TdF 2010 - Comments and possible spoilers

[TheLurker]

I don't like Contador, but you cannot deny that he's an outstanding cyclist, having won both the Vuelta, Giro and Tour the same year and seemingly keeps on winning the tour. That alone makes him a better rider than Lance ever was.

Yes but Contador is obviously doping.

Yeah, they should ban paella.

[citoyen]

Yes but Contador is obviously doping.

I'm not convinced Schleck is a pure and untainted as the colour of his jersey would suggest.

But even if they were both swimming in a lethal cocktail of epo, steroids and horse tranquilisers*, yesterday's stage was incredible - a bit like watching two heavyweights pounding each other half to death in the boxing ring. Gruesomely fascinating.

d.

*and we're not saying they were, are we? - legal ed

[Chris S]

<naive_comment>
I thought they were regularly tested for dope
</naive_comment>

[clarion]

There's a lot of dopes riding for professional teams.

[DrMekon]

In the interview after the win I think it was Ned Boulting that asked Andy Schleck whom was the better climber out of him and Contador as today they had looked identically brilliant.
Schleck replied brilliantly with force but not rudely - "You tell me" and then did a Jens Voigt at the camera 
He was also humble towards Contador's performance and laughed when he explained what he had said to Contador on the run up to the finish.
He is certainly a very likeable 25 yr old.
I hope in the near future he can get to the top.

Yeah, I thought that question wasn't great, and he handled it brilliantly. As a first time avid TdF follower, Schleck is awesome to watch, and gives so much more away than Contador. My 4 year old and I sat together cheering him manically at 4km to go. Amazing spectacle.

[RJ]

Yes but Contador is obviously doping.

I'm not convinced Schleck is a pure and untainted as the colour of his jersey would suggest.

But even if they were both swimming in a lethal cocktail of epo, steroids and horse tranquilisers*, yesterday's stage was incredible - a bit like watching two heavyweights pounding each other half to death in the boxing ring. Gruesomely fascinating.

d.

*and we're not saying they were, are we? - legal ed

Gladiators in the mist - gripping stuff.

[clarion]

But Schleck's missed his chance, now, hasn't he?

[IanDG]

He could use Cancellara's 'special' bike in the TT

[David Martin]

Can Cav  take green?

If he wins and Petacchi is 7th or later and Hushovd 3rd or later.

There are 12 points available for intermediate sprints. If Cav gets both of those and Petacchi doesn't place then all Cav has to do is win.

We may yet see him go for an intermediate sprint, and the difference between win and lose the green may be him sitting up on stage 2.

[Rig of Jarkness]

He could use Cancellara's 'special' bike in the TT

And today will have allowed him to recharge his batteries, so to speak   

[GruB]

Come on Bradley - go full gas today and get that first stage win for Sky.
Go Wiggo go.

[rafletcher]

Yes but Contador is obviously doping.

I'm not convinced Schleck is a pure and untainted as the colour of his jersey would suggest.

On what evidance do you base that statement?? Or is it that any sucessful tour cyclist must by definition be doping...

[citoyen]

Can Cav  take green?

I predict he'll go for the stage win and not worry about green, just see what happens.

IIRC, the green jersey contenders never contest the race to be first onto the Champs Elysee. It might be seen as bad form if he tries to steal those points from a glory-huntuing breakaway.

That was another incredible performance from Cav yesterday. Who needs a lead-out man? He was so far ahead by the time he crossed the line, he was looking back round to see where the hell everyone else was. Simply astonishing.  

Looking forward to seeing Brad go for broke today. The course should suit him nicely. Guess it's just a question of whether Cancellara has recovered from his monster pacemaking effort on the Tourmalet.

If Brad does win today and Cav wins in Paris, that would mean Brit riders have won the final three stages. And six overall - the same number of stages won by French riders this year.

d.

[Tewdric]

Yes but Contador is obviously doping.

I'm not convinced Schleck is a pure and untainted as the colour of his jersey would suggest.

On what evidance do you base that statement?? Or is it that any sucessful tour cyclist must by definition be doping...

Have a look back through the thread - he's not been implicated but his brother has.  

[citoyen]

On what evidance do you base that statement?? Or is it that any sucessful tour cyclist must by definition be doping...

Only that he has at times made the climbing look too easy. But that's not an outright accusation... I just don't know. I'd like to think he's clean but I can't wholly convince myself. It's not like I'm alone in voicing suspicion. And as Tewdric says, there's a certain amount of being tainted by association with his brother. And not to mention Bjarne Riis.

It's clear he's a phenomenally gifted rider, though - loads more natural talent than his brother - and a very deserving wearer of the white jersey.

d.

[GruB]

Can Cav  take green?

If Brad does win today and Cav wins in Paris, that would mean Brit riders have won the final three stages. And six overall - the same number of stages won by French riders this year.

d.

Wow, I didn't know that statistic.  That would be a fantastic result.

[citoyen]

Wow, I didn't know that statistic.  That would be a fantastic result.

Well, it's contingent on Brad actually winning the TT and Cav winning in Paris...

But at least one of those is pretty likely. 

d.

[citoyen]

Just watched the replay of yesterday's finish again, this time with overhead shot...

The gap was HUGE. Cav should have been given a different time to everyone else! 

d.

[GruB]

Just watched the replay of yesterday's finish again, this time with overhead shot...

The gap was HUGE. Cav should have been given a different time to everyone else! 

d.

I searched for that but Google let me down.  Linkee please.

[Aidan]

Andy Schleck giving it a good go !

And I wish Contador would sort his saddle out, he's hitching himself backwards every 3 revolutions, which cant be efficient and looks bloody awkward

[citoyen]

I searched for that but Google let me down.  Linkee please.

It was on the ITV highlights programme, which I recorded last night. Might still be available to watch on the ITV website?

d.

[citoyen]

Here you go: http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=160736

[lemonjiffy]

I don't like Contador, but you cannot deny that he's an outstanding cyclist, having won both the Vuelta, Giro and Tour the same year and seemingly keeps on winning the tour. That alone makes him a better rider than Lance ever was.

won all 3 but not all in the same year

tdf 2007, 2009,
vuelta, giro 2008, year he was excluded from le tour
tdf 2010 baring accidents etc

[lemonjiffy]

It'll make for an interesting discussion if Contador wins overall by 30 secs or less.

assuming schleck, contador would have finished in the same time without schlecks mechanical, contador would now be 8 secs ahead , then again, if stage 2 hadnt been neutralised schleck would probably have been out of the running before the cobbles

[lemonjiffy]

It's a bit foggy on the descent of the Soulor!   

same when rode the soulor a few years back, couldnt see more than 5 feet for the entire 29km climb, luckily the sheep all have bells on