i believed in him – i even bet money on him winning…… **** wouldnt take my money when he broke his collar bone though ! Knew the odds would be sky high due to uncertainty of a start …
Nobody’s eating their words yet because it was a TTT – his team got him into 2nd place. It proves nothing other than he was in the right place yesterday and Contador wasn’t.
We still need to wait until the mountains or individual TT to really find out how strong he is.
No it wasn’t! Also much stronger GC in 2009 than in 1999, US postal wasn’t a divided squad unilke Astana and the mess at that causeway splitting the field had big effect on GC contenders which isn’t sewing a race up. 1999 didnt have the ventoux at the end of it either! you can look back at a race and say that was the impact day on the GC but you cant say any grand tour race after 4 days its sewn up!
There’s no way the Tour is even remotely close to being sewn up. Anything can happen between now and Paris: crashes, bad days, team tactics (or team power struggles…), even after just 4 days it’s showing it’ll be a fantastic Tour!
James (CL), Of course it’s sewn up in the same way that any ride that you and I have ever gone on has always been me dragging your sorry arse around – Keep up!
crazy-legs – Member
There’s no way the Tour is even remotely close to being sewn up. Anything can happen between now and Paris: crashes, bad days, team tactics (or team power struggles…), even after just 4 days it’s showing it’ll be a fantastic Tour!
I’ve read that Pantani’s ghost is fired up and ready to make a spectral comeback, knocking Lance off at the top of Ventoux. Lance will run down the mountain naked screaming about ‘the spiders’ and Cadel Evans will be injected with Pantani’s Phantasmagorical Powerjuice, making up a deficit of 34 hours in one fell swoop, thus winning the race.
of course anything could happen in the next 2 weeks. Contador could crash. Shleck could get good at time trialling. Cavendish could sprint ahead and get a 3 hour lead on the Ventoux. Aliens could mindwash Contador so that he forgets how to ride a bike. All possible, if unlikely. (well, the Shleck one isn't possible)
hence 'pretty much' sewn up, rather than completely. Armstrong appears to think the same according to his interview yesterday.
Best climber in the race puts nearly 2 minutes into his nearest rival – and nearly 3 into most others – before the race even hits the first cat 2 climb. All over bar the shouting.
Agree with that. I'm sure that Contador can't wait for the first mountain where he'll do an explosive attack to try and kill off LA's challenge for good early on.
But we're just 4 stages in and the mountains are yet to come. 40 seconds, or even 3 minutes down to Cadel is nothing in the mountains.
That said Contador looks like he is getting pretty hot headed, so its not outside the realms of reason that he'll try something stupid. Whatever you say about Lance, he is too cool and calculated to squander his rivals misfortune.
That said Contador looks like he is getting pretty hot headed
Hows that then?
Like has been said the smart thing for Astana to do would be to pretend they have two team leaders and to send Armstrong on the attack early in the mountains and let the other teams expend themselves chasing him only for contador to swoop later….. is that whats happening or is Lances ego getting in the way.
Epicyclo – I reckon that's what will happen but I don't agree for a moment that Lance will let that happen if he has any choice in the matter. If he can peg Contador (or even beat him…) then I don't doubt for a second that he will do. Can you seriously imagine Lance letting someone else win if he reckons he could?
Very impressive, although there was an element of luck in being in the right place at the right time when the breakaway went. Contador made a mistake all the same.
TTT was just great – irony of ironies that Armstrong was 5th man and sat up as he went over the line – had he just dipped for line he'd be in yellow and very much winding Contador up for two days.
Friday is the big day – 220-odd km and virtually all of it uphill. Armstrong won't exactly be relegated to carrying water after that, but I'm sure he'll get a wake-up call.
I still think Andy is talking nonesense ( not about a contador win, very possible, just the sewn up bit), not sure about all his aliens crap but
Contador could miss a break ( Oh hang on he's already done that on Monday)
He could bonk ( Oh hang on he did that in Paris Nicethis year and lost shed loads of time)
This is on top of the having a mechanical, fall, illness, team implosion etc etc
Its like going and watching a football match seeing a team score in the first few minutes and then saying they have won the game.