Vive le Tour

[Tittirongi]

This is something I find very annoying over the last few Tours with Cadel.

He has twice been right in the mix for overall victory and his team has never been able to protect him, not just this year, and yet you have a team with TWO contenders for the Overall Winner's title (Astana with Armstrong & Contador) and no one is able to isolate them or drive them back in the peloton or whatever is needed to make these guys lose time.

I can appreciate after the first Second Placing that Cadel had to admit his team wasn't up to being able to protect him, but coming into the last year's Tour and this year's, he should have been able to command a very good team lineup to get him the assistance he needs from Silence-Lotto or hawked himself to another team that would have assured him of a decent team lineup.

As for those idiots in the break away demanding he get back into the Peloton, he's quite right to tell them to f**k off, but I'm surprised he didn't keep pushing and break completely away and stuff everybody's plans up - including Astana's.

He has to make up a lot of time, sitting in the Peloton from day to day and maybe hoping to claw back some seconds or maybe half a minute in a Time Trial, is not going to get him into contention. He would be playing into Astana's strengths by hanging with the Peloton, he would be better off taking some angry pills and forcing the Peloton to work harder (and maybe blowing out a few Astana support riders) by providing his speed to a break away group whenever one gets off.

The Silence - Lotto team seems to be quite an incompetent mob.

Wow!

Have you ever ridden a bike?

"Gee, why can't Cadel just ride away from everyone?"

He should try it tonight, if it doesnt work, try again tomorrow, possibly try again the next day. So he feels nice and fresh for the alps, since Contador, Schleck, Sastre et al are just shit climbers, he can get the last few minutes of time there. Maybe put a few hours into them hey?

 

[scottmac]

This is something I find very annoying over the last few Tours with Cadel.

He has twice been right in the mix for overall victory and his team has never been able to protect him, not just this year, and yet you have a team with TWO contenders for the Overall Winner's title (Astana with Armstrong & Contador) and no one is able to isolate them or drive them back in the peloton or whatever is needed to make these guys lose time.

I can appreciate after the first Second Placing that Cadel had to admit his team wasn't up to being able to protect him, but coming into the last year's Tour and this year's, he should have been able to command a very good team lineup to get him the assistance he needs from Silence-Lotto or hawked himself to another team that would have assured him of a decent team lineup.

As for those idiots in the break away demanding he get back into the Peloton, he's quite right to tell them to f**k off, but I'm surprised he didn't keep pushing and break completely away and stuff everybody's plans up - including Astana's.

He has to make up a lot of time, sitting in the Peloton from day to day and maybe hoping to claw back some seconds or maybe half a minute in a Time Trial, is not going to get him into contention. He would be playing into Astana's strengths by hanging with the Peloton, he would be better off taking some angry pills and forcing the Peloton to work harder (and maybe blowing out a few Astana support riders) by providing his speed to a break away group whenever one gets off.

The Silence - Lotto team seems to be quite an incompetent mob.

Wow!

Have you ever ridden a bike?

"Gee, why can't Cadel just ride away from everyone?"

He should try it tonight, if it doesnt work, try again tomorrow, possibly try again the next day. So he feels nice and fresh for the alps, since Contador, Schleck, Sastre et al are just shit climbers, he can get the last few minutes of time there. Maybe put a few hours into them hey?

I think the point is, if Cancellara, did not bridge the gap to Evans' breakaway, would the others have insisted that he leave?
He made that break, formed the tete de la course and set their pace only to have a 'non climber' tag on with an ego the size of Lance Armstrong's pharmacy bill, and basically tell him 'you're an idiot get f**ked'. Evans may have made that time up, he may not have. He may have been able to stay with the peleton over the 2 massive climbs the next day he may not have.

Point is should he have let that chance go, just so one big headed rider not from his team, could gain the chance to win a single stage?

 

[clarence]

Wow!

Have you ever ridden a bike?

"Gee, why can't Cadel just ride away from everyone?"

He should try it tonight, if it doesnt work, try again tomorrow, possibly try again the next day. So he feels nice and fresh for the alps, since Contador, Schleck, Sastre et al are just shit climbers, he can get the last few minutes of time there. Maybe put a few hours into them hey?

