Professional Cycling For the Fans - Has Rassmussen Made it Hard On Himself??

In the KOM chase. He is very high in the GC and this means that no one will let him slip away in a break. Virenque(sp?) won all those KOM jerseys by attacking early, blowing up and getting gobbled up by all the contenders. With Rassmussen near the top of the GC it makes it almost impossible for him to slip out and gobble up KOM points.

Thoughts?

He's not going to lose the KOM prize.

/thread

Rasmussen really only has to do one thing to win the KOM and that is keep a leash on Pereiro and maybe Botero. If say Pereiro were to continue to try to gain points in the KOM competition, Rasmussen would not be handicapped by the entire peloton following Rabobank in a chase to pull Pereiro back or lead Rasmussen up to Pereiro. Rasmussen doesn't have to initiate any breaks to win KOM. All he has to do now is follow Pereiro and and maybe Botero and, if he has to follow a break with Pereiro in it, he has his entire team to help and who cares who comes along. The main GC contenders may find themselves more threatened by his defense of the KOM in that he could possibly gain time on them. Probably his other main competition in the KOM competition aside from Pereiro would be Botero, Moreau, and Boogerd. I haven't tallied the points, but Boogerd is on his team so he can count him out. Moreau is a threat in the final time trial so the main GC contenders will keep a leash on him for Rasmussen, and so that leaves Pereiro and Botero that Rabobank need to watch.

Seems like the mere presence of this thread, and the various tactics discussed, points out just how tough it would be today to win BOTH the GC and the KOM, the way team and race tactics currently work. (I doubt it was the same way in the "old days")

um, he is like 100 points ahead in the KOM competition and far and away one of the 3 best climbers in the whole race... he aint gonna lose.

Rasmussen won't lose unless he stops.

Rasmussen won't lose unless he stops.

How do you stop a zombie?

How do you stop a zombie?


Bart: "Dad! You killed the zombie Flanders!!"
Homer: "That was a zombie?"

Rasmussen really only has to do one thing to win the KOM and that is keep a leash on Pereiro and maybe Botero. If say Pereiro were to continue to try to gain points in the KOM competition, Rasmussen would not be handicapped by the entire peloton following Rabobank in a chase to pull Pereiro back or lead Rasmussen up to Pereiro. Rasmussen doesn't have to initiate any breaks to win KOM. All he has to do now is follow Pereiro and and maybe Botero and, if he has to follow a break with Pereiro in it, he has his entire team to help and who cares who comes along. The main GC contenders may find themselves more threatened by his defense of the KOM in that he could possibly gain time on them. Probably his other main competition in the KOM competition aside from Pereiro would be Botero, Moreau, and Boogerd. I haven't tallied the points, but Boogerd is on his team so he can count him out. Moreau is a threat in the final time trial so the main GC contenders will keep a leash on him for Rasmussen, and so that leaves Pereiro and Botero that Rabobank need to watch.

Looks like Pereiro got loose and closed the gap. Still a large margin but its not over yet. ;)

It does look like Rasmussen is going to have to pay attention.