Stage 9 TDF - Tuesday, July 17: Val-d’Isère - Briançon, 159.5km



Bro Deal said:
Evans, Klodi, and Leipheimer can all time trial well. Evans has a good chance to podium.
Leipheimer
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Bro Deal said:
Valverde now has undisputed leadership of his team. Karpets and Pereiro are gone. The big question is how good of a long time trial can he do? He isn't climbing well enough to distance the riders we know can TT well.
He certanily will be faster than rasmusen on ITT and that will help him to win this TDF ;)
 
rockinchair said:
Leipheimer
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He can do a decent time trial. Last year at the Tour he sucked though.

In 2005 he beat Evans for 28 seconds in 19 km. In the second ITT he lost 1:07 to Evans. Leipheimer is much better at shorter ITTs. He seems to suffer in longer time trials.

Evans lost three minutes to Kloden in last year's final ITT.
 
Bro Deal said:
Evans lost three minutes to Kloden in last year's final ITT.
Dude he was toast last year after having 'zero' help in the mountains - yes zero. However I do think Klodin is probably a bit better (definitely not 3 mins though). Although the first ITT suits Cadel well IMO.
 
existence said:
Dude he was toast last year after having 'zero' help in the mountains - yes zero. However I do think Klodin is probably a bit better (definitely not 3 mins though). Although the first ITT suits Cadel well IMO.
He took 8th place so he was not exactly toast, and he does not really have any more support in the mountains this year. Horner is riding well, but Horner is like thirty-five or thirty-six (I forget). There is only so much Horner can do.

Kloden is a better time trialer than Evans is. The pecking order among the contenders is Kloden then Vino then Evans then Leipheimer. Right now Klodi looks to be in the best position to win. Evans needs to either put time into Klodi in the mountains or ride the two time trials of his life to win.
 
Consider this, IMO as poted before poise and consistency will win this race.
Kloden has been the puller thus far so if can get support in the Pyrenees he might be able to put some time into the other contenders and then TT their tits off for the win.
Of course it is too early for anyone to book a victory tour.
 
Before judging the chicken so much you got to remember he put in a much bigger effort just the other day, even with a rest day he isn't going to be as rested as the others.

I still think Contador is the better climber though, raz can't do those accelerations.
 
jhuskey said:
Consider this, IMO as poted before poise and consistency will win this race.
Kloden has been the puller thus far so if can get support in the Pyrenees he might be able to put some time into the other contenders and then TT their tits off for the win.
Of course it is too early for anyone to book a victory tour.

I agree. I just hope Astana gets it together. Reports of Vino in tears aftr the stage is very sad. Considering his disposition and all, oh to be a fly on the wall at tonight's meeting.
 
Klodifan said:
I agree. I just hope Astana gets it together. Reports of Vino in tears aftr the stage is very sad. Considering his disposition and all, oh to be a fly on the wall at tonight's meeting.


Vinokourov is a rider not lacking in spirit and drive. I have been told this by former team mates and it is sad for him and the others that have been and are being eliminated from this years's tour.
 
Klodifan said:
I agree. I just hope Astana gets it together. Reports of Vino in tears aftr the stage is very sad. Considering his disposition and all, oh to be a fly on the wall at tonight's meeting.
Ferrari's juice may make you ride faster but it can't remedy disappoint...... now what about feeding some of Kazahstajdhjdhfstans poor rather than sponsoring a cycling team.... I for one are glad Vino farked up....... if he won it would be more money in the Ferrari bank..... not good for cycling.....
 
whiteboytrash said:
Ferrari's juice may make you ride faster but it can't remedy disappoint...... now what about feeding some of Kazahstajdhjdhfstans poor rather than sponsoring a cycling team.... I for one are glad Vino farked up....... if he won it would be more money in the Ferrari bank..... not good for cycling.....


Ah damn ,WBT we were having a moment here and now it's ruined.
BTW: Where is Mussette? She should be here praising Contador as the new god of the universe. :D
 
My money's on Kloden for the GC at this point, presuming Vino goes quietly to a supporting role. He has the TT ability, he can climb, and he has the experience of being in contention in previous Tours. Vino deserves sympathy, but at this point it seems clear that Kloden has the better chance to get Astana to the top of the podium. Despite his reported emotion at the end of the stage, which seems to imply a resignation of a sort, my guess is that once Vino calms down and as he gathers strength as the week progresses, he may still be reluctant to give up the team leadership role, which may make for some interesting stories from the Astana camp.

But I can see any one of a half-dozen other riders winning the Tour. Valverde and Evans are both steady threats, Contador, with that wicked uphill acceleration and a decent TT ability, has an outside chance, but I tend to think his inexperience will cost him at some point. Leipheimer is just too vanilla to win the whole thing. The Chicken will get steamrolled in the TTs . . . I think the podium at this point is Kloden, Valverde, and Evans, with Mayo as a wildcard.
 
A few things to note from todays stage now that I have watched it............ Contador's attacks are lightening and can blow the field apart.... however he is **** on the flat.... he died a death on the decent and flat and was finished at the end of the stage to the point he couldn't sprint.... he's a smart rider as when Evans joined him in the attack he turned around and put his arm out to say "if you're going to join me you have to work"..... when Evans sucked some wheel Contador took off again and left Evans on his own....... Cobo from SD had a fight with the chicken about doing work on the front and then with Mayo and then with his team director ! Cobo refused to work on the flat as did many in the group and shows how much Contador died... anyway the SD director drives up in the car and gives Cobo a spray and tells him to get on the front and help Mayo..... Cobo stops riding turns back to the team car and waves his arms shooing the car away... he then sat up and came in a minute or so later..... finally Rasmussen won't win the Tour... he can't ride in a group...... also he couldn't respond to any of the attacks and was slow to work up his pace...... to be honest I don't know who's going to win.... Saturday and Sunday will tell us a lot.....
 
Re Contador: True, he almost lost Paris-Nice for the same reason. He got away from Rebellin on one of the climbs only to get caught on the flat run to the line.

Re Cobo: That was funny, I wish I was a Spanish fly on the wall of the SD team room, something other than "Venga" will be uttered there for sure.

Re Ras: True, probably a result of his asking his teams permission to train on his own. Good for the stamina, not so good for the group-riding skills.
 
Lets give props to Valverde for animating that race. If he didn't attack who knows how the day would have went.
 
EvilJediJ said:
Lets give props to Valverde for animating that race. If he didn't attack who knows how the day would have went.

Agreed and lets feel sorry for Levi........ he must feel very lonely in the team meetings...... Bruyneel talks to Popo and Contador and tells them to "attack !" and then he turns to Levi and he says.... "Levi you just follow..... if you can.... if you can't pretend you have a problem with your chain......"
 
The big question is...will Zabel be the only sprinter left to go for the stage win in the last flat stage?
 
jhuskey said:
The big question is...will Zabel be the only sprinter left to go for the stage win in the last flat stage?
Good for him. Always the most constant rider. I would like for him to win another TdF stage.
 
I thought Dave Z had improved his climbing? He's been finishing almost dead last! 2nd to last overall.
 
Smilf said:
I thought Dave Z had improved his climbing? He's been finishing almost dead last! 2nd to last overall.
He does his work, picks up his paycheck, goes home! Remember that he is a top contender for two ITT stages yet to come; saving himself for that after doing his team work early in the stages. My guess, anyway.
 

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