TdF for the 41 (spoiler warning)
#1701
en fuego
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#1702
Peloton Shelter Dog
I agree, different type of lead out than today, but man that was EPIC. All the more so because it was in Paris.
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#1703
Go, Dog. Go!
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Well yeah. That was as ridiculously dominant a performance as they come. No one was even close to Renshaw on the Champs that day. When the leadout finishes second in the sprint like that I imagine the other teams just throwing up their hands and saying eff it.
#1704
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Yeah, but he's not a TT guy and the climbs in the Alps might not allow him to hold on, they're reportedly quite different from the Pyrenees. But you never know, right? That would really rock the Tour. I'd love to see Voeckler hold off everybody only to be nailed back by 10 seconds when Cadel rocks that final TT. Cadel is in the cat bird seat. If he can simply hang on to the GC boys on the climbs, I think he smokes them all in that TT. Cadel has looked better climbing this year than in recent years, and none of the GC boys seems to have the ability to launch a big attack that will stick on the climbs. They'll let Sammy Sanchez do that, but when Cadel, the Schlecks, Basso or any of the Big Boys try, they go nowhere without the other GC contenders.
Never count out Contador. He could come roaring back in the Alps after that rest day. I'm amazed people seem to forget the string of Grand Tours that man has won in the past 4 years.
Never count out Contador. He could come roaring back in the Alps after that rest day. I'm amazed people seem to forget the string of Grand Tours that man has won in the past 4 years.
#1705
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Some numbers showed that Cavendish's time up at least one of the mountains was actually faster than Contador's!
I don't know if there's anything in it, surely a spectator would have some pics of it by now. I mean he's wearing the green jersey, and you're on the side of the road with a camera...of course this kind of thing happens all the time, but I think it would be tough for such a high profile guy to get away with it so blatantly.
#1706
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But it's nice to see him up there. He's made a few comments suggesting that at least part of the reason he and few others have been able to hang is due to a cleaner peloton. If that's the case, maybe the odd tactics we're seeing is really just what a clean(er) pro bike race looks like.
#1708
Peloton Shelter Dog
Nope, if he detonates in the Alps he'll lose 10 minutes, not 2 minutes.
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#1709
Peloton Shelter Dog
What's with this 'rest day' crap anyway? I don't take friggin rest days.
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#1710
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#1712
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I did say 'if he can keep it close' in the alps. Of course he's going to lose tons of time if he can't hang in the mountains. The only thing that gives me a slight hope was that performance in the Pryenees.
#1713
Mr. Dopolina
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If you've ever done a stage race longer than 3 days you'd understand why.
#1714
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#1720
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People have been saying Cavendish and a few others have been getting rides from the team cars. Holding on for like 5 kms at a time. Big news during the Giro, and at least one sprinter admitted it after it was finally caught on camera.
Some numbers showed that Cavendish's time up at least one of the mountains was actually faster than Contador's!
I don't know if there's anything in it, surely a spectator would have some pics of it by now. I mean he's wearing the green jersey, and you're on the side of the road with a camera...of course this kind of thing happens all the time, but I think it would be tough for such a high profile guy to get away with it so blatantly.
Some numbers showed that Cavendish's time up at least one of the mountains was actually faster than Contador's!
I don't know if there's anything in it, surely a spectator would have some pics of it by now. I mean he's wearing the green jersey, and you're on the side of the road with a camera...of course this kind of thing happens all the time, but I think it would be tough for such a high profile guy to get away with it so blatantly.
I don't know if it's true or not (never even thought about it before) but I don't think spectators could police such a thing.
I do think GPS units are now light and cheap enough that the tour officials might as well just put one on everyones bike and make the data public. They could use that to police this sort of behavior as well. They'd then know, for sure, that a sprinter made a miraculously quick climb. Put it on the team cars as well and you'd know that the bike and car traveled in proximity for a certain period of time and at a certain part of the course.
#1722
Senior Member
I missed ten Dams' crash but just caught up to what happened to him. I found a story from the "PostSports" section of the Washington Post...the author, Matt Brooks, ends the story with "No word yet on ESPN personality Michael Smith’s initial reaction to ten Dam’s wipeout."
When the medical help first got to him and he pulled his hands away from his face, I'm sure at least one of them must have muttered "Mon Dieu!"
When the medical help first got to him and he pulled his hands away from his face, I'm sure at least one of them must have muttered "Mon Dieu!"
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#1723
shedding fat
Ten Dam needs a haircut and a freaking shave!!
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#1724
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Me too, I don't have it. It was just a rumour, and I didn't give it much credence to be honest.
Here's a bit of a summary of the controversy at the Giro.
https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cycling/13432233.stm
I knew of it, and Tyler's comments caught my interest. If enough riders are saying it, maybe there's something to it.
Here's a bit of a summary of the controversy at the Giro.
https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cycling/13432233.stm
I knew of it, and Tyler's comments caught my interest. If enough riders are saying it, maybe there's something to it.
#1725
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you know, Alberto Contador and I have one very important thing in common. Neither or us are winning the TdF!!!
RD
RD