The 2010 Cycling Thread!

[pardonme]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Now some fun on the Madelaine! Vino attacked, then Saxo destroyed the field including Evans. Finally Astana went to the front and only 3 or 4 could respond. Then Schleck attacked only Conti able to respond. Finally Samu bridged up. Vino is still up the road. So are LL Sanchez and Cunego...Starting to get interesting.

Vino is actually back in the Basso/Armstrong group. Can't seem to figure out where LL actually is on the road. Evans is now 7 mins back. (EDIT: 7 back of the leaders in the break, 4 mins back of contador/schleck)

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Vino is actually back in the Basso/Armstrong group. Can't seem to figure out where LL actually is on the road. Evans is now 7 mins back.

LL Sanchez is in the leading group with Charteau and Cunego.
They have 3min or so on Schleck/Contador.

LL is going to shoot up the GC.
Everyone else is going to fall alot. This Tour just became a two-horse race. Everyone else is way off the pace for now.

 

[pardonme]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

LL Sanchez is in the leading group with Charteau and Cunego.
They have 3min or so on Schleck/Contador.

LL is going to shoot up the GC.
Everyone else is going to fall alot. This Tour just became a two-horse race. Everyone else is way off the pace for now.

I meant Levi

EDIT: Looks like Gessink, Menchov and Levi are only a bit behind Contador/Schleck.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I meant Levi

EDIT: Looks like Gessink, Menchov and Levi are only a bit behind Contador/Schleck.

Yeah, I realized that once I posted.
Looks like they aren't far behind at all...
Nice riding from the Rabo duo and Levi!

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Gruppo LL Sanchez/Cunego
Gruppo Schleck/Contador/Voigt
Gruppo Samu
Gruppo Rabobank (Menchov/Gesink) Leiphemier/J. Rodriquez
Gruppo Basso/VDB/Armstrong



Gruppo Evans


I think

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Should be an interesting downhill.
Can Sanchez bridge up to Contador/Schleck on the DH? He certainly is a better descender.

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

All things being equal, yes, I think he can, but he worked awfully hard the last few K. Can the Wheelsucker descend? His group is Menchov and Gesink, two of the worst descenders and Voigt, who shouldn't help.


Cunego for the stage I hope!

EDIT: He's gotta 'em!
Re-Edit: He was in the motos and seems to have fallen back...

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

The Contador/Schleck duo are bridging up the leaders. It might be close.
Everyone else (aside from maybe Sanchez) will lose minutes today.

Lots of action on this stage.

Wow, great ride from Casar to take the win over LLS and Cunego.
He led for a good chunk of that break, so impressive that he could hold them off.

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

The Contador/Schleck duo are bridging up the leaders. It might be close.
Everyone else (aside from maybe Sanchez) will lose minutes today.

Lots of action on this stage.

Wow, great ride from Casar to take the win over LLS and Cunego.
He led for a good chunk of that break, so impressive that he could hold them off.

Yeah, Samu got a minute over the next chase after conceding 57 sec. Good win for Caesar, but wish Damiano got it.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Yeah, Samu got a minute over the next chase after conceding 57 sec. Good win for Caesar, but wish Damiano got it.

And now Sanchez moves into third in GC behind Schleck/Contador.
Impressive riding from him...too bad he couldn't latch on to them on the downhill.

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

GC:

1. SCHLECK Andy 11 TEAM SAXO BANK 43h 35' 41"
2. CONTADOR Alberto 1 ASTANA + 00' 41"
3. SANCHEZ Samuel 181 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI + 02' 45"
4. MENCHOV Denis 191 RABOBANK + 02' 58"
5. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen 101 OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO + 03' 31"
6. LEIPHEIMER Levi 25 TEAM RADIOSHACK + 03' 59"
7. GESINK Robert 195 RABOBANK + 04' 22"
8. SANCHEZ Luis-Leon 161 CAISSE D’EPARGNE + 04' 41"
9. RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin 77 KATUSHA TEAM + 05' 08"
10. BASSO Ivan 41 LIQUIGAS-DOIMO + 05' 09"

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

GC:

1. SCHLECK Andy 11 TEAM SAXO BANK 43h 35' 41"
2. CONTADOR Alberto 1 ASTANA + 00' 41"
3. SANCHEZ Samuel 181 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI + 02' 45"
4. MENCHOV Denis 191 RABOBANK + 02' 58"
5. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen 101 OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO + 03' 31"
6. LEIPHEIMER Levi 25 TEAM RADIOSHACK + 03' 59"
7. GESINK Robert 195 RABOBANK + 04' 22"
8. SANCHEZ Luis-Leon 161 CAISSE D’EPARGNE + 04' 41"
9. RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin 77 KATUSHA TEAM + 05' 08"
10. BASSO Ivan 41 LIQUIGAS-DOIMO + 05' 09"

Levi will have a shot at the podium as long as he can hang on the pyrenees to stay in striking distance for the final time trial.

