The 2010 Cycling Thread!

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

My Fant team is done

I'm with you. Maybe we can fight it out for the Lanterne Rouge in our USCHO group.

I'm surprised Farrar kept going after his injuries, but he'll have a hard time contesting sprints now. Cav needs to start winning promptly, and Basso is already minutes back.

 

[sagard]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I think the cobbles are fun. If anything it gives another dimension to the race that at times can be pretty boring.

I'm guessing there will be one exciting mountain finish this year, where Shleck gets dropped. Then the other mountain finishes will be GC guys covering each other with one or two at a time getting dropped.

After that we have a series of sprints and a TT. I wish they had time bonus in play and make them a minute for the win. Then we'd have some fighting.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I like the time bonuses too.
Makes those mountain top finishes more exciting with everyone fighting it out for extra seconds.

 

[Probert]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Good ride on the pave today Conntador managed to keep it close and Lance lost a bit of time that will be tough to make it up in the mountains. If Schleck wins he owes Cancellara a big bonus. I don't really understand why Versus went to commercial just as they entered the pave and then they come back and it's like oh no the leaders have crashed. You've got 3 hours of coverage you should be able to put the commercial breaks in non important segments.

 

[rufus]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I'm with you. Maybe we can fight it out for the Lanterne Rouge in our USCHO group.

I'm surprised Farrar kept going after his injuries, but he'll have a hard time contesting sprints now. Cav needs to start winning promptly, and Basso is already minutes back.

Yep. If Farrar can't contest the sprints, I'll get no points at all on the flat stages.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Can Cavendish finally break through today with a win? Or will Hushovd extend his green jersey points lead?

Farrar said that he will continue in the race, but probably not contest a sprint until the second week. Bye bye fantasy team points.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

What a failure on Cav's part. Wow. He just sat up when he realized that he didn't have it. Guess he's done with the green jersey hopes.

Petacchi takes his 2nd win. He came around the HTC leadout and attacked early.
Dean was making a late push though.

I think that just cemented any chances my fantasy team had. With Cav not doing anything, and Farrar out with an injury, I won't be getting any points on the flat stages.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

What a failure on Cav's part. Wow. He just sat up when he realized that he didn't have it. Guess he's done with the green jersey hopes.

Petacchi takes his 2nd win. He came around the HTC leadout and attacked early.
Dean was making a late push though.

I think that just cemented any chances my fantasy team had. With Cav not doing anything, and Farrar out with an injury, I won't be getting any points on the flat stages.

This is just me commenting on what I've seen from Cavendish in the last three years of the tour de france only...

To me, I feel like he's a spoiled brat.

He had a great lead out team in 2009, making his job that much easier. Certainly Cav finishes them off with a quick explosion towards the line but I honestly would like to see what he could have done if he didn't have all that help last year.

Now that the going has gotten tough, he seems like he's giving up this year. His team isn't as strong at leading him out and he doesn't seem to have the same form he did the last two years.

Granted, he crashed a couple times and that by no means makes things easy but I still feel he's been given a lot of credit the last few years for things that his team really has made a lot easier for him.

There were a couple of finishes last season where Columbia completely dismantled the peloton over the final KM or 2KM and had three guys in front of Cav and no one else in the picture.

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

This is just me commenting on what I've seen from Cavendish in the last three years of the tour de france only...

To me, I feel like he's a spoiled brat.

He had a great lead out team in 2009, making his job that much easier. Certainly Cav finishes them off with a quick explosion towards the line but I honestly would like to see what he could have done if he didn't have all that help last year.

Now that the going has gotten tough, he seems like he's giving up this year. His team isn't as strong at leading him out and he doesn't seem to have the same form he did the last two years.

Granted, he crashed a couple times and that by no means makes things easy but I still feel he's been given a lot of credit the last few years for things that his team really has made a lot easier for him.

There were a couple of finishes last season where Columbia completely dismantled the peloton over the final KM or 2KM and had three guys in front of Cav and no one else in the picture.

I agree with this to a point. I'd also add that last year wasn't the best year for sprinters. Petacchi was essentially in exile at LPR, Bennati was hurt, Thor and Farrar had no lead-outs to speak of. And there that Cav with the best train in the sport. Either that or Cav's teeth are like Samson's hair...

Additionally, Ricco with two stages and the overall GC lead in Austria and someone named Greipel with a stage win and probably laughing himself to sleep at night...

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Cavendish is the fastest pro cyclist with his acceleration. The man can go from out of the slipstream to top speed in a split second. That's what makes him hard to beat. That said, I think that other teams are realizing that if you can disrupt his "flow" by boxing him in, attacking early (like Petacchi did today), or messing with the HTC leadout, then you can beat him.

Also, since so many of the top sprinters are pretty close to each other in speed, a lot of it is mental. He hasn't had the best season thus far, and I think the mental side of it has definitely affected his performance. The last few stages won't help that. I still think he'll be able to snag a win or two in this Tour if he stays in it long enough though.

That said, I think that today's stage shows why he will be hard-pressed to win the Green jersey anytime soon. His ego won't allow him to sprint for 5th place, so the second he realizes that he won't win, he sits up. He could have still gotten 3rd/4th today if he wouldn't have just let up, instead he got 12th. Riders like Hushovd or Farrar don't typically do that, and every point counts.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Cavendish is the fastest pro cyclist with his acceleration. The man can go from out of the slipstream to top speed in a split second. That's what makes him hard to beat. That said, I think that other teams are realizing that if you can disrupt his "flow" by boxing him in, attacking early (like Petacchi did today), or messing with the HTC leadout, then you can beat him.

