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TDF: Stage 17 - Alpe d'Huez

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    #32
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    dedon wrote: »
    Valverdre for me!!

    Domestique in my opinion.


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    #33
    dedon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 761 ✭✭✭dedon


    el tonto wrote: »
    Domestique in my opinion.
    Team Leader?


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    #34
    72hundred
    Registered Users Posts: 1,333 ✭✭✭72hundred


    Anyone have a link to watch it on-line?

    EDIT: Found the one that was up a few days ago.
    +1 to mloc123 for posting it http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56582241&postcount=10


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    #35
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,198 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    I know its half way through the Stage but I'm going to throw my prediction in and go for Sanchez.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #36
    kenmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,276 ✭✭✭kenmc


    wow, what a finish! how did XXXXX pull out that gap on that mountain! Great riding - wonder if he can hold on. The big boys didn't see him coming... (I hope that's not spoiling too much....)


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    #37
    justfortherecor
    Registered Users Posts: 709 ✭✭✭justfortherecor


    Sure, using spoilers is the safest option in 'Go Advanced'.

    I think the above post is spoiling it a bit to be honest for people who want to watch it tonight IMO.


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    #38
    trek climber
    Registered Users Posts: 555 ✭✭✭trek climber


    Just out of interest - has anyone here ever cycled up Alpe d'Huez and if so how tough was it. Hoping to go over next year to do it.


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    #39
    Diarmuid
    Registered Users Posts: 3,981 ✭✭✭Diarmuid


    Well looks like CSC had decided that Sastre has a better chance of beating Evans in the TT. However I don't think he put enough time on Evans in the climb not to loose it on Saturday. After Vanderveld's fall yesterday & Menchov's abysmal descent I think the race is Evans to lose.

    Andy Schelk is defo one for the future. You could see he had tons left in him on the climb but had to hold back because of team tactics


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    #40
    zzzzzzzz
    Registered Users Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭zzzzzzzz


    Diarmuid wrote: »
    Well looks like CSC had decided that Sastre has a better chance of beating Evans in the TT. However I don't think he put enough time on Evans in the climb not to loose it on Saturday. After Vanderveld's fall yesterday & Menchov's abysmal descent I think the race is Evans to lose.

    Andy Schelk is defo one for the future. You could see he had tons left in him on the climb but had to hold back because of team tactics
    Yeah, I think it was a good call on CSC's part. Evans seemed very preoccupied with Frank the last couple of days so to send Sastre up the road was a good one.


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    #41
    Funkyzeit
    Registered Users Posts: 1,033 ✭✭✭Funkyzeit


    aidan.offbeat wrote: »
    Yeah, I think it was a good call on CSC's part. Evans seemed very preoccupied with Frank the last couple of days so to send Sastre up the road was a good one.

    Not sure CSC got it right. I agree with Diarmuid the the time Carols put in is not enough. Maybe they should have attacked with Frank on Croix de Fer - let Evans chase him down and then attack with Carlos ? Evans may be boring but he's some fighter....


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    #42
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    Told you Sastre was CSC's man for the GC.

    Evans put 1:30 into him in the first time trial, which was 30km. Saturday's is 53km and he's only 1:34 behind.

    Looks like its Evan's race to lose now, unless there's a big surprise tomorrow. Menchov will find it hard to put a minute into Evans, but could well take second spot on the podium from Sastre.

    Vande Velde must be cursing his crash on Tuesday. With those two minutes he lost he would have been a shoe in for third.


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    #43
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,198 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    I don't think its as open and shut as people seem to think. Yesterday took a lot more out of Evans than it did from Sastre.

    If Sastre shows reasonably good form in the TT, he could hang on. I know I'll be rooting for him after the way he attacked yesterday. Thats the way a Tour should be won, not hanging on to wheels and limiting losses like Evans/Menchov.


    having said all this I looked at the TT route, made for Evans to put 3-4 minutes into Sastre. Dang.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #44
    Diarmuid
    Registered Users Posts: 3,981 ✭✭✭Diarmuid


    I saw an interview with Evans directly after the race. He seemed very happy with himself. Maybe that's just his personality but I think he knows he's way stronger than Sastre in the TT.


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    #45
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,198 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    You'd be happy too if you'd just finished L'Alpe without being broken by CSC. I'd say he started the day thinking he was going to take a hammering from constant attacks by the Schlecks, unfortunatly Frank hadn't the legs and Andy was reined in.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #46
    Diarmuid
    Registered Users Posts: 3,981 ✭✭✭Diarmuid


    briankeating wrote: »
    You'd be happy too if you'd just finished L'Alpe without being broken by CSC.
    Exactly, he knows the TdF is his to lose now.


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    #47
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    briankeating wrote: »
    ...unfortunatly Frank hadn't the legs and Andy was reined in.

    We don't know if Franck Schleck had the legs to attack or not, he couldn't because his team leader was up the road. Andy's job wasn't to attack, just mark the other favourites.


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    #48
    Raam
    Registered Users Posts: 14,317 ✭✭✭✭Raam


    Whatever about CSC and Evans... Big George came 65th, so I'm happy with that.


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    #49
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    Solid one from George so.


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    #50
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,198 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    el tonto wrote: »
    We don't know if Franck Schleck had the legs to attack or not, he couldn't because his team leader was up the road. Andy's job wasn't to attack, just mark the other favourites.

