Vino should win this years tour, the guy is strong, and have courage. I remember a couple of years ago fighting against Lance in the mountains... he got drop.. he was comming back and so on and so forth. Then he was affected by the dopping problem... and now this stupid crash, thats bad luck! The team did was it could today, but the guy is tough, the whole team died helping him but as somebody said nobody wanted to help him chasing the main group so he had to chase practically alone and injured... thats tough!... who was the guy from t-mobile that was helping him?? anybody knows? Im quite sure the guy when saw vino comming as his back he tought... "WTF?? What are u doing here???"....

I really hope he is able to start tomorrow, because for sure he will try to crash the other guys saturday and sunday in the climbs. What I believe it will happen by sunday is than Kloden and Vino will crush the other teams in the climbs.

Levi and Incapié (please use the accent in the last letter when saying the name, thats the real pronunciation of it, even latin lastnames change pronunciation here in the states) both climb but not as good as vino and Kloden thats for sure...

Thanks...

I too loved when Vino attacked Lance in 2005. The attack looked cool.

The real reason 6 riders waited for Vino and 1.5 waited for Kloden.


http://www.homestead.com/prosites-kazakhembus/Astana.html

.....
I'm starting to think that Moreau has a fighting chance at the podium now, as long as his coccyx stays together.

Is Moreau recovering from an injury?
If so, when did it occur?
(he never mentioned it in his interview just before the Tour started)

[QUOTE=GGDub]Uhh, the same thing that happens to him everytime the road goes uphill?

In 2005, he barely made the time cut up the Pla d'Adet. He was screaming during the final 100 m!

It was a cat 3 climb, I'm more surprised that Zabel, Freire and co. were there to the end.

QUOTE]

Zabel has a long history of winning sprints after climbs that resulted in the other sprinters being dropped.
It was even discussed in today's Versus broadcast. He's been a GC contender in the past and run up with Lance and Jan in the mountain stages (although those now appear to have been EPO enhanced).

Freire also outclimbs most sprinters. Last year Rabobank team got out front and upped the peloton pace one stage before a cat 2 climb with a flat ending in hopes that McEwen and the other sprinters would be dropped leaving Oscar to clean up on the green jersey points.

Boonen can't climb with Zabel and Freire, but outclimbs most of the other green jersey contenders.

If my math is right,coefficient 2 stage @ 39-40km/hr has a 15% coefficient.

Sounds like Lequatre missed the cuttof by 2 minutes.

It's a shame to get taken out by someone else's feedbag.

Will there be any penalties for the guy that got his feedbag in Lequatre's spokes?

i highly doubt that kloden will finish the tour with a cracked coccyx, the mere torque on the bone while attempting the put out power will be immensely painful, not to mention trying to time trial...

Sounds like Lequatre missed the cuttof by 2 minutes. It's a shame to get taken out by someone else's feedbag.

They still list Lequatre in the official GC so I think he made it. That was a pretty amazing ride from him to even get to the end (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A24731589). Pretty much the display of the day for me too, its just a shame it didn't get any coverage.

Kloden was actually earmarked to be the captain of T-Mobile, but for whatever reason, did not want the role and looked for a new team (sort of like if you're dating someone and when it comes down to whether or not to get married, and you feel it's not right...why stay together after that?).

His comment on joining Astana:
"The main reason for my decision is especially the fact that I will go to a very strong team with riders like Alexandre Vinokourov and Andrei Kashechkin, with whom we will be able to accomplish much in the coming season"


EDIT: and what Botto said. ;)
If I had a shot at the TdF GC, I'd want to be with nearly any other team. T-Mobile had zero tactical sense. If you don't believe me, ask Oscar Pereiro. He should never have been allowed to gain that much time on his break. Also, look how many victories they got Ullrich, who was a better rider than Kloden ever dreamed of being.

re: Pereiro's break last year,

T-Mobile's strategy was to let phonak (or other teams) pull back the break. It turned out to be a mistake, but it wasn't ******ed.

They still list Lequatre in the official GC so I think he made it. That was a pretty amazing ride from him to even get to the end (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A24731589). Pretty much the display of the day for me too, its just a shame it didn't get any coverage.

Lequatre finished outside the cut, but the judges decided to reinstate him due the crash.
However, his injuries were to severe to continue.