Have I ever ridden a bike? YES.

Have I ever raced in all day events or even long time trials. NO

Have I ever raced a bike? YES for one season only and was totally out of my league in club only events! And... I was a climber and a bit of a sprinter.

Did I race track or road? BOTH in that one season (track over summer then autumn break then into winter road races).

AM I ENTITLED TO HAVE AN OPINION OF WHAT I SEE ON TV (after watching a couple of Stages)? YES!


Isn't Ivan due for a visit from you soon? I'm sure it's been a while since you last saw him.

 

[Tittirongi]

Then you must just be an idiot. Maybe your true calling is triathlons?

Just because you're entitled to an opinion, doesn't make it realistic.

 

[clarence]

Then you must just be an idiot. Maybe your true calling is triathlons?

Just because you're entitled to an opinion, doesn't make it realistic.

Tried Triathlons but my running wasn't as good for the comp. I was trying to compete in. Then I had knee troubles and that was the end of that idea.

Read between the lines, I'm no expert on the Tour, but I am exasperated that one of Australia's great athletes in stuck in a rut in only the first week of this year's Tour and feel he has to try SOMETHING! to claw some time back.

If he sits in the Peloton he is at the mercy of the stronger teams, as yet again Cadel's team looks a useless bunch for his cause. And he'll only register the same time as the other riders he is competing against.

No it is not realistic to expect him to become superman overnight and break legends like Contador and Armstrong down to submission, but it is hard to accept that Cadel's Tour is over so early.

 

[serious14]

drug cheats like Armstrong

Fixed.

 

[tuftman]

drug cheats like Armstrong

Fixed.

Prove it

 

[serious14]

drug cheats like Armstrong

Fixed.

Prove it

Oh stop being such a spoil sport. 

 

[Sean]

drug cheats like Armstrong

Fixed.

Would've been apt if you included Contador over Armstrong.

 

[Tittirongi]

He tested positive in 1999.

He was trained by Michele Ferrari.

Enough said.

Contador is to Fuentes as Armstrong was to Ferrari.

 

[dru]

Then you must just be an idiot. Maybe your true calling is triathlons?

Just because you're entitled to an opinion, doesn't make it realistic.

You expect sensible realistic discussion of cycling on a Football forum? we don't always get sensible discussion of football on here.

 

[Tittirongi]

You expect sensible realistic discussion of cycling on a Football forum? we don't always get sensible discussion of football on here.

This is the only thread in which it's worth posting anything useful.

That is, until there is a sub-committee formed on cycling matters. Then I better be on this sub-committee, or I will be wrong by default if I disagree with the collective view of the aforementioned sub-committee.

 

[tuftman]

From what I've read, he didn't test positive, an 'expert' believes his blood test results indicate EPO usage and the obligatory media blow-out ensued.

Fuentes was that doctor apparently involved in the whole doping thing with Ullrich, Basso, Valverde...Vinokourov? and possibly Contador?

Its pretty much all allegations isn't it?

 

[Tittirongi]

Is Cav unbeatable?

 

[Morgan30]

no, he's beatable you just need to put some mountains in the way

 

[dibo]

or take away mark renshaw.

 

[Morgan30]

that too

they were saying last night that Farrar actually has a better percentage of wins in bunch sprints this year

 

[Tittirongi]

Yeah, the Colombia lead-out train just makes it too hard for anyone else to get a look in.

Cav isn't that powerful really, he just gets in a very very aero position with his stumpy body so has the speed on the flats. Thor has alot more power, but alot more body sitting in the wind. Hence Cav being off the pace in Barcelona

 

[dibo]

It's basically a TTT leading in to the finish. 1km from the end it turns into an Olympic Sprint - Hincapie leading off, Renshaw doing the second pull and then Cavanagh with the glory. It's a pretty amazing sight.

 

[Sean]

Its great to watch Cavendish, and even better that there are Australians involved with his success. Renshaw, Rogers.

I hope Lloyd comes good in the mountain stages.