    I just read a quote on Eurosport where Franck said the plan was for Sastre to jump off and then for him to attack and join Sastre.

    http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/24072008/58/tour-de-france-blazin-saddles-di-sastre-ous.html

    I reckon if Franck had the legs he would have gone hell for leather up L'Alpe. No disrespect to the man though, he's had a great Tour. Himself and Andy are exactly the type of rider I like to see win the Tour, like Contador last year.

    The tone of that articile really annoyed me by the way.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #51
    Raam
    Registered Users Posts: 14,317 ✭✭✭✭Raam


    To be honest, I found the stage a bit of a bore. There was one a few days ago which was good, where they kept attacking Evans.
    It was good watching Sastre go for it, but Evans know's that he could let him get a couple of minutes on him. He is bound to make it up in the TT. Perhaps all Evans wanted to do was make sure only one CSC got away, because if there was two, then they could do more damage.


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    #52
    TinyExplosions
    Registered Users Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭TinyExplosions


    el tonto wrote: »
    Solid one from George so.

    Listening to the bikeradar podcast, it seems he had a big crash on the descent from the Galibier and tore his kit to shreds, so that makes it even better!


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    #53
    Diarmuid
    Registered Users Posts: 3,981 ✭✭✭Diarmuid


    Raam wrote: »
    To be honest, I found the stage a bit of a bore.
    Yea I agree. The team tactics killed the excitement of seeing Andy attack Evans on the final climb. You could see he was holding back and as soon as Sanchez attacked at the end he had his excuse to go and chase him.


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    #54
    dedon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 761 ✭✭✭dedon


    The CSC boys are looking very strong. They must be ‘eating’ well. I am sure Bjarne Riis knows a few good recipes to give them.


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    #55
    Raam
    Registered Users Posts: 14,317 ✭✭✭✭Raam


    dedon wrote: »
    The CSC boys are looking very strong. They must be ‘eating’ well. I am sure Bjarne Riis knows a few good recipes to give them.

    Gosh, you must be really dissillusioned. In the meantime, can you let the rest of us enjoy the drama and suspense and pretend for a few days that there is no problem?


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    #56
    dedon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 761 ✭✭✭dedon


    Raam wrote: »
    Gosh, you must be really dissillusioned. In the meantime, can you let the rest of us enjoy the drama and suspense and pretend for a few days that there is no problem?

    Not disillusioned at all. I am looking at it from a realistic perspective and I am not being naïve.


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    #57
    ednwireland
    Registered Users Posts: 14,373 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    i'd be really disappointed if evans wins without winning a stage, so unless he manages to win the time trial (which i doubt i would guess he'll be riding to time checks for the gc not the stage win then hes not going to win a stage) i just dont like that style of riding - hang on in the mountains make up the time in the TT ,indurain used to do a lot of that (mind you he was a far classier rider than evans) hope csc go all out today but i doubt it, harder stage than people think stage 18.
    i want sastre to win after that attack on the alp

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



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    #58
    niceonetom
    Registered Users Posts: 4,833 ✭✭✭niceonetom


    it occurs to me that this year's route flatters the time-trialists over the climbers too much; 90k out there solo allows the likes of evans to be very conservative in the mountains, which is a pity from a neutral's point of view. even if this second TT were a team test it would make it much more interesting. could csc, with cancellara and voigt drag sastre along over 56k? would evans, a strong time-trialist with a much weaker team, be able to recoup his losses?
    dedon wrote: »
    The CSC boys are looking very strong. They must be ‘eating’ well. I am sure Bjarne Riis knows a few good recipes to give them.

    jaysus you're great value.


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    #59
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    briankeating wrote: »
    I just read a quote on Eurosport where Franck said the plan was for Sastre to jump off and then for him to attack and join Sastre.

    He would have only been allowed do that if Evans was dropped by the Schlect group. It would make no sense for Schleck to tow Evans back up to Sastre.
    Raam wrote: »
    It was good watching Sastre go for it, but Evans know's that he could let him get a couple of minutes on him. He is bound to make it up in the TT. Perhaps all Evans wanted to do was make sure only one CSC got away, because if there was two, then they could do more damage.

    That's it exactly. He knew he could give time to Sastre and by letting him go it neutralised the other CSC guys. Evans just had to mark his other rivals.
    ednwireland wrote: »
    ...i just dont like that style of riding - hang on in the mountains make up the time in the TT ,indurain used to do a lot of that (mind you he was a far classier rider than evans) hope csc go all out today but i doubt it, harder stage than people think stage 18.
    i want sastre to win after that attack on the alp

    Evans makes it look real. After years of seeing guys shooting up passes breathing through their noses, its nice to see a guy who makes it look as hard as it really is. You can see the pain there. Yes, he's always been called a wheel sucker, but he's grown on me a lot.

    I'd love to see Sastre win too. He's a lovely guy who seems to have played it by the rules more than most over the years. His win yesterday was something special. But the head still says Evans.
    niceonetom wrote: »
    it occurs to me that this year's route flatters the time-trialists over the climbers too much; 90k out there solo allows the likes of evans to be very conservative in the mountains...

    Actually, this year's Tour is regarded as being light on the TTs. Here's a breakdown of the non-prologue, individual time trial kilometres from the past three years.

    2008: 82.5km
    2007: 109.5km
    2006: 108km


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    #60
    TinyExplosions
    Registered Users Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭TinyExplosions


    el tonto wrote: »
    Actually, this year's Tour is regarded as being light on the TTs. Here's a breakdown of the non-prologue, individual time trial kilometres from the past three years.

    2008: 82.5km
    2007: 109.5km
    2006: 108km

    I think you also have to take into account the lack of time bonuses too -they make a big difference this year I think


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