2009 TDF stage 16: Martigny Bourg-Saint-Maurice 159 km - Page 3

I hope Jens Voigt is ok. He's such a solid bloke. Always gives a good interview. A good laugh also.

Looks like LA fooled you like he fooled Ullrich.

He got back on when the climb started to flatten out.
Along with the rest of the others - who got dropped by the acceleration of the Schlecks/Nibali/Wiggins/Contador/Kloden.





He couldn't respond.

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

Jens Voigts crash


Dreadful stuff

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

lol,

Of course, one might also say that when Schleck/Nibali/Wiggins/Contador/Kloden shot their wad and Armstrong calmly made his way back up to them, they couldn't sustain their acceleration. Point is, they all ended up in the same place. As between the two groups, I wonder which expended more adrenaline and effort to get the same finishing time.

truth hurts.

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

Schlecks were testing Contador by acclerating.
Contador is the rider to beat in this race.

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

Tomorrow will be a very tough stage.It will be so painful that you will need 3 days recovery just from watching the finish.
A stage to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

__________________
Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

No I just found it funny, your spin on the situation. You are always a sucker for good spin.

I completely agree, although if they were merely "testing" without following through, the question arises as to whether they had the ability at that point to do more than bluff. Only two more days to try to realistically try to gain any time on Contador. Today was as good an opportunity as any with Armstrong left behind, but they let Armstrong back up to them. Because perhaps they didn't have what it took to sustain an attack? As for Contador, I am in complete agreement. As I said on another thread, barring injury or accident, Contador is merely toying with these boys from this point onward. No doubt that Armstrong was defenseless when the quick accelerations came. Ironically, he has become the Ullrich of this year's tour. A very steady climber who can by sheer determination outlast all but one or two who have the explosiveness to get away and the stamina to stay there.

Great win by Astarloza.

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

Update on Jens Voigt

Voigt in hospital after horrific crash
By:Susan WestemeyerPublished: July 21, 18:22, Updated: July 21, 17:47
Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) is always popular
Riis says German seriously injured

Jens Voigt (Team Saxo Bank) was taken to hospital after his crash in the 16th stage of the Tour de France. While descending the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard, the German's front wheel slipped away and he went down on his shoulder and head, sliding several metres along the road. The race doctor who attended to him at the scene said that Voigt briefly lost consciousness.

"He is seriously injured, but conscious. He was able to move," said a visibly shaken team manager Bjarne Riis to the German press agency dpa.

A motorcycle carrying a photographer narrowly avoided hitting the fallen 37-year-old. "I saw him laying there with closed eyes and blood on his face," the driver said, adding that he had suspected the worst.

Voigt's fellow German Linus Gerdemann of Team Milram said "When you see a crash like that, nothing else much matters. It gives you goose bumps."

Voigt was part of the race-long break which went clear in the opening kilometres in advance of the Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard. Voigt was dropped on the day's second climb, the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard, but remained with the yellow jersey group containing the Schleck brothers over its summit before crashing on the descent

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

That video was horrific - you can see his face bounce up off the road. Ouch. Tough to see exactly why it happened. Seems like his tire just got sideways for no particular reason. I'm a flatlander with limited experience in descending on that kind of gradient -- perhaps someone else can hazard a guess?

I think the white line is the problem.
These road markings can be extremely slippery - even when the weather is dry.

I watched todays stage live - and I thought we were going to have a fatality on our hands.

When you slip on these roadmarks, it's impossible to anticipate a fall.

Voigt was lucky that the camera bike took evasive action to avoid him

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.