2005 TdeF route

[limerickman]

I said Mayo would be more motivated. That doesn't mean his motivation is going to lead to anything. Of course LA will win 15.

He might well be more motivated - although we heard the same cry before the
2004 version (that because there were more Pyreenean stages in 2004, Mayo,
Zubeldia & Co, were going to give the fans something to savour).

I hope we see Cunego in the 2005 TDF and Valverde as well.

 

[musette]

My goodness, what a great tour it is going to be for Discovery. LA will get Salvodelli as his main domestique during the descents, in an unanticipated benefit from having hired the latter over. This will reduce the risk to LA of going "all out" on descents that lead to the end of mountain stages, if he is trying to retain his lead built up earlier in the stage. Being on the wheel of Salvodelli on a switchback or otherwise tricky mountain descent is about the best place in the world for a team leader.

Domestique assistance will be nice especially if one is attempting a very rapid and therefore riskier descent, as may be appropriate for LA to conserve time gain at the end of certain mountain stages. Role of Salvodelli:

(1) Lead LA down the descent, without being exactly as aggressive as Salvodelli can be when he has had to. Role of choosing the line, gauging where they can go faster and when they shouldn't. Allows LA to focus more, knowing that another is looking out of the two of them and/or they are looking out together (frankly, with Il Falco leading, I doubt one has to really be concerned).

(2) Increase the aerodynamics relative to LA doing this alone. If other Discovery riders can be there (e.g., Azevedo, Rubiera), this little group will become even more aerodynamic. This was the role Landis played for Heras, when Landis was in the breakaway group during 03 Vuelta and waited for Heras so that the two could take back as much time on I Nozal as possible.

http://www.altrec.com/published/cycle/howtos/cornering/

"It was a chilly day high in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy during the 2000 Giro d'Italia stage race. Italian rider Paulo Salvodelli arrived at the top of the Passo Sella climb nearly two minutes behind the race leaders. Only 20 kilometers remained before the finish in the village of Selva Val Gardena in the valley far below. "Nicknamed "Il Falco," or "The Falcon," for his incredible descending skills, Salvodelli was about to begin another one of his death-defying drops. If it had been a straight shot down the mountain, he would have had no chance of catching the leaders, but no mountain road comes without switchbacks. Screaming down the twisting, narrow mountain road at speeds approaching 80km/hr., Salvodelli regained with every passing kilometer. He flew through the turns, deftly leaning over thousand-foot drops on one side of the road before banking across each turn at the last instant. Even the following motorcycle was having trouble keeping up. At the bottom, 12 kilometers later, he hooked back up with the leaders."

Stage 11 will be very interesting, I think.

Another point is that Salvodelli's descent capabilities will increase the chances that LA will not be alone when ascending mountains. Various stages have a series of mountains. Even if Salvodelli and other Discovery domestiques get dropped on earlier mountains, Salvodelli has a good chance of descending and getting back into the LA group to be there to accompany LA. What a great acquisition, in light of the Tour route in particular.

Role of TTT

Even if the cap on time lost by other teams is kept for 05, the TTT will unintentionally become more important than in 04. That's because, with fewer mountain finishes and ITTs, there are just fewer opportunities to take large blocks of time. Since the gaps may be smaller, a given maximum gap from the TTT will mean more.

Role of Strategy

The decisions made by a DS will become more crucial, because the teams will need to control breaks more and be more vigilant throughout. Also, the fewer opportunities (at least evident opportunities) for large gains mean that strategy will become even more important. Of course this favors LA.

 

[sportzgurl]

I have a question for you as I am pretty clueless about cycling!!

Is this route going to favour anybody or any team in particular? And who is going to be disadvantaged by it? Or what i am really after is, how is this route going to effect Jan Ullrich? I mean if Lance rides (50/50 at this stage) is the route going to favour him over Jan because of their teams? I was just wondering about Jan cos he is my fav and as much as I love Lance I wan't to see Jan win more! So if you tell me it looks good for him I will be able to get excited about the Tour!!

 

[musette]

As I discussed, I believe the route, while it introduces greater risk for LA, JU and every other rider (i.e., the amount of time they could lose if any of them had a bad day), is going to favor people who can both time trial and climb (since they will not lose large chunks of time on either that they have fewer opportunities to recoup) and who have strong teams. Those people are JU (whom I want to win too, but not over LA), and LA.

