stevesurf

THIS IS A TOUR STAGE THREAD - POSSIBLE SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!

Suzie Green

My heart wants to choose Cunego to win this stage, but my common sense tells me it's a wasted pick. So I will go with Ricco to stick a dagger into the belly of the race. My top three:

1. Ricco
2. Menchov
3. Kirchen

Cadel will be 4th, losing time, and causing fans to say WTF

hell_yes

I'll take Menchov. He really impressed me last year when he was working for Rasmussen.

pumpy schwartz

vandevelde

Laggard

Evans
Valverde
Menchov

acorn_user

I'm going to plump for a Euskaltel rider on a break from the Peyresoude. How about Txurruka? I'd pick Savoldelli if he were there though.

Laggard

I want to say that Zubelida will make himself known here and take the stage.

Surferbruce

go vandevelde. if things regroup a bit towards the end and columbia has a couple riders in the selection why not?

2wheeled

Suzie, you make me smile

Laggard, you surprise me, wheel sucking Evans beating your man Menchov, I don't see it. I think a select group will fight out the finish...either Menchov or Valverde FTW.

Vandevelde is going good but he's not a contender, he will loose time.

marqueemoon

My money's on a breakaway of relative nobodies staying away.

Of the GC riders Valverde is about as close to a pick as I can come up with, and only because he can still sprint if it comes back together. His team will work like mad to cause a split.

Cunego will either ride himself back into it or he'll be done.

Cadel will follow wheels, because he can. It's not in his best interest to grab yellow right now.

Suzie Green

Despite all the negativity and dire predictions, this is still shaping up to be a damn fine Tour. I haven't been so excited since the day Pedro Delgado missed his time trial start by several minutes and I was watching the TV and screaming "What are you doing, this isn't the time to be ordering a coffee and baguette!"

Hell, I got excited when Joop Zoetemelk won back in the late 70's or early 80's (I forget). If you're watching a race and Joop pumps you up, you're definitely hard core.

2wheeled

You've got quite a tour history under your belt girl! I remember pedro's slip up like it was yesterday. Timing him from when he actually left the start house to the finish line would have put him in the top 3 or 4 that day but sipping coffee and chewing a baguette doesn't get the job done.

parka100

I see Cunego winning the stage gaining some time back then a couple of unknowns with him

Evans Valverde Menchov will just ride together and one major contender will crack (None that I just mentioned)

bbgobie

There will be an early break caught on the last climb. Someone like Valverde who is riding strong will go over the top strong, and if he , or even evans and 2-3 riders have a small gap over the top, they will take some risks descending and finish in front of the main favorite group.
So i say Valverde, Evans, Kirchen finish together ahead of everyone else.

Surferbruce

Ricco the Rat. all i can say is i love to hate him.

Suzie Green

I will try not to be too smug.

acorn_user

To paraphrase the old commentary saw... "Shades of Pantani there". It seems Ricco was aiming for a Pantani style victory (according to Leonardo Piepoli).

Can anyone shed any light on:
Why Schumacher attacked on the Aspin?
Why Pereiro was pulled back from his attack on the Aspin?

I saw Zubeldia lost 9 minutes. Not a great day for Euskaltel, perhaps because of all the work they did.

marqueemoon

I love being wrong

That was awesome. Pantani-style indeed.

Look for Saunier Duval to be all over the front over the Tourmalet tomorrow. The GC guys will take over on the last climb.

GGDub

Schumi attacked because he thought he might be able to get clear and regain yellow. He knows he won't be able to wear it to Paris, but he hoped to get for another day. Especially after losing it to Kirchen in such a crappy way.

Pereiro likely pulled back because he realized that a) he didn't have it or b) none of the favourites were going to get away on that stage and he might as well save himself so he can help Valverde tomorrow, where the tour is likely to be won or lost.

Great ride by Ricco, I love the hate he's getting on these forums. His cockiness reminds me of a young someone. A young someone who won the tour 7 times.

alanbikehouston

"Ricco the Rat" has failed four drug tests since the Tour began. But, he has what appears to be a valid medical exemption that permits him to do so. Some doctor certified he just "naturally" looks like he is pumped up on EPO.

How long before other cyclist will seek the same exemption? Just as 20% of high school swimmers now have doctor's letters enabling them to use ashma inhalers before a race, soon most pro cyclists will have letters saying "This guy is a freak of nature...he just LOOKS like he eats EPO for breakfast".

rankin116

Do you know that there is a definitive and specific test for EPO?

Hematocrit percentage also increases when a person is dehydrated.

alanbikehouston

Do I know there is a test for EPO? Yes. Do I know that every year since 1990 those EPO tests have improved? Yup. Do I know that people who cheat are always a year or two ahead of the testers? Yes.

Am I confident that, whether it happens in 2008, 2009, or 2010, it will be proven that "Ricco the Rat" raced the summer of 2008 on drugs? Absolutely.

do-well

An important lesson I learned many years ago (OK, like 5) when I still wanted to be a journalist was to never write a complaint column without offering a solution. Seems like you've posted in this thread twice now and all you have registered are complaints. Your complaints are also presented in such a way that you think I am going to think the way you think. I don't really have much of a vested interest in cycling, so my "ethics bar" is pretty low. Thus, will you think I care about aided performances, I really don't.

I became all worked up years ago, back when I still had some innocence, concerning steroids in baseball. Such worry and concern didn't get me very far. Now that I'm following cycling, I watch it for the competition -- and I don't really care if the playing field is level. I respect and cheer for the *advertised* clean teams, I hope all readers are clean, but, at the end of the day, I merely sit back, enjoy the ride, and marvel at the accomplishments -- natural or aided.

So, now having that out of my system, I ask you, Alan, why should I care? More importantly, do you have a solution or positive offering to this conversation, or do you just want to display your genius?

[am I feeding the troll?]

ridethecliche

Blah blah, blah blah blah...

He talks a lot of crap, but he has shown that he can back it up. End scene.

If he's doping he would have been caught.

GGDub

I think you mean every year since 2000. There were no tests for EPO before then.