Valverde slams Evans as "weak"

[adamastor]

Some comments:

1) IMHO Ricco has not been 'allowed' on a break so far. He attacked and no one seemed to be able to follow. So, if his form remains that great, who would haul him back?

- It's not always about attacking, it's about holding the pace. In Hautacam, Ricco attacked for tactical reasons. It was already mentioned by someone in another thread, but he forced the others to go after him, then interrupted his pace abruptly, giving precious seconds to his teammates. Today Ricco is the only one able to attack 2, 3, 4 times, but unlike Pantani he needs a pretty long "recovery period" before moving on. So what might also happen to him, is that one day, they let him go initially, then through slow acceleration come back to him, then leave him on the side.

2) On the other hand, I looked at his first TT result and it sucked. Big time. +3 min on Cadel. Did he sit up or is he always that bad? I would assume he'd need a 6 min advantage on Cadel coming out of the Alps in order to win in Paris. So, he has to get more than 8 min on Cadel from where he is right now. That's a lot. It doesn't seem likely.

- Ricco was not supposed to start the Tour. Everyone knows to be good at TT, you need to train hard for months, even years. Not his thing. I agree with the 6 minutes, but if Ricco ends the Alps with yellow, might be less (motivation effect).

3) I looked at the footage from stage 9. Ricco was riding for the GC. If he just thought about the stage win, he could have sat up on the finishing straight. But he pedaled all the way through.

- True, good point.

4) I really wonder what he could have done on stage 10. A shame we'll never know.

Maybe Schleck would have won the stage?? )

 

[EoinC]

There is a big difference between exploding off the front and staying out there. Quite frankly, some of the assertions - sorry, speculation - made in this thread about how much time Ricco could have put into the Evans group is ridiculous. They weren't even really chasing Piepoli, Schleck etc.

When Ricco won the other night his attack was very impressive, but its not like the main group chased him that hard on the climb. They were friggin wall to wall across the road at times.

Yes, that's true. What I'm getting at is that when Ricco did his short-lived jumps, there was a power in there that no-one else in that group seemed to have. It doesn't mean that he would have been capable of catching the others, but there was some fuel in the tank.

 

[jhuskey]

I dont know. Ricco is AWFULLY strong. Reason he didnt take another minute out of Evans yesterday was that his two team mates were up the road. He just cruised home with Evans and Menchov.

I really believe he came to get a few stages and maybe a top 10. So he didnt kill himself in the first time trial.

So if Ricco had say 2-3 minutes on Evans going into the final ITT, considering Ricco would really put 100% into it, who would you fancy for the Tour?

That's about what I am saying. He is over 2 mins down now .............so we are thinking about the same.
He needs to gain at least 4.5 mins or so from where he is to have that
cushion.

btw: Rasmussen was not thought to be a contender for the yellow because he couldn't TT. Of course we will never really know what would have happened.

 

[Scotttri]

That's about what I am saying. He is over 2 mins down now .............so we are thinking about the same.
He needs to gain at least 4.5 mins or so from where he is to have that
cushion.

btw: Rasmussen was not thought to be a contender for the yellow because he couldn't TT. Of course we will never really know what would have happened.

Ricco is a great climber who has the ability to affectively sprint up hill, the explosiveness would be demorilising to most other riders and they would simply just give up and let him go. I dont think he has the ability to ride off and gain to much time on Evans, sure he can leave him behind initially but Evans is experienced and wont pannick, just ride at his own pace and slowly reel him back in.

As for stage 10 schleck was allowed to go, Evans, Mechov and maybe Sastre could have ridden faster if they wanted but what was the need. Van de Velde I think will crack in the Alps.

As for the Evans bashers, I certainly didn't seem to much wheel sucking last night.

The valverde fans, once again he's proven he cant match it with the big guns in the tour, it's quite sad really, and I think his team would have been better off letting Oscar ride his own race instrad of all dropping back, they might have still had someone in relative contention.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Ricco is a great climber who has the ability to affectively sprint up hill

What a revelation. Sprinting up hill. This has not been done before. Tell us more.

 

[hawkeye87]

CSC are the danger to Evans, Menchev & vandevelde...we could see some interesting 'alliances of the needy' in the alpes!

They are only dangerous if they gain more time. Both of their GC guys absolutely suck at time trialing. Frank would need to gain 2 mins. on Cadel to have a shot of staying in yellow to Paris.

 

[Bro Deal]

They are only dangerous if they gain more time. Both of their GC guys absolutely suck at time trialing. Frank would need to gain 2 mins. on Cadel to have a shot of staying in yellow to Paris.

I think that may be hard for Schleck. He only gained a minute on a stage where Evans was still suffering from the effects of crashing the day before. The alpine climbs may favor Evans.

If Silence-Lotto can come to an understanding with Garmin-Chipotle to help control the race then Evans' team deficiency won't be so bad.

You have to think that Vaughters will want to do everything possible to get Vande Velde on the podium. The situation is unexpected, and a high finish will help the team get race invites next year.

 

[Chavez]

This is Evans own fault. If Evans wanted to win the TdF then he should have made sure he was on a team that gave him full and able support. He should not be on a team that supports him as well as McEwen.

McEwen had said earlier that he was getting ZERO support in the sprints - the team is supporting Evans.

 

[Bro Deal]

McEwen had said earlier that he was getting ZERO support in the sprints - the team is supporting Evans.

McEwen should not even be on the TdF squad. He is taking up a slot that could have been used by a rider like Horner or a brick shithouse like Voight.

Have McEwen finish the Giro for once and go for the points jersey there. With Peta out that could have been a plan.