Also, when I say something favors LA, it means it favors his team Discovery, because he is the undisputed leader of the team. The team's only goal for the TdF will be to help him win the TdF.

It's slightly less absolute at T-Mobile, but anything that favors JU generally favors T-Mobile, especially now that Mario Krummer sees what happened to Godefroot when Godefroot critized JU.

 

[keydates]

JU needs a team that's more centered around him.

 

[fondriest]

JU needs a team that's more centered around him.

JU needs to get off his fat , lazy german ass and prepare properly for the tour if he is to have any chance at all.

 

[musette]

With all respect, JU and any other rider who is seeking to challenge LA have many things to do. JU must demand more support from his team; Kloden cannot be allowed to have his own aspirations (which he will obviously and will be permitted to have by T-Mobile's Krummer) and Vino must stay dedicated to JU. JU also needs to not have to lose so much weight as quickly as he did in 04 such a short time before the Tour, as it could affect his power. JU must also get better strategic advice; Krummer has been crummy so far, and is unclear how Ludwig will assist Godefroot. Pavenage is a distraction.

Contrast the situation at Discovery. New team members are chosen not only based on their cycling skills, but also on how well they will fit into the team (translated: they must be 100% willing to support LA and not have personal aspirations, during the races in which LA participates). Team members in many cases are kept or hired in part based on how they may help him. Bruyneel is a brilliant strategist, and is aided by a competent Dirk Demol and will be further supported by Sean Yates. LA will be ready physically, motivated.

 

[limerickman]

Look at 2004 : Ullrich had a bad first week in the TDF and then started to perform strongly.
Mobile however - and forty shades of Green Goodefroot - allowed Ullrich to become isolated when he struggled in the Pyrenees.
Whatever slight chance JU had against LA, was wiped out by Goodefroot.

Old Forty Shades of Green can point to tactics which allowed Kloden to finish third.
That's fine if this is the extent of ones ambition.
However, it is sufficient to credibly go for top place on the podium.

Kloden, in my view, will never be a top challenger - talented guy, don't get me wrong but he's not got what it takes to be a grand champion.

I say this every year : JU needs to be assured that his team for the TDF is working for him.
Look at the passengers he had with him in 2004 : Nardelo (waster), Salvodelli (invisible), Kessler (ran off the road like a novice), Kloden (was allowed free reign by Goodefroot).
Compare this to LA's team.

JU only received real support from Guerini in the 2004 TDF.
JU needs to be at the top of his game and to have FULL Mobile support if he
has any realistic chance of beating Armstrong.

 

[musette]

Stage 15 is also interesting because it includes Col de Portet early on, where Fabio Casartelli's had his accident.

 

[musette]

I think JU is aided by the recruitment of Sevilla and Lara (sp). However, Kloden and more importantly Krummer have to be spoken to directly as to their need to provide support to JU. JU needs to advise Krummer that, if he doesn't make the best tactical decisions for JU and make clear the team's priorities, JU is not going to tolerate that. It is difficult, though, when everybody sort of knows LA is going to win in most cases and therefore it really sort of is a question of who is on the podium at lower levels.

BTW, one of the best ways to improve the team in support of JU (although it will never happen) remains to shed Zabel.

 

[limerickman]

I think JU is aided by the recruitment of Sevilla and Lara (sp). However, Kloden and more importantly Krummer have to be spoken to directly as to their need to provide support to JU. JU needs to advise Krummer that, if he doesn't make the best tactical decisions for JU and make clear the team's priorities, JU is not going to tolerate that. It is difficult, though, when everybody sort of knows LA is going to win in most cases and therefore it really sort of is a question of who is on the podium at lower levels.

BTW, one of the best ways to improve the team in support of JU (although it will never happen) remains to shed Zabel.

Re : Zabel : Forty Shades of Green was more interested "Loyal Zabels" performances, than JU.

JU could also do with getting LA's supplier - if he used the same juice as LA,
JU would win.

 

[fondriest]

I say this every year : JU needs to be assured that his team for the TDF is working for him.
Look at the passengers he had with him in 2004 : Nardelo (waster), Salvodelli (invisible), Kessler (ran off the road like a novice), Kloden (was allowed free reign by Goodefroot).
Compare this to LA's team.

JU needs to be at the top of his game and to have FULL Mobile support if he
has any realistic chance of beating Armstrong.

I have to disagree with this point of view. Although it is a team sport and teammates help , at the end of the day it is down to JU himself to win the tour. It seems to me that year after JU is just riding in LA shadow as if he is waiting for LA to lose the tour rather than actually trying to beat him.

