Stage 14 - Sunday, July 22: Mazamet - Plateau-de-Beille, 197km
- Thread starter steve
- Start date
Ras is doped up to his eyeballs. This is going to be sad. He should have been pulled from the race by his team before the start. I feel sorry for the race if Ras goes on to win. At least Lance had his **** together. Ras is the most disgusting image for the sport. On the podium today he looked like a god damn terminally ill cancer patient on a 'make-a-wish' trip to disneyland.
I thought Levi rode an exceptional stage. I thought Cadel lost perspective today and got caught up in the moment. He needed to let Ras and Conto go and stay a little within his limits and give up 40secs like Levi. He maybe forgot what makes him a threat - consistency. Its easy taking pot shots from the peanut gallery!!
I thought Levi rode an exceptional stage. I thought Cadel lost perspective today and got caught up in the moment. He needed to let Ras and Conto go and stay a little within his limits and give up 40secs like Levi. He maybe forgot what makes him a threat - consistency. Its easy taking pot shots from the peanut gallery!!
I tend to agree. Chicken should not have been allowed to start. but I highly doubt he will be dq now. I think the organizers were probably hoping a bad ITT so his contention for the win would have been a moot point. but now? they are in trouble with a potential winner's credibility once again.
I must have missed something pre-tour on Ras? Did they actually catch him?Klodifan said:
Contador was great again today and my respect for Ras went through the roof. I didn't think he had it in him to ride like a true leader of the tour. Disco I'm thinking surprised a lot of folks today! Popo was excellent. Ras has 3 on Evans. Will it be enough? Or will Evans continue to loose time.
chicken was kicked off the danish team b/c he failed to report his whereabouts for doping controls. basically missing three tests equates to a positive result. add this to the recent allegations that he tried to smuggle in cow blood from america in a show box, and well, enough said.azdroptop said:
Ageed, the time he lost hanging with Vino is now showing to have been very important.Klodifan said:he is still not on the list. surely if he would have abandoned it would have been over race radio. i very much dislike how they used klodi the first week of the tour, but poor vinoat least he got his stage win...
It's a pity Vino wasn't up to it, I'd say the TT was esentially a do or die effort for at least a stage win. He could handle 50km but his injuries couldn't sustain 200km.
What a great day for Discovery. Big George motors the group through the valley, then Popo does an amazing turn at the front to weed out everyone. What can you say about Contodor. He rode very smart today forcing Ras to do the final turns in the last couple of Ks and comes up winner. Levi rides very smart, and even Popo after his huge turn at the front comes in only 3 min down.
I think Contodor has even more left in his legs for the next 2 Pyrenees stages. I think Cadel particularly and maybe even Kloden are in trouble. One more stage like today and I think one or both will completely crack.
I think Contodor has even more left in his legs for the next 2 Pyrenees stages. I think Cadel particularly and maybe even Kloden are in trouble. One more stage like today and I think one or both will completely crack.
Klodifan said:
Well as Horner well said on one of his video diaries, Astana seem to be doing a great job of ruining his chances. Remember who pays the bills though and which glorious nation wants the win.
They have Bruyneel at the controls , so a intelligent race is expected. To me, Disco in the drivers seat with 2 of the riders in the top 4. Can Ras control both of them? He needs time to enter the final TT against these 2.davidbod said:
I think Kloden will fight back. And if Astana can get a grip on team tactics they are still dangerous.
The TDF must be shitting their pants right now with Ras and his allegations that are following him. Maybe they are planning a sabatage similar to what the wiley coyote did to the roadrunner???? If a was fan at the TDF I sure wouldn't stand under any bluffs......
Well, I think the Danish Chicken raced an excellent stage today, playing things just right so that Contador was forced to attack and ride away from Levi after Popo had done all the forcing, with Ras sitting in.
Just needed to point that out, to help ruin the Disco love-fest on this thread...
Just needed to point that out, to help ruin the Disco love-fest on this thread...
Powerful Pete said:
Agreed : Discovery were a great help to Ras today.
Popovych turn on the front did nothing for Leipheimer.
In fact Leipy was under sustained pressure trying to stay with Popo.
A very good stage today - great viewing.
I thought that Dekker was amazing as was Boogerd.
did no one see the Rassmussen Contador fight with 2.5km to go ? Do you guys watch the stage ? Anyway Contador said after the race that he and Rassmussen agreed to work together until the final sprint but Rassmussen attacked Contador... Contador was ******... he's a tough nut.... he told Rassmussen... ie he sat up on his bike and told him and then forced Rassmussen to lead for the last km.... the guys got balls...... as for the Rassmussen drug allegations... remember Contdor has just as many with Fuenetes and was named in the files...... both are bad as each other.... Valverde and Mayo very disappointing....
Contador was never named in any Fuentes files. That is why he was cleared almost immediately by the Spanish courts, the Spanish cycling body and the UCI. There is, in fact, no evidence against him at all. As usual, white trash's mind seems to be in a state of disarray.whiteboytrash said:
feel sorry for Vino, but at least Kloden can actually ride his own race now
as for Evans... i thnink it's basically impossible for him to actually win now... he still has a slight chance of taking Ras in the final TT, but he cannot beat Contator by a minute and a half (probably more after the remaining mtn stages).. unless a few well placed crashes of flat tires happen... which is possible
i still give Kloden a chance but only a slight chance... he could possibly take 2minutes out of Contador in a flat TT as long as he doesn't lose any more time in the mountains
that final TT is going to be interesting... a montain top finish mtn stage the day before... how will people ride? play their cards on the mtn stage or follow wheels and take it as easy as possible, even lose a little time and wait for the TT?
i'd say Ras needs about 5 mins of padding going into the TT to win... maybe 6min just to be sure... any of the top guys should be able to take 5min out of him... Kloden maybe 6... but the mtn stage the day before might changes things and adds a lot of uncertainty
Levi rode a really smart race today, but of course that coming from a position of weakness though... but he seems to be getting better.. not enough to leap frog Contador, but better..
as for Evans... i thnink it's basically impossible for him to actually win now... he still has a slight chance of taking Ras in the final TT, but he cannot beat Contator by a minute and a half (probably more after the remaining mtn stages).. unless a few well placed crashes of flat tires happen... which is possible
i still give Kloden a chance but only a slight chance... he could possibly take 2minutes out of Contador in a flat TT as long as he doesn't lose any more time in the mountains
that final TT is going to be interesting... a montain top finish mtn stage the day before... how will people ride? play their cards on the mtn stage or follow wheels and take it as easy as possible, even lose a little time and wait for the TT?
i'd say Ras needs about 5 mins of padding going into the TT to win... maybe 6min just to be sure... any of the top guys should be able to take 5min out of him... Kloden maybe 6... but the mtn stage the day before might changes things and adds a lot of uncertainty
Levi rode a really smart race today, but of course that coming from a position of weakness though... but he seems to be getting better.. not enough to leap frog Contador, but better..
he was initially... lumped in with all the other Liberty riders... then Fuentes himself said he never treated him... but the only way to really know is if the blood gets DNA tested.. he was Saiz' next big thing though... there is still somewhat a cloud over his head... in fact all the spanish riders were cleared to ride since the spanish investigation was shelved.. even [size=-1]Jaksche was cleared to ride until more dirt was found on him... so no there is no current invesigation open but there is a small black cloud that is still following Contador around... similar to Valverde... there's a lot of bags of blood that still haven't been matched with riders yet.[/size]saluki said:
Similar threads
