Posted on 07/04/2009 8:09:14 AM PDT by Mom MD
Today is day one! Armstrong riding. Astana is back! Predictions? Other comments? Does someone have the ping list from last year?
Armstrong is 7” behind Columbia’s Tony Martin. I haven’t kept up with everything so far this year so I’m not sure how c=good Columbia is but judging from their complete team break today, they are probably pretty good. Martin appears to be more of a time-trialer and not really in the hunt in the GC. Neither is Cancellara.
Velonews story on today’s stage
Plan or No Plan
I’d have to have them split the difference on Plan va No Plan.
Having a bunch or riders up front, turning a corner, getting a good wide shift and saying do the next 5 K as fast as you can ain’t much of a plan. More like a Frago.
Columbia-HTC seemed to find willing allies [for the attack] in Astana, despite the fact that Contador and Andreas Kloden were missing. Lance Armstrong, though, was there, prompting speculation that he might have had prior knowledge of the attack.
Hincapie, who rode by Armstrong’s side for all seven of his Tour wins, was asked that question, and he responded initially with a blank expression, as though weighing his words carefully. “I saw Lance,” he shrugged. “I mean, he was obviously excited [to be in the move] but we were there, just doing our job.
Suddenly, as a corner transformed the breeze into a crosswind, Columbia went to echelon, gave it the gas and split the bunch. Cancellara was not caught out, and neither were Armstrong or Thor Hushovd (Cervélo). But Evans was, along with Sastre, Contador, Andreas Klöden and Levi Leipheimer (Astana), Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank), Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream).
"It wasn't that they didn't take advantage. It was just that they weren't there," said Armstrong. "When you see what the wind is doing and you have a turn coming up, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out you have to go to the front."
“It didn’t look like a critical day this morning,” said Armstrong. “When the wind turns, it’s not like rocket science that you know to go to the front. I was in the front as I wanted to stay out of trouble. I turned around and was surprised there was a split and Columbia started riding. It wasn’t an attack. Columbia just started chasing a breakaway. They turned, saw the wind and just accelerated. It was not like an ambush. They were already there.” Regarding his own advance in the overall, Lance said he had “good positioning, experience, a little bit of luck. It was just before that corner that I decided to move up and then it happened. It was not about who is the leader of the team. I won seven times. I deserve a little bit of credit. We go on with two leaders but that doesn’t mean you cannot take advantage of opportunities like today.”
From Cadel Evans’ Twitter: Group split with some 30km to go. Lance showed his experience, Columbia showed their class. The rest of us? 40sec’s down Grrrr....
Lance was certainly less than gracious in his post race comments today. Either it is part of the overall strategy to make everyone else think there is contention over who is the Astana team leader, or Lance has just laid down the challenge to Contador. If so, I think less of him. He would not have put up with one of his teammates saying the same when he was team leader. If he intends to take out Contador, he should keep his mouth shut and do it on the road.
That said, I don’t know who I am pulling for. I think Lance has passed the torch, but it would certainly be a great comeback for him to contend. Contador is a fantastic racer and deserves his chance as well. I guess the games have really begun now. When Lance is in yellow tomorrow, Contador will have to defend for him. Will be very interesting.
Cavendish didn’t pull any punches either. For what it is worth they both seemed right also. Apparently this exact thing has happened in the tour before. He may have been out of line a little bit, but at the same time sometimes you have to call them like you see them.
I think it will be clear who the team leader is after the mountains coming up. If Lance doesn’t falter there I think they have to get behind him.
The FR 2009 Tour de France Thread
FlAttorney FR Racing | July 2, 2009 | FlA & Co.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2284526/posts
I came back from the 4th of July holiday Sunday night and found your dup thread. What is the situation here? I sent you a p.m. and the moderator locked the thread. Now it is unlocked again. I have asked the moderator to lock it again. - TAB
Why did you start a duplicate TDF thread?
To Mom MD sent 07/06/2009 4:25:49 PM PDT
Your Dup TDFrance Thread
To Mom MD sent 07/06/2009 8:34:36 PM PDT
I dont know what your issue is. In previous years we have had a daily thread on the TDF. I did not see one on the prologue day, and started one.
If it makes you feel better, you can have the credit for being first. I’m sorry for any damage I did to your ego
Sheesh!
To Admin moderator - pls go ahead and lock whichever thread makes flattorney feel better about himself. I believe he really is an attorney!
I was kind of surprised at Cavendish. It might have been better to wait for after the team time trial to tick off the other teams! I wonder what his director will have to say about that tonight. (Not that he wasn’t correct in his statement ... )
To Admin moderator - pls go ahead and lock whichever thread makes flattorney feel better about himself. I believe he really is an attorney!
>>I did not see one on the prologue day, and started one.<<
No you did not check the FR Keyword "tourdefrance". If you did, you would have easily found "The FR 2009 Tour de France Thread" started by FlAttorney on July 2, 2009, since it was at the top of the keyword threads. And, spare me/us all your indignant and self-righteous reply. If you had replied back to my first private message on this matter, we would not still have a problem. Is this how Christians act where you live? - disgusting! ~ TAB
Not self righteous. I merely replied to you the way I respond to my teenagers when they start hounding me. First you demand an answer on PM, then post it on the thread. I don’t know why you think I owe you something because I started another thread.
If this makes you feel better, you win. You beat me by 2 days. If I cried about every dup thread started on something I posted, I would be out of kleenex by now.
Another tactic I take with my teenagers - I’m through with this conversation. Have a nice evening.
No one was hounding you and no one is crying, only asking you to be responsibility. Over the years I have inadvertently posted dup threads. When I found out I asked the Mod to lock the threads. I have never argued with another thread poster or made an ass of myself, like you are doing, if they asked me to have a dup thread locked. I took responsibility and was respectful to other posters at this outstanding site. Obviously, this is too much to ask of you. Then you get indignant and derogatory when asked to correct your mistake, while we were all away on Holiday with our families from Friday to Sunday. This is the first time I have ever had a problem of this nature on FR. Congratulation Mom MD!, and remember Jesus is the Light of the World! - TAB
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