I dont think the team makes that much difference. LA uses his team in the mountains to set high pace, but he himself has to keep up with that pace as does JU. JU doesnt have to do any pace setting himself and effectivly gets the same "tow" up the mountain as LA.

When was the last time you saw JU attack LA in the tour and take the race to him, rather than just following it along?????

 

[musette]

I disagree that JU's team is less important than JU "doing it himself". When JU was first in trouble, Kloden should have fallen back and helped pace him. Instead, Krummer instructs Kloden to follow LA. What sort of advice is that? Vino and Kloden must understand they should not have personal ambitions, which is sort of hard after they have finished on the podium in prior years.

Part of this is that the T-Mobile team has to go for "all [i.e., win GC[ or nothing", just like LA does. Don't adopt tactics that might help Zabel wear green; don't go for the team classification affirmatively; don't let anybody ride for themselves or for stage wins.

JU's team needs to practice TTT more. It is a discipline that, regardless of how strong the team members' ITT capabilities are, also needs practice with the team as a whole. JU's team needs to shed Zabel and only include people who will help JU. But that will never happen.

Frankly too, JU needs to be more selfish. Talk to Kloden and tell him that he cannot ride for himself. Don't give people the talk about "whoever is the strongest" would get support. In addition to talking to Kloden privately, also say this publicly -- that the team has now concentrated on the singular goal of helping JU win the Tour again. Then, Krummer will be more constrained. Frankly, if I were JU, I would have expended my political capital to get rid of Krummer as well as Godefroot, and not focus on Pavenage as much.

As mentioned, Guerini was JU's only reliable, capable domestique in 04. How is that acceptable?

Everybody will see a transformation in Salvodelli next year. He will have an Ace-like role, and LA will be stronger because he will have two Ace-like domestiques (if not three, if both Popovych and Salvodelli are included, because Discovery gives up on meaningfully contesting the Giro) on the mountains, in addition to Rubiera and Beltran.

 

[limerickman]

I have to disagree with this point of view. Although it is a team sport and teammates help , at the end of the day it is down to JU himself to win the tour. It seems to me that year after JU is just riding in LA shadow as if he is waiting for LA to lose the tour rather than actually trying to beat him.

I dont think the team makes that much difference. LA uses his team in the mountains to set high pace, but he himself has to keep up with that pace as does JU. JU doesnt have to do any pace setting himself and effectivly gets the same "tow" up the mountain as LA.

When was the last time you saw JU attack LA in the tour and take the race to him, rather than just following it along?????

As a JU fan, I have to agree with what you say.
Personally, I think being beaten by the same guy three times (it is three times
that they have gone head to head, isn't it ?), makes it almost impossible for
JU to really believe that he can beat LA.

I looked again recently at the tape of the ITT from the 2003 TDF and JU's
reaction to winning it (JU did a documentary with Eurosport called "Living with
Bianchi").
JU looked like he almost could not believe that he took two minutes out of LA
over 58kms.
His reaction that day, revealed a lot about JU.

I have no doubt that man against man - Ullrich is the better cyclist.
No doubt.
Put each of them on a bike - no teams, no team cars : JU would win.
But the TDF is more than man against man, alone.

Ullrich, in my opinion, doesn't believe that he can beat LA (despite saying that he does believe).

Cast your mind back to 1996/1997 : Telekom literally crushed everything.
If people think USPS were impressive 1999-2004 :Telekom were more dominant.
In a superb team, JU was the powerhouse.
He almost beat Riis (Mr 60% haemocrit level) to top spot in the TDF, even though he was there as support.
And JU was mollycoddled (looked after, indulged) by his team and team management.

Ullrich needs more man namagement to get the best out of him.
JU should have gone to CSC - under Riis, he would beat LA.
I have no doubt whatsoever about that.

JU needs to feel that he has a team that is fully supporting him and he needs to fully support the team.
He could start by turning up fit and well, weighwise at the start of the season.
He should also go out and race his way in to fitness - he should be out there
(as he was in 1996/1997) working for others in the team, to win races and then he can expect full support for the TDF.

 

[limerickman]

I disagree that JU's team is less important than JU "doing it himself". When JU was first in trouble, Kloden should have fallen back and helped pace him. Instead, Krummer instructs Kloden to follow LA. What sort of advice is that? .

