This is the first Tour that I've noticed Mancebo, though I believe he's been around before (?) He's been doing rather well on the last few mountain stages, and he was ranked above Ullrich for a while until today's TT. Anyway, who is he? What's his history? He's got a strange form on the bike, kind of off-center and hunchbacked, and he's always always smiling (in pain?)

http://www.cyclingphotography.co.uk/images/mancebo-francisco001.jpg

No offense meant to you, but you must not have followed very closely in the past. He has three top ten finishes and one top fifteen finish in the past four Tours. He won the white jersey a few years ago. He seems to have trouble with the TTs, as evidenced today, but is a very strong overall rider and is always there in the mountains.

No offense meant to you, but you must not have followed very closely in the past. He has three top ten finishes and one top fifteen finish in the past four Tours. He won the white jersey a few years ago. He seems to have trouble with the TTs, as evidenced today, but is a very strong overall rider and is always there in the mountains.

hi, you're right that I haven't followed closely in the past, mostly the last two years but I am 16. So..I haven't really "caught on" with everything yet but I'm working on it. Not everyone can learn everything suddenly about a subject, it takes a while to learn all the riders and stuff. Anyway, I don't understand how Mancebo's pretty good at climbing like he's shown in the last few stages but he's not doing well in the mountain time trial.

hi, you're right that I haven't followed closely in the past, mostly the last two years but I am 16. So..I haven't really "caught on" with everything yet but I'm working on it. Not everyone can learn everything suddenly about a subject, it takes a while to learn all the riders and stuff. Anyway, I don't understand how Mancebo's pretty good at climbing like he's shown in the last few stages but he's not doing well in the mountain time trial.

Now you made me feel bad for picking on someone less than half my age. :) Eventhough Mancebo is good on the climbs doesn't mean he will be good on a time trial that is also a climb. Some riders need others to pace them up the hills. Look at Basso from today. Lance beat him by well over two minutes, but Basso was right there with Lance on the 3 previous mountain stages. There is a distinct difference between time trialing and climbing or riding with others. That is what makes guys like Lance and Jan so special. They can climb, time trial and just about anything else better than almost any of the other riders. Almost all of the other riders have some sort of major weakness.

He is the one rider I can pick out of a crowd of riders from behind. I started watching him a couple of years ago....always has his head cocked to the side....