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Levi will have a shot at the podium as long as he can hang on the pyrenees to stay in striking distance for the final time trial.

It the time gaps remain, and obviously they won't, I'd say its Menchov.

Also seems like Cadel may be riding with a broken arm. And Gesink said he was really struggling at the top of the Madelaine and so he descended "like a grandmother in a wheelchair." Then he said that Rodriquez and LL didn't pull once and that he was riding with "three smurfs" and thank Voigt for helping. I'm not sure what he is saying about his teammate Menchov...

 

[sagard]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I think Schleck just blew any chance he had at winning while securing second. Hope he is happy. Schleck needed the other GC men in contention, so Contador would potentially respect their attacks. Now we will see Contador chip away at the forty seconds if not erase it completely in the Pyrenees.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I think Schleck just blew any chance he had at winning while securing second. Hope he is happy. Schleck needed the other GC men in contention, so Contador would potentially respect their attacks. Now we will see Contador chip away at the forty seconds if not erase it completely in the Pyrenees.

There wasn't anything that Schleck could do about that though.
Navarro rode all the other GC men off his wheel until it was just Contador and Schleck.
He only attacked once Navarro pulled off. Contador wasn't going to let the other GC guys bridge back up, so Schleck didn't have many other options.

 

[sagard]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

There wasn't anything that Schleck could do about that though.
Navarro rode all the other GC men off his wheel until it was just Contador and Schleck.
He only attacked once Navarro pulled off. Contador wasn't going to let the other GC guys bridge back up, so Schleck didn't have many other options.

I'll have to watch the replay. I thought Schleck fractured the GC group with his useless attacks that only Contador and Navarro could hold.

I guess I'm just disappointed that the tour I thought would be interesting into the third week is now probably 80% Contador and 20% Schleck, 0% the rest.

 

[brianvf]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I guess I'm just disappointed that the tour I thought would be interesting into the third week is now probably 80% Contador and 20% Schleck, 0% the rest.

No doubt.
The third week is still brutally hard, so anything can happen...just look at what happened in the last two days (Armstrong loses 11min, Evans loses 8min, Sastre/Rogers/etc crack), but it really is looking like a two-horse race right now unless someone behind can do something (Sanchez/Gesink/Menchov/Levi).

 

[Titleist]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

I never thought that Le Tour could end with anyone but Andy or Contador in yellow, so the fact that they have separated themselves isn't overly surprising. I am happy that to this point we've had 2 good stages, where I was really expecting only one! Plus we have gotten to see Chava on the attack and what seems to be a good fight for 3rd shaping up! I think that Samu has been the 3rd best climber (unless you count Navarro) and he won a TT in La Vuelta in '07 and finished in the top 6 in both TT's there last year. I'm really rooting for him to put on a show for the Spanish in the Pyrenees.

Plus today's stage gives me some hope that the stage to Pau may not see Freire win like last year.

 

[Probert]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

Great final climb! Looks like barring a crash, only Menchov and Sanchez could spoil the Contador/Schleck party. Yeoman job by Guiterrez, Voigt and Moreau today although Luis Leon gained no time on the Dynamic Duo.

So I didn't see a Lance interview what was his excuse today? Let's see on Sunday he had road rash after crashing, so did Evans but he finished in the lead group, then those dirty basta**s upped the pace before the climb. So today after a rest day he basically got shot out the back again. I think my team should get extra points because Levi sucked Geesink's wheels the whole way up the climb.

 

[Probert]

Re: The 2010 Cycling Thread!

There wasn't anything that Schleck could do about that though.
Navarro rode all the other GC men off his wheel until it was just Contador and Schleck.
He only attacked once Navarro pulled off. Contador wasn't going to let the other GC guys bridge back up, so Schleck didn't have many other options.

I disagree with Paul and Phil when the 2 were alone and they said Contador was in difficulty I think Contador wanted Schleck to come to the front since his team had set the pace which blew apart the pack. I also assume he knew Voight was up the road. I thought Vino was up the road as well but the next time they showed him he was being passed by the Lance group.