Goodefroot called the tactics that day - Kloden said that he got the instruction to stay with LA & Co from Goodefroot.

Part of this is that the T-Mobile team has to go for "all [i.e., win GC[ or nothing", just like LA does. Don't adopt tactics that might help Zabel wear green; don't go for the team classification affirmatively; don't let anybody ride for themselves or for stage wins..

Spot on - if it's Yellow that Mobile want to win, they must concentrate on Yellow to the exclusion of everything else.

 

[musette]

Goodefroot called the tactics that day - Kloden said that he got the instruction to stay with LA & Co from Goodefroot.

Kummer called it, according to this article. Maybe Godefroot instructed Kummer to tell Jan that, but that's not the implication of the article.

http://www.bicycling.com/tourdefrance/experts/columns/0,3489,s1-9622,00.html

"Trouble started when Ullrich cracked on the last climb up La Mongie during the first day in the Pyrenees. When Klöden **asked his sports director what to do, Mario Kummer told him** to continue at his own pace. Ullrich's personal trainer Rudy Pevenage was outraged, "Do you think Armstrong's teammate would just ride on if he was in trouble?" Kummer seems to feel that Klöden is the real surprise of the race, and wasn't willing to waste him on a floundering Ullrich. Godefroot hesitated, saying that "while Klöden is in the best shape of his life, he is still no Jan Ullrich.""

Whoever called that should have been the one removed. Maybe Godefroot's removal related to that, but more likely it related to his public criticism of JU following the Tour.

Here are some excerpts from JU's diary. He cannot maintain these positions; he is the star of the German team and the team will have to go down with him if he does not perform. He cannot write things that encourage Kloden's "disobedience". You can bet that, the minute LA believes a domestique is not riding with only LA's interests at heart, LA will give the domestique a reprimand that will have be heeded.

Stage 12:
JU writes: "I lost 2:30 today, but there are still chances to make good on the time. It's not over until we reach Paris. I'll be fighting all the way you can be sure, even if it means working for "Klödi", who rode a superb race today. I've always said that wouldn't be a problem for me."
http://www.t-mobile-team.com/cms/tm...word=_20Stage_2012/itemID=28898/id=25712.html

Stage 14
JU writes: Kloden "was clearly the better man in the Pyrenees, so I've given him "Carte Blanche" in the Alps. I certainly won't split hairs over who works for whom. Use "Klödi" just as a helper when he's in the form of his life? No way! For a start, I know he is currently capable of leaving me in his wake. That's not a good thing for my morale. Secondly, I dont want to make the mistake of using him to pace me in the Alps. I need to ride at my own rhythm. In all truth, I was quite content to plough my own furrow on the climb to Plateau de Beille. It will only make sense to enlist Klödi's help in the Alps if its to our mutual benefit. If I think he has the stonger legs, then he not only should, but must, go for it alone."
http://www.t-mobile-team.com/cms/tm...word=_20Stage_2014/itemID=29186/id=25712.html

Don't give Kloden encouragement to betray you, Jan. Take an opportunity to make sure Godefroot and Ludwig and Kummer understand you want the whole team (including Kloden) working only for you. Use the media to your advantage by indicating that you are committed to go only for the top spot, and your team is in complete agreement. Make Kloden the Azevedo for you; tell him he can still get wtihin top 10, even if he works for you. But he must help you.

Do you think Azevedo would leave LA if LA had a problem on a climb? Even if it meant falling out of the top ten, Azevedo would be there to help LA, even if it's only moral support. Azevedo knows he has to do that, and Ace wants to do that. That is what Ace thinks of every day -- to justify LA's trust in him. Bruyneel also helped LA make sure Ace understood that. Bruyneel and LA chose Ace to join the team in part because they thought he would do that. Ace is not dreaming of being on the podium on the Tour; he is hoping he can adequately support LA so LA can be there.

"CN: You were an ace in this year's Tour de France; I think you exceeded everyone's expectations by being the key teammate for Lance Armstrong in his sixth Tour de France win. How do you look back on your Tour?

