Now it is only Basso and armstrong

[Powerful Pete]

Yup, the curious thing to see is what will happen this year. With CSC so close to Discovery in the TTT (and Discovery therefore not able to put another couple of minutes in Basso before the mountains) I wonder if the Lance-Ivan love affair may be heading towards a heartbraking ending.

Hopefully this will be a fun and exciting tour!

 

[rejobako]

What is beyond doubt however is that CSC were more interested in protecting Bassos' 2nd place than any attempt to attack LA. Somehow, I can't see someone like Vino doing that.

I don't think it's beyond doubt at all. From the perspective of many cycling fans, Armstrong and Basso were perfectly matched in the mountains, and despite attempts by each man, neither was able to shed the other in the critical stages. If at some point Basso decided that attacking was a fruitless exercise, it doesn't mean there was some sort of sinister agreement between them. There's a big difference between suggesting that Basso may not have given his utmost and suggesting that he and Armstrong were in league with each other.

 

[MJtje]

The point is Basso knew last year he couldn't beat LA........It's all about decisions do you attack LA endlessly and lose the 2nd place in the end or just work together with LA to keep that 2nd place. Even then he lost it........but I think it was wiser then attacking LA as a mad men. Besides who said LA would have cracked then.....only in 2003 he cracked.......

This year Basso has said he WILL attack........he believes he can do it this time around. That's why I see Basso as the biggest thread for LA

I don't think it's beyond doubt at all. From the perspective of many cycling fans, Armstrong and Basso were perfectly matched in the mountains, and despite attempts by each man, neither was able to shed the other in the critical stages. If at some point Basso decided that attacking was a fruitless exercise, it doesn't mean there was some sort of sinister agreement between them. There's a big difference between suggesting that Basso may not have given his utmost and suggesting that he and Armstrong were in league with each other.

 

[nonameboy]

if only the other tour contenders were like vino and had the guts to atack instead of letting discovery do whatever they want,this tour would be much better.

 

[snyper0311]

Crankster, did you notice today's GC standings? Both guys moved up in the GC! Heras is now 32nd. A contender-hopefully. As I said before, moved up QUIETLY!

 

[cheapie]

guts? i don't really think it has to do with guts.

remember how chipo used to set the pace so high running to the end of the sprint stages? that effectively closed down many attacks and left other sprinters w/o help.

i'm sure you're aware, but that's the same strategy DISC employs in the mtns. how are you going to attack when you know you will be on your own and not going much faster than the group you left? of course it can be done. but ullrich has learned how well LA responds to attacks. no panick. just a calculated reeling in of the attacker and then boom....it's over.

 

[benson]

I used "guts" because after LA's gift on Ventoux, Pantani knew he couldn't win. Pantani just wanted to make LA suffer (which he did by bonking on the climb). Pantani had no intention of finishing the Tour after that stage.

 

[ilpirata]

I don't believe you have the knowledge of what people are thinking anymore than I do. You say Pantani was gutless because aafter Ventoux he knew he couldn't beat Armstrong. Well than why does he break away and leave Armstrong and the rest to win by a minute and a half at Courcheval two stages after Ventoux. Armstrong perhaps said again "I let him win". Yes Pantani could not win the overall and he basically knew it. I believe that on the stage yu are referring too he felt he could pull the long escape and show he was still a legendary climber. Of course it was a big risk (perhaps foolish is a better description even)and it all fell apart on him as we know. This is not a lack of guts however, it is what makes cycling worth watching. That some one will have the guts to try the extraordinary to go for the win. Like when he turned the tables on Ullrich in 1998. Give me Pantani anytime instead of the steady calculating wheel sucking cyclists that we see so many of. Vinokourov can do it, but he has to be smarter. He made a tactical error two years ago that perhaps cost him first place in the overall. But it most certainly was not a lack of guts. With respect to Pantani, I will tell you that no one else has shown up Armstrong since Courcheval, and that was a shadow of the Pantani that would have been seen in 1999 (he was significantly stronger than 1998) and we most certainly would not be talking about Armstrongs 7th tour win, if the italian mafia had not put their aims on the destruction of the last great cyclist.

I used "guts" because after LA's gift on Ventoux, Pantani knew he couldn't win. Pantani just wanted to make LA suffer (which he did by bonking on the climb). Pantani had no intention of finishing the Tour after that stage.

 

[ryan16]

I agree I love pantani and he was an amazing cyclist to watch and it is such a shame what happend to him. We can only wonder what it would be like if he never lost focus. Great post!