July 19, Stage 16: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Gap 163km

damoz · 19-07-2011 4:26pm

Will Peraud now be the GC contender for AG2R - hes 11th, and let Nico try to regroup and go for a stage win. He doesnt have many opportunities left - as hes not climbing the HCs at all well.

bcmf · 19-07-2011 4:33pm

Also JJ Rojas was in the break as well with the Inter Sprint looming on the horizon so HTC chased him down.

Andy S showed, as Boardman pointed out, his bad loser/sportsmanship, by blaming the course and what a bad finish it was. As Boardman 'implied' 'Does he want all finishes on a mountain top'. I reckon Cuddles and Conty knew he was a **** descender and attacked him. Dropping him on the climb waas a bonus. With a similar finish tomorrow and a bit of wet weather......

John.Icy · 19-07-2011 4:34pm

I wouldn't flatter Roche so much, Jeannesson was in the group too, he was more of a threat than Roche.

.

kmart6 · 19-07-2011 4:36pm

damoz wrote: »

Will Peraud now be the GC contender for AG2R - hes 11th, and let Nico try to regroup and go for a stage win. He doesnt have many opportunities left - as hes not climbing the HCs at all well.

He was the main man for AG2R for the GC before they even started today! Everything you;ve said there has been the plan since Sunday!

kmart6 · 19-07-2011 4:40pm

Went to quote you John.Icy but you edited your post.

I think a few people need to catch up on the Roche situation before today even began.

From Nico's diary in the Indo today:

With one week to go in this Tour, I was expecting to be in or about the top 10. Instead I'm 18th overall. I'm very disappointed but there is not much I can do about it. At the start of this Tour, Jean-Christophe Peraud was our back-up plan, the second leader of the team.

After my demise on Plateau de Beille on Saturday, the roles have been reversed, but I am still a protected rider. Hubert Dupont will look after me in the mountains, while most of the other guys will look after Jean-Christophe.

Jean-Christophe is pretty happy with his 12th place overall. He is a good time triallist and hopefully he can hold onto it in the Alps and maybe even move up a place or two. We all have to keep an eye on him, though.

John.Icy · 19-07-2011 4:53pm

kmart6 wrote: »

Went to quote you John.Icy but you edited your post.

I think a few people need to catch up on the Roche situation before today even began.

From Nico's diary in the Indo today:

Ha sorry, I sometimes edit posts after I see I rambled on abit too much

We'll wait and see if he still is protected, it could just be a case of Roche telling whoever did wait to go on without him today :P

I'm just bemused what happened to Roche from the Tourmalet stage where he was solid, to losing two minutes on Mark Cavendish in a stage where Mark is usually at the back. I still think he can do well if he still want to move up the GC. He gave up on it a bit which is bad mentality. He finshed 1:45 ahead of Peraud on the first High mountain day, so he is able to finish higher than Peraud if he's doing well, so I hope if he get's the chance he's given the freedom to do so.

damoz · 19-07-2011 4:58pm

kmart6 wrote: »

He was the main man for AG2R for the GC before they even started today! Everything you;ve said there has been the plan since Sunday!

Cheers - i was off the planet for the weekend, but up to speed now. So what has he - one chance left of stage win - tomorrow?

dedon · 19-07-2011 5:00pm

Day after the infamous rest day and contador turns his for. Around totally. This sport is gone beyond a joke .

Lumen · 19-07-2011 5:09pm

dedon wrote: »

Day after the infamous rest day and contador turns his for. Around totally. This sport is gone beyond a joke .

I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles.

John.Icy · 19-07-2011 5:10pm

dedon wrote: »

Day after the infamous rest day and contador turns his for. Around totally. This sport is gone beyond a joke .

You mean Contador took it easy for most of the Tour and stepped it up a gear in the Alps where it really matters?

Chips Lovell · 19-07-2011 5:11pm

dedon banned for the rest of the Tour for doping speculation despite being warned about this already.

kmart6 · 19-07-2011 5:13pm

el tonto wrote: »

dedon banned for the rest of the Tour for doping speculation despite being warned about this already.

Nice to nip that crap in the bud straight away!!

jiffybag · 19-07-2011 6:23pm

Lumen wrote: »

I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles.

:rolleyes:

JacksonHeightsOwn · 19-07-2011 6:28pm

el tonto wrote: »

dedon banned for the rest of the Tour for doping speculation despite being warned about this already.

ha ha ha, fine work Tonto

slap.gif?w=256&h=184

AG2R · 19-07-2011 6:57pm

chrisbonnie wrote: »

ha ha ha, fine work Tonto

EPIC :L
But I agree.

NickDrake · 19-07-2011 6:58pm

Great stage. Contador looked like a different man and tommy v is still pulling it out of the bag.

It a great tour and continues to surprise.

Really is amazing what contador managed to do today considering his form.

RobFowl · 19-07-2011 7:12pm

Great stage.

Evans putting time into all the favourites.
Contador attacking but nowhere near the rider he was in previous tours and the Schreks proving that they are woeful descenders as well as tacticians.

Roll on tomorrow :-)

ROK ON · 19-07-2011 7:44pm

What a stage. This has been a great tour. FairPlay to Bertie, that's how you do it. It's between him and Evans now.
Hushovd is a beast. Chapeau to him after a quiet H1 to the season.

