Not tomorrow, but over the next few years.

The consensus opinion is that the Tour is over, barring a major mishap for Bert on tomorrow's time trial. AS is 24 – what are his chances of really improving his testing over the next few years? Is it one of those things that just is what it is according to your physique etc, or can any rider make major improvements if they're young enough?

Just wondering if we're in for the Bert Contador show for the next five years, or whether AS can take over with an improved time trial.

I've always thought TTing is all in the mind. Some people can do it naturally, some can't. AS can't. He could learn, but I imagine it would be hard. Although maybe he already has, and is going to blow everyone away tomorrow.

Heard of Indurain? Won 5 (IIRC) tours on winnig time trials but no mountian stages. I guess it's about balance, you don't want to bulk up so much that you affect your performance in the hills.

Indurian was awesome at TTing but pretty handy in the mountains too. He could accelerate but kept the pace so high that neither could his rivals. For a big unit his cadence was very high (bit like LA)which I guessed helped.

couldn't accelerate i meant to say……………:)

Schleck isn't a bad time trialer (won the belgium TT championship this year i think), just not considered in the same class as contador or evans at the moment, but neither was contador until he had the yellow jersey on his back. iirc at the 2007 tour the other contenders were expected to take chunks out of him on the final time trial, but with something to fight for he gave the time trial of his life, and has continued to be pretty handy at it ever since.

as will win the tt tom he's vastly improved over the last year and spoke how his fitness should be peaking this week. He's matched indurain in the hills and the only way indurain could get the jersey was by taking advantage of a mechanical fault.

Indurain retired years ago Andy 😆

what?

I think Andy means Contador?

I'll have a pint of what Andy's on.

lol !

Anyway, I reckon Lemond will win 😉

msp andy won the luxembourg tt champs (of which around 4 turned up according to big maggy) 😉

not that takes anything away from the speed he pedals im sure he'd beat us lot lol

He's recently been coached by Cancellara but, coaching aside, he's just too tall and gangly to be a time trial winner against a shorter, stockier, more powerful opponent. I'd love to see him win a tour but, going into a time trial 8 seconds down on Contador, it isn't looking good for him.

Anyway, I reckon Lemond will win

I expect he will as Fignon has cancer now.

Gonna be a tight one mind you Edric. Theres got to be less than 10 seconds in it.

Contador will beat Schleck by a fair amount tomorrow, but Schleck will learn, focus on his TT'ing (his climbing obviously needs improving too a bit) then win the tour. Maybe not next year, but one day.

Then it'll be Boassen Hagen's turn.

There's a rumour they're gonna be on the same team next year so that may put a end to any real showdown in the next few years.

andy won the luxembourg tt champs (of which around 4 turned up according to big maggy)

And two of those were Schlecks 😆

such a shame there weren't two schlecks for all of this tour.

I think the problem with Andys TT is his height, he just cant get low enough compared to Contador.

I know it's national standard not international But Richard Prebble managed nine national tt titles and he's a tall bloke

And Cancellara isn't bad either at 6ft 1 which is the same height as Andy Schleck

It's lack of power rather than being to tall Schleck flies up hills as he's a lightweight. Cancellara is over 2 stone heavier and monsters timetrials but goes up long climbs like a lorry!!

Edric 64 – Member

It's lack of power rather than being to tall Schleck flies up hills as he's a lightweight. Cancellara is over 2 stone heavier and monsters timetrials but goes up long climbs like a lorry!!

Quite a quick lorry mind, he's done some epic turns on the front up mountains for Saxo bank keeping the pace very high. Admittedly he can't keep it going for the whole of a climb but even when he's just cruising up a hill I doubt 99% of us could keep up with him.

Schleck's start time is 15:59 CET, so 14:59 here. Contandor starts three minutes later. The course tracks south east and it's currently sunny with no breeze but an easterly is expected later.

Cancellara is currently fastest, doing the 52km course in 1h 0m 56s (51.2kmh or 32mph). He didn't pre-ride it either!

It's on Eurosport or ITV4

Sorry – course tracks North West.

As an aside, didn't Contador win a stage of something earlier this year up Alp d'Huez? Beat Janni Brajkovic, so wouldnt doubt his climbing ability too much, just he's a power rider rather than one like AS who floats on the pedals.
Neither could hold a candle to Lance in his prime in the mountains though.

He may not need to improve as contador seems to have lost some of his tt ability!

2 seconds!

Absolutely, this is a turn up

Contador is moving around on his bike, Schleck looks rock steady, even if Contador wins it may now be down to the mechanical.