July 20, Stage 17: Gap - Pinerolo 179km

AG2R

Idleater wrote: »

Contador isn't Basque

Doesn't have to be for Euskatel :P

kmart6

First interview I've seen AC giving in English this year!!

theholyghost

I havent got to see the action yet, I've only read it but I wonder was Andy trying to play some mind games by making a big deal out of the dangerous descent?

AG2R

Anyone know who the rider limping was when Voeckler went into the garden? just caught him in the corner of my eye. Didn't look to good

mahoo

was just thinking it was a good job the gate was open in that drive way! would have been two nasty crashes otherwise

Moflojo

theholyghost wrote: »

I havent got to see the action yet, I've only read it but I wonder was Andy trying to play some mind games by making a big deal out of the dangerous descent?

Maybe, but he wasn't lying about it to be fair. Some crazy corners, difficult to see some of them with the dappled sunlight, and the GC contenders were going for it on the descent so some riders (Tommy!) were throwing caution to the wind.

on_the_nickel

Cycling is focking brilliant isn't it?

pprendeville

SD7792 wrote: »

Is it just me or do all the BMC riders look like Cadel Evans?

agreed.

Johnners1878

Evans and the Schlecks must have really put the hammer down to catch Contador - pity the cameras didn't catch it better - probably too dangerous for them on that descent.

Whatever you think of him, that was pretty swashbuckling stuff from Contador.

Even if Nico didn't gain much, it was good to see him aggressive and in the thick of the action instead of annonymous in the peleton.

Boasson Hagen is a good lad.

Colonialboy

I think Nico gained loads. Roche buried himself not just for his GC , but for the team also. AG2R up to second now I believe. So that was a great days work by Roche , did an awful lot for his team, gave something back to them for helping him in the first 2 weeks . Im sure he is getign loads of plaudits from his team mates. Podium finish for AG2R and a top ten and its a great tour for them . Theres lots or races within the race. (btw how does the team scoring work exactly)

pprendeville

that was savage stuff out of Contador. was egging him on big time and SS there. think we'll see some big attacks tomorrow out of him.

Dunphus

Johnners1878 wrote: »

Whatever you think of him, that was pretty swashbuckling stuff from Contador.

Yeah, was really impressed by Contador, he took that dodgy descent pretty gracefully. Was a pleasure to watch!

Murph100

Gutted that Evans didn't get away from the Schlecks on the descent, they would never have caught Bertie & Sanchez otherwise.

TinyExplosions

I dislike Bertie, but that was a great stage today -was really enjoying seeing him attack... this has been the best tour in years imo, and am looking forward to tomorrow!

ontheditch2

Murph100 wrote: »

Gutted that Evans didn't get away from the Schlecks on the descent, they would never have caught Bertie & Sanchez otherwise.

The schlecks seemed to gain an awful lot of time on Ab and SS near the end, fair play to them. They seem too be getting a fair bashing here, which I feel is undeserved. I imagine there apprehension with the descending has something to do with the fact they lost a teammate while descending during the giro, there its more to life than racing. Really looking forward to the next few days, great to see do many in with a chance of winning it.

GetWithIt

Colonialboy wrote: »

I think Nico gained loads. Roche buried himself not just for his GC , but for the team also. AG2R up to second now I believe. So that was a great days work by Roche , did an awful lot for his team, gave something back to them for helping him in the first 2 weeks . Im sure he is getign loads of plaudits from his team mates. Podium finish for AG2R and a top ten and its a great tour for them . Theres lots or races within the race. (btw how does the team scoring work exactly)

Time of the first 3 riders from each team taken on each stage. Leopard Trek should be storming it but haven't had a third rider to back up the Schlecks. Radioshack would have been strong if they'd all stayed on the course.

Idleater

AG2R wrote: »

Doesn't have to be for Euskatel :P

Though I said it in jest, it appears that we are both wrong

velonation wrote:

...satisfying the conditions that make up the statutes of the Fundacion Ciclista de Euskadi. Namely, the rider needs to have grown up in the area of the Basque Country in the provinces of Alava, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, and Navarre, or developed as a bike racer in the region.

velonation wrote:

As in the unusual case of Samuel Sanchez. Sanchez did not race with a Basque team until he was 19. He signed for the U23 team Olarra Vizcaya, where he raced for the next three seasons, and then, in 2000, he debuted as a professional after satisfying the conditions set forth by Euskadi.

Interestingly enough, Alberto Contador could also be a candidate for the unofficial Basque National team - he spent the years leading up to his neo-pro season with ONCE in the Basque Country

petethedrummer

ontheditch2 wrote: »

The schlecks seemed to gain an awful lot of time on Ab and SS near the end, fair play to them. They seem too be getting a fair bashing here, which I feel is undeserved.

Never mind descending, their riding up hill has been vexxing, and they're supposed to be good at it. 20 secs of a fake move, look over the shoulder for brother, sit back down again. Nothing gained. Andy missed contadors move yesterday despite saying afterwards that his legs were fine.

ontheditch2 wrote: »

I imagine there apprehension with the descending has something to do with the fact they lost a teammate while descending during the giro, there its more to life than racing.

