Road Bike Racing - Snooooozer until saturday!

Wow, I have no interest in watching racers who are in no position to win take on stage wins, while Lance and Ulrich sit and cruise til saturday. I understand the dynamics of the situation and the impossibility of break aways, but how about some mountains near the end, so that there might be some excitement. This entire week is a snoooozer!

heh I dont think there are that many mountains around bordeaux

you have yet to appreciate the flat stages

Originally posted by nikos
Wow, I have no interest in watching racers who are in no position to win take on stage wins, while Lance and Ulrich sit and cruise til saturday. I understand the dynamics of the situation and the impossibility of break aways, but how about some mountains near the end, so that there might be some excitement. This entire week is a snoooozer!

Given the history of this year's tour - don't blink. Anything, and everything could happen @ any moment. Flat stage or time trial - keep your eye on the prize, or you just may miss something dramatic!!

Rouse yourself and watch the points competition. They will race to Paris for the green this year.

Wha, hey ! um, whats up? sorry i was sleeping ;) Are they in Paris yet?

Originally posted by brent_dube
heh I dont think there are that many mountains around bordeaux

you have yet to appreciate the flat stages

Oh, I enjoy the flat stages for the sprints. But the best sprinter up and left (Petachi) - so that dulls it a touch for me. Yes the points could be a factor for watching, but without the best sprinter and the leaders crusin, it doesnt make things to hot for me - it could be that I burned myself out watching every stage of the Giro and up through 15 of the TDF. Oh well!!!!

Errrr. The best sprinter didn't leave. There is still a best sprinter in the TDF.

In terms of points and finishing the tour yes. 6 Giro stages, 4 Tour stages - Petachi is the best sprinter right now.

Originally posted by nikos
In terms of points and finishing the tour yes. 6 Giro stages, 4 Tour stages - Petachi is the best sprinter right now.

if he trained to be able to handle the 3 weeks with the mountains, he probably wouldn't have done as well in the first week.

Part of the idea, for me, of 'best sprinter' for the tour is a sprinter who actually races in the tour, and throughout the tour. Being the best for one week doesn't qualify as the best for the race, in my mind.
Do you think he would have the legs to actually still win now if he made it through the mountains?

Very good point. I didnt consider all of that. I doubt Petachi would be as fresh right now.

I think we may have a couple of folks try to breakaway tomorrow, knowing that the last stage might be harder to do a breakaway. There are three podium contenders who might have a reason to try. Ullrich, because winning the TT is not a cinch, and it might be easier to breakaway before the TT than after. Vino, who can't contend for first if he doesn't move tomorrow. Hamilton, because he did well yesterday, rode with the group today, and could improve to third in the TT. We might even see a combination of the three. I think that the first TT result was an anomaly, and that Ullrich won't get more than 30 seconds over Lance, and that is if Ullrich beats Lance. I think both of them know it too. It would be hard to make up more than 30 seconds in Paris, when the Domestiques can give everything, because ther truly is no race the next day. I think tomorrow is the real action, and I intend to see it.

How can this be boring? Servais Knaven did the same special trick that made him win Paris - Roubaix two years ago: a 17km solo that kept him ahead of the others, while the gap was never more than just over 30sec. He was clever, knew he had no chance if they had to sprint, he also knew that he has good time trial capabilities. He combined physical strength and intelligence to win that stage. He got the best out of his possibilities in a way that is in every way comparable to Armstrongs attack on Luz Ardiden. To call these stages a snoozer is quite an insult to those guys who were in front all day working their buts off to stay clear of the pack.

Just my 2 cents,
Timo