrote:
LA needs to hope for AC to get busted for PED, that's his only chance.
Go wrong many things can. Become the team leader Armstrong might. In good position he is.
Nutella wrote:
Of course you need a team. What I was trying to say is not that he could do it without a team, but he would not need that best team in cycling history for that, average would be enough for that. But the former is what he has.
Anyone knows any other team that can afford too leave a rider like Horner at home?
Gotcha. Was not sure if you were stupid like must new found cycling fans.
McFishSandwitch wrote:
Gotcha. Was not sure if you were stupid like must new found cycling fans.
That was *most* for the grammar/spelling police that are out there.
So sick of everyone accusing LA of using PED's. So Hallie and all the really good Kenyans must use a PED, they always win everything.... Now if lance won all the races, stage and classics etc, then maybe you would have more of a leg to stand on, but you don't, just jealousy. Accuse Eddy Merckx., nope of course not. PED sells books and papers.
LA won only what he trained for, had the genetics for, and focused on. Its genetics gentlemen (use that term loosely). Runners should know that better than anybody. You have to have the genetics for the smarts, focus, and physical traits.
.
PED Excuse wrote:
So sick of everyone accusing LA of using PED's. So Hallie and all the really good Kenyans must use a PED, they always win everything.... Now if lance won all the races, stage and classics etc, then maybe you would have more of a leg to stand on, but you don't, just jealousy. Accuse Eddy Merckx., nope of course not. PED sells books and papers.
LA won only what he trained for, had the genetics for, and focused on. Its genetics gentlemen (use that term loosely). Runners should know that better than anybody. You have to have the genetics for the smarts, focus, and physical traits.
.
barry bonds didn't use steroids. everyone who says so is a hater.
Lance will again be in yellow after tomorrow
1. I wonder how pizzed Alberto is right now that he is sitting 19 seconds behind Lance due to a crumby wind shift. Esta no bueno!
2. One of the proudest moments of my life was seeing a thread I started on the front page. It brought a tear to my eye. Maybe that was just something in my contact. Nevermind.
As I was stating before it would have been difficult for LA not only to hang with AC but to drop him. Well, things have changed today and he now can just hang with him. Sounds easier than it is tho, I know.
On the other hand, if AST rides LA into yellow tomorrow and they defend it until stage 7, then what? Would AC really attack their own yellow jersey in the mountains? Who knows...talking about the codex of honor I was. :-)
It is because of moves like today, getting in with that break, that will result in Lance winning an eighth maillot jaune.
I'm a believer.
I guess I was a bit fast. This could not have gone worse for LA today. Just one second faster and it would have been not possible for AC to attack LA on Friday. But now that he is not wearing the jersey that makes things different.
What it comes down to is: can LA limit his losses on Friday to less than 18 (?) seconds? They will drop Fabian C., that's fer sure. So either of them will be in yellow then.
I still don't think Lance will be able to hang with Contador in the mountains. That's where his age will show. Today's stage, however, went perfectly for Astana, because now they can still let Saxo Bank do the work for another day, and hopefully near the end Lance can get a second on Fabian to get in Yellow. Once they arrive in the mountains Contador will go with a lead group as Lance did yesterday and reclaim those 19 seconds and find himself in Yellow and finish the Tour as the champ.
Yeah, it looks to easy for Conti now all his rivals are at least a minute behind, no?
SEXC wrote:
and hopefully near the end Lance can get a second on Fabian to get in Yellow.
It is extremely unlikely to gain a second on the yellow jersey on a flat stage. Things like the other day usually don't happen with such breaks with favorites...I wouldn't count on that scenario.
Nutella wrote:
On the other hand, if AST rides LA into yellow tomorrow and they defend it until stage 7, then what? Would AC really attack their own yellow jersey in the mountains? Who knows...talking about the codex of honor I was. :-)
Team CSC did it last year on l'Alpe d'Huez, and it was one of the most tactically brilliant 40 minutes I've ever seen in cycling. Carlos Sastre attacked on the final climb when his teammate, Frank Schleck, a great climber himself, was in yellow. But I don't think Frank Schleck was feeling so great that day -- the video of him talking to his brother afterwards makes it seem like he's upset with himself.
Frank Schleck was also a younger rider. He may have been more likely to listen to orders than Lance Armstrong -- it would be hard to tell Lance, "Don't go with Alberto when he attacks." I just don't see that happening.