Maybe, but they've never been good at it.

Is Nibali the best descender?
Basso the worst?

TheBlaaMan

ontheditch2 wrote: »

I imagine there apprehension with the descending has something to do with the fact they lost a teammate while descending during the giro, there its more to life than racing. Really looking forward to the next few days, great to see do many in with a chance of winning it.

And so you've just provided the perfect rationalisation of why they would be unworthy winners of the greatest cycle race in the world.

Can they compete uphill - certainly: 9/10
Can they compete downhill - no: 3/10
Can they time-trial - no: 4/10
Can they sprint - no: 1/10

I'm not a hater - I really like their climbing ability when they actually apply themselves to it - but neither of them deserve the Maillot Jaune, certainly not this year. They simply don't have the all round ability, and as long as they continue to faff around on the bits where they can excel - the climbs - they are simply handicapping themselves .

Today, they came in with Evans group, and I doubt they were able to contribute much on the front of that group to pace it back up to Contador. David Harmon made an interesting point today that - as a pair - they have probably reached the peak of their ability at this point and to progress further perhaps they have to forget worrying about the other one and compete on different teams - can't see that happening anytime soon though.

Hermy

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

David Harmon made an interesting point today...

That's a first!

AstraMonti

Awesome quote copied from a blog comment, copied from a steephill.tv comment on a picture:

"Andy Schleck's eyes were full of rain and anger that a downhill finish would cost him over a minute to the GC contenders. If not for time-trialing, descending and climbs where you need to change gears, he could probably win the Tour de France."

I laughed my ass with this.

NickDrake

Hermy wrote: »

That's a first!

Harmon knows his stuff. At least he is Knows more that the. Tg4 boys who havent a clue. And i am fluent in Irish.

Don't get me stared on the itv boys.

Well done Cadel today solid and got back to contador, <snip>


Not speculating here <snip>

Chips Lovell

Fantastic descending by Contador and Sanchez today. Great to see such ballsy riding. They didn't manage to pull off a coup like yesterday, but great to watch nonetheless.

on_the_nickel

NickDrake wrote: »

Snip

Aye right, pull the other one.

You know what day, and we know you know. so stop banging the same drum in every single TdeF thread.

Chips Lovell

NickDrake wrote: »

Not speculating here...

Yes you were. Banned for the rest of the Tour.

Don't say you weren't warned. You've continually made allegations that certain riders were doping and tried to turn nearly every thread you've contributed to into a discussion about doping.

AG2R

Finally somebody takes action against dopes.

Morrisseeee

I'l repeat what I said earlier during the stage, this was great entertainment. I see tomorrow's stage goes ahead..............and I'm glad I'm watching it rather than riding it

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

And so you've just provided the perfect rationalisation of why they would be unworthy winners of the greatest cycle race in the world.

Can they compete uphill - certainly: 9/10
Can they compete downhill - no: 3/10
Can they time-trial - no: 4/10
Can they sprint - no: 1/10

I'm not a hater - I really like their climbing ability when they actually apply themselves to it - but neither of them deserve the Maillot Jaune, certainly not this year. They simply don't have the all round ability, and as long as they continue to faff around on the bits where they can excel - the climbs - they are simply handicapping themselves .

Today, they came in with Evans group, and I doubt they were able to contribute much on the front of that group to pace it back up to Contador. David Harmon made an interesting point today that - as a pair - they have probably reached the peak of their ability at this point and to progress further perhaps they have to forget worrying about the other one and compete on different teams - can't see that happening anytime soon though.

Can they compete uphill - kinda: 7/10

I would give them a 7 here, because if they were a 9 they would have won alot more by now. If you take Andy's climbing, he attacks but then can't sustain it, say like Contador (or others in form) can. Yesterday and last Sat were examples. Is it because they can't recover enough from their efforts, ie. are they unfit or are their efforts too much ?! More Examples: Andy couldn't bridge accross to De Gendt at the TdeS earlier this year. Horner gave him a lesson at the TOC. In LBL they couldn't get a gap away from Gilbert. Even last year when he won at Avoriaz he could only put 10sec into the others. On the Tourmalet he made a great burst but only a minute or so seperated him (& Conti) from the next challenger. And I'm not even mentioning the fact that he hates short steep ramps. So.................what does this all add up to, I thought he had the gears after last Sat but the more I thought about it, I'm less convinced that he can put some serious time into his rivals the next 2 days, I hope I'm wrong and will gladly eat my hat if he proves me wrong.
Frank is probably a better climber, ie. he can sustain a better effort for longer, but he's inconsistant.

dastardly00

I really enjoyed watching the finish to todays stage. When I first started watching the TdF 16 years ago, I could never understand why every mountain stage didn't end in a summit finish. I always thought they were the most exciting.
But over the last couple of years I've really learned to appreciate mountain stages that finish with a descent. They have the potential to be more exciting than summit finishes!!

ednwireland

schlecks whining that no-one wants to see tdf s won on descents well frandy I DO

Morrisseeee

I can't wait for tomorrow's stage > ednwireland post it up...............quick