I just hope Astana is not the equivalent of the East German women's swim teams back in the '80's.

One can easily imagine the national sports federation of a small eastern European country with high ambitions and loose ethics, enlisting the help of doctors and chemists for "national pride".

Astana apparently gave up on Kloden before the race began.

Maybe a little bit like Floyd's triumphant comeback last year?

Err. Stage wins are impressive. But did you not notice he's down by 28:21? I'm not sure what game he's back in, as making up that kind of time is not going to happen.

That was a reference to Moreau, (but you knew that).

So wait... any rider that tries to win a stage is hurting his team?

When his guy is high up on GC, and his attack does nothing to help his guy...then, yeah, he's hurting the team.

If Astana really had faith in Kloden, they would insist that Vino support him, instead of taking off on his own.

That said, Astana's probably just as happy to get lots of publicity, and for Vino to get the spotlight.

fixed...don't not waste hope its not recyclable.

i am sure kloden will leave astana...he's probably had enough...

I think personally this helps solidify Vino's popularity. I mean, the guy is a cycling folk hero now. Stuff from the movies ( if they made any cycling movies) . But yeah Vino is the winner of the tour. even if he gets last place.

Astana is Vino's team. While he isn't going to win the tour, grabbing these stage wins and all the associated publicity is arguably just as good.

While i think conventional wisdom would have been for him to ride for Kloden, the German has shown no ability to attack on the climbs after following Rasmussen and Co.s wheel all day. Having more company in the same jersey wont change that he cant close the deal and get back the time needed to finish off RM in the TT. Levi is that same boat right now, and are Popo or Contador catapulting him into yellow either?

So why not let Vino ride for stages? Its some damn exciting cycling. Kloden has no one but himself to blame for leaving T-mobile...

i know...in a way vino is more of the victor than rasmussen...the guy's been in pain, wrapped up like a mummy and he's made it through the alps, the pyrenees and a long time trial. I always admire moxie, even if it's not really a big showy thing. I remmeber a few years ago in the giro, petacchi had a horrible crash in a time trial but kept going...and the next day he won the stage and was in so much pain he couldn't even lift his arms over his head at the finish line. Dope or no dope...let's face it EPO or whatever isn't painkiller. You can take a busload of it but if you're smashed up and you're out, you're out- the will to continue is probably the strongest drug.

Wow. That was your best? Translate it into French, maybe it'll have more punch.

I don't want to speak for botto, but I think he'd say something like:

"Ressemble à vous gauche votre sens de l'humour les médecins quand vous avez obtenu votre colonscopy.

Aucun s'inquiète, là est abondance des débiles sans humour tendus ici pour vous garder compagnie."

No, that was a machine translation, right? Botto's French is better than that. Just wish his sense of humor was at the same level. Oh well.

Oh, the irony of it all...

outstanding rider.
Someday I hope to see him win the tour de france

Did anyone notice that he suffered a third crash? Did anyone also notice that he won the stage with knees that look TRULY awful. I have searched for the close up of his knee from yesterday, but I cannot find the picture. Here on the French eurosport they were showing it over and over again. It is SO very VERY wrong.