Originally posted by Flaneur
Lance was reduced- again- to putting a guy in the break, to give the team a rest and oblige other squads to work.
...Jan... played a game of chicken with Lance that they both lost.
I didn't get to watch todays stage; followed it on Eurosport and TDF site. I was surprised when USPS sent Beltran up the road, not because this is an unusual tactic for a team protecting the Yellow Jersey, but because USPS just has never done that. They must have known something coming into this stage that made them think they needed to take the pressure off LA. We may have seen what they knew when Heras was spit out so early on the last climb. We may also have seen why when LA chose to let two danger men go unchallenged on the last climb.
Vinokourov is quoted in an interview at cycling news as saying that he was watching LA and JU when Mayo launched and neither one of them twitched a muscle, so he went also. Then we saw what I thought had to be the second most unusual tactical racing in the Tour. The first was Beloki chasing Vino on stage 8 when Lance should have been chasing. And today, when Vino went up the road, who set the tempo on the front to keep him close-Jan. Why? He should be forcing LA to defend his Yellow Jersey. Instead Lance was sitting on his wheel.
Julian Gorospe, Euskatel team manager said today that tomorrow Euskatel is going to attack, attack, and attack, not to take a stage win, but to take the yellow jersey. They have the mountain goats; Mayo, Zubeldia, and Laiseka. We'll see if Ullrich forces Armstrong to chase tomorrow.