Also, since so many of the top sprinters are pretty close to each other in speed, a lot of it is mental. He hasn't had the best season thus far, and I think the mental side of it has definitely affected his performance. The last few stages won't help that. I still think he'll be able to snag a win or two in this Tour if he stays in it long enough though.

That said, I think that today's stage shows why he will be hard-pressed to win the Green jersey anytime soon. His ego won't allow him to sprint for 5th place, so the second he realizes that he won't win, he sits up. He could have still gotten 3rd/4th today if he wouldn't have just let up, instead he got 12th. Riders like Hushovd or Farrar don't typically do that, and every point counts.

I had the same thought that I feel like if anything more goes wrong for Cav he'll abandon after the mountains start.

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

attacking early (like Petacchi did today), or messing with the HTC leadout, then you can beat him.

Riders like Hushovd or Farrar don't typically do that, and every point counts.

I though Hondo's pre-emptive attack about 1.2 K was great! It destroyed the HTC train. And while I won't say that Thor sat up but the 9th place finish doesn't really imply that he was pushing all the way to the line. I'll chalk it up to being tired from yesterday. I'm thrilled to see Ale-Jet back at the top and obviously really excited to see Lampre doing things in France.

To be frank, I think if Cav didn't win the green last year, with 6 (!) stage wins, he isn't going to get it. Thats pretty much why I picked Thor. I should have taken Ale, though I'm sure there are a bunch of us saying that now.

In the Gesink note of the day: He flatted again and lost 2:03, fortunately it was within the 3 K limit and he got the time back.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

And while I won't say that Thor sat up but the 9th place finish doesn't really imply that he was pushing all the way to the line. I'll chalk it up to being tired from yesterday.

Yeah, it sounds like he was tired from the last couple days according to the CN article, and wasn't as far up as he wanted:

The Norwegian himself finished ninth in the bunch sprint at Reims, and admitted the last two stages had been tiresome. "I was a bit too far back in the last curve behind Lancaster and Hunter," the Norwegian said. "Petacchi and others passed me on the left and I couldn't really get my sprint going. I lacked a bit of power.

"I just felt tired today. I think the first few days got to me. It's too bad, but I have to accept it."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hushovd-fears-petacchi-for-green-jersey

 

[Probert]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I though Hondo's pre-emptive attack about 1.2 K was great! It destroyed the HTC train. And while I won't say that Thor sat up but the 9th place finish doesn't really imply that he was pushing all the way to the line. I'll chalk it up to being tired from yesterday. I'm thrilled to see Ale-Jet back at the top and obviously really excited to see Lampre doing things in France.

To be frank, I think if Cav didn't win the green last year, with 6 (!) stage wins, he isn't going to get it. Thats pretty much why I picked Thor. I should have taken Ale, though I'm sure there are a bunch of us saying that now.

In the Gesink note of the day: He flatted again and lost 2:03, fortunately it was within the 3 K limit and he got the time back.

I think I jinxed Cav by picking him this year as I generally don't pick him because I think he's a d**k but this year I pick him and he does nothing. If he isn't in contention for the green jersey when the mountains come he probably will abandon. I am hoping Geesink is far enough out of that if he goes for a long attack after polka dot in a mountain stage they let him go, if he hasn't crashed out by then.

Pretty uneventful stage today and of course every B-Box rider except for the one I picked has been in a break.

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Cav's back! Apparently so is Farrar. Cav ahead of Ciolek, Boasson Hagen, Rojas, and Thor.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Cav's back! Apparently so is Farrar. Cav ahead of Ciolek, Boasson Hagen, Rojas, and Thor.

Good to see Farrar contest the sprint, he must be feeling better. Looks like he got 10th on the stage.
BHagen showing some good sprinting skills as well, mixing it up with the big boys in the last couple stages.

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I though that Garmin made a bit of a mistake having Farrar as last man. Both Dean and Hunter looked good yesterday and Farrar certainly can have no complaints about the leadout and he just isn't there yet. I mean Petacchi came from behind Farrar, got boxed by him, then re-accelerated and passed him.

To this point in the Tour, I seem to have stumbled on one of the bargains of the Fantasy Tour so far, Rojas for 4 points seems a good deal!

 

[MattS]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I though that Garmin made a bit of a mistake having Farrar as last man. Both Dean and Hunter looked good yesterday and Farrar certainly can have no complaints about the leadout and he just isn't there yet.

I thought Farrar got pinched a bit between his own man and the barriers right there at the end (maybe 50 meters to go). It looked to me like he had to let up for a second to safely get between them both.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I thought Farrar got pinched a bit between his own man and the barriers right there at the end (maybe 50 meters to go). It looked to me like he had to let up for a second to safely get between them both.

From the overhead replay, it looked like the last Garmin leadout man blocked Farrar, so Tyler moved over, which blocked Petacchi against the barriers. So both were impeded by the last Garmin rider.

Hopefully Farrar can keep improving as the race goes on. Probably another shot at it tomorrow...hillier and longer than today, but certainly one that could end in a sprint finish if the sprint teams want to control it.

Titleist - good call on Rojas!

 

[MattS]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

From the overhead replay, it looked like the last Garmin leadout man blocked Farrar, so Tyler moved over, which blocked Petacchi against the barriers. So both were impeded by the last Garmin rider.

I didn't see the overhead shot, just the live one from the front.