Professional Cycling For the Fans - TdF Stage 16 - Tuesday July 21 - 160 km - Martigny (Switz) → Bourg-Saint-Maurice

No Lance Fanboy, but they had the pressure on when Lance bridged. Frank was just dropped. Do you think they dropped Frank while soft pedaling? Once Lance caught up Andy backed off, and I don't blame him. Then Frank and others caught up.

Richard

Yeah, I'm sure A. Schleck was pretty deflated when Frank was dropped and LA appeared on his side. He was then outnumbered 3-1 and he and Jens had been doing most of the work in the group. So it was best to sit up and wait for Frank at that point. Had it been a mountaintop finish there would have been more fireworks but with the long descent there really was no point.

...they had the pressure on when Lance bridged. Frank was just dropped. Do you think they dropped Frank while soft pedaling? Once Lance caught up Andy backed off, and I don't blame him. Then Frank and others caught up.

Richard

I'd LOVE to have heard Andy's thought when Lance showed up, after Frank had been dropped. Must have been a real "oh, *****" kind of moment - 3 Astana riders in the select group of 6 or 7 at the time.

Betcha Cadel is ticked off that he didn't ride at his own speed last year on Alpe d'Huez.

No Lance Fanboy, but they had the pressure on when Lance bridged. Frank was just dropped. Do you think they dropped Frank while soft pedaling? Once Lance caught up Andy backed off, and I don't blame him. Then Frank and others caught up.

Richard

Perhaps not when he started the return, but they had definitely eased off for a good portion of the time he was catching up.

yes - my error stating "Schlecks". It was Jens and Andy who had dropped things back down to "tempo". If not, Jens would have been spit out the back also.

Contador was sitting there and could have taken time out of them if he had to. He's a pent up ball of energy, and it looked like he was trying hard not to release more of it.

It was interesting to hear Bruyneel saying "We're not going to do anything, we're not going to do anything . . ." at the point where the AC group had pulled away from LA and the others (before Lance made his comeback). It wouldn't have made much sense for AC to attack and waste much-needed energy for tomorrow's stage anyhow, but it was interesting, nonetheless. It seems obvious that JB's intentions would be to allow LA to catch up, furthering the chance of having two Astana riders make the podium, AC 1st, LA 2nd. Still makes you wonder if JB and LA are still hanging on to that one little thread of hope, though . . .

Lance had already caught up when he said that. Just watched it again.

Richard


It was interesting to hear Bruyneel saying "We're not going to do anything, we're not going to do anything . . ." at the point where the AC group had pulled away from LA and the others (before Lance made his comeback). It wouldn't have made much sense for AC to attack and waste much-needed energy for tomorrow's stage anyhow, but it was interesting, nonetheless. It seems obvious that JB's intentions would be to allow LA to catch up, furthering the chance of having two Astana riders make the podium, AC 1st, LA 2nd. Still makes you wonder if JB and LA are still hanging on to that one little thread of hope, though . . .

Lance had already caught up when he said that. Just watched it again.

Richard

I stand corrected. I thought it was before he bridged. I should've checked before I posted, but I only watched it once this afternoon then deleted it. Sorry 'bout that!

At any rate, the point I was trying to make would probably still stand. After such a violent effort to get back to the group, I'm not sure LA could have kept up if AC wanted to put more time in, and I'm sure JB knew that.

I am not sure if anyone could have stayed with AC, but Lance did look strong after he re-couped.

Riichard


I stand corrected. I thought it was before he bridged. I should've checked before I posted, but I only watched it once this afternoon then deleted it. Sorry 'bout that!

At any rate, the point I was trying to make would probably still stand. After such a violent effort to get back to the group, I'm not sure LA could have kept up if AC wanted to put more time in, and I'm sure JB knew that.

I am not sure if anyone could have stayed with AC, but Lance did look strong after he re-couped.

Riichard

Hey, I am no sport physiologist but just speaking from experience, getting dropped because you couldn't handle the pace and then to recoup in a short period of time and to then bridge like he did (and it was an impressive bridge) doesn't seem to be a likely scenario. I think he had it in him the whole time. A lot of people in the front group were going oh **** when lance poked his head into their party!

After watching it again, it seems that the lead group slowed a bit. Schlecks gased themselves trying to dump AC, Kloden, and Wiggins. Lance made his move at the right time. But several other joined right before that group reached the summit. An indication that the pace slowed. They definitely slowed after Lance made it back. Nothing left for Saxo Bank to gain.

And Julian: Lance said in the post race that he couldn't keep up with the first attack. So he rode his race until the terrain was suitable for him to make a move to bridge the gap. Based on his statements, he clearly wasn't playing head games.

And Julian: Lance said in the post race that he couldn't keep up with the first attack. So he rode his race until the terrain was suitable for him to make a move to bridge the gap. Based on his statements, he clearly wasn't playing head games.

If you are going to use what LA said it should at least be accurate.

Lance said he waited to bridge until it was steep enough that the others in the group couldn't go with with him. Once there Johan called off the heat.

check out this cool footage of a crash on stage 16 that the tv missed. He finished the stage but it ended Gomez Marchantes's tour


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlgqcQldtFE