Pro Cycling Thread

[Matteh]

After Stage 9:

Håkon Mørk 302 (22nd) [9]
Mathew Mitchell 287 (83rd) [27]
Neil Pickup 251 (280th) [19]
Manjunath Reddlapalli 221 (397th) [19]
Craig Walsh 192 (494th) [24]
Greg Thomas 180 (517th) [36]
jeff rangers 123 (593th) [28]

A lone breakaway from a relative unknown paid off, all the leaders finished at more or less the same time except for Kasheckin who had to go back and help out Vinokourov, who now looks completely out of the race for the GC. Interestingly Rasmussen now appears to have some competition from today's stage winner Soler, who picked up 79 from the 3 big climbs of the day.

 

[Neil Pickup]

How much of a lead do you think Rasmussen needs to win this thing? Or, in other words, how much will he lose in the TTs?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Hopefully CA work their collective arses off on Thursday so there's a sprint again.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

How much of a lead do you think Rasmussen needs to win this thing? Or, in other words, how much will he lose in the TTs?

Needs another largish breakaway in the Pyrenees (sp?) in my books, but I don't really know what I'm talking about.

On that topic, can anyone answer a fairly simple question: when Gerdermann won on Saturday, he climbed competently and didn't look like he was struggling. Was his performance today, well down on the main contenders, directly a result of his efforts on Saturday taking a lot out of him or is it just a case of it not being his day today?

 

[Matteh]

Needs another largish breakaway in the Pyrenees (sp?) in my books, but I don't really know what I'm talking about.

On that topic, can anyone answer a fairly simple question: when Gerdermann won on Saturday, he climbed competently and didn't look like he was struggling. Was his performance today, well down on the main contenders, directly a result of his efforts on Saturday taking a lot out of him or is it just a case of it not being his day today?

Would imagine that it would have a bit, but also these are steeper gradients for more km than that hill was, so the fact Rasmussen et al are better climbers really shows through. Gerdemann obviously isn't a bad climber shown by the fact he didn't finish way down today, but he's not in the elite either.

 

[Matteh]

How much of a lead do you think Rasmussen needs to win this thing? Or, in other words, how much will he lose in the TTs?

I'd say 5 mins. Cadel Evans is my new GC favourite though.

 

[Johnners]

Evans ftw, i was surprised he still had the legs to sort of sprint to the finish tbh, does 3rd place get a time bonus?

I was quite impressed by Contador's climbing, he'll win it one day imo.

 

[Matteh]

3rd gets 8 seconds time bonus.

1st - 20'
2nd - 12'
3rd - 8'

Stops there.

 

[Johnners]

Cheers,

was just looking at the profiles of stages 14-16, looks nasty tbh.

 

[Matteh]

Pyrenees look tough as this year. It's basically where Rasmussen could win it for himself.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Pyrenees look tough as this year. It's basically where Rasmussen could win it for himself.

Thing is, if he attacks everyone will be on his wheel right away (see Moreau on Sunday). And I'm not sure he's strong enough to maul from the front.

 

[JBMAC]

Thing is, if he attacks everyone will be on his wheel right away (see Moreau on Sunday). And I'm not sure he's strong enough to maul from the front.

I believe he is strong enough but the question must be asked..."Is he Hungry enough"?

 

[Chubb]

Last night I was thinking about famous breakaways (prompted by Liggett and Sherwen talking about Roger Walkowiak) and I remember Cedric Vasseur's lone breakaway that won him the yellow jersey... I think that's the only time I've seen a lone breakaway come off on a flat stage (I think it was in the Vendee region, which is pancake-flat). I was young when it happened and it made a great impression on me at the time. Does anyone else remember it?

Vasseur takes the stage, experience showed through at the finish... ten years after his lone breakaway. He was implicated in a doping scandal at Cofidis a few years ago though.

 

[Dark Hunter]

Well that was a pretty amazing stage last night. The quickest i've ever seen as well, that breakaway peleton cut down 7 minutes in about 30 km, it was crazy. Was anyone else hoping that Vinokourov(sp?) would win outright when he tried to break with about 4k to go? Feel sorry for him myself, i hope he can somehow make it back into contention.

 

[JBMAC]

Well that was a pretty amazing stage last night. The quickest i've ever seen as well, that breakaway peleton cut down 7 minutes in about 30 km, it was crazy. Was anyone else hoping that Vinokourov(sp?) would win outright when he tried to break with about 4k to go? Feel sorry for him myself, i hope he can somehow make it back into contention.

I think he will be strong in The Pyrennes

 

[Neil Pickup]

George and I were wondering last night what the purpose of Geraint Thomas was... can anyone enlighten us?

 

[Matteh]

George and I were wondering last night what the purpose of Geraint Thomas was... can anyone enlighten us?

Make up numbers, gain experience, do some wind resistance duties.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

George and I were wondering last night what the purpose of Geraint Thomas was... can anyone enlighten us?

Or Thomas Geraint, as he is known on the continent.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

George and I were wondering last night what the purpose of Geraint Thomas was... can anyone enlighten us?

Or Thomas Geraint, as he is known on the continent.

 

[Matteh]

After stage 12:

Håkon Mørk 365 (25nd) [63]
Mathew Mitchell 335 (118rd) [48]
Neil Pickup 295 (287th) [44]
Manjunath Reddlapalli 261 (386th) [38]
Craig Walsh 228 (480th) [12]
Greg Thomas 198 (535th) [18]
jeff rangers 125 (599th) [12]