JA: I'm happy with my work. And happy that my work was positive for Lance. Before I came to the team, Johan told me, 'If you come, your job is to help Lance win the Tour.' After I signed my contract, I kept that thought in my mind every day and wanted to be sure of that when the Tour started, that I was ready for the job. I felt good in the Tour and I worked for Lance and I think that not only me, but the rest of the [USPS] team was in a good moment then. So the Ace wasn't just me, it was the whole team, all the teammates. The big ace was Lance, but I think the other guys deserved this name too. Me, Chechu, Pavel, Eki, Benjamin, Floyd, everybody. To be part of the team this year was special; for me, it's the first time I've been on a winning Tour de France team."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/2004/interviews/?id=jose_azevedo04

If LA ever had a problem on the climb, you would see the WHOLE Discovery team there to help him and pull him (every little bit helps). You would see the people behind LA killing themselves to get up to him. On top of the domestiques knowing what to do, Bruyneel would be yelling at them in their earpieces to hurry up and catch up to LA, so they could help. Even those who, on certain mountain areas, could not quite cash up to LA (e.g., Padrnos) would be going up the mountain as fast as they could, so they would be as close to helping as possible. You would see everybody with him completely waiting for him, and willing to use every ounce of their energies to help him. They would do it naturally.

 

[fondriest]

I have no doubt that man against man - Ullrich is the better cyclist.
No doubt.
Put each of them on a bike - no teams, no team cars : JU would win.
But the TDF is more than man against man, alone.

Ullrich, in my opinion, doesn't believe that he can beat LA (despite saying that he does believe).

I agree its not just man v man, but at certain points of the race, usually in the mountains it is. And when this situation arrises JU does nothing. Which i believe is a direct result of your second point in the quote. LA has this aura of invincibility that surrounds him, and i think too many good riders give him too much respect.

 

[musette]

The LA website loaded today an analysis by Chris Brewer, maintainer of that website.

"And team performance will be huge this year as the “easier” course means more opportunities for group tactics and strategies to play out. So who do I think wins? Lance if he races – he clearly has the skills, team and experience, but if he doesn’t ride then look to another complete and attacking rider with a strong team – names like Vinokourov, Basso, and Hamilton (if he’s racing, of course). I do not think this course favors Jan Ullrich with only 1 meaningful TT and the decisive Stages 14 and 15 favor attacking style riders which Jan is not, nor do I think the course has enough difficulty in it for pure climbers like Mayo and Heras to get away and stay away."

 

[musette]

An analysis of the potential time LA could gain on key rivals in the 19 km ITT, based on 04 time differences adjusted by distance (assuming same speed for each rider throughout the course).

Formula used: Assumed 05 difference over 19 km = (Actual time difference between LA and applicable rider in Stage of 04) * 19/(Number of km in stage of 04).

Prologue of 04 Tour (6.1 km)

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo 6.50
2 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal p/b Berry Floor 0.02
16 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 0.17 --> Stage 1 of 05 Tour would be 0.47 difference from LA
18 Tyler Hamilton (USA) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.18 --> 0.50
24 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile Team 0.19 --> 0.53
26 Iban Mayo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0.21 --> 0.59
70 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.29 --> 1.24
104 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) Liberty Seguros 0.37 --> 1.49

Alpe d'Huez ITT removed because uphill

Stage 19, Besancon (55 km)

1 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal p/b Berry Floor 1.06.49
2 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 1.01 --> 0.21
3 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile Team 1.27 --> 0.50
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 2.50 --> 0.58

Heras, Mayo, Hamilton did not participate

-- Obviously, I understand distance does matter in an ITT, and one is not going at the same rate per mile. But the above is to illustrate that Stage 1 is not as irrelevant as people indicate. LA can still gain multiple tens of seconds on his rivals.

 

[limerickman]

Kummer called it, according to this article. Maybe Godefroot instructed Kummer to tell Jan that, but that's not the implication of the article.

http://www.bicycling.com/tourdefrance/experts/columns/0,3489,s1-9622,00.html

"Trouble started when Ullrich cracked on the last climb up La Mongie during the first day in the Pyrenees. When Klöden **asked his sports director what to do, Mario Kummer told him** to continue at his own pace. Ullrich's personal trainer Rudy Pevenage was outraged, "Do you think Armstrong's teammate would just ride on if he was in trouble?" Kummer seems to feel that Klöden is the real surprise of the race, and wasn't willing to waste him on a floundering Ullrich. Godefroot hesitated, saying that "while Klöden is in the best shape of his life, he is still no Jan Ullrich.""

Whoever called that should have been the one removed. Maybe Godefroot's removal related to that, but more likely it related to his public criticism of JU following the Tour.