 

[hawkeye87]

I think that may be hard for Schleck. He only gained a minute on a stage where Evans was still suffering from the effects of crashing the day before. The alpine climbs may favor Evans.

I really do not think Frank has a chance. I kind of share the owner of the cyclingfansanonymous blog on Frank. At some point he's going to wipe out or something. He was pretty lousy in last year's version and he was billed as a GC guy, behind Sastre then.

 

[stilesiii]

In 5K Ricco was able to put roughly 2 minutes on the yellow group on the D'Aspin. He descended well.

Considering the stages ahead, it is possible he could really crack Evans and Menchov with help from Piepoli and company.

He leaves the alps with 3-4 minutes on a spent/cracked Evans, he could win.

Although, that still leaves Vande Velde, who could take advantage of the attacks on the the Maillot Jaune.

This is going to get very interesting.

 

[Capt.Injury]

In 5K Ricco was able to put roughly 2 minutes on the yellow group on the D'Aspin. He descended well.

Considering the stages ahead, it is possible he could really crack Evans and Menchov with help from Piepoli and company.

He leaves the alps with 3-4 minutes on a spent/cracked Evans, he could win.

Although, that still leaves Vande Velde, who could take advantage of the attacks on the the Maillot Jaune.

This is going to get very interesting.

Ricco likes the steeper climbs, which were the Pyrennes, the Alps are in general between for those that power up the climbs. I read that Ricco couldn't get away from Menchov and Evans on the stage to Hautacam becaues of teh effort he put in the day before. So, more then likely, he will be unable to put in those kinda of massive efforts on back to back days in the Alps. Alp D'Huez does have some a middle section where it levels out quite a bit, so I think his best bet will be the final climb in Italy on stage 15.

 

[Anticyclone]

Ricco likes the steeper climbs, which were the Pyrennes, the Alps are in general between for those that power up the climbs. I read that Ricco couldn't get away from Menchov and Evans on the stage to Hautacam becaues of teh effort he put in the day before. So, more then likely, he will be unable to put in those kinda of massive efforts on back to back days in the Alps. Alp D'Huez does have some a middle section where it levels out quite a bit, so I think his best bet will be the final climb in Italy on stage 15.

If he is feeling up to it then i think stage 15 and stage 17 (he has said that he wants to win up alpe d'huez) will be the ones he is aiming for. There is a rest day between stages 16 and 17 so he gets two days between big efforts.

 

[OAR8]

what about hincapie? do you think he can slip away for a mountain stage win?

WTF?

 

[OAR8]

Completely agree - but what pisses me off, is with a display of strength from Evans on Stage 10, some Internet ********** decided to take further editorial licence and say that Valverde slams "Evans" not "Evans Team".

Good one ****-knuckle... crawl back under your rock just like the other sensationalists flying by the seat of their pants.

****ing-A-right! At least someone can call it,,, like it,,, is!

 

[OAR8]

Ricco is not going to be allowed anymore breaks, his only chance to "win more stages" is going to be by attacking the yellow jersey. I think Saunier Duval should rethink the team strategy. I think Ricco will look back at this years Tour with deep regret if he does not go after the Maillot Jaunne.

When your form is there, you have to take advantage. Ricco is in great form, conisdering the high difficulty of this years Alps stages, he could likely put 4-5 munutes into Evans. Evans can be isolated and SD has very strong mountain stage team, they could throw ferocious attacks on Evans.

Vande Velde looked very strong at the top of Hautacam. He can time trial. I think he will take several shots at Evans. Evans does not have the respect of the peleton, nobody fears him.

If isolated, Evans will not be able to hold on. That is the point Valverde was making.

well I do not know about all that, (cycling info) but what I do know is the Boiling Point in Broussard is the BOMB for boiled shrimp! Then again the Poboys at Julian's are off the hook as well!

 

[MintID]

I think that may be hard for Schleck. He only gained a minute on a stage where Evans was still suffering from the effects of crashing the day before. The alpine climbs may favor Evans.

.

more like 2 minutes.

1Leonardo Piepoli (SDV)04:19:27

2Juan jose Cobo acebo (SDV)+00"

3Frank Schleck (CSC)+28"

4Bernhard Kohl (GST)+01'06"

5Vladimir Efimkin (ALM)+02'05"

6Riccardo Ricco (SDV)+02'17"

7Carlos Sastre (CSC)+02'17"


8Cadel Evans (SIL)+02'17"

 

[adamastor]

I really do not think Frank has a chance. I kind of share the owner of the cyclingfansanonymous blog on Frank. At some point he's going to wipe out or something. He was pretty lousy in last year's version and he was billed as a GC guy, behind Sastre then.

I'm from Luxembourg, and I tell you guys, no Luxembourg win this year. I had put my hopes on Andy, but he's still too tender...Now, we can just hope that Frankie boy will win a stage in the Alps and...that's it (actually already smashing fantastic year for a country with only 475,000 inhabitants, and 2,500 registered cyclists.). If anyone wonders what those striped blue and white flags with a red lion on the roads are, that's us,

 

[Bro Deal]

more like 2 minutes.

Right. My bad. 1:49 Schleck still needs to do that twice again in the Alps against a recovered Evans on mountains that are more suited to the Australian.

 

[Runitout]

Right. My bad. 1:49 Schleck still needs to do that twice again in the Alps against a recovered Evans on mountains that are more suited to the Australian.

Funny with Evans - he's always better in the Alps, and yet claims he prefers the Pyrenees. He does always suck on Alpe d'Huez, though.