Road Bike Racing - Kelme boyz and Sunday's TT (disclaimer: do not read if you haven't seem stage #18!)

Today, Oscar Seville obeyed his sport director’s order and dropped back on the final climb of the mountaintop finish of stage #18 in an effort to help his teammate, Actor Gonzalez. This, in itself, does not seem out of order. However, just a few days prior, Gonzalez and Seville were in opposite positions, and Gonzalez did not help Seville, who @ the time was sporting the golden jersey.

What do you make of this, if anything? Do you think that Aitor’s contract with Kelme expiring @ the end of the season had any bearing on Aitor’s actions? I think that the young Sevilla showed a level of class that transcended his age on this day. What do you think???

Also – predictions please!!!! Does Roberto have enough of a lead to hold of the time-trial skills of Gonzalez???? Regardless of what happens, Sunday is going to be a great day to watch cycling!!!! :D

Kelme must have Forrest Gump as DS. Dumbest tactics in recent memory.
Aitor not only rides away from Sevilla but tows Heras away from Sevilla. When Heras was isolated with a bunch of Kelme, do they attack and break him? Nope, they just sit there like *******.
With Sevilla so close in time, do they let him go and gain time? Nope, they pull back, destroy Sevilla's GC chances and bank it all on Aitor pulling in 1:40 on the final TT.
somehow, with a stronger team, Kelme failed to take time out of Heras and had it's top 2 riders squander time away in crucial stages.

Had they had at least one functioning brain, they could have taken at least 1:00 out of Heras and gained 30:-1:00 if they worked as a team. Where would that have put Sevilla and Aitor?

If I were Sevilla, I would be looking elsewhere next year. Kelme rode too stupid to deserve a GC win.

I dunno if Gonzalez' move on L'Angliru was the DS's idea, or his own. Either way, Sevilla wasn't as strong... whether things would have been different if Gonzalez had ridden support for Sevilla, we'll never know. Today... what can I say. Sevilla would have had to beat his team-mate by 30 seconds just to get even. So the DS makes the conservative call. In any case, you have to admire Sevilla's professionalism today.

After Sunday? I'll be surprised if somebody besides 3 of the 4 current leaders are on the final GC podium. Heras is the one most likely to miss the boat. But maybe the leaders jersey will work some magic.

Aitors action on Angliru is inexcusable, its stupid
and quite frankly stupid.
Sevilla showed alot of class today.
Kelme gets top marks for ineffeciency. I agree 100%
with RacerX, when Heras was on the ropes they
squandered away any chance they had of putting
him away.
I think the Gold Jersey mojo will work for Roberto.
Additionally, remember who he trains with. Say what
you will about Lance, but he is a damned fine time trialist.
Roberto signed with Postal to learn TT, do you think the
only thing he's done since signing is haul his butt up
mountains?
Prediction: Heras by less than 1 minute.
Once again, Beloki will take 2nd
who care's about the rest?

Marty

ONCE would have helped out Heras if Kelme attacked him when they had him alone. Remember, it was never just Kelme and Heras; ONCE was there too, and they would have done everything in their power to prevent Gonzalez/Sevilla from extending their lead over Beloki. By protecting Beloki they're protecting Heras.

With that said, I still can't understand why Gonzalez attacked Heras on the Angrilu.

Kelme and ONCE should have both been attacking Heras. Breaking the race leader would have been good for both teams. Races are not won by "could have, should have". You don't get many opportunities to isolate the Gold Jersey. They lost their chance.

Aitor shows no intelligence but more importantly no loyalty. That deadly combo not only hurt Sevilla but helped Heras on that crucial stage. He not only took time away from Sevilla (by not setting tempo for him) but he HELPED Heras gain time. Stupid, stupid stupid.

Barring something unforeseen like a puncture or crash, Sunday's TT will be an edge of your seat nail-biter. Most days, Gonzales could probably take back 1:40 on Heras on a 40K TT. If Roberto can pull the tt of his life out of his skinny little Spanish butt, which I hope like hell he does, I think the golden jersey will be won by a handful of seconds. It will just be a matter of who has those seconds.