The more is see of Roche the less I like. He won't finish this tour. Mark my words.

ednwireland · 19-07-2011 7:57pm

bcmf wrote: »

Andy S showed, as Boardman pointed out, his bad loser/sportsmanship, by blaming the course and what a bad finish it was. As Boardman 'implied' 'Does he want all finishes on a mountain top'. I reckon Cuddles and Conty knew he was a **** descender and attacked him. Dropping him on the climb waas a bonus. With a similar finish tomorrow and a bit of wet weather......

andy schleck what a pussy

its the parcours, people dont want to see th race decided on the downhill

wtf, we want to see racing and cadel and bert have shown more cajones than the schelcks will ever manage (i hope this wakes them up tomorrow but i seriously doubt it)

niceonetom · 19-07-2011 8:07pm

ROK ON wrote: »

The more is see of Roche the less I like. He won't finish this tour. Mark my words.

Nonsense! He'll be in the break tomorrow!

ROK ON · 19-07-2011 8:14pm

niceonetom wrote: »

Nonsense! He'll be in the break tomorrow!

I love your optimism.

Just saw Schleck interview on itv4.
In Limerick he would be known as a gowl.

NickDrake · 19-07-2011 8:51pm

I am very surprised to see such support for contador on here and disappointed as well.

What he did today was pretty amazing considering the way he was riding before the rest day.

I like to see racing like anyone else but i am surprised to see such support for him.

Surely Evans deserves our support.

And tommy v . How he he has totally changed the way he rides is incredible.

Lumen · 19-07-2011 8:56pm

That was a lot of effort from Cadel for four seconds on Contador, who managed to wheelsuck the gap back down on the coattails of his countryman. I hope it doesn't hurt Cadel in the days ahead.

I'm not counting my 5/1 chickens yet.

ednwireland · 19-07-2011 8:58pm

NickDrake wrote: »

I am very surprised to see such support for contador on here and disappointed as well.

What he did today was pretty amazing considering the way he was riding before the rest day.

I like to see racing like anyone else but i am surprised to see such support for him.

Surely Evans deserves our support.

And tommy v . How he he has totally changed the way he rides is incredible.

what the schlecks not been able to drop an obviously worried contador (about his knee) on luz ardiden, and an obviously better contador on plateau biele
you're watching a different race to me

and yes go evans ( a really much better rider since he won the world championship) but it s bert who lit up the race today

TheBlaaMan · 19-07-2011 8:58pm

ednwireland wrote: »

andy schleck what a pussy

its the parcours, people dont want to see th race decided on the downhill

wtf, we want to see racing and cadel and bert have shown more cajones than the schelcks will ever manage (i hope this wakes them up tomorrow but i seriously doubt it)

God, what a whinger.........did anyone tell Andy that the TdF was a RACE?

Have a read of this if want to hear a moaner in full flight. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-schlecks-defiant-despite-bad-day-in-the-rain

corny · 19-07-2011 9:05pm

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

God, what a whinger.........did anyone tell Andy that the TdF was a RACE?

Have a read of this if want to hear a moaner in full flight. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-schlecks-defiant-despite-bad-day-in-the-rain

I've said it already and i'll say it again i hope he never wins the tour. I'd prefer Berto, dodgy steak and all, to either Schleck.

JacksonHeightsOwn · 19-07-2011 9:09pm

corny wrote: »

I've said it already and i'll say it again i hope he never wins the tour. I'd prefer Berto, dodgy steak and all, to either Schleck.

i dont mind Frank, but Andy is an out and out coward. if he stays with this negative approach, he will NEVER WIN A GRAND TOUR,

as they say in Russia, tuffski, shi*ski

NickDrake · 19-07-2011 9:15pm

corny wrote: »

I've said it already and i'll say it again i hope he never wins the tour. I'd prefer Berto, dodgy steak and all, to either Schleck.

There is a lot more to contador's past that that steak incident.

I cannot understand how people could support him on here. If you have any love this sport then you shouldn't support him. To be honest I am surprised by some of the posters above who I thought had a lot of respect for this sport.

Evans set the stage alight today and at least he doesn't have a positive test and a very dodgy past hanging over him.

Well done cadel

kennyb3 · 19-07-2011 9:15pm

Year after year andy waits all tour for what he perceives to be the big stage (or two) and loses time at various stages in between. On this stage he generally attacks but everybody is waiting for it and can follow. He seriously needs to engage his brain a bit.

Why he has left it until thurs and fri to try attack evans (who was ahead of him and will slaughter him in the TT) is beyond belief. Way too concerned with Bertie imho.

A big girl is all.

Once again shows you have to be a bit more rounded to win the tour. Both bertie and Cadel can TT and descend better than him never mind being more attacking and tactically aware

JacksonHeightsOwn · 19-07-2011 9:24pm

ROK ON wrote: »

What a stage. This has been a great tour. FairPlay to Bertie, that's how you do it. It's between him and Evans now.
Hushovd is a beast. Chapeau to him after a quiet H1 to the season.

The more is see of Roche the less I like. He won't finish this tour. Mark my words.

thats good old fashioned irish begrudgery at its finest there

July 19, Stage 16: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Gap 163km

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