Professional Cycling For the Fans - Vinoo!!!!!!!!(spoiler)

hahahaha and you noobs thought he was done for. Hella recovery before the stage win.

You can say that no one attacked him because he is so far down the GC but a stage win is a stage win.

I knew he had life left in him!!!! AVERAGE CLIMBER? Go win a mountain stage being an average climber....
You doubting evil people!!

:D :D :D :D
That race was awesome, Contador attacking like crazy. I'm actually rooting for Contador now for GC, Rasmussen is awful

A stage win is a stage win!?

That puts Vino on par with Lorenzo BERNUCCI, Pieter WEENING, David MONCOUTI, Georg TOTSCHNIG, Marcos SERRANO, Giuseppe GUERINI, Jean-Patrick NAZON (he even won two stages, just like Vino), Filippo POZZATO, Aitor GONZALEZ, Juan Miguel MERCADO, Jakob PIIL, Servais KNAVEN, Pablo LASTRAS, and Baden COOKE. All "serious" contenders for the Yellow Jersey. I have no idea how all these "champions" failed to make the podium over the last 4 years.

It's great you can get so excited about your fave rider bringing himself up to 28+ minutes of the jersey. Wow! He can almost touch the yellow jersey...assuming he bumps into Rasmussen at the starting line. Here I thought Leipheimer fans were delusional at 4 minutes back.

If Vino starts working for Kloden, rather than asking for team "support" for his floundering fortunes, I will feel better about him. Today was about him, not his team.

A stage win is a stage win!?

That puts Vino on par with Lorenzo BERNUCCI, Pieter WEENING, David MONCOUTI, Georg TOTSCHNIG, Marcos SERRANO, Giuseppe GUERINI, Jean-Patrick NAZON (he even won two stages, just like Vino), Filippo POZZATO, Aitor GONZALEZ, Juan Miguel MERCADO, Jakob PIIL, Servais KNAVEN, Pablo LASTRAS, and Baden COOKE. All "serious" contenders for the Yellow Jersey. I have no idea how all these "champions" failed to make the podium over the last 4 years.

It's great you can get so excited about your fave rider bringing himself up to 28+ minutes of the jersey. Wow! He can almost touch the yellow jersey...assuming he bumps into Rasmussen at the starting line. Here I thought Leipheimer fans were delusional at 4 minutes back.

If Vino starts working for Kloden, rather than asking for team "support" for his floundering fortunes, I will feel better about him. Today was about him, not his team.

OMG, you're like totally a 'jenius' :rolleyes:

The OP's excitement stems from Vino winning a stage, not getting back into maillot jaune contention (which he can't possibly do, barring everyone else crashing out). Put your head back up your arse and leave us in peace.

Great work from Vino to show that he's not going to go quietly. Tough as nails.

Yeah, those guys won stages when they were 30 minutes out of contention too. And your point is? If Pablo Lastrus can win a stage when no one cares about him, how does this add to the legacy of Vinokourov? Kind of a hollow victory if ask me. Do you really think the field would have let him getaway if he had a chance? He still needed Ivanonov to drag his a** back up to the lead group. Wouldn't those "team efforts" had been put to better use by helping Kloden? Kloden has already ruined his chances by trying to protect a faltering team leader, much like LeMond lost a Tour supporting Hinault.

Clearly Vinokourov is better than the folks I listed, but trying to rub this stage in people's faces like it was some kind of validation of him is disingenuous.

You think you could have gone on a breakaway and stayed ahead of the peloton through the pyrenees by that sort of margin with 30 stitches in your knees? I'd like to see it.

I'd put good money on 99% of GC contenders just sitting in after the day that Vino had on Sunday.

It took real psychological strength for him to pull away and take the stage win yesterday, and I doubt many of the other cyclists in the peloton have that strength. And lets not forget that he still had to attack the remainder of the breakaway group to win at the end. It's not as if everyone slowed down because they felt sorry for Vino.

For you to suggest that the only reason Vino won is because everyone else sat up and let him is blatantly wrong.

For you to suggest that the only reason Vino won is because everyone else sat up and let him is blatantly wrong.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/reallyoldpunk/nile7.jpg
It's not just a river in Egypt!

They didn't sit up but THEY DIDN'T CARE WHAT VINOKOUROV WAS DOING. He is a non-factor in the tour now. Why would the leaders waste their time on him?

He goes off on a flyer, keeping Kloden from being able to gain any time (not sure if he could, but shouldn't have Vino been trying to help him?) because Vino is off the front and protocol now prevents Kloden from doing anything but "sitting up" in the peloton. The riders that did care had no chance against him and were summarily dropped. It was good theater, but hardly a great vindication.

What I can personally do on a bike is of no consequence in this argument, much like your inability to match Vino's efforts means nothing to it either. If we could match his efforts we would granted our own obligatory "Is R.O.P./elgalad Doping?" thread

If Vino starts working for Kloden, rather than asking for team "support" for his floundering fortunes, I will feel better about him. Today was about him, not his team.