Here are some excerpts from JU's diary. He cannot maintain these positions; he is the star of the German team and the team will have to go down with him if he does not perform. He cannot write things that encourage Kloden's "disobedience". You can bet that, the minute LA believes a domestique is not riding with only LA's interests at heart, LA will give the domestique a reprimand that will have be heeded.

Stage 12:
JU writes: "I lost 2:30 today, but there are still chances to make good on the time. It's not over until we reach Paris. I'll be fighting all the way you can be sure, even if it means working for "Klödi", who rode a superb race today. I've always said that wouldn't be a problem for me."
http://www.t-mobile-team.com/cms/tm...word=_20Stage_2012/itemID=28898/id=25712.html

Stage 14
JU writes: Kloden "was clearly the better man in the Pyrenees, so I've given him "Carte Blanche" in the Alps. I certainly won't split hairs over who works for whom. Use "Klödi" just as a helper when he's in the form of his life? No way! For a start, I know he is currently capable of leaving me in his wake. That's not a good thing for my morale. Secondly, I dont want to make the mistake of using him to pace me in the Alps. I need to ride at my own rhythm. In all truth, I was quite content to plough my own furrow on the climb to Plateau de Beille. It will only make sense to enlist Klödi's help in the Alps if its to our mutual benefit. If I think he has the stonger legs, then he not only should, but must, go for it alone."
http://www.t-mobile-team.com/cms/tm...word=_20Stage_2014/itemID=29186/id=25712.html

Don't give Kloden encouragement to betray you, Jan. Take an opportunity to make sure Godefroot and Ludwig and Kummer understand you want the whole team (including Kloden) working only for you. Use the media to your advantage by indicating that you are committed to go only for the top spot, and your team is in complete agreement. Make Kloden the Azevedo for you; tell him he can still get wtihin top 10, even if he works for you. But he must help you.

Do you think Azevedo would leave LA if LA had a problem on a climb? Even if it meant falling out of the top ten, Azevedo would be there to help LA, even if it's only moral support. Azevedo knows he has to do that, and Ace wants to do that. That is what Ace thinks of every day -- to justify LA's trust in him. Bruyneel also helped LA make sure Ace understood that. Bruyneel and LA chose Ace to join the team in part because they thought he would do that. Ace is not dreaming of being on the podium on the Tour; he is hoping he can adequately support LA so LA can be there.

"CN: You were an ace in this year's Tour de France; I think you exceeded everyone's expectations by being the key teammate for Lance Armstrong in his sixth Tour de France win. How do you look back on your Tour?

JA: I'm happy with my work. And happy that my work was positive for Lance. Before I came to the team, Johan told me, 'If you come, your job is to help Lance win the Tour.' After I signed my contract, I kept that thought in my mind every day and wanted to be sure of that when the Tour started, that I was ready for the job. I felt good in the Tour and I worked for Lance and I think that not only me, but the rest of the [USPS] team was in a good moment then. So the Ace wasn't just me, it was the whole team, all the teammates. The big ace was Lance, but I think the other guys deserved this name too. Me, Chechu, Pavel, Eki, Benjamin, Floyd, everybody. To be part of the team this year was special; for me, it's the first time I've been on a winning Tour de France team."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/2004/interviews/?id=jose_azevedo04

If LA ever had a problem on the climb, you would see the WHOLE Discovery team there to help him and pull him (every little bit helps). You would see the people behind LA killing themselves to get up to him. On top of the domestiques knowing what to do, Bruyneel would be yelling at them in their earpieces to hurry up and catch up to LA, so they could help. Even those who, on certain mountain areas, could not quite cash up to LA (e.g., Padrnos) would be going up the mountain as fast as they could, so they would be as close to helping as possible. You would see everybody with him completely waiting for him, and willing to use every ounce of their energies to help him. They would do it naturally.

I read somewhere that it was Goodefroot who gave the order for Kloden to do his own thing - but if was Kummer, I'll go with that.
Either way, as you correctly point out, it was the wrong thing to do.

Azevedo was very very impressive in this years TDF - as was Landis.
USPS rode it very well.

I think your point about JU being too soft is correct.
He is very very easy going (always the same with people who have abundant talent - they believe that talent alone will rescue them, when the pressure is on).
Not saying that LA, isn't talented : LA cycles on the basis of having body and mind fully focussed 24/7.

Ullrich is amendable and he doesn't want to offend people : LA's attitude is
more professional "to heck with it, I'm Queen Bee and you work for me".
LA's attitude is the correct one to have.