Stage 11 TDF :Courchevel - Briancon Spoiler

limerickman

The onus is on every cyclist, including JU, to compete for the top spot.

I would have suggested this to LA in 1993-1996 too.

limerickman

Breukink (DS at Rabobank) on ES suggests that Rasmussen now has to decide between KOM and GC.
Rasmussen is now team leader for Rabo, according to Breukink.

Botero and Vono still away on the Telegraph.

thebluetrain

Lim, is that what you have resorted to now, bringing up LA's career from 93-96?

Powerful Pete

Well, whatever happens, Vino is doing what he always promised to do. Attack all out, with no regard for the results (not that, after yesterday, he had much of a position in GC to protect!). Good for him, trying to shake things up.

And apparently Discovery is not having much trouble keeping him at a 'safe' distance...

__________________
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Campagnolo Per Sempre!
PAOLO BETTINI CAMPIONE DEL MONDO x 2!

limerickman

Gap is now three minutes at the summit of the Telegraph : Botero and Vino are three minutes ahead as the peloton summits.

Botero looks like he's going well and has the support of Periero his team mate.
These guys have been out there all day.
great riding.

thebluetrain

I would have rather seen him attack on the climb. Would have added some drama.

Powerful Pete

Fair enough. Let us see if he can stay away with Botero, and by how much. It would jiggle (juggle?) things up a bit if he could come in with a 2-3 minute advantage on Lance's group.

Of course, as a Basso fan I am telling all of you to watch him sprint away and put five minutes into Armstrong on the Galibier. Just shows you what being a fan is really about!

__________________
De Rosa Planet
Campagnolo Per Sempre!
PAOLO BETTINI CAMPIONE DEL MONDO x 2!

limerickman

On the Galibier now : gap was 3min 22 secs.
Latest time check is 3min 17sec.

Basso ?
He's in the peloton pedalling away.
Mayo looks to be suffering though.

musette

There are a lot more Discoveries at the front because:

-- Unlike certain other teams' misguided recruiting practices and misguided choices as to which cyclists to include in the Tour team, they chose mostly people who could climb (apart from Padrnos). Is it a surprise that, ON A MOUNTAIN STAGE, domestiques that are known to be CLIMBERS (key words there) on DC -- such as Chechu, Beltran, Ace -- and cyclists who are known to have pretty good climbing skills even though they can also time trial -- such as double-Giro winner Savoldelli and Cataluyna winner Popovych -- are still "in it".

Think about the TM domestiques. Do Steinhauser, Schreck, etc. have any chance of staying with JU in the mountains? Nope. Is it helpful that a Sevilla or Guerini is on the team instead of a Steinhauser or Schreck, in the mountains? You bet.

-- So DC has just chosen a lot of climbing domestiques. The skill of the choice and recruitment is that these domestiques, as I have explained many times before, also have decent TTT skills and perform multiple roles (including in the flats, such as Hincapie).

-- Also, DC "saves" everybody on the Tour team so they peak just around the Tour. In contrast, Vino was in top form for certain other pre-Tour races. DC domestiques (except for Savoldelli and Padrnos, and the early season Classics for Hincapie) form their entire season around the Tour. That is why they have their roles.

limerickman

Can you open another thread to post your thoughts ?

We're discussing stage 11 here and I'd like to keep the continuity of the stage 11 intact.

Thanks.

limerickman

Vino has gone ahead of Botero now.
Has Vino increased or Botero just got tired ?

Rasmussen looks comfortable.
Basso too.
DC on the front still trying to maintain the time gap.

limerickman

Botero 15secs behind Vino on the Galibier.

musette

It is not the onus of every cyclist to compete for the top GC spot. Here are very obvious examples. Apologies for everybody else to whom the below arguments are obvious, but some readers might need a gentle reminder.

-- Some teams do not have cyclists capable of achieving the GC podium.
-- Some teams focus on the green jersey and have strong sprinters (e.g., Boonen).
-- Even on a team with GC aspirations, some cyclists are domestiques.
-- Some cyclists are going for the white jersey.
-- Some cyclists are hoping for the polka dot.
-- Some cyclists are hoping for stage wins.
-- Some cyclists just hope for some publicity when they are in breakaways.

limerickman

Garzelli is now off the back.

Vino and the peloton gap is now down to 2min 57.

Botero is now between Vino and peloton.

In the peloton Valverde, Basso, Ullrich, DC, Kloden, Rasmussen are all pedalling away.