Professional Cycling For the Fans - TDF 2010 stage 15 - Pamiers - Bagnères-de-Luchon 187.5 km, Mon. Jul 17

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dangerous looking stage prefacing the pain of #'s 16 & 17. could be someone's best chance to
vault (back) into contention and take the yellow jersey with the giant passes of the pyrenees
looming...

21.5K of descending at the end could neutralize attacks from top GC contenders. Even more descending, 60K+, on stage 16.

Interesting tour this year. The days leading up are just going to tire everyone out. Then the race will be decided on stage 17 and confirmed on 19. Pretty "short" bike race.

this stage has big name all-rounder/climber that is 6+ minutes back breakaway written all over it...

Astarloza. :innocent:

Bobke's saying Lance will try something on #16. I think this one looks more to his liking.

Wag here: Thor in the breakaway for points. He'll sit up once he makes it to the second sprint in the breakaway.

Schleck needs time, but I don't see him getting it here unless Contador completely cracks. No way he keeps a ~30 second gap on the descent, not unless Jens has another superhuman effort in him or Cancellara switches to the motorized bike so he can help on the descent.

Schleck needs time, but I don't see him getting it here unless Contador completely cracks. No way he keeps a ~30 second gap on the descent, not unless Jens has another superhuman effort in him or Cancellara switches to the motorized bike so he can help on the descent.

I don't see Jens doing that again. Heck he blew a gasket at the top of the climb the other day. And I figuring Vino is gonna blow one here pretty soon too. My impulse would be to say Vino might go out on the attack and try to be at the top to help AC descend down if he can get away from Andy. But Vino would probably get caught before he reached the top too. Andy might try to get AC to work with him to try and get more time between him and Sanchez and Menchov (particularly Menchov). The Rabobank boys haven't really stirred things up yet. A little more time and Andy will have to seriously worry about Menchov in the TT as well.

I say they have a tag team race. Vino and Cancellara are stationed at the summit, and Alberto and Andy get to tag them in. Then Vino and Cancellara race down the descent.

It will either remain a 2-man race, or become a 4-man or 5-man battle, and we'll see a return to team strategies to take stages, not this piecemeal stuff. I'm enjoying it, though I was pulling for Lance to help Levi to the podium (wouldv'e been a great story). Still, the GC stuff is interesting.

I say they have a tag team race. Vino and Cancellara are stationed at the summit, and Alberto and Andy get to tag them in. Then Vino and Cancellara race down the descent.

Hey, that wouldn't be a bad idea for a new modified type of team time trial. Each rider does a leg instead of all of them riding together. Each rider covering say 10-20km. Make the distance 180km. Vary the terrain so each team can position their riders to use the best of their abilities. That would be interesting.

Incredible. What bad luck. The attack was succesful and than this.

Contador is a piece of ****.

omg chain slip

That was cheap. I understand why Contador passed him because it was a smart move, but it wasn't exactly right. I would hate to see Contador win the jersey off of that move.

I think Contador was pissing his pants when Schleck went away.

I don't know what to say. I like Schleck more than Contador and I know he'll get criticised for attacking Schleck, but I can't really blame him.

What was AC to do, stop in the road?

What was AC to do, stop in the road?

Yeah I guess. But the problem of course is that Menchov and Sanchez were there too, and if they don't stop, how can Contador?

What was AC to do, stop in the road?
He didn't have a problem with doing that yesterday ;)

Contador is a piece of ****.

Oh shut up.

No one would slow down because no one has any respect for each other. Look at what happened with Armstrong and Ullrich ..... they waited for each other when things like that happened because they respected each other, and the they had the clout to slow down the other riders with them instead of attacking further.

Yeah ... it's kinda cheap ....... but when you're running scared like Contador/Menchov/Sanchez....... things like this happen.

Sean Kelly on Eurosport says Contador should have waited, regardless of what Menchov and Sanchez do.

As an American, I don't understand the whole..."don't attack when there is a mechanical" deal, but then again maybe that is why the rest of the world hates us.

We may hear boos for the new yellow jersey today if Contador gets it. The more I see the Contador group continue to attack, the cheaper the move seems .

