Deutschland Tour

I think that Gusev will move up to third spot, he is a very strong TTist (has been Russian ITT champion).Normally I would say that Levi is a stronger ITTist than Voigt but based on how strong Voigt is at the moment and Levi's recent poor performances in the TT I think that Voigt is on to a winner here.

 

Voigt is a phenomenal TT ist, always has been.
Thats doesnt bother me.
His staying with Levi in the high mountains bothers me. I think its ridiculous.
Jens is like 6 feet 4 inches or something.

I think Jens has won the ITT Grand Prix des Nations and he and Julich have ridden and won the 2 man TT Luk challenge a couple of times, so again, nothing strange there. He will kill te ITT tomorrow.

 

For once I agree with Bobke on something. All this hoo-har we've had about doping for the last few weeks, and nobody's even concerned about how Voigt is suddenly a great climber????

I'm of the theory he makes himself so outspoken against doping for a reason (which I'll leave you all to figure out).

 

I've gotta admit that his showing these past few days has raised questions for me. He seems like a good guy, but I'm pretty skeptical about all pro cyclists these days.

 

Ehm..Its the freaking Tour of Germany. Pratically no rider has this as his target race, and certainly not non-Germans. Climbing well here doesnt excatly mean that you are king of the mountains.

Not to mention that with all the scandals of late, many rider who regularly dope are probably cooling off a bit to see what is going to happen, and not risk anything. Especially not for a ToG. So we may see riders that we aren't as used to seeing in front, because the usual suspects backed off.

 

Jens got yellow in last years TdF after a mountain stage in Vosges (stage was won by Rasmussen, Voigt was third). Jens was second in a mountain stage in this years Giro (Garate won that stage), he chased down Jan Ullrich in the alpes during the 2004 TdF and above all Leipheimer had great form during the Dauphiné Liberé but after that his formcurve went down. The stages at the Deutschland-Tour are like the Vosges mountain stage in the 2005 TdF, they are not very hard. I don't know if Jens is clean, i hope the catalogue of the German cycling federation will be installed soon after that i am sure he will be clean.

 

Voigt blows away the field in the TT, finishing over a minute ahead of a cluster of riders with similar times, Bodrogi, Lang, Vino all within a few seconds of each other, Leipheimer a few more seconds back. Looks like Kashechkin moves up to third overall. past Petrov and Gusev.

 

WOW ! He was as fast as a Columbian cargo train !

 

Don't beat around the bush.
Spell it out for us.

Lets see if I can figure it out...Jens Voigt...
he won stage two, a mountain stage with a downhill finish
he won an uphill mountain stage finish dropping a bunch of climbers...and beating a guy Levi, who has finished in the top ten of the TdF a few times and lst year outclimbed Jan Ullrich in this race...
OK he caught a break when they shortened the stage the other day and took out the hors categori climb...
and then he won the ITT by over a minute...



CSC is a drug factory, period.

There, I did it for you.

 

Factory ? I would say they are the equivalent of a small South American country !

 

The rumour is: CSC might stop after this season.
http://radsportnews.net/2006/voigt_dtdpa.shtml

 

I could only rely on a babelfish translation, but I didn't see anything like that rumor in the article, only that Voigt might finish his career with a German team. Did I miss something (probably, babelfish is what it is, it has major limits)?

 

I just came back from the Deutschland-Tour. The rumour is among followers (journalists, team employees etc.). In the article is written: "Allerdings steht hinter seiner unmittelbaren Zukunft ein kleines Fragezeichen, weil nicht sicher ist, ob sein belastetes Team weiter macht."

My (bad) translation: "but there is a questionmark behind his near future because it's not sure if his (i don't know the word for: belastetes, but it means something like accused) team will continue"

 

Wow, Phonak out, IShears hasn't committed yet or is waffling, CSC contemplating their future, TMob rumbling, Discovery in disarray and the French teams are getting stronger.

Anyone want to own a cycling team ?..... Cheap !

lw

 

I have to admit, I like Voigt.

But his incredible form during the last few years, does raise a concern.

Jens was with Credit Agricole : I can't remember him doing anything there that approximates to what he's been doing since at CSC.

ES during the 2006 TDF had behind the scenes footage for each stage - featuring Jens.
Jens getting a massage - Jens discussing Pereiro - Jens meeting Joe Public -Jens talking about Sastre.
He's a very nice bloke.

But after each stage he used say "I'm tired. I'm dead etc etc".
Next day out he'd blast away as usual.
Impossible to read : mixed messages at best.

And given Riis's determination to win at all costs .................

 

By the way... where is Riis? He went away for a couple of days during the TdF and after the TdF i didn't see him anymore (at the Deutschland-Tour Kim Andersen was the CSC DS).

 

Like a raid on a dorm room at college he is flushing the gear down the can....

 

That is strange on the part of Riis.

Although Kim Anderson was DS at the Dauphine this year.

 

I think there is trouble behind the scene, maybe sponsor CSC is behind it. There where a lot of stories in the Danish press about his nickname Mr. 60% during the TdF.

 

Where the hell has Roger Hammond been?
He sure has been keeping a low profile.