Astana is sponsored by some of the biggest and most powerful companies around Kazakstan. The team is even named after the capital city.
Vinokourov is Kazakstan's biggest sportsprofile and somewhat of a national hero. So I can understand if the Astana-team have a lot of pressure on themselves to let Vino shine.

Don't get me wrong now, I don't believe it's right, I just say that I could understand why.

Astana is sponsored by some of the biggest and most powerful companies around Kazakstan. The team is even named after the capital city.
Vinokourov is Kazakstan's biggest sportsprofile and somewhat of a national hero. So I can understand if the Astana-team have a lot of pressure on themselves to let Vino shine.

Don't get me wrong now, I don't believe it's right, I just say that I could understand why.

I totally understand that dynamic and, of course Astana was rightfully happy to have their jersey on the podium. I just find it kind of hard to believe that they have been so willing to throw away a podium finish for a relatively meaningless stage win. People are going crazy over Contador and Leipheimer being separated by 2.5 minutes and trying make arguments over who should be the team leader. Astana has 23 minutes separating their two leaders. To me, it is almost appearing like Vino is trying to make it impossible for Kloden to win. He asked his team to continue working for him rather than someone on his team that actually has a chance. I guess we will see what happens on Weds.

Kloden has already ruined his chances by trying to protect a faltering team leader, much like LeMond lost a Tour supporting Hinault.


That comparison is not exactly fair. Hinault and LeMond finished 1 and 2 that year. The faltering leader ended up winning, and the biggest competition was his own teammate.

Did you see the pace Boggart was setting? Ya he was just chillin there with the whole peloton and they couldn't catch Vino. He rode HARD and didn't let up until the end. He put 5mins into them.

My god it really is sad and pathetic how you still don't understand how this sport works yet. HAHAHAAHA. I see you're now jumping on the AC bandwagon. Way to go Commie!!!!

hahahaha and you noobs thought he was done for.
Yup. He's done for.

My god it really is sad and pathetic how you still don't understand how this sport works yet. HAHAHAAHA. I see you're now jumping on the AC bandwagon. Way to go Commie!!!!


I rather have AC win than anorexia victim

hahahaha and you noobs thought he was done for. Hella recovery before the stage win.

You can say that no one attacked him because he is so far down the GC but a stage win is a stage win.

I knew he had life left in him!!!! AVERAGE CLIMBER? Go win a mountain stage being an average climber....
You doubting evil people!!

:D :D :D :D
That race was awesome, Contador attacking like crazy. I'm actually rooting for Contador now for GC, Rasmussen is awful

yep, he just changed his blood out and he was good to go.

yep, he just changed his blood out and he was good to go.

Nothing mr. anorexia hasn't done yet

Nothing mr. anorexia hasn't done yet

Except Vino got caught, and now his whole team is in jeopardy. Good job, Vino! Like they weren't going to examine his blood and urine samples after his crazy TT with extra scrutiny.

Drip bags for glory. This "will to win", "win at whatever cost" mentality is confusing to say the least.

Humphrey?

Richard


Did you see the pace Boggart was setting? Ya he was just chillin there with the whole peloton and they couldn't catch Vino. He rode HARD and didn't let up until the end. He put 5mins into them.

You think you could have gone on a breakaway and stayed ahead of the peloton through the pyrenees by that sort of margin with 30 stitches in your knees? I'd like to see it.

I'd put good money on 99% of GC contenders just sitting in after the day that Vino had on Sunday.

It took real psychological strength for him to pull away and take the stage win yesterday, and I doubt many of the other cyclists in the peloton have that strength. And lets not forget that he still had to attack the remainder of the breakaway group to win at the end. It's not as if everyone slowed down because they felt sorry for Vino.

For you to suggest that the only reason Vino won is because everyone else sat up and let him is blatantly wrong.


The stitches in the knee thing it getting WAY over played. Vino has won 2 stages since that fall. He's obviously not hurting that bad. That is unless he tries to climb with the leaders. But that ain't got nothin' to do with stitches. He lost most of his time after he won a stage. So that injured rider excuse is bunk. Kloden has broken tailbone, for cripes sake. I don't hear anyone making excuses for him or going on about how courageous it is for him to continue. A huge part of winning the Tour is staying out of trouble and in contention. Like not crashing on what was supposed to be a non-eventful early stage.

Don't get me wrong, I like watching Vino too. But if you've actually watched previous Tours, you would realize that this is typical of Vino. Wild ass attacks, getting dropped on crucial climbs, winning stages that don't matter. Enough already, you Vino fan boys here are showing a disturbing amount of man love for your demigod.

^ venom aside, that's a good post.

^ venom aside, that's a good post.

No real venom intended. Its just that the elevation of Vino to legendary heights seems unwarranted. But now that it appears that Vino went Floyd Landis out there, I imagine most of the Vino bandwagon riders are off for good. I'm sure there will still be the hardcore Vino fan boys out there though.

Nice tour pick Commie. I'm guessing you cheat in your daily life too... Great WIn you CHEATER!!!!!!!!

damn this sux seriously...I was rooting for him too.

damn this sux seriously...I was rooting for him too.

noob

noob

i knows