That's not how a past Tour "Champion" should win or gain time on the yellow jersey.

As an American, I don't understand the whole..."don't attack when there is a mechanical" deal, but then again maybe that is why the rest of the world hates us.


Why ? Because real men have honor.

That's not how a past Tour "Champion" should win or gain time on the yellow jersey.

Yeah, especially since Schleck looked like he was stronger today...

Too bad this will take away the spotlight from Voeckler's brilliant victory.

Were DM and SS willing to stop? If not what was AC to do? Lose the TDF along with Andy as a show of sportsmanship?

I guess I don't understand whats expected?

Were DM and SS willing to stop? If not what was AC to do? Lose the TDF along with Andy as a show of sportsmanship?

I guess I don't understand whats expected?

If they want to win that way, than that's up to them, but it doesn't relieve Contador from his own responsibility imo.

As reigning champion, it would be up to Contador to tell the others not to attack. He could have waited, it DM and SS wouldn't wait ..... you still wait for AS and go after them together.

If they want to win that way, than that's up to them, but it doesn't relieve Contador from his own responsibility imo.

How long was he supposed to wait? 20 second's, one minute, 3 minutes's etc. say the chain was broken?

Boo-ray for Alberto.

How long was he supposed to wait? 20 second's, one minute, 3 minutes's etc. say the chain was broken?

But the chain wasn't broken, that's a hypothetical question.

This really pisses me off the more I think about it. All these mountains, all that pain and suffering, and that's the way Contador gets the yellow? Bull****.

How long was he supposed to wait? 20 second's, one minute, 3 minutes's etc. say the chain was broken?

It's not that he's supposed to park his own bike on the side of the road, nobody expects that. The problem is that he attacked when he saw Schleck's chain fell off. That's why he's a piece of ****.

But the chain wasn't broken, that's a hypothetical question.

This really pisses me off the more I think about it. All these mountains, all that pain and suffering, and that's the way Contador gets the yellow? Bull****.


Me too. This shows Alberto's character. No balls. No honor.

F contador total chump!

Call me crazy, but isn't a dropped chain in that situation most likely rider error?

I wonder if the French crowd has the balls to boo him on the Podiom for the Yellow jersey ..... they just might.

Didn't see it. Did AC attack when AS had problems? Or was Andy attacking and Contador following when Andy had problems?

I bet Contador is going to go with some "i didn't know" crap, although it's very obvious he did know. Even Vino immediately noticed.

AC couldn't stay AS and he saw a cheap way to get yellow.

Alberto's been running scared the whole Tour because he knew he wasn't as strong as last year. Helluva a way to win.

I can understand pausing if it was just AC and AS on the open road - but - AS was the one who attacked, and AC was with the other top 5... don't see much of a choice, as bitter as it was - I don't see it as 'unsportsmanlike'.

At the very least he could have stayed on Menchov's/Sanchez's wheel instead of going to the front himself.

Why ? Because real men have honor.

Exactly. And it is quite clear from today who it is that doesn't have any.

I can understand pausing if it was just AC and AS on the open road - but - AS was the one who attacked, and AC was with the other top 5... don't see much of a choice, as bitter as it was - I don't see it as 'unsportsmanlike'. Nice guys finish last.

Cheap move.

Didn't see it. Did AC attack when AS had problems? Or was Andy attacking and Contador following when Andy had problems?

Andy attacked, Contador couldn't follow but Vino got on his wheel. After a couple seconds with maybe 10 bike lengths between Schleck adn Contador his chain dropped, Vino immediately slowed down but Contador, MEnchov and Sanchez raced ahead of Schleck and went full throttle all the way up the rest of the mountain and down the descent into the finish.

This could work out for AS in the end. The way things were going AC might have been positioned to win in the TT...now, Andy has nothing to loose and can just go for it on one of the last two stages. If he's not burnt from today I think he can put some major time on AC if he's really riding that much stronger...

Now it's about revenge :)

If AS attacked and AC followed, then AS had bike problems, I see nothing wrong with AC continuing at the pace he was at.

Cheap move.

ok newb.