T-Mobile strategy

Originally Posted by limerickman

Err, Popovcyh was dropped on stage 8, as was the rest of the Discovery riders.

What version of the TDF are you watching anyhow ?
The alternative version perhaps ?

This TDF is far from over : it's all to play for as I said last week when some of the other wafflers were posting their pearls of wisdom, after stage 1.

Originally Posted by Tejano

You really think the only guy capable of hanging with LA on the first mountain stage this year was Savoldelli? "Bait, line and sinker!" They were all resting!

Originally Posted by limerickman

....ah I see.
So Lance gave them all a good talking to after Stage 8 because they were all
resting.
Makes sense, I suppose in your alternative TDF race that you're watching.

Listen, keep us posted about the virtual TDF that you're watching.

The rest of us will continue on discussing the real thing, in the meantime.

Originally Posted by whiteboytrash

...nice return of serve.... leave him for a while whilst he licks his wounds......

Originally Posted by mitosis

His supposed superhuman efforts in the TT and the mountains are as much a result of his relative freshness as to his cycling ability.

Originally Posted by Crankster

Could you please explain how LA's effort in the first stage ITT "as much a result of his relative freshness" - wasn't everyone equally fresh before the stage?!

Originally Posted by Tejano

If LA is fresh then Ullrich is fresh ´cause all he does is sit on LA´s ass all day!

Maybe we should call him the "Ass Man"! That´s for all you Cosmo Kramer lovers out their!

Originally Posted by Crankster

And while his team drags him up the mountain, they also drag up every other shmoe (like Ullrich) so he can instead use his team to attack LA, instead of doing all the work.

Originally Posted by Tejano

That was the perception of some of the German fans! If I understood the Spanish commentary correctly.

That is what Pedro Delgado and his side kick said! They also said that Vino may not feel welcome at T-mobile next year and may leave because of this attitude!

Now if say Mayo attacks LA tomorrow on the first summit would it be correct to say Mayo was attacking Ullrich also? Obviously Vino attacked not only LA but everyone else on the climb including Ullrich. That is just a matter of fact!

Now the intention wasn´t to attack Ullrich but he had to keep the pace or he would have been dropped! Kloden attacked not only LA but Ullrich, Vino, and all the other GC contenders and took 39 seconds was it out of them all!

Ullrich and Vino are his teammates so most people wouldn´t use the term attack but literally that´s what happened! I know Vino´s intention wasn´t to attack Ullrich but you tell me why the German fans are angry?

If I were T-Moble I see two choices!

1. conform to Discoveries game plan and hope that one of your riders is stronger than LA. Not the best choice in my opinion.

2. attack LA on the first Cat one climb tomorrow with Vino or better Kloden. Kloden must go all out on the attack and tank his GC hopes. Make Disco work before the decisive climb or hope like hell some one tries to bridge across to Kloden and the break works making Disco work across the flats before the final climb. You have to separate LA from his team on the last climb as far down as possible. Then let the attacks begin!

3. hope you can attack Disco early on the last climb and drop his entire team! If not I see at least Azevedo neutrilizing most of the attacks and LA comes out on top at the end anyway.

The only way to beat LA is if he has a weak team and he doesn´t! His team will control the mountains just like last year and this Tour is "Game Over Man"!

Problem I

Originally Posted by Fixey

Ok, Please dont take this as a personal attack but.....
Either you have little knowledge of the sport of road cycling or you cant see past some seriously flawed logic.....

To illustrate this I will outline a very basic team strategy....
If you are fighting against a team with a clear leader and you have several capable riders in your team, say 3 for instance, then these riders take turns at attacking. If the opposition leader is ever isolated then it would be stupid not to take advantage of this. Simply one rider attacks untill he is done, either the oposition leader chases him or he does not....if he does, when rider one is spent rider 2 takes up the charge ect and so on. Eventually the oposition will run out of steam!

SOOOOO when Vino attacks a solo LA he is doing just that...attacking LA. I bet the house if LA had chased Kloaden JU would have been next on the attack.

In essence, working as part of a team to soften a rider for the benefit of said team can not, in any way, be seen as attacking aformentioned team! If one of the 3 team mates cracks...so be it, he will work for the 2 that didnt from then on....

Clear?

Originally Posted by Crankster

Could you please explain how LA's effort in the first stage ITT "as much a result of his relative freshness" - wasn't everyone equally fresh before the stage?!

Originally Posted by mitosis

I'm not sure whether you noticed, but LA doesn't race except for Le Tour.

And even in that race he can afford to go all out on an ITT knowing that he will have the protection of a team while he recovers.

And I suppose JU's performance would not have been affected by his accident the day before.

And I don't see that LA would't have planned to go all out in a bid to gain psychological advantage over his more talented rival.

I suppose he was feining being pissed off after stage 8 because he was left exposed by the riders he bought to race for him. He's not paying them big money not to beat him for nothing.

Lance has demonstrated enormous talent. But its hard not to question if his success in Le Tour would be as great if he followed the same racing regime as most other riders and did not have the protection of his team.

If I dislike LA's methods it doesn't mean I hate the person. But its typical of immature people to confuse the two.

Maybe if you can't see past the last 6 years of cycling you need to study a little history.

Originally Posted by YIMan

Surely Discovery set a high tempo up the climbs so the other teams CAN'T attack...they don't "drag them up" so they can......

It's funny how you criticise the so-called "LA-haters" yet in the next sentence describe Ullrich as a "schmoe"(whatever the **** that is).

Originally Posted by Fixey

Ok, Please dont take this as a personal attack but.....
Either you have little knowledge of the sport of road cycling or you cant see past some seriously flawed logic.....

To illustrate this I will outline a very basic team strategy....
If you are fighting against a team with a clear leader and you have several capable riders in your team, say 3 for instance, then these riders take turns at attacking. If the opposition leader is ever isolated then it would be stupid not to take advantage of this. Simply one rider attacks untill he is done, either the oposition leader chases him or he does not....if he does, when rider one is spent rider 2 takes up the charge ect and so on. Eventually the oposition will run out of steam!

SOOOOO when Vino attacks a solo LA he is doing just that...attacking LA. I bet the house if LA had chased Kloaden JU would have been next on the attack.

In essence, working as part of a team to soften a rider for the benefit of said team can not, in any way, be seen as attacking aformentioned team! If one of the 3 team mates cracks...so be it, he will work for the 2 that didnt from then on....

Clear?