What you all said.

In fact, Sevilla's move to ONCE next year seems to be a certainty, so he IS leaving.

Cheers...Gary

Heras will take it. Even after that climb, he looked strong. He performed 3 shakeoffs on that climb and at the end still had some left. I did not see that strength from anyone else.

Why were 2 A&S guys leading out Heras on the last climb of stage 18? What was that about?

Maybe they're pissed off at Kelme for some reason? A&S's highest rider in the GC is 1:07:04 back, so they haven't got much to lose.

Originally posted by fore
Maybe they're pissed off at Kelme for some reason? A&S's highest rider in the GC is 1:07:04 back, so they haven't got much to lose.

The OLN guys were saying maybe they were pissed off at Kelme... that Kelme may have been pushing the peleton too hard to catch breakaways that didn't matter to them over various stages.

I gotta give Gonzalez credit for the attack on the cobbles today. Maybe a little risky, but it was an easy way to take a few seconds out of Heras' lead.

In general, Kelme has built a strong team, but they seem lacking in the discipline department. Anybody remember the finish in the first (only?) TdF team time trial. Coming to the finish, Kelme looked like a mass sprint. If they'd let their strongest riders come to the front, and kept the paceline working they surely would have gained several seconds. FWIW.

Guess Kelme knew what they were doing, or at least got lucky.... that time trial Gonzalez rode looked like no accident though, pretty damm spectacular. And With Aqua&Sapone, having Cipo and Lombardi out, their sponsor probably wanted some camera time, and no better way to do that then ride with the golden jersey.

Nope, it was no accident. I was hoping Roberto could do it, but it was definitely a long shot with only a 1:08 lead. Still, Roberto did a great ride. He never let up. Gonzales is just a much stronger time trialist. I felt bad for Oscar Sevilla with the mechanical problems early in his ride.

Who will be the Kelme leader for the TDF 2003? It would be interesting to see how Gonzalez would do up against Lance and the Postal boys.

Sevilla will be. Gonzalez isn't resigning with Kelme for next year.

Originally posted by Argonne
Sevilla will be. Gonzalez isn't resigning with Kelme for next year.

Ohh yeah. I wonder if he will be in the TDF with another team? Do you know if Botero would be team captain or if Sevilla would? Cause Botero was captain this year right?

What other pro cycling events are up this year (that will be probably televised in the US)? Just the worlds?

I heard Sevilla was moving on. "Speedy" Gonzalez should be able to write his own ticket. 32 mph ave for 25 miles, y'all. It boggles the mind.

Where'd you see something about Sevilla leaving? Can't blame him if he does, but he looked like a franchise guy riding the Vuelta.

Can't find it now. I thought Vaughters had made the comment in his Velonews final TT coverage on Velonews, but it wasn't there. Probably a hallucination.

Kelme all seemed to get religion after Gonzalez' attack on L'Angliru. I expect coach had some words for the team that evening. (Imagine that, finish riding that particular day from h#ll, and then the DS wants to have a heart-to-heart... but I digress.) The attack didn't appear to be planned, or at least not expected by Sevilla. Never underestimate the egos of those at the top of their field. I'm sure he feels slighted and would be surprised if he didn't at least put out some "feelers." And I expect there would be plenty of takers, provided they have deep enough pockets.

Sevilla had been in distress since rumors of the team's imminent demise earlier in the year. One result was the tension induced illness he suffered in the Tour.

Then a good friend of his (possibly Vaughters?) let slip in a recent interview that his move to ONCE was a done deal. Since then, I haven't seen a thing.

But since Kelme is cutting something like nine riders as a cost savings measure for next year, it seems even more likely that he will leave. That, and the - apparently valid in retrospect - switch to Gonzalez as performing team leader in the Vuelta under somewhat less than "honorable" circumstances, would seem to be pretty indicative.

Cheers...Gary