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?
Vizzini?
Looks like Klöden is dropping from the front group. Contador made an attack but couldn’t shake the Shlecks, instead he lost Klöden. AC now last in the group of three. (Not very smart riding there.)
Eurosport commentators think Contador starts to look tired and worried. Looks back all the time, but Klöden is done for.
Lance attacks!! Drops Wiggins and Nibali.
Lance took half a minute on the front group the last k to the top!
more versus:
Did Contador make a mistake attacking his teammate out of the leading group?
The elite of the Tour have shown themselves. Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream) dropped a little but his teammate Christian Vande Velde rode outside himself to help his teammate. Armstrong played the perfect role of teammate as well.
Lance and Nibali catches Klöden. 1 k to go and the trio ahead is leading with 2’15”.
Frank Schleck wins in front of Contadoe and his brother. LA and Nibali 2’17” behind. Klöden 2’26” behind.
LA & Kloden may not keep their podium positions today.
Prlim GC
Contador
A Schleck
F Scleck
LA
Kloden
NO, LA and Klöden drop to 4th and 5th place. One wonders how the team talk in Astana will go tonight. Contador was certainly not riding with his head.
TT tomorrow - so we may have three Astana riders in top after that stage!
1. CONTADOR Alberto 21 ASTANA 72h 27’ 09”
2. SCHLECK Andy 31 TEAM SAXO BANK 72h 29’ 35” + 02’ 26”
3. SCHLECK Frank 36 TEAM SAXO BANK 72h 30’ 34” + 03’ 25”
4. ARMSTRONG Lance 22 ASTANA 72h 31’ 04” + 03’ 55”
5. KLÖDEN Andréas 23 ASTANA 72h 31’ 53” + 04’ 44”
6. WIGGINS Bradley 58 GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM 72h 32’ 02” + 04’ 53”
7. NIBALI Vincenzo 95 LIQUIGAS 72h 32’ 18” + 05’ 09”
8. VANDE VELDE Christian 51 GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM 72h 35’ 17” + 08’ 08”
9. LE MEVEL Christophe 106 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 72h 36’ 28” + 09’ 19”
2009 has been an exciting race for Lance so far, and we have more to come, but I think it is clear now that Contador will be first. Lance will be competing for 2nd or 3rd.
I grew up with two brothers, and watching the Schleck brothers work and attack together was a real pleasure.
Twitter from Levi: "If Andreas finishes 4th in GC by less than 2’ from 3rd, we know where he lost it."
Seeing Lance’s riding the last two days really makes me wish he were on a separate team from Contador. He had a bad day to Verbier but the last two days he has shown that he can climb when given the opportunity. He has also shown he is a very good teammate. Much better than Contador in that regard.
Alberto better take care of Alberto and not depend on Lance.
LA via twitter:
Getting lots of question why AC attacked and dropped Kloden. I still haven't figured it out either. Oh well."
It takes a team effort to get the yellow. Lance understood it and always took care of his teammates. The last two stages Lance waited until it was safe to look after himself and not help any major GC competitors in both yesterday and today’s stages.
Alberto taking care of Alberto could have been disastrous today if the Schlecks had had enough to attack again. His actions did put a serious damper on getting 3 Astana riders on the podium.
Truth be told, had the Schleck bros attacked, Kloden would have been lost anyway. But they had no reason to until the sprint for the finish, and were content to suck Contador’s wheel on the climb.
Bad on Contador. Is he stupid, greedy, or evil? Or (d) all of the above?
FYI, the Schleck bros were 1’ (A) and 1’36” ((F) in the Monaco ITT. I don’t think they have what it takes trialing-wise.
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