Road Bike Racing - Tour de Georgia - Brasstown Bald Question

So in the end, it was Levi and Danielson going at it for the stage win, while leaving their GC man by himself with Vande Velde. That seems insane. While it worked out ok, it could have easily cost them the overall lead. It is almost like there was a pissing match between Levi and Danielson over who would get to win the stage and they both went for it. Personally, I think Levi should have continued to play the domestique to Janez, while giving Danielson a day in the sun.

Or perhaps I missed something in just getting the play-by-play from cyclingnews.com... Any ideas?

Behind them race leader Brajkovic was feeling capable on Vandevelde's wheel, signalling to the team that he had the situation in hand.

I don't think Vandevelde is capable of putting time into Brajkovic on a climb.

All Janez had to do was sit on Vandevelde's wheel. Once they are on the climb, and Janez is on the right wheel, what was Danielson or Levi going to do? Besides, 1slow is right and Discovery knew it so they went for the stage win and the GC.

Levi looked good on the climb.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/apadyk/Levicopy.jpg

I don't think Vandevelde is capable of putting time into Brajkovic on a climb.
For real, just look at the kid. Also, his middle name in Mountain Goat.

I agree....I think they felt so good about the overall in that situation that they were told just to race. Brajkovic had 12 seconds to loose, I think they felt good about that...no reason for the others to slow down....

If they would have gotten there with 10 K to go it might have been a different support story...

Personally I think they are looking for a USA sponsor. Getting one two on a stage and possibly loosing a few seconds on the overall was a better bet....it worked out...they got one two and the overall...

Great results!!! I would have loved to seen it on TV...

They didn't leave him until Janez was sure he was going to be able to hang with Vandevelde.

Kind of OT but Tyler looked really bad today.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/apadyk/Tylercopy.jpg

There's not much support or protection going up a climb like Brasstown. You either have it or you don't. They knew that Janez would have no problem sitting on Vandevelde's wheel and marking him so there was no reason for Levi or Tom to hang with him.

I don't know why i expected to Tyler to the ground running this season. I really thought he'd win something right off the bat.

I agree, I thought that it was a bit crazy. I was hoping that when Levi was in the lead and about to win that Vandevelde would put in an attack that Janez couldn't follow and that Levi would be radioed back to help.

I'm surprised that Tyler lost only 10 minutes.

For real, just look at the kid. Also, his middle name in Mountain Goat.


I thought it was "walking stick" or as Vino put it: "Slovenian Stick Insect"

Levi looked good on the climb.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/apadyk/Levicopy.jpg


and by the same token, Tom really looks like he's working it...Levi doesn't look phased...

Levi looks like a cross between Lance and the T-1000.

Actually, I may have caught Danielson at a bad time. He looked better in this picture, but still not as good as Levi, for sure.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/apadyk/TomD.jpg

wheel change, bike problem, vande velde attacks a couple times and pops him and he needs to be paced to the top. There are a lot of things a "team" can do to support a rider on a climb, either Disco saw vandevelde as no threat or janez as supremely confident.

Kind of OT but Tyler looked really bad today.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/apadyk/Tylercopy.jpg

I wonder if there's a part of him that's afraid to do too well off the bat, for fear that he'll be accused of drug use again. Or maybe he's just drug free.;)

If Levi had gotten anything but a stage win the paper in his home town might have ignored him.

I wonder if there's a part of him that's afraid to do too well off the bat, for fear that he'll be accused of drug use again. Or maybe he's just drug free.;)

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/apadyk/Tylercopy.jpg

Maybe someone should check the name on that dog bone on the chain around his neck. If it says "Birillo"... :D











j/k

According to cyclingnews, Tyler had a tooth absess that was really bothering him. Whatever it was he looked pained.

Well...it is a bike race, so i like to see Levi attacking. It was a prestigious stage....so glad to see the guys go for it. The climb was so tough that there wasn't much you can do for your GC man if he cracks anyway. If he couldn't hold Vande Velde's wheel then the race was over anyway. Levi and Danielson didn't reall need to stay with him at that point. Danielson probably let Levi take the stage out of respect. But Danielson looks much improved...so it's only a matter of time before Disco is going to have some leadership problems. That team is so deep and talented that it would be just absurd for Levi to think he is the boss of that team. He hasn't won any Tours or Giros...so perhaps Levi needs a reality pill.

Tyler is making progress really slowly. But the Giro is coming up fast...which is his focus for the first half of the year.

Lemond was also riding this poorly in '89 just before the Tour, then like magic his form showed up and he won the Tour and Worlds. This race was good for Tyler, so maybe his form will make a big jump as a result of doing TDG and Brasstown Bald.

Riders always seem to have excuses when they ride poorly.

Riders always seem to have excuses when they ride poorly.

+1

Plus he looks a good 10 pounds too heavy.

+1

Plus he looks a good 10 pounds too heavy.

Yeah. I was about to say that Tyler looks like he has gained a lot of weight. It's kind
of sad because in the real world he probably seems normal compared to most people,
but that would be "fat" for a cyclist.

yeah, much leaner back in the day:

http://www.electricedge.com/greymatter/images4/tyler.jpg

Actually, I may have caught Danielson at a bad time. He looked better in this picture, but still not as good as Levi, for sure.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/apadyk/TomD.jpg
Even Simoni looked a little beefier than he might come Giro time. I have to say that Tom D. was really lean. And Levi just looked great. What that means for later in the year, I don't know.

Yeah, Simoni looks really beefed in the upper body there. Not much time before the Giro. I have to say that